Here's the second and final chapter. Hope you all enjoy! It was far more reviews and favourites than I had hoped! Thank-you so much.
LostLyra.
After searching the back streets of London for what seemed like hours Clara came to a stop to see a flickering candle on a bracket outside a small door. Following her instincts she made her way down the path to the door and knocked quietly. She only had to wait a second before the door was pulled inwards and a boy stood before her, eying her suspiciously from the hall.
"Wha' yer want?" he asked in a thick London accent.
"I was wondering if the Veiled Detective had been seen around here, I'm a friend and I have to say that she's in some distress,"
"This way Ma'am," the boy stepped backwards to let her pass, and she did, her curiosity peaking about the odd little house that was nestled between two larger houses. She followed the boy through the dingy house, and to a back room. The door itself was painted the deepest black that Clara had ever seen, and the gothic designs adorned the wood, stretching from the floor to the apex of the door's curved top gave the entrance a hellish feel. Clara was about to open her mouth but the boy answered her question. "'ere is an opium den, a high class one," Clara's eyes almost dropped out of their sockets from surprise, and she had to firmly tense her mouth into a straight frown as to prevent it from falling open. "Don't look so surprised Ma'am. However Madame Vastra don't come 'ere to smoke, she comes here ta be in solitude," he paused. "Normally when something's wrong or there's a case giving her problems. Once their drugged up the patron's are normally qui'e quiet,"
Clara nodded in thanks, and sent the boy on his way. Hesitantly she pushed the heavy door open. It swung in with a high pitched creak of old wood, and she winced at the harshness of the sound. Darkness met her eyes, and she blinked to try and adjust to the oppressive filtered light that was trying to press its way through the heavy net curtains. Stepping into the room she saw Vastra sitting a book on her lap and the only unnatural light she read from was a flickering candle, placed in a bracket on the wall next to her.
"Thy soul shall find itself alone
'Mid dark thoughts of the grey tomb-stone;
Not one, of all the crowd, to pry
Into thine hour of secrecy,"
Vastra's voice startled her into movement and the young woman came to stand next to her friend. "Vastra,"
"What?" the lizard looked up sharply, her crest still shone a faint golden orange in the light of the flickering candle. "What do you want child?" the words were spoken with a malice that Clara had never heard on Vastra's voice before.
"I wanted to see if you were all right, I've been looking over this half of Greater London for you!" Clara's voice rose in frustration. "Is this where you've been in an upper class opium den? What's wrong with you?"
"At least I'm not smoking it," the Silurian closed the book and turned to meet her gaze. "Why exactly are you here Clara?"
"I am here because your wife's giving birth three streets down and needs you!" Clara couldn't keep her frustration from her voice, using her enclosed fist to slam against the back of the Silurian's chair for added effort.
The Silurian stood and swung around to face her. Her nostrils flaring in anger and her crest lighting up with warning. She towered over Clara, forcing the younger woman back into the darkened corner of the room. Slamming both hands either side of Clara's head the lizard woman from the dawn of time snarled, it was an angry, furious snarl that held the desperation and decades of pain. But Clara stood firm, knowing that Vastra had sworn a promise to the Doctor that she would protect, and not harm his human friends.
"You think that I don't know that? You think that it's easy to for me to see her in so much pain? You think that I cannot smell the fear, smell the hurt and how close she is to death? The blood she's lost and the pain she's going through, they're all my fault!" Vastra slammed her hands against the wall, trying to calm her anger, and vent her pain. The fire that was alight in her cool ocean-blue eyes startled and scared Clara, to the point where she was pressed against the entirety of the darkened wall.
"Vastra," she kept her voice calm and steady. "You must come back home, it's not fair for the Doctor, and Strax to be the only ones there," Vastra hissed in response. "At lease come and sit in the conservatory, it's too cold for you here," ducking out from their enclosed space Clara made her way to the door, leaving Vastra standing in the corner of the room. "Are you coming?" she prompted, pulling the door open and standing in the doorway. Snarling and punching the wall for a final time, causing cracks to slither down it's dark ornate wallpaper Vastra followed, pulling her vale up as she passed and heading back out into the dark Victorian streets.
The Doctor was pacing back and forth, he'd left Craig, Strax and the nurse in with Jenny too keep her sane, and safe, he was more worried about Vastra at the present point. They'd managed to get the baby the right way now and all Jenny had to do was to work on finally birthing her. This had gone on for too long and had put mothers and daughter into far too much stress. There was a slam from the front door and the Doctor took the steps two at a time to see an annoyed looking Clara and a very angry looking Vastra.
