"Is the device on?"
"Yes," Vastra holds up a mirror to Alaya's face. "I did something a little different. Can you see?"
"I look more like my mother, but different." Alaya smiles as she notices little touches. "The ears are smaller, like hers. My smile ..." Alaya smiles looking in the mirror, "... it is more like yours."
"It is more you."
"The buzzing is gone. How long can I keep on the perception device?"
"Five hours and it now has a buffer to keep us from getting headaches."
"It is time to try it on the little ones. Luckily Mirum will not have to wear one."
"I wish our children can live their lives without hiding behind any device."
"The perception device has an issue when it comes to diaper changes. You won't be able to tell if someone needs a diaper change until the device is turned off and if there is a smell it will not pass through the field. We have to be more diligent with their patterns."
Alaya is looking over the four girls playing in their playing area. "Who will be honest to let us know before it goes on the other children ... Mirum has been our guard. She will not hesitate to let us know if there is an issue. Jennifer will not let anything happen to her family, she is our little caregiver."
Alaya picks up Jennifer and holds her close. "You are a beautiful daughter. There are people in the world that do not understand your beauty. Do you see me? Look at my eyes, see how much love my eyes have for you? Now watch as I turn the device on."
Jennifer eyes go wide and opens her mouth to cry.
Alaya caresses her daughter's cheek, "Dear Jennifer look at my eyes, do you still see my love?"
Jennifer slinks out her tongue, wraps it around her mother's wrist and pulls tight.
"Now it is your turn."
Vastra places a bracelet on Jennifer's wrist and switches on the device. All the scales disappear and leave pink human skin. The red hair remains as so does her face. It pains her heart to hid her true self.
Jennifer notices the sadness in her mother's eyes and begins to cry. "No please don't cry. We need to do this so we can see Mother Fiona at her work. She is going to read to people who are unable to be home. Please, look into my eyes."
Jennifer looks into mother's eyes again; this time she see happiness and love.
"You have green eyes like your mother," Alaya smiles.
One by one Vastra and Alaya test the devices on all three babies.
"I believe we are ready." Alaya and Vastra look at the four children touching each other getting to know each other through their eyes. Mirum crawls over to Vastra and opens her arms to be held. Vastra picks her up, "What can I do for you my dear?"
Mirum signs, 'please'.
"Mirum you do not need to wear a device. You have a human exterior like your Mother Jenny and Fiona."
Mirum signs, 'please'.
"I did not make one for your anatomy. I am sorry.'
Mirum starts to cry. The three other stop their focus, look to their Mirum and begin to cry themselves in support.
Jenny runs into the laboratory, "What happened?"
Vastra and Jenny turn to face Jenny. "We did not make a device for Mirum."
"Why not?" Jenny asks in a demanding voice.
Vastra calmly explains, "She is human outside. There is no reason to make her a device."
"You made a device for the other three?" Jenny looks down in the playing area as the children have changed their outward appearances. She give a calmly puts her finger to her lips and "Shh, I am making attempts to fix this."
Immediately all four stop crying.
Jenny stands in her authoritative form, "You need to make a device for Mirum. She is the odd one out."
"Of course," Vastra hands Mirum to Alaya. "I need a blood sample."
Vastra goes to the table and returns with a pin. Mirum watches her Mother as she pricks her finger, places the blood on a glass slide and kisses the finger. Vastra then places sticking plaster around the finger.
Mirum show Alaya the new finger covering.
Vastra takes the blood off the slide and makes adjustment to a wrist device in the desk clamp. Light flicker, buzzing noises and even sparks. Vastra looks at the device, closes the top and comes over to Mirum.
"I just made small adjustments. You ready?"
Mirum signs, 'please'.
Vastra puts the wrist on Mirum and turns it on, "How is that?"
Alaya swings her sister around to get a good view, "You truly take after your Mother Jenny."
Mirum coos.
Alaya hands her sister to Mother Jenny.
Jenny smiles to her wife, "Adorable" as she places Mirum back in the playing area.
"They are ready for their first outing."
Doctor Flint-Saint Clair walks into the largest patient room to see an unexpected crowd. She looks around the room and finds three women working handing out cookies and juice. Fiona looks at the lavish table display with more cookies and a large punch bowl. Behind the table there are four children sitting up in carriages. She recognizes Mirum immediately and goes to wipe off the piece of dirt off her face. It doesn't budge. Mirum smiles proudly.
Alaya quickly comes over and warns Fiona with a message. 'She wanted to be like her companions and wear a device. Mother Vastra designed Mirum's perception device to display one thing ... Mother Jenny's birthmark.'
Fiona laughs and kisses Mirum, "I would not have recognized you without seeing your beautiful smile."
Mirum smiles larger.
Fiona moves to the next carriage. "My dear Odea, you have such a beautiful dress on, I hope you are not too warm." Fiona checks the marble slab under the blanket, it is still cool.
Alaya confesses to Fiona, 'If you turn off Odea's perception device she is wearing nothing more than a diaper.'
Odea claps her hands.
