An: That title is terrible. I am ashamed of myself. No-one told me chapter titles were that hard. I would've numbered them instead if I'd known.

22nd December 1887

Having spent a very boring day resting in bed and being ignored by Vastra, even when the Silurian curled up beside her in bed at night, Jenny wanted out of 13 Paternoster Row for the day. Walking in the darkness of an Underworld for two days hadn't been enough time for her to think about why she'd been so upset and now Vastra wasn't talking to her. She left some food on the kitchen table for the Irregulars and then went to see Missus Blackett, as she'd originally planned.

She couldn't think what to get her as a present as she pushed her way through the crowded market place to get to the gin shop. Luxury items would seem superfluous. In the end, Jenny bought a decent bottle of gin, figuring that she couldn't go amiss there.

Missus Blackett was surprised to open her door to find Jenny standing there, looking awkward and upset, and immediately drew her into a large hug.

"Mercy an' it has been a while! I swear your clothes 'ave got even grander. An' you've filled out too! 'ow's life amongst the posh people then?" She took the bottle of gin that Jenny proffered without preamble, admiring the intricate label on it as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Not bad." Jenny shrugged, following her.

"As bad as that ey?" Missus Blackett moved to make some tea, revealing someone already sat, or rather moodily slumped, at the table.

"Did warn 'er. Offered to set 'er up like. No-one bleedin' listens ter me." The someone complained.

"Yes, yes alright dear." Missus Blackett patted the young woman on the shoulder as she went outside to fill the kettle up from the stopcock. "She's got us some nice gin at any rate, that should quieten you down."

"Jess?" Not a co-incidence then. Jenny stood in stunned silence as her sister lounged in the battered wooden table observing her.

"In answer to the question yor currently too dumbfounded ter ask, me an' Missus Blackett used ter work together. She were the cook where I was the skiv see?" Jess got up to examine the gin that Missus Blackett had left on the side. "Well, her old man died and left her a pile an' this place. So Missus Blackett took it over. An' I left cos I weren't bein' beaten about no more either. I helped out a bit, she let me stay in the attic til I got a better job an' then I found me own place too." She uncorked it and poured out a tot. "On'y I din't wanna be known as Flint no more. So she said as I could take her name. Make out I was 'er daughter. Came ter visit after yor lady released me, rantin' about me stupid sister an' surprised was I to learn you'd on'y been bleedin' livin' here for months. You an' yer mistress." Jess waved the glass in a vague acknowledgement. "Where'd she get the money from then, to set up all noble like?"

"She…inherited it."

"Rich uncle was it? From Camberwell?" Jess grinned, downing the entire glass in one gulp. "Well if that's what it's called these days. Awright, awright." She held up her hands to pacify Jenny. "No need to get in a snit about it. Not like I care." She slumped back into her chair.

"You cared enough when we sprung yer." Jenny was not above being equally moody as her sister.

"Thought you was livin' wiv a toff din't I? Din't realise she started out so low did I. Circus performer Missus Blackett tol' me." Jess grinned and leaned across the table. "'ow is yer lady friend doin' these days?"

"I 'ope you ain't bein' mean to each other. Christmas is a family time." Missus Blackett prevented a minor brawl by coming back in with the kettle. "That bleedin' stopcock's allus gettin' frozen." She muttered to herself.

"Did puttin' a bit of rag round it not work?" Jess frowned. "An' nah. I was just politely enquirin' as to 'ow Madame Vastra was."

"Ooh, yes. She doin' alright up in that big 'ouse? Must be some work fer you, keepin' that clean."

"She's well." Jenny shrugged and sat down in the chair opposite Jess.

An awkward silence fell.

"Wot does she do to keep hersel' busy these days?" Missus Blackett tried.

"She's an investigator. Travels a lot. Bin to Egypt. An' Japan."

"Bless my soul. Not bad fer goin' up in the world, ey Jess. Tol' you it were worth Jenny's time stickin' with 'er, fer all yer ideas about class warfare."

"I don' think Jenny was precisely financially motivated in the stayin' with 'er." Jess winked.

"Oh? Well tis nice that loyalty gets rewarded somewhere ain't it." Missus Blackett gave up after that and went out to buy some things for lunch.