"Ah you're here?"
"About bloody time," Clara narked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was running up and down London streets looking for her. Turns out she's in some opium den a few streets down-"
"Don't give me that look Doctor," Vastra hissed, swinging her way into the kitchen and putting the kettle on the stove with shaking hands, swearing as she failed to get the flame alight. Glancing over to the Doctor Clara eased the Silurian over to a kitchen chair before turning around and working on the tea. "You know I wasn't smoking it," Vastra looked up to his tired exhausted face.
"I know," the Doctor sat opposite her and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Look, the baby is going to be fine," Clara kept her back to the exchange, unsure about her place in this particular ordeal. "I can't say the same for Jenny though,"
"I can't loose her again," Vastra bit out. "You don't understand Doctor I can't loose her again!"
"You're not going to!" the Doctor barked suddenly, his voice loud and firm. "We've managed to sort out the issues regarding the birthing process," his voice dropped back to lower levels, knowing that he'd managed to somewhat calm the shaking Silurian. "It's all up to Jenny now," the Doctor placed his hands on the lizards shoulders, resting his thumbs on the small bumps on Vastra's cheeks, keeping her in place. "You trust me right old friend?" their eyes locked. "Jenny will be all right, but for the good of us all, please stay with Clara downstairs in the conservatory or the sitting room, the last thing I want to cope with – or any of us do for that matter – is a mad Silurian who wants to devour every human she sees as a way to protect her mate,"
There was a heavy silence, only broken by the whistling of the kettle as it started to boil. There were hurried footsteps and Craig was suddenly standing at the doorway, looking worse for wear with is hair in disarray and his face pale. "Doctor she's crowning," he started, and the Doctor stood up nodding about to make his exit, but was stopped as Vastra gripped his arm unbearably tight.
"I swear, if anything happens to Jenny or my chick, there will be consequences, I do not care if you are the last of your species and a dear friend, I have already repaid your debt, and I will rip you apart from limb without a second thought. It will not be a merciful death,"
"Doctor quick," Craig urged, "She needs stronger pain killers. Strax is doing everything he can but it's not enough," he glanced Vastra who locked his gaze with an icy stare that was all too old and cold. "Right I'll go back upstairs then?" the man backed out of the door and headed back to the master bedroom, the Doctor easing himself from Vastra's grasp and heading out as well.
"I'll be in the drawing room," Vastra stated and left Clara in the kitchen with a kettle full of boiling water. She sighed, and rubbed her forehead in frustration. Why did she even bother sometimes?
"So I'm guessing that you want your tea in the drawing room?" she called sarcastically after the despondent lizard and grimaced when she received a growl in reply. "I'll take that as a yes then,"
Clara was jolted awake by the wail of a new born baby, from the room above. Weak autumnal sunlight was drifting through the room, cutting down the dark melancholy shadows from where they lay, and bringing cool warmth into the home. Stretching she sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and wondering what time it was. The clock on the mantle red that it was just past ten in the morning, and the faint clatter from the street outside could be heard, sounding the mid morning bustle of the city. Clara watched almost mesmerised as Vastra tensed, her tongue flicking out and testing the air, like she was testing a new sent or smell. The Silurian stood slowly, a smile creeping its way onto her face and locked eyes with Clara.
"I'm guessing that everything's right with the world, judging by that face!" Clara couldn't keep the ecstasy out of her voice.
"Oh Clara," there was joy and elation slipping out on every syllable. "Everything is more than all right with this world-" she was cut off as there was a knock on the door and a tired, but happy looking Craig stood in the open doorway, looking less anxious and far happier than he had the night before. "The Doctor wants you two to come up, he said something about not eating the kid though,"
Vastra replied with a roll of her eyes. "We only ate the young if we realised that they were sickly or weak, I'm sure any child of mine and Jenny's will not be that," she glanced between the two humans, Craig had his face twisted into a cringing grimace whilst Clara just stared. "I have a feeling that I may have said something wrong,"
"Yes very," Clara replied, pushing at the stubborn repile's shoulder. "Now come on," she turned to the exhausted looking Craig, who had now been awake for more than two days. "There's tea and bread out on the side in the kitchen, you might wanna warm up the tea,"
Craig smiled at her in thanks, but instead walked unsteadily over to the sofa and sat down heavily. The two women weren't even out of the room before they heard his snores from the sofa. Shaking her head Clara followed Vastra up the stairs to the master bedroom, not realising, that Vastra too, was wondering what they'd find behind the closed door.