She goes to the next carriage and notices April's cautious eyes. Fiona cups her face, "My dear April your eyes look so sad. I am human, which means I lack your wonderful tongue. But I assure you, I will always find you. Always."
April's eyes sparkle.
Fiona moves to the last carriage, "My dear Jennifer you look beautiful. I noticed you leaning over the carriage to watch over April. You worry about yourself, you are attentive like your Mother Alaya, but trust me ... you are someone I want to know as not only my daughter, but my friend. Please allow yourself to be you."
Jennifer's tiny hands grab her mother's wrist.
She looks to them as a group and smiles, 'Be on your best behavior. This is a long story, but it is wonderful. My Mother and I listened to this same story every year.'
Fiona take the podium, "Happy Christmas." She gathers her courage, "First let me welcome you all to the Endell Street Military Hospital party room." Everyone laughs.
Fiona watches as Mother Jenny and her two companions take their seat near the table. "I know this is the last place you want to be for the holidays. Since we are all stuck here I have a few requests. First, you may not under any circumstances ruin stitches. Two, if you want more cookies or punch simply raise your hand. One of these gorgeous women will be at your side with a nice selection. I have it on good faith the punch is not spiked. Also the three gorgeous women are spoken for." The crowd of men in unison offer a disappointed sigh. "Third and last, I know many of you are in pain please focus on my voice and for the next few hours I can help you to find a little peace."
Fiona clears her throat, takes a drink of water and looks to the four carriages of attentive little girls.
Fiona allows her to smile for a moment and begins, "Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail ...
... He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!."
Fiona closes the book, "I just want to wish all of you from the staff here at Endell Street Military Hospital, my family and myself a Happy Christmas. Now get some rest and heal."
The room erupts in applause. Fiona quickly looks to the four carriages as Jennifer and Odea are both sitting up applauding while Mirum and April are sound asleep each in their mother's arms with their ears covered.
Alaya, Jennifer and Vastra make their way to Fiona's office with the four baby carriages. Alaya knocks on the door, no answer.
"Looking for me?" A familiar voice comes from down the hallway.
"We are headed home. Is there anything you need?"
"I just finished rounds. I shall be home in ..." Fiona looks at her watch and then to her family, "... eight hours. I shall take a nap when I can steal a few hours. So when I arrive home we can have a wonderful Christmas and ..."
Three bells ring.
"I am sorry, I must go." Alaya quickly runs to her wife passionately and runs down the hall.
Alaya blushes. She looks down at the carriage to see Jennifer smiling. "Yes, your mother loves me."
"Let's go home." Mother Jenny turns to Vastra, "Santa needs the children asleep so he can pop down the chimney."
Jennifer looks at her grandmother Jenny with wide eyes. She then looks to Odea.
At once Jennifer and Odea lay down in their carriage to sleep.
The family head home. Alaya speaks to her mothers, 'Have you known about this part of our lives?'
'Which part?" Mother Jenny requests clarification.
'My happiness. Your happiness.' Alaya nods towards the carriages, 'Their happiness.'
Vastra shakes her head no, 'We hoped.'
'We wouldn't change a thing.' Mother Jenny smiles at her daughter, 'It brought all to this point .. the ugly, the struggles and the loss ... brought us here at this moment.'
Alaya stops, "Thank you mothers.'
"For what?" This time Vastra seeks clarification.
"This ... all begins with the two of you. There is nothing without the two of you." Alaya finishes strapping the children in the automobile. "I owe my happiness to the both of you. There is not a gift in the world that I offers the same value. You took chances. You went against social norms. You both lost. I only hope that one day you can look back at your most painful memories of death or rejection and see how vital it was to ensure all this." Alaya points to four babies sleeping in the backseat. "Stand proud Mothers."
Jenny pulls her wife in close. Vastra smiles. "Since we have given you all this ... how about an exchange?"
Alaya starts up the automobile, "Exchange what?"
"When the time comes to train our little warriors ... We are not limited to cricket bats, per your wife's request."
"I will do my best. You have seen my Scottish wife determined. Why not ask her yourself."
"Which is why I am asking you. Your wife has the ability to make me feel three inches tall."
Alaya tilts her head back and lets out a laugh, "My Mother who has fought aliens, cybermen, organized criminals ... is afraid of a small Scottish woman's temper?"
"By the Goddess your wife's petulance makes my scales clamp down and my body goes into alert."
"Mother Vastra maybe you should take Mother Jenny's advice."
"Oi, don't bring me into this." Jenny looks to her daughter, "What did I say?"
"You need to show Fiona and tell her how I was trained. Let her have all the information, she might surprise you."
"My scales have already clamped down at the thought facing the little one."
"Fiona isn't the only red maned Scottish women in your family. You better start practicing on dealing with Fiona before you start to train your grandchildren."
Vastra sits back taking in what she just heard, "Will they also have their mother's accent?"
"No but they might have her stubbornness."
Mother Vastra and Jenny were quiet the rest of the drive home.
Alaya smiled, 'Finally students that truly will challenge mother.'
Mother Jenny laughs.
'You know we can hear you.'
