An: Now that I have recovered enough to be able to write, here is the next chapter!

The first thing Jenny noticed, depositing their bags in their bedroom, was that the place wasn't even that dusty.

"We've been away fer months." she remarked to Vastra, trailing a finger along the mantelpiece. "An' 'ardly a layer. S'not like we left the place open fer Parker's missus to clean."

"Hmm." Vastra hummed mysteriously. "We really must find out the date."

"'ow'd'yer mean…" A suspicion was beginning to settle in Jenny's mind. "We ain't…" she followed Vastra back downstairs.

"Go and ask someone the date would you?"

"Wot just go out into the street an' say excuse me what's the date today?"

"Yes, that would do."

"They'll think I'm a nutter!"

Vastra raised an eye ridge at Jenny who glowered in return but duly went back out into the yard.

She was in luck; Parker was in the stables grooming Alice. Still, even asking Parker was going to get her a funny look.

"Parker…"

"Hullo Miss Jenny. Thought you were meant to be away for some time yet! Did something go wrong for you to be back so soon?"

"How soon?"

"Wot?"

"Me head got scrambled with the travellin'." And that wasn't a lie, Jenny thought to herself. "Wot's the date?"

"Bless yer it's the 16th."

"Of?"

"December, Miss Jenny." Parker gave her the anticipated odd look. "Are you alright Miss Jenny? You've gone very pale all of a sudden. Miss…" he trailed off as he watched Jenny rush back inside. "Well it takes all sorts don't it ey old girl." He muttered as he went back to grooming Alice, who whickered in what Parker took as agreement.

"It's only the bloody 16th of December!" Jenny yelled. "We've only bin gone two days…technically."

"Ah." Vastra had already settled into the sofa and was casually reading a book.

"Ah? Ah? 'ow does that even work? I'm meant ter be on a boat ter France ain't I? Not stood in me own livin' room! 'ow can I be two places at once? An' don't say…"

"Time travel. If I were you, I'd just pretend that I'd been asleep for two days and had a very strange dream."

Jenny gave Vastra her best unimpressed face. "Wot an' just go back ter thinkin' it's only December?"

"Think of it this way. You get a second Christmas. Two of that ridiculous holiday of yours." Vastra pointed out.

"It ain't ridiculous!" Jenny stomped out.

She sat at the kitchen table waiting for the kettle to boil, thoughtfully staring into thin air. A second chance at Christmas. They could do it properly then. With a tree and everything. Everything a Christmas was meant to be; now they had the money. A small smile quirked her lips. Perhaps time travel was better than she'd given it credit for.

She deposited a cup of tea by Vastra, who was absorbed in her book and merely waved her hand in acknowledgement of Jenny's declaration of going shopping. Jenny rolled her eyes, fetched down her cloak and went to see what she could buy.

"Wotcher Miss Jenny!" Jack, one of the Paternoster Irregulars, bounded up to her as she walked into the market. She knew he had some kind of business but didn't ask exactly what he traded in. She suspected stolen goods. "Missed yer breakfasts the past coupla days I 'ave. S'cold ain't it?" he blew on his hands to emphasise the point.

"Yeah well, I'm back now ain't I." she grinned. "You bin keepin' outta trouble?"

"Much as I can, Miss Jenny, much as I can. Wot you about in the market today then?"

"Christmas shoppin'."

"Blimey, I 'ave got in with the toffs ain't I, Christmas shoppin'. Wot you buyin'?"

"Wot you sellin' Jack?"

"Fer Christmas? Err…" he put his hands in his pockets as he thought about it. "Weeeellll I ain't really got nuffin' in the Christmas line as it were."

"Not got any trees or nuffin' in them pockets?"

Jack grinned. "I know a place yer could get one. Good price an' all."

"An' would it die before New Year's?"

Jack placed a hand on his heart in mock offence. "Now Miss Jenny it ain't right goin' about doubtin' a chap like that! Nah. S'good stuff. Wot else you want then? I c'n get yer decorations too. Bulk buy of mistletoe."

Jenny flushed at the thought. "Decorations would be good."

"Gimme the tin an' I c'n get 'em fer you, if yer like. All delivered to yer doorstep." He grinned and doffed his hat.

"Wot a service." Jenny handed him some money, knowing full well he'd probably take a cut out of it. "G'wan then, yer know where I live."

He winked and ran off. "Be round fer breakfast tomorrer!" he shouted as he disappeared into the crowd.

Jenny shook her head and spent the rest of her shopping trip ordering in some meat and browsing through decorations. She'd never cooked Christmas dinner but it would be fun to try.

She found a place selling Christmas trees, picked one that looked small enough that she could decorate it without great problems and paid two pennies for the owner's boy to drag it back to 13 Paternoster Row.

In her past, Jenny had only glanced briefly at the local sweet shop, knowing full well that such things were well beyond her economic grasp but now with a purse full of money, she grinned and walked inside, going a little wild and buying several of every type of sweet.

"'ere! Try a sherbet lemon." Jenny handed a yellow sticky sweet to Vastra who was still curled up on the sofa

The Silurian placed it gingerly in her mouth. "It's very bitter." She mouthed around it and then crunched.

"Nah yer suck…"

An unearthly screech rang out, a sound Jenny had never heard Vastra make before. Vastra spat the remains of the sweet onto the table without ceremony and hissed, washing her mouth out with a gulp of cold tea.

Jenny bit her lower lip in an attempt not to grin. "S'called sherbet." She answered the unspoken question. "They put it in the middle. Yer meant to suck the sweet first not bite into it."

"That. is awful."

Jenny took pity and got a glass of water. "'ere. Wash it out with that."

"Why would you even eat such a thing?" Vastra gulped the water gratefully. "I think it's burnt a hole in my tongue."

"No it ain't neither." Jenny grinned at the exaggeration. The sherbet was strong but not that strong.

"How do you know?" Vastra stuck her tongue out at Jenny.

"Well I definitely know now."

"Apes are disgusting to eat such things." Vastra said in a tone of finality and walked out the kitchen.

Jenny sighed and popped a barley sugar in her mouth, still grinning slightly as she went to check whether her tree had arrived.

The Paternoster Irregulars who called round for breakfast the next day were not so displeased and Vastra watched in mild horror from the doorway as they scoffed all the sweets Jenny had bought between them, merely giggling at the tingling sensation the sherbet made on their tongue.

"They were meant ter be fer Christmas." Jenny shook her head at them.

"Weellll never might make it ter Christmas, Miss Jenny. Might as well 'ave 'em now. As a deposit like. Insurance." Jack winked at her. "I got yer decorations." He nipped back out into the yard and dragged a small barrow into the kitchen.

"I ain't bought a tree that big."

"Nah but yer put it round the 'ouse an' the like doncha." He tugged off a box and gave it to her. "They're all 'and made an' everythin'."

Jenny opened it dubiously to find painted wooden figurines and snowflakes on tatty bits of string. "Well they'll do."

"'ave yer got yer tree yet?"

"Yeah it's out in the yard."

The urchins set up a chorus. "C'n we decorate it Miss Jenny?" "Aw g'wan!" "Can we can we?"

She dumped the box back in Jack's hands. "You're in charge. Don't let 'em wreck the 'ouse. AN' NONE OF YOUSE IS ALLOWED UPSTAIRS!" she yelled, as they disappeared.

"By all means, let loose a horde of ragged urchins in my house. Is that a Christmas tradition too?" Vastra came into the kitchen to get her morning tea now it was clear.

"Weeellll s'a big 'ouse. Saves me decoratin' it don't it. 'Sides…s'my 'ouse too ain't it?"

The mild questioning tone of Jenny's voice made Vastra's head jerk up.

"Of course." She blinked. "I didn't mean…"

"S'good then." Jenny plucked at her apron. "I'd best go supervise 'em. An' the tree needs draggin' in." she half ran out into the yard, called for Cris and Jack to help her.

Vastra hastily hid in the larder as they hauled the tree through the kitchen into the living room, frowning in thought. The house was in her name obviously, the bank account was her name, the money, technically, was hers. But that questioning tone disturbed her. She remembered the feeling of aggravation she'd felt at Jess's words.

"Jenny. I'm going out." She called shortly as she grabbed her veil and cloak on her way down the hallway.

A bewildered Jenny appeared in the living room doorway. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Vastra nodded before slamming the front door on her way out.

A guilty looking Jack sidled up to Jenny. "Is she angry cos we're makin' noise?"

"Well if she is thas 'er problem ain't it! C'mon! Let's get it finished." Jenny shook her head but could understand if the noise was a bit much for Vastra. People in the house meant she would have to wear her veil after all. Her shoulders dropped. She'd forgotten again. How easy it was to forget sometimes that Vastra would alarm other people. That she had to hide. Hadn't they said that here at least was a place they didn't have to do that?

"Are you gonna get in ter trouble?" Cris noticed her shoulders dropping.

"If I do, I shall be givin' trouble back." Jenny shook herself. She'd apologise later. Once she'd figured out quite how to stop Jack from hanging the "bulk buy" of mistletoe in every doorway and hallway of 13 Paternoster Row!

An: What is Vastra up to? A mystery.