Fiona sat there in the courtroom with Flora to her left and the Flint Family to her right. In front of her was a box with Louisa standing waiting judgement.
"No act of violence is acceptable in a civilized society. I hereby sentence you to six weeks in the Holloway Prison of hard labour." The judge bangs his gavel.
Louisa turns around to face her Flora, "I shall be home soon enough. Do as we talked. I am sorry you are left alone."
Flora gets up, hugs Louisa and kisses her cheek before the court staff escorts her away.
The five women watch as Louisa walks with pride. Right before she exits the courtroom she turns, winks and smiles to her Flora.
Flora smiles and winks back. She waits a few minutes and then leads the small procession outside.
"I am so sorry." Jenny does her best to comfort Flora.
"We knew this would happen. We planned."
"Since you are going to be at our home daily, why not move therapy to the evening so you can have dinner with us. You would be most welcome."
"Yes," Flora taking a deep breath. "Yes, I thank you."
"Tonight?"
"Yes, I shall come at four. Is that acceptable?"
"Wonderful." Jenny smiles into Flora's eyes.
"I have much to do, see you tonight." Flora waves and goes on her way. She is working for two. No income, except her own. It is imperative that she maintains their lives. She thinks to herself as she catches a taxi 'for us'.
Flora arrives directly at four ringing the doorbell when the foyer clock first strike.
Fiona begins to take Flora's coat as she does with Louisa. "I know you are used to being in your room. I personally like being outside on such a sunny day. Do you mind?"
Fiona grabs her coat and leads Flora outside to their rear garden. The two pass through the kitchen where April and Jenny are preparing dinner. "We will be outside." Fiona smiles as Flora greetings to Alaya and Jenny.
"I know you like pasta. We are making spaghetti with garlic bread." April offering a small smile, "It is a simple comfort."
"Thank you." Flora smiles back as she exits into the rear garden.
Flora strategically places the chairs to avoid temptation of therapy voyeurism from Jenny or April. Besides if Fiona feels like she is being overheard or watched therapy will be time wasted.
Fiona sits down and watches Flora look at Louisa notes.
"I know you will find Louisa and I differ in our approaches. If the change is too drastic, please let me know."
Fiona nods.
"Last therapy session you mentioned ..."
Fiona didn't hesitate is allowing Flora to be a tool for her healing. After the session Flora allowed Fiona to stay outside for a moment of contemplation.
Flora enters the house, through the kitchen where Alaya is getting the plates to set the table.
"Good evening Alaya."
"Good evening."
"Do not let your Fiona stay outside too long. When dinner is ready, you can escort her inside."
Alaya nods.
Jenny comes in and brings Flora to the drawing-room while Alaya takes her time gathering silverware. She can see Fiona sitting in the chair, with her chin on her knees, putting her mind back together with new pieces of the puzzle discovered through therapy. She wonders what piece is found today.
"Please set the table." Alaya spins around as she sees her Mother Vastra in the kitchen doorway. "I am hungry."
Alaya nods.
"She is healing. You know that don't you."
Alaya nods and walks through the kitchen entrance with a tray of plates, glasses and silverware. Mother Vastra touches her daughter's forearm, "My dear, how are you holding up?"
Alaya staring straight ahead, "I feel that our momentum is lost to that horrible place." She disengages herself from her mother's touch and proceeds to the dining-room and sets the table.
Vastra stares out the kitchen window to see Fiona curled up on a chair. She wonders if this is the one the Doctor is talking about or is this squandered time which will only torture her daughter.
"It is the one the Doctor mentioned."
Vastra is caught off guard as she looks to see April standing next to her looking out at Fiona.
"What do you know?"
"I have been given a few spoilers. First that my daughter's wife will a child of interspecies women. Second, that they will write letters. Third, ..." April hesitates.
"You will not be with us much longer." Vastra guesses.
"How do you know that?"
"Christmas, your eyes."
"Oh. What do you know of her future?"
"We only know the beginning. It will be a human woman, from 'Our London', educated, wear glasses and be klutzy."
April lets out a hearty laugh, "She is awkward at times isn't she? I can't tell you how many tea-cups I have been through. Her childhood was filled with cuts and scrapes. I always ran out of bandages." April looks to Vastra and notices her distant eyes. "What are you holding back?"
