An: Jenny's Very First Alien
9th October 1887
Jenny led in bed, not getting up, figuring she deserved a lie in on her birthday. She wondered where Vastra was now, whether she'd be alright, how she'd cope with her veil. The guise of a widow worked as well as anything and she was meant to meet with a senior person within the company too. Not that that comforted Jenny much.
She was alone on her birthday, unable to see her family, unwanted by her family and feeling slightly abandoned by a stupid insensitive lizard woman that she hadn't exactly been nice to either. Jenny Flint was 'ard as 'em but that was a little much. The room went blurry and she had to swallow a few times and sniff.
"Jenny? Vastra? Anyone home? Rose, nip along and check the bedrooms. I have got a sense of decorum."
"No you ain't." She heard Rose laugh and scrambled upright, throwing a shawl around her nightgown as she looked out onto the landing.
"Wot're you doin' 'ere?" she asked, peering over the banister to see Rose and the Doctor, still in the leather jacket and short cut.
"We came to visit!" he waved back. "Where's yer sparrin' partner then? Did you knock 'er out?"
Even from that distance, Rose and the Doctor saw Jenny's face fall. "She ain't 'ere. She's in Egypt. On a case."
"Oh." The Doctor stared at her, as if searching for something. "And she left you behind?"
"Not like I'd be much use." Jenny shrugged, coming down the stairs.
"I don't believe that for a second." The Doctor grinned. "In fact, it's just as well she did, because we've got a case that we need the help of the Great Detective to solve."
"She's in Egypt, I jus'…"
"Nah. You. Brains behind the brawn!"
"Brains of the outfit!" Rose joined in.
"Vastra's Pinky, you're the brain."
Rose fell about laughing. "One is a genius, the other's insane."
"Got to be Vastra for the latter. So. Get some clothes on and come and 'elp us ey, o mighty genius Great Detective?"
She stared at their twin grins and then shook her head. It was slightly infectious. "I don' understand nuffin of what you just said, but if I can 'elp then I will."
She hastily got bathed and dressed and found them in the kitchen, leaning against the table
"So whatchoo need my 'elp with?"
"We suspect that there is an evil alien about to kidnap a member of the royal family."
"Fink we're a bit below royalty 'ere." Jenny reminded.
"Then that's where we'll attack 'em from." The Doctor grinned. "Now come on. Let's start investigating."
They all ran full pelt through London.
"What did yer mean aliens anyway? Y'mean like forriners?" Jenny gasped when they paused to check their surroundings.
"Nah. Proper aliens! Down this way." He led them down a tunnel, not unlike the ones Jenny and Vastra had used in their bank heists.
"Aliens…"
"From outer space!" Rose waved her hands spookily in the torch light.
"You think Vastra's weird for bein' a lizard lady, you should…"
"I don' think Vastra's weird fer bein' a lizard lady!" Jenny protested hotly.
The Doctor stopped and looked back over his shoulder in mild surprise but gave her his biggest grin yet. "Well then, you should 'ave no problems with the Kraal."
"Told yer it's always an adventure with 'im." Rose nudged her, moving past to stand beside him.
He looked around the tunnel with an air of great deliberation. "I met Vastra in a tunnel like this." The Doctor mused. Jenny's curiosity was piqued. She wondered if it had anything to do with April… "Right. Where to next?" He asked Rose.
"You're lost aren't you? You've got us lost." Rose folded her arms and glared. "Absolutely useless he is." She turned to Jenny, gesturing at the Doctor in despair.
Jenny felt a gentle draft on her right cheek and shushed her. It came again, soft and chill. Not unlike a brush from Vastra's hand. The thought made her flush and she shook her head. "Up 'ere." She pointed. "S'air flow. Must lead out somewhere."
She took the lead and after a bit more trudging around in the murk, they came through a small hole into an abandoned warehouse. It was filled with an alien spaceship, the aliens themselves the Doctor confirmed were the Kraal and a terrified Prince, bound and gagged and about to be loaded on board.
"Aliens…" whispered Jenny to herself. "Right."
They didn't seem too happy at the sudden arrival of the Doctor but Jenny managed to fight them off. They didn't seem that tough or good at fighting really, not hand to hand. Whilst they were occupied, the Doctor temporarily disabled their ship, Rose freed the Prince and dragged him out of the way, speechless and trembling and pointing a lot. The Doctor ended up talking a lot, practically dancing around and eventually after a mention of a Shadow Proclamation and how you couldn't go around stealing royalty because your own royal family had died out and maybe you should consider becoming a republic, the Kraal agreed to leave peaceably enough, several of them wincing and staring at Jenny and then muttering to each other. The Doctor sent Jenny and Rose to escort the Prince back through the tunnels whilst he helped fix their ship again.
The Prince was disorientated enough that they just put him in a cab and sent him back to the palace, rather than try and explain anything.
The Doctor joined them a little while later as they sat waiting at the entrance to the tunnel.
"Was that alright though? Just sendin' 'im off like that?" Jenny asked.
"Probably best we don't show up in person. You never know with History." The Doctor winked. "By the way, you seem to have made quite an impression on the Kraal. They wanted to know the name of the Great Warrior who defended Earth."
Jenny snorted. "What did yer tell 'em?"
"I said that she was the mighty Jenny Flint, named after the toughest rock on the planet. They went off very impressed."
"You tol' a bunch of aliens my real name?!" Jenny was horrified.
"Think of it as the beginning of a beautiful intergalactic friendship!" Rose laughed.
"But they'll be able ter find me if'n they knows me name."
"It will be spoken across galaxies." The Doctor reassured her, walking on ahead with Rose. Jenny followed in stunned silence.
After a while, Rose looked back sharply at Jenny who, now that all the excitement was over, was once more thinking a little wistfully about the fact it was her birthday.
"You alright?" Rose asked. "You seem a bit down."
Jenny fidgeted, twisting her hands into her dress. She wished they were running again. Running didn't allow for much talking.
"C'mon Flintlock, out with it."
"Flintlock?" Jenny enquired.
"S'a type of pistol. And you're a lock pick. It fits." The Doctor grinned.
Jenny shook her head but eventually mumbled. "s' me birthday is all."
"What? Today?" the Doctor seemed startled and stopped in the middle of the street.
"Yep."
Rose and the Doctor exchanged a significant look over her bowed head.
"Right then! What is there to do for fun in Victorian London?" The Doctor rubbed his hands together.
"Any good pubs where we can get rowdy?"
Jenny looked at them both queerly.
"To celebrate!" Rose exclaimed.
Jenny shrugged, looking off to the side. "I don't really know any place. Anyways, fink I'd rather go 'ome."
The Doctor stared at her searchingly. "Alright." He crossed his arms and they wandered on in silence, the Doctor and Rose carrying on a silent conversation through looks and eyebrows.
When they got back, the Doctor disappeared and Rose followed Jenny into the kitchen to make the tea.
"Does Vastra know?" Rose asked knowingly.
Jenny looked up in surprise. "No."
"You miss 'er don't you." A sympathetic expression appeared on her face.
A shrug.
"Wish she were 'ere?"
A bitten lip.
"I just…s' me birthday. Din't think I'd be alone on it."
Rose refrained from saying she hadn't been. After all, when you weren't with the person you wanted to be with, then you were alone and it didn't matter how many people there were. "At least we 'ad an adventure though yeah?"
"Yeah. An' arf." Jenny laughed. "Will they really speak my name across the galaxy?"
The Doctor came back in then. "For all time!" he replied having caught the question. "Right then! Here we are." He laid down a present on the table and a cardboard box. Rose grinned at him.
"What?" Jenny looked at him puzzled.
"Present! And cake. Can't have a birthday without cake." He flipped open the box to reveal a rather sticky looking cake with icing on it spelling out Happy Birthday Jenny.
"Where'd you get this so quick?"
"It's a secret. I know a few special bakers. Is the tea ready? Perfect." He fished in a pocket for a few candles and set them alight with his sonic screwdriver.
"Woss that for?" Jenny asked.
"Ready Rose?"
"Ready!"
"Ready for what?" after a day filled with Kraal and royalty and names being spoken across galaxies, Jenny wouldn't put anything past the pair of them.
"HHAAaAPPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JENNY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" they belted out in joyous abandon while Jenny stared slightly dumbfounded.
"Now blow 'em out and make a wish!" the Doctor gestured.
"A wish?" she said weakly, still recovering.
"Yeah. Like, if you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?" Rose winked.
Jenny flushed but stared at the candles. Her wish for Vastra to be here was useless but…
"I wish I never 'ave to be alone on me birthday again." She said and blew out the candles.
There was a silence. "Did I do it wrong?" she looked at them.
"No! Nope. Not at all." The Doctor grinned. "And your wish shall be granted. I promise."
"'ow you gonna make sure of that?" Jenny said sceptically.
"Because I will turn up for every single one of 'em from this one onwards. And possibly a few in the past too." He grinned and winked.
"Now fer presents!" Rose grasped the box and thrust it into her hand. She tugged on the knotted string until it gave way and then lifted the box lid up to reveal a beautiful blue embroidered waistcoat. Her eyes went wide as she lifted it out. She'd seen waistcoats like this on Toms back in the bar but not quite like this. She hugged it to her while she looked speechlessly at the Doctor and Rose.
"Try it on then!"
She took a deep breath and then put it on. It fitted perfectly, as if it had been tailored to her.
"Very sharp!" Rose nodded appreciatively.
Jenny's face twisted but she was a Flint and 'ard as 'em.
She carefully put it back in the box and sat and had tea and cake with the Doctor and Rose. Eventually, worn out by the events of the day she fell asleep across the table.
She expected when she woke up the next day in bed, still fully dressed thankfully, that they'd have cleared off but there they were in the kitchen.
"Hello! Thought we'd wait 'til you got up before we left. Say goodbye properly." The Doctor waved at her as she came into the kitchen. "Birthday cake for breakfast. Got to be done." He gestured at a plate with a slice on.
She nodded. Rose gave her a big squeezing hug. "Look after yerself yeah?"
Doctor clapped her on the shoulder. "See you in a year's time then ey Jenny Flint?"
She nodded, feeling much cheered. "And don't forget yer promise." He waved his finger as he followed Rose out the door.
The next day she went out to buy some silk shirts to go with her waistcoat, feeling that it didn't exactly go with her maid dresses. She sat down in the evening and wrote a letter to Vastra.
Dear Vastra,
Well and it's been an interesting time here. The Doctor and Rose called in and solicited my help in a case. This alien race called the Kraal had landed in a sewer and had planned to kidnap Prince Bertie in order to make him their royal prince. I don't think the Queen'd have been very impressed. But we stopped them and the Doctor convinced them to leave. After we left, some blokes in suits went in to the sewer to investigate it. I don't think they were normal police. Not like the Inspector. They seemed a bit shady. We'll have to watch out for them. Anyways, that's all done with. He mentioned he met you in some tunnels, which got me a bit curious as to how you even met the Doctor? I realised that I don't know that much about him except he's your friend and you were in the circus together. And he's always dressed the same. Except he changes his jumper. Is he some kind of traveller? Him and Rose Tyler? Rose I don't think is from around here. They got me a beautiful blue waistcoat. I went out today to get some silk shirts to go with it and I remembered how I read that it's so hot in Egypt that you shouldn't wear clothes you wear in England so I got you some nice lightweight silk shirts. I feel like a proper dandy when I'm dressed up in mine. They got me a cake too and sang and made me blow out candles and make a wish. I wish you could've been there. Hope everything's going well with the case and that you're safe.
Jenny Flint
She packaged it off the next day to the address Vastra had said she would be staying at in Egypt and then went and trained, as she did every day when she wasn't cleaning the place vigorously or reading everything she could find on Egypt. But no matter how busy she kept her days, the bed was still empty on one side and she missed Vastra.
She got a letter back eventually, which wasn't very long but did at least describe some detail of how they met. There was no mention of when Vastra was coming home and Jenny found herself one morning staring out the window at nothing. She sat up very suddenly after realising that she'd read about women mooning over people in books and she was doing precisely that. A flicker of movement in the courtyard distracted her and she looked out to see Parker hop on top of their horse, technically called Alice but Parker always affectionately called her Old Girl.