"Doc'or?" the time lord jumped as he held the little newborn to his chest. A wave of protectiveness had already surfaced as soon as he'd seen the little one, and a couple of tender words had gotten her to settle down. He turned to see a tired but amused looking Jenny, propped up on the cushions as the midwife and Strax tended to her well-being.
"Everything seems to be in order Sir," Strax looked up from his nursing kit to see the Doctor looking rather relieved. "I can stay on duty if you want,"
The Doctor replied with a shake of his head and a wave of a free hand. "Go and get some rest Strax you've done enough, you too Abby," the midwife smiled at the Doctor as her and Strax started to clean up their things.
"Doc'or I'd really like to hold my li'tle girl, if you'd be so kind," Jenny's voice was light and filled with a soft humour, and the Doctor grinned sheepishly.
"Sorry," he lent over to pass the girl to her mother, and she made a small gurgling noise at the disturbance. "No," he chided. "That's your mum, not big warm cave, any more,"
"Wha'?"
"I speak baby," the Doctor grinned, tenderly handing the small girl back to her mother. Jenny still had enough energy to roll her eyes, but the sarcasm stopped when she saw the little girl cradled in her embrace.
"Oh," she whispered, tears springing to her eyes. "Oh, you've got your mother's eyes," she smiled and reached out, tenderly brushing the girls forehead. "She's sligh'ly cooler to the touch, is that normal?"
"If you're part Silurian, then yes," the Doctor flashed one of his beaming grins at her. "I think she's got a forked tongue but I'm not sure, get her checked for poison though, that might be a thing,"
"Poison?" Jenny asked, and watched in slight fascination as her daughter poked out a forked tongue sniffing the air in much the same way that her other mother would.
"Part Silurian," the Doctor lent over and scanned the small girl with his sonic screwdriver. "Ah there it is, yup, she's going to be poisonous," he tapped the babe on the nose. "No, no poisoning your mother now, your other mother can handle it but your cave mum hasn't got the resistance yet,"
The babe gurgled, what seemed to be a reply, and her eyes started to dart around the room, looking at everything at once.
"She'll also be a bit more active than human babies at this stage, but that shouldn't be a problem for mums like you," there was a knock on the door and the Doctor turned. "Speak of the devil," the door was pushed open and Clara and Vastra stood there, Vastra looking worse for wear, and Clara looking exhausted.
"Ma'am!" Jenny's soft smile and delighted voice drove Vastra into action. The Silurian made her way cautiously over to the bed and stood next to the Doctor, her eyes wide and her voice caught in her throat.
"Jenny?" she muttered hoarsely. "Is that-"
"Yes," Jenny replied, her eyes shining. "Wan' ta say 'ello?"
"I," the Silurian was stuck for words, her tongue had seemingly tide itself into a frustrating knot.
"Doctor," the voice of Clara sounded from the hallway knowing that they had to leave the new family in peace.
"Right," he grinned, edging to where his companion stood. "If you need anything don't-"
"Doctor I'm sure they're fine,"
"We most certainly are," Vastra had finally found words enough to tie a sentence together and had come forwards so she was crouched near the edge of the bed, completely and utterly enamoured by her new chick. The rest of the room's occupants took that as their hint to leave and within seconds the new family was finally allowed peace.
"Well?" Jenny prompted looking up at her wife, who was still staring at the small baby in front of her. "What about a name?"
"I," hesitantly Vastra reached out for the child, wondering if she – a warrior born and bred – had any delicacy of a hatchery sister still left in her veins.
"You don't need to be scared Vastra," Jenny's voice startled her out of her stupor and she looked up sharply.
"That's preposterous! I'm not scared," although when Jenny offered her new daughter across to her for her to hold Vastra hesitated. "Okay maybe a little," the reptile acknowledged as she perched next to her wife on the bed. "She's so much smaller than I thought she'd be,"
"'eck she ain't," Jenny replied, shifting on the bed so she could pass their daughter across. The babe wiggled with annoyance as she was moved, but settled quite happily into her reptilian mother's arms.
"Are you okay?" as soon as the babe had settled Vastra looked up towards her wife. "You are not in pain? No scarring?"
"Vastra," Jenny rested her hand over her wife's and smiled. "I'm fine, everywhere, before you start to worry. I'm a little sore yes, but that's to come givin' birth to a baby,"
Vastra nodded silently in return, her scales flushing a slighter dark green as she blushed. "Have you thought of a name?" she changed the subject flicking her tongue out to taste the sent of her child, frowning as baby tasted of nothing she was just as if human flesh had been washed and purified, having none of the ties of life bound to her small and innocent body.
