An: I'm not sure of this chapter.

18th December 1887

Despite the fact it was nearly Christmas, Vastra insisted on training, claiming they had gotten out of practice on the long trip to Japan. Jenny suspected it was more boredom; there were no cases for them to investigate. Even the urchins seemed restless when they came in for breakfast.

"Aye well, s'pose they like to feel they're earnin' their keep, same as the rest of us. Yon mistress is far too lenient with 'em." Parker replied when she told him about it at lunch.

"Maybe I should invent a case, just to keep 'em busy." She mused, wincing as she sat down. Vastra had not gone easy on her in the morning training session and she felt black and blue from ending on the floor so many times. The Silurian had gone out to procure some wooden swords they could use for sword practice but all Jenny could think of was that she'd end up with even more bruises.

"Ain't you still lookin' fer yer family?" Parker asked. "Could set 'em off on that?"

"They found out about as much as they could last time." Jenny sighed. She didn't really want to think about her family this close to Christmas.

"Ain't you gonna visit yer sisters?"

"Don' even know where they are." Jenny shrugged, staring at her plate. "An' the other I can't see anyway, without risk of bein' locked up."

Parker looked at her pityingly. "Well make sure you spend Christmas with at least someone you love an' who loves yer back."

"I'll invite the Irregulars round fer Christmas dinner then." Jenny grinned at him. "They're more me family these days than any of the rest."

"Well, they'd probably appreciate the dinner." Parker laughed. "What about yer Mistress, will she be headin' off anywhere? Any family?"

"Your first name should be Nosy not Wesley." Jenny collected up the dishes to put them in the sink. "She ain't got no family wot's alive ter visit."

"Ahh." Parker made a sympathetic noise. "Still, no friends? I never see anyone visitin'."

"Closest she's got is me." Jenny answered, thinking that friends didn't exactly cover whatever she and Vastra were.

"A sad way to be that is. The closest person to yer bein' yer maid. Guess some things money can't buy after all."

"The penny philosopher." Jenny grinned and flicked water at him. "You off back to yer wife now?"

"Aye. She said she'll be around tomorrer to do some cleaning afore Christmas. Yer mistress is far too lenient on me an' all. Some days I feel all I do is sit 'ere eatin' an' talkin' to you. Still, shan't complain." Parker got up and straightened his hat. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye Parker." She waved a soapy hand.

After doing the dishes, Jenny found herself at a loose end. Parker had chopped enough wood to last them a few days, mucked at Alice's stable and cleaned the cab. If Mrs Parker was coming round tomorrow to clean, there wasn't much point doing that. She tried reading a book but couldn't settle down to it; apparently it wasn't just the Irregulars that were restless.

Even the shopping had been done yesterday. She threw the book in a chair in disgust at her inability to concentrate. There was one thing she hadn't yet bought. A Christmas present for Vastra. The Silurian had asked for a kiss and gotten one but that was their first Christmas. Unable to find anything else to distract her, she threw on her cloak and hat and went to browse the shops for something.

She gazed at ornaments, peered shrewdly at books to see whether they already had them, contemplated a hunting knife but after glowers from the shopkeeper left in a hurry. She supposed maids weren't meant to go around arming themselves. She wandered past a jewellery shop and then stopped. Vastra had never shown a particular interest in jewellery before, except brooches. She knew the colours Vastra liked from her clothes. Deep purples which offset her green scales, even if no-one could see them. Light greens and blues.

She walked into the shop, a little nervous, fingering her purse. Maids weren't meant to go around buying jewellery either. She was studying a set of beads when the assistant came out from the back.

"Can I help you miss?" he seemed a little suspicious.

"Yes!" her voice came out louder due to her nerves. "Yes. My mistress asked me to buy some jewellery as a present for a friend."

"Ah." His eyes cleared as the world made sense again. "And you are looking for bead sets specifically? These lovely necklaces, made of jet, come with a pair of matching bracelets. They're usually used for mourning of course, but I have an affinity for the stone. Black is always stylish don't you think?"

"Yes." Jenny wasn't sure how to reply to that. "I think these will do then."

He eyed her oddly, confused at such an easy sale but shrugged it off. "I shall go wrap them for you then. If you would like to come to the counter to pay?"

She followed him and laid her money on the counter, resisting the urge to twist her purse in her hands as he returned.

"There you are. Thank you for you purchase. I hope your mistress is satisfied."

"Yes. Thank you." She nodded and fled back out into the street. "Think it was less scary fightin' cybermen." She whispered to herself, clutching the parcel to her. She realised she was not far from George's shop and decided to visit. He always offered her tea and she needed a cup after that.

He laughed kindly at her when she regaled him of her shopping experience while he made them a small dinner. "Be assured, Miss Jenny, I will never treat you with suspicion here. You bought a present for Vastra ey?" he looked at her with sudden sharpness, setting out the dinner for her.

"Yeah. Well. She's been good to me, ain't she…" she muttered, piling up a fork with vegetables.

"It pleases me that she has found a friend. Even in the circus, people were afraid. Even her fellow performers. Some thought of her as an animal." He smiled at Jenny's scowl, slightly ruined by a bulging mouth full of ham. "I think you have been good to her. And for her. She was never one for the company of others."

"What was she like at the circus?" Jenny asked, feeling slightly guilty for asking, having admonished Parker for the same nosiness.

"Angry." George raised his arms and made his hands into claws, mock-snarling. "When they first captured her, she was truly terrifying for performances. Like a lion. She was always in her cage. A juggler bought her freedom and then they realised she could talk; they became close friends I believe. But still her performance was always about scaring people."

"How did you become friends with her?"

"When she was first captured, they took her clothes, made her wear a shift. If you grip much tighter, you'll break the china." He relieved her of her tea cup that she'd been drinking from. "They gave them to me to get rid of, sell, modify ey? But I kept them. When she regained her freedom I returned them to her. No charge." He waved his hand in the air. "She was grateful ey? I pitied her too much to be afraid of her. She disliked the pity, I think, but appreciated the lack of fear. You do not fear her either do you? I remember when you first came in, such a little scrap and now look. You could be a lady."

She snorted round a final mouthful of food. "'ardly."

"But even then, you were not afraid. You are a curiosity, Miss Jenny. I pitied her. You get angry and nearly break my crockery. Very curious ey?" he grinned. "Well, she is fond of you, I suppose it is natural you are fond of her. I hope she likes your present. I will have to think of something. I know she wears gloves, perhaps some nice gloves, to go with your bracelets ey? Tell her, I will call round this time. As a friend." He got up and Jenny rose with him, nodding in recognition of the dismissal.

"Thanks fer the dinner." She called as she collected her package. She head home, still angry at the way the circus had treated Vastra. As angry as she had been when she'd first seen the Silurian in a cage.

The Silurian in question turned her head at the sound of the door slamming and hurried footsteps upstairs. She warily followed them.

Jenny heard her and hurriedly hid the present in the bottom of the wardrobe in one of the spare bedrooms, dashing back out into the corridor and making a show of removing her hat and cloak.

"Are you alright?" Vastra asked, remembering the last time Jenny had stormed upstairs. "You didn't try and see your sister did you?" she moved closer to Jenny, checking for any bruises or marks on her face.

"Nah. I was just…a bit restless I guess. Wot with no case an' the like. So I went out fer a walk. Paid George a visit."

"Ah. George." Vastra smiled, almost fondly. "He is keeping well?"

"Yeah. Said he'd call round to visit, fer Christmas."

"How kind of him." There was a sarcastic undertone that surprised Jenny.

"Well 'e's yer friend ain't 'e? S'what they do."

"He has been my friend for many years now and not once has he visited me at Christmas." Vastra shrugged. "It matters little. I never paid much attention anyway. And I lodged in a different place every time the circus was not on tour. He wouldn't have been able to find me."

"We was talkin' about the circus. 'bout how you became friends." Jenny moved back downstairs to hang up her coat and hat.

Vastra's eyes glittered. "Ah. And is that why you stomped in like an angry bull is it?" she walked down the last few steps and watched Jenny intently, her head tilted to one side. The young woman's entire body had tensed. "I told you before, did I not? You got me out. There is no need…"

"I ain't sulkin'! 'm flamin' mad is what I am! It weren't right…it ain't right." Jenny was crying now, a mixture of upset and anger. "Why din't you eat 'em? You threaten to eat anyone does anythin' against me. Why?"

"I told you before. It was my only source of income." Vastra grinned suddenly. "Are you saying you wish for me to eat them? Do you wish to hunt them down, even now? To echo your own reasons against that…" she gently hugged Jenny to her. "They are "nuffin'" to me now."

"Hmpfh." Jenny hugged her back.

"Hm." Vastra hummed. "It is strange to have someone cry for me."

"What about the other Silurians? Din't you 'ave friends back then?" Jenny leant back to look up at her.

"Silurians cannot cry." Vastra shrugged.

"Wot?"

"'ow'd they show being sad then?"

Vastra made a wailing high pitched keen that made Jenny wince. She recognised it from Vastra's grief over her sisters.

"In answer to your question, yes I did have friends." The Silurian moved away swiftly, heading for the living room.

"'m sorry!" Jenny darted after her, grabbing her sleeve. "I din't…" Vastra surprised her by stopping. "Huh. I tol' Parker off this mornin' fer bein' nosy. 'm sorry."

"There'll always be questions you'd really rather not answer about the past…" the Doctor's words echoed through Vastra's mind. "It depends how much you value her as to how much you tell her…and I know you value her."

"Curiosity does not require an apology. It is just…long ago." Vastra struggled to find the words. "I am unsure why you are curious about it."

"Says the woman arskin' me every bleedin' question under the sun about my past!" Jenny pointed out tartly. "Is it that 'ard to believe I'd take an interest back?"

"That depends on what your interest is. Apes have always been interested in me."

Jenny fought to keep her temper. "Well I ain't an ape. An' I just want ter know more about yer. Just because. Like yer do when yer like someone. When yer…friends with 'em. There ain't nuffin' sinister about it."

"As a friend?" Vastra's eyes glanced upwards towards the mistletoe in the living room doorway.

"I'd like ter think we're at least that." Jenny blustered, thrown by the question.

"At least?" Vastra seemed a little disappointed by the reply.

"Well I dunno. Don't think there is a word…"

"Perhaps you are right." Vastra cut across her, walking into the living room, abruptly ending the conversation.

Jenny groaned and went back upstairs to have a bath, suddenly overcome with exhaustion.

She ducked her head beneath the water, once she was in, feeling her body almost float, her hair fan out in the water around her. It was peaceful almost, but her lungs started aching eventually and she splashed upright again to wash herself. The heat of the water drained the tension from her quickly enough that she didn't soak for long and got out, wrapping herself in a towel but leaving her hair to drip. She collected up her clothes, intending to get dressed in their bedroom and opened the bathroom door to find Vastra stood there. Grinning.

Jenny was puzzled but a suspicion made her glance up. Even in the bathroom doorway.

"I ain't dressed!" she protested, suddenly highly aware that all she had round her was a towel.

"You apes and being naked." Vastra rolled her eyes but moved out the way to let Jenny pass. "I have seen you like this more than a few times now."

"Well fine then, if it's nuffin' to yer." Jenny stood stubbornly beneath the mistletoe.

Vastra smiled. "Not "nuffin'" little ape." She touched Jenny's wet hair curiously as she stepped in front of her. "Never "nuffin'"."

Vastra's lips were cool against Jenny's, the temperature difference accentuated by Jenny still being warm from the bath.

Jenny flushed but her lips quirked into a satisfied grin as Vastra walked down the hall into their bedroom. She could live with "Never "nuffin'"."

Vastra was already dressed in her nightgown by the time Jenny followed her in, having stayed in the bathroom to dry off. She watched as Jenny, her back to the Silurian, changed into her own nightgown and then curled up around the young woman as she sat on the edge of the bed to dry her hair.

"You are always so warm after a bath. It's rather delicious." Jenny swore the Silurian was practically purring. She'd compared Vastra to a cat before and this she took as further proof.

"I was thinkin' of makin' a Japanese style bath here. You'd like it. They're so hot an' you soak in 'em fer that long."

"Why would I need one of those when I can just hold you after you have a bath?" Vastra took the hairbrush Jenny offered her and sat up to brush the damp hair before plaiting it. She found hair ridiculous on other apes but Jenny's was fun to play with.

"Well c'mon then." Jenny sighed, wriggling beneath the covers and closing her eyes. She felt Vastra snake an arm across her midriff and relaxed into the familiar embrace.

An: Awww…when did this fic become so fluffy? I should put some angst in perhaps. *evil author laugh*