Plot nubbins sprinkled throughout. Shout out to Chocolate and drama for making them into the fics thay needed to be =D

Chapter 14

Druitt hovered near the skylight, listening to their conversation, moving quickly away when he heard Ashley climbing up. He was loathe to leave Ashley alone with her grandfather. They couldn't trust him, he didn't trust him and didn't trust himself to spend much time in Gregory's vicinity. Ashley found her father on the edge of the roof staring over the city, or rather, glaring over the city.

"Hi."

"Good morning," he turned, and ran an appraising eye over the state of her after the night before. She looked a little the worse for wear and said nothing more, breathing the morning air in deeply, trying to clear her head and overcome the enveloping, nauseous feeling.

"Is my tongue furry?" she asked sticking it out for him to see.

"No," he looked amused. "Why did you get thrown out of college?" Druitt enquired, curious.

"Non cooperation, and maybe some violence. It was never gonna happen really. I knew it, Mom knew it." She gave him a sheepish smile. "If I could have chosen, my major would be in abnormals. Turns out, I got the best teacher there is. There's nothing college tutors know that Mom can't teach me. Plus, it helps that she's the only person who can make me sit down, shut up and listen. Sometimes."

"I got kicked out of the Freemasons," he offered in sympathy.

"Freemasons, what's that, like the funny handshake thing?"

"There's a bit more to it than that."

"What did you get kicked out for?"

"Murder."

"Oh, charming. I got thrown out of girl scouts once."

He gave her a look.

"That was a joke. Jeez, I know it's not the same thing." She wisely decided to change the subject. "Mom wants us to meet in the library in an hour. They've come up with a plan or something, I didn't like to tell her I've already got a plan thanks. In the meantime, I'm gonna get changed and take this dress back."

They both looked at the offending item, it was covered in paint and had bits missing where it had been artfully modified.

"She would thank me if she could, once she realises how cool I've made it."

"I'm sure. Don't forget to wash the mustard off your head before you go out," he mentioned, as she rubbed at her forehead, puzzled as to how it had got there.

Ashley hurried down the street back in her comfortable leathers, with the poor dress in her arms. She had less than an hour to return it and then scrub the walls of the drawing room before meeting her mother. A shout from the other side of the street made her look up.

"Ashley!" John Druitt, of the non serial killer variety, called and waved. He smiled as he crossed the road to talk to her, amused to see her back in the familiar biker leathers.

"How are you? Recovered from last night?"

What had she done last night? Obviously he was in a good mood with her, seemed happy to talk to her, things were better between them now. If only she could remember that evening.

"Uh, I think I've got a bit of a cold," she said, code for hangover.

"Oh, like that? Me too," he grinned at her. She couldn't help but return it.

"I've just taken Helen to the station. She's gone to Dover to see someone. What are your plans today? James, Nigel and I are off to Lords if you'd care to join us?"

"Lords?"

"The cricket ground, it's the fourth test against Australia."

What the hell had happened last night that her father had forgiven her and was happily inviting her to his favourite pastime, cricket? Her heart thudded loudly in her chest but there was an accompanying knot in her stomach. Her mind turned to another, grumpier John she liked to spend time with too. She couldn't help but wonder about all the time he had spent on his own, she didn't want him to feel like he had to be alone ever again. But this John wanted to spend time with her. She might not get the chance again.

"Um, when is it? I've got some things to do today."

"First over is after tea at 1pm. Nigel may be late, he's having trouble getting the paint off."

She didn't know 'First over' meant but knew a man who did, and she was beginning to worry about the paint issue.

"I'll, uh, I'll see."

"Well, we'll be there if you decide to come. It promises to be an exciting match, the entire Test depends upon it."

Cricket, exciting? Really? She thought to herself.

He smiled and bowed in that way the men in Victorian London seemed to do in greeting or goodbyes.

"I hope we see you there," he said, and went on his way.

She watched him leave, her chance of asking what had happened last night walking away with him. This was getting difficult.