"Vastra what's-"
Vastra shook her head, her tongue still searching for a sent, and tracing every contour and line of her newborn's figure. Then she found it, the sent she'd been looking for. It was subtle, almost lost beyond the complexities of human flesh, but it was there. There was the smallest hint of flowers, light and airy, a gentle mix of ferns and orchids. Satisfied she roused herself from her stupor and met with her wife's worried glance.
"Sorry I was trying to taste her sent, I was worried when I couldn't find one, but there's one there, ferns and orchids,"
"I'd say that's a very fittin' mix ma'am," Jenny chuckled and leaned forwards, pressing a kiss against their daughter's crown. "You had any idea's on a name?"
"I rather do like Clara, in all actuality," Vastra pondered, smiling down at her youngster as the babe snuggled down into her mother's arms.
"I do too, but I think we've 'ad enough Clara's," Jenny paused, glancing to her wife. "Although I've always like the name Ada,"
"That works," Vastra nodded in agreement. "Ada Clara Flint-"
"Vastra, she can't take-" Jenny looked up at her with confusion set in her eyes, but Vastra stopped her with a glance.
"She can, this little one most definitely can. She can take your name because my heritage has been passed onto you, and ergo onto little Ada here, I have taken your name, in case anything happens to me, and I want Ada to do the same, so she'll be in the records," Vastra paused as she saw tears tracking down her wife's face, and her brow contorted into confusion. "Have I said something wrong dear?"
"No Vastra," Jenny insisted, hurriedly wiping the tears from her eyes, but touched as Vastra reached forwards to clean her cheeks. "I just," the woman swallowed. "It's rather humblin' that someone wants me name after everythin' that's gone an' ruined it,"
"No Jenny, it's not the name that makes the person it's the person who makes the name, and I think for your family name to rest on your shoulders is the greatest honour any of those cretins could ever wish for," the words were not spoken with malice, but to make her point clear. As if young little Ada was agreeing with her mother's statement she shifted and wiggled, causing the reptile to start and Jenny to laugh.
"Do you want her back?" Vastra asked, somewhat hopefully, feeling uncomfortable about holding Ada too long. Noticing her wife's discomfort Jenny nodded and Vastra eased Ada back into Jenny's awaiting arms. "She's perfect, in every way,"
"I can't believe tha' we created this," Jenny looked down, not being able to do anything but smile in adoration at her newborn child.
It was about a week after the birth (and a rather eventful untested method of getting the TARDIS back into his own time stream – which the Doctor wasn't going to do again – thank you very much) when the Doctor felt that he could finally leave Ada in the capable hands of her parents, (it was rather the overprotective Strax that he was worried about but who was he to judge?), and head over back to modern day London to drop of Craig and then head back into space. The group of friends stood outside the old time machine, Ada bundled up in swaths of blankets to keep back the biting autumnal chill. Vastra was standing close to her wife as their friends' said their goodbyes, smiling at Craig as he gave a small wave and ducked into the TARDIS.
"Make sure you take some photos!" Clara urged as she gave Jenny a quick gentle squeeze, before pulling away, and giving Vastra a smile as she stood next to the Doctor.
"Ooh photos; always good fun, we'll pick up one of those holographic baby books for you when we pop by Castra Five," the Doctor suggested, after he'd stopped pulling faces at the young child, trying to get her to giggle in response.
"I think that we have enough alien technology to last us quite a while Doctor," as ever Vastra's voice of reason broke through the Time Lord's racing thoughts.
"Althoug' the thought was nice," tactful as ever Jenny managed to steer her wife's bluntness away from being too awkward.
"Right quick word," the Doctor turned to Vastra, obviously wanting to talk to his dear friend in privet, but Jenny was having none of it.
"Oi if there's anything that you 'ave to say to about the 'elth of Ada you can say it ta both of us. Savvy?" Jenny's glower rooted the Doctor to the spot and he glanced at Clara for help.
Shaking her head his companion sighed. "You're on your own," she smirked. "This is not my territory, kids maybe, but angry interspecies lesbians no," Jenny snorted at the title whilst Vastra looked mildly confused. "I'll be waiting with Craig inside, don't be too long," she patted his shoulder in such a condescending way that even Strax understood that the Doctor was being mocked. Giving a smile and a wave to the two women Clara pushed open the door and slipped inside.
"So?" Vastra prompted, stepping closer to her wife and child, and giving the Doctor a pointed look.
The Doctor coughed.
"Well spit it out then," Jenny huffed, moving Ada as the babe fussed in her mother's arms.
"I was going to say," the Doctor ran a hand through thick hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "If there was any problems," he glanced at the two women, who were both looking at him to continue. "I mean if there is any problem a serious one that even Strax can't sort out," (to which Strax huffed and stomped back down the alleyway to make his point). "I'm a physic paper or a phone call away. We'll drop everything and come running,"
"Thank-you Doctor," Vastra's smile was genuine.
"Yeah thanks," Jenny added, her voice showing her appreciation.
"But what could go wrong?" the Doctor grinned, becoming suddenly animated once again. "You two are going to be brilliant mothers, and this little one," he lent forwards and kissed his god-daughter on the forehead, before pulling back up. "Is going to be perfect," he clapped his hands together. "Right now I must go, universe to save and all that, people to drop back home," without warning he reached forwards, pulling both women into a loose hug and pecking both their cheeks. Pulling out of the hug he called down the alleyway to the (somewhat) sulking sontaran. "Right see you soon Strax I'll be off, no funny business with grenades around Ada okay?"
"Yes sir," came the bitter reply from down nearer the main street.
"Well I'll be off," the Doctor replied, giving the pair a manic grin as he pushed his way into the TARDIS. "Ada'll be great I know so, and besides," he stuck his head out of his ship's door. "She's got the best two mums in the universe looking after her!" waving a final time he shut the door with a click. Automatically the pair stood back as the ancient time winds whipped up around their feet, sending leaves and litter into dizzying dances of their own. Ada stirred and opened her eyes as if to watch the ancient machine evaporate back into it's time line.
"'ow much do you think he knows Ma'am?" Jenny asked as they started to walk back into the busy London street.
"I think he knows more than is letting on," Vastra replied, and noticing her wife's troubled glance Vastra stopped and placed her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "If there anything was going to be seriously wrong he would have told us. I think that he is leaving us to uncover this new chapter in our own lives,"
Jenny smiled, satisfied with her wife's reply, and glanced down as Ada started to fuss in her arms. "She's gettin' hungry, we'd better get back,"
"I have sufficient mammary glands that will-" Strax started, as he joined them at the end of the alleyway.
"No Strax," the ex-handmaiden sighed. "I swear to the Lord Above you even try an' I'll have your guts fer garters. Vastra will too,"
Realising that he'd been thoroughly beaten Strax sighed, muttering as he stomped away to get the carriage. Jenny couldn't help but smile and grinned cheekily up at her wife. "He's going to 'ave a lot to get used to ain't he?"
"I think we all are," Vastra agreed, covering her face with her veil as they stepped out into the weak autumnal sunlight.
The clipping of the horses hooves signaled Strax's arrival and Vastra leaned forwards to open the door for her wife. Helping the babe-laden Jenny inside she clicked the lock shut behind her and sat down heavily, the weight of the Doctor's troubling last conversation weighing on her shoulders. If there was going to be anything wrong with their daughter he would have told them, yes? The jolting of the carriage pulled her back from her subconscious thoughts and she blinked, glancing to the side to see that Ada was being happily fed.
"Is somethin' the matter Ma'am?" Jenny's words brought her fully back into reality and the Silurian looked up at her surprised.
"I was just thinking about what the Doctor said dear,"
Jenny gave her a pointed look. "Loo' there's ain't gonna be anythin' wrong with 'er if the Doc'or hadn't said anythin'," Jenny paused, pulling (a rather disgruntled Ada away from her), and placing her against her chest. "Pass me the sheet could you please? I need to burp her," Vastra handed her wife the sheet, watching curiously as her wife slipped the girl onto her shoulder and patted her back. The Doctor and Clara had both explained, with some varying degrees of competence and frustration, how human babies were different to her chicks back when she was young. "Wha'?" Jenny asked.
"Just silurian chicks never really had to be looked after, it's taking a lot of getting used too," Vastra leaned forwards and brushed the hair from her now sleeping girl's forehead.
"You'll do fine, if that's wha' yer worried abou'," Jenny soothed. "Every new mother 'as their worries,"
"I'm not worried," the silurian snorted, leaning back and resting her head against the wood of the coach. She glanced over to her wife, who was sitting there with an unimpressed expression on her face and an eyebrow raised in disbelief.
The silurian grinned at her abashedly before slipping an arm around her wife's shoulders and pulling her close, letting Jenny's head rest on her shoulder. "But I think we will be just fine," Vastra decided, pressing a kiss to Jenny's hair. "Just fine indeed,"
And she desperately wanted to believe that they would be.
Hope you enjoyed it! I'm never too good at writing endings! I suppose that's why I never finish anything!
Please review or favourite if you feel the need too! They really make my day!
Five days! *AAAHHHH* :P
Ciao,
LostLyra