There was another silence where Jenny glowered at the table and Jess got herself another gin.

"So wot 'appened after I left anyway?" she asked quietly, swilling the clear liquid round. "I know things went down'ill. You mentioned Albie got taken?"

"Dunno that 'e got taken. He disappeared one day. Never found out what 'appened to 'im. After that, our aunt came ter stay with us fer a bit."

"That musta bin fun."

"Aye.

"Bet she put paid to yer hangin' out with the larks."

"I 'ad ter go ter school regular an' everythin'." Jenny shook her head in mock despair. "She din't stay that long. Got Da a job an' was gone by spring. She came back an' took Megan though. Adopted her as her own."

"Surprised they din't take you as well." Jess said sarcastically. "You'da bin a wonderful daughter fer 'em I imagine."

"About as wonderful as you." Jenny bit back.

"What about after that?"

"Thom died. Got the flu. Cholera. Somethin'. I dunno. Went cold in me arms, like Margaret. After that Da lost it again. We got kicked out an' 'e ended up in the workhouse, where 'e lived til 'e died far as I know." Jenny shrugged.

"Don't miss 'im I take it then?"

"Not bleedin' likely."

"Din't you go with 'im?"

"Nah. Tried to find the mudlarks an' got picked up by a peeler and ended up in a School. Thought maybe someone would come find me, get me out but…" Jess shifted slightly uncomfortably but Jenny merely shrugged. "It were alright. I survived."

"It weren't yer fault y'know. Thom dyin'. Or Maggie. Bleedin' arsehole father." Jess ran her fingers through her hair.

"I know." Jenny replied quietly.

"'ow'd you end up down an alley then?"

Jenny sighed. "Thas a long story."

"You sayin' we ain't got time?"

"I engaged in various criminal activities, did my time in a Reform school, the workhouse an' jail respectively. Due to me turnin' on the gang an' spyin' fer the peelers, I got in a bit of an 'assle wiv 'em. An' then she turned up."

"Thas a short version." Jess complained. "Don' explain nuffin'."

"Well, wot d'yer want to know?" Jenny was confused.

"Life. Details. Romance!"

Jess spun around the kitchen.

"There was a couple of women."

"Ey ey."

She plopped swiftly back down in her chair again, leaning across the table in exaggerated interest.

"I was workin' with a drayman, after I got out the Reform School, where I got educated on such matters. Met this girl named Lettie down the pub. Lived with 'er fer a bit. Then I got found out, where I was dressin' as a boy."

"Vulgar. I like it."

"So we 'ad ter move on. I got in with a gang. We…din't see eye to eye over some things. An' then I spied on the gang an' 'ad ter split in an 'urry. Left her behind."

"Classy."

Jenny paused to glower at her sister's commentary.

"Anyways." She began again sternly. "I couldn't work or nuffin so I ended up in the workhouse where I met Gracie."

"Girl number 2."

Jenny rolled her eyes and gave up trying to non-verbally remonstrate Jess for it. "We spent one more winter then got out together an' got jobs in this house. 'er as a cook, me as a skiv."

"Like me an' Missus Blackett. Only not. Obviously. Y'know. Not. 'ow'd you end up in jail then? Light fingeredness?" Jess guessed with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Jenny shifted in her seat. "I may 'ave not…"

"Yer nicked stuff. An' they caught yer. Bet that impressed the ladies." Jess shook her head.

"Never saw 'er again after the court case." Jenny shrugged.

"Ahh." Jess sighed in mock sympathy. "So you got out of jail an' the gang tracked yer down?"

"One of their Mistresses in jail recognised me, put the word out."

"An' down a dark alley, Girl…well woman, Number 3 jus' so 'appened to stumble. Savin' yer."

Jenny nodded. Then shook her head. "She ain't woman number 3!"

"I'll believe yer, thousands wouldn't."

Jess idly rocked her chair back on two legs, aggravating Jenny after her continued assumptions and innuendos.

Missus Blackett once again subverted a family argument by walking back in with lunch. Not wishing to discuss much more of her past in front of Missus Blackett, the conversation returned to more light-hearted topics and jokes, mostly between Missus Blackett and Jess.

The afternoon passed with Missus Blackett and Jess consuming most of the bottle of gin and all three of them playing cards together