"They were supposed to meet after Fiona's education and we have been told she will protect our family. Which is why I question her presence in our lives now. Why now?"
"Weeping Angels? John?"
"Perhaps."
"How will she protect your family?"
"We do not know."
"Curious."
"Agreed"
1907 Bloomsbury, London
All Star Lanes
"I have a odd request."
"All your requests are odd."
"Deliver a portable typewriter to this address with an instruction manual for shorthand and typing."
"That is quite odd. Anything else?"
"Yes, have a publisher friend hire her to be a client secretary."
"Is that all?"
"For now."
"Who is the recipient?"
"Ms. Fiona Saint-Clair"
"May I inquire as to why?"
"Curious human."
"As always."
"Miss Virginia Woolf, someone has messed with my friends' future. This typewriter should fix that."
"A typewriter?"
"A typewriter can be the greatest help to her career; as she will type stories from her dictation. It is a rather incongruous gift; it will make a difference, I hope."
Alaya enters the kitchen announcing dinner is ready and with her coat on she heads outside to fetch her Fiona.
Vastra and April watch as Alaya comes to Fiona's side.
"Can you hear them?" April asks.
"Yes. Alaya just softly told her that dinner was ready. Fiona replies that she is not hungry. Alaya reminds her that even a little will help her heal. Your daughter can be stubborn."
"Yes she can. Good luck with that."
"Alaya told your Fiona that if she doesn't come inside to eat they will dine al fresco. She also told Fiona that if her blood gets cold and can't work another day she will have to face her Mother Vastra."
Both April and Vastra laugh as Fiona sprints up and follows Alaya inside.
Quickly April and Vastra run into the dining-room so as not to get caught as peeping-toms.
"What is this all about?" Jenny puts her hand on her hip.
"I will tell you both later," Vastra rapidly adds, "Please pretend we have been here all the time waiting with you."
Jenny nods.
They watch as Fiona and Alaya remove their coats and enter the dining room. Fiona briefly caught Vastra's eyes and blushed.
April and Vastra both smiled.
It was like that for one week with Flora, but something had to change. Poor Fiona could not recover quickly enough from therapy and was losing weight. It was then decided that Flora would visit twice a day first for Fiona's therapy early morning and evenings for dinner.
The Commissioners have refused Flora's request to see her love Louisa; therefore, it was a blessing to keep Flora busy coming back to 13 Paternoster Row for dinner and socialization.
Everyone was happy to see four weeks later Louisa joining them for dinner. The Home Office intervened and reduced her sentence to one month. No one was happy as Flora. Even Fiona was slightly disappointed that her therapy session would be brought back inside.
Louisa describes her time in prison, "My cell wasn't dirty and I think the food is good enough for a prison - we had white bread and tea for breakfast, cocoa and bread for supper, hot milk and potatoes and bread and an egg for dinner. Sometimes they give butter. The most annoying was the lack of exercise, the monotony and the idleness. I am not good sitting still."
"Did you know any of your fellow inmates?" Vastra's curiosity can't be tamed.
"The vast proportion of them are here for petty theft connected with street walking!" Louisa starts to get angry, "Charged by the men who have used them! No outside evidence being given. It is too hideously mean, isn't it? In itself ample reason for being a suffragist."
Flora softly takes her Louisa's hand.
"It took a fortnight before the Home Office has allowed me to have some books sent in, and I had sewing to do. I started to get used to the food and surroundings to sleep well. It was not a terrible experience, just the idleness was the most frustrating. I began to sleep twelve-hour days to keep from fighting the boredom."
"It is good to see you out. I still believe it is excessive punishment for breaking a glass window, protest or no protest." Vastra is quite protective of those close to her, it took all her strength to not strangle the Judge we he sentenced her friend.
"They will fill the prison before they give us the right to vote." Louisa added, "New women are coming in every day. It can't last much longer. Something has to change, we shall not give up."
"Women will prevail. To this I have no doubt. I just worry about the cost between now and then." April says with a touch of lament.
"I suppose, but how long do we wait?" Flora almost demands.
It gets quiet.
Fiona raises her glass, "To our Louisa. You returned to us safe and sound, at least I hope."
Everyone raises their glass, "To Louisa."
"What books did you read while you incarcerated?" Fiona was dying to ask and finally had an opening.