Ashley walked into the library, finding Magnus surrounded by papers and books, scribbling away. She flopped down in a chair next to her mother, unsure as to whether or not to tell her what had happened in the past hour, running into John and... the incident afterwards. Probably best she didn't know about that.

"And how was your morning?" asked her mother.

"You'd rather not know," replied Ashley.

"Hmmm, I expect that's true. What happened?"

"Nothing, I haven't had time to clean the drawing room yet." She didn't want to discuss the ever spiralling mess she found herself in. Magnus changed the subject for her.

"I've been discussing the situation with my father and have come up with one possibility, so far."

"What's that?" asked Ashley, unenthusiastically.

"You are going to teleporting school."

"What?"

"Ashley, you could at least pretend I taught you some manners."

"Huh? What? I mean pardon. Did you say teleporting school? I guess London is a lot more progressive than I thought."

"You've absolutely no control over your ability. You must be trained. Maybe then you can get us home."

"Do I need to ask by who?"

"Whom," corrected Magnus.

Ashley glared at her. Her mother had become a stickler for manners and grammar and all that rubbish since landing here. Another downside to this London.

"He can't even teleport himself without going loco. Is this theoretical porting? Where is he anyway?"

On cue Druitt strolled into the room and sat down next to Ashley. He had already heard the plan from Magnus and Gregory, though mostly from Magnus. Magnus noticed instantly that Druitt and Ashley were trying not to look at each other, they both had a strange expression on their faces. Something had happened that morning when Ashley had gone to return the dress and they weren't sure Magnus would appreciate the story. She looked from one to the other, she was convinced Ashley was trying to suppress a laugh.

"OK, what happened?"

There was an uneasy silence.

"Nothing," said Ashley, eventually, unconvincingly. Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"It was no biggie, nothing happened, there's nothing to worry about," she said, making it worse.

Ashley found herself fidgeting uncomfortably as she tried not to break under her mothers piercing gaze. Magnus rested her chin on her hand and waited.

"All right, I got mugged!" Ashley burst out, unable to hide a grin.

"What!?"

"It was awesome. I have never seen anything so funny in my entire life. It even beats the time when Henry tasered himself three times in a row."

"Funny? What's funny about getting mugged?"

"I was taking a shortcut from having taken that dress back, in the alley behind the houses and some guy jumped out in front of me. I was like, 'Whoa dude, what the hell?' And he was like, 'Give me your jewellery love and no one gets 'urt.' And I just looked at him, his teeth were gross, like the ones he had were black, and then he pulled out this knife. And... and.." she collapsed into laughter.

Magnus looked to Druitt to continue the story, he obviously knew something about this. He frowned.

"I simply tapped him on the shoulder and sent him on his way."

"Oh, I'm sure you did."

Gasping for breath, Ashley managed to find the ability to speak again.

"The look on his face!"

"Let's just say, you shouldn't hang around dark alleys, you never know who you might bump into," said Druitt with a dark gleam in his eye.

The mugger in question had decided to retire with immediate effect from his profession. The fright from having a blade jabbed between his ribs from a man who hadn't even been there a moment before, had caused him to reconsider the path his life was taking.

Magnus was not amused and guessed that Druitt may have viewed the event in a different light to Ashley. She was right. Ashley may have found it amusing but Druitt had felt the darkness rising within him as someone had threatened his daughter. If the man hadn't run away as quickly as he had, he'd more than likely be very dead by now. In fact, he might go back and look for him later, just to make sure he didn't do it again.

"I'll, uh, I'll go and get a drink," said Ashley, noticing the atmosphere get decidedly chilly.

"One more and I'm gone," Druitt whispered, after she had left.

"What about Ashley, I thought she helps?"

"She does, she calms me somehow, helps me focus, anchors me. I don't know how long I can do this."

They sat there with an air of gloom settling over them. The inevitable was edging ever closer. Druitt's last remaining hold on the sanity granted to him by Tesla's electric shock therapy was fading.

"We have to get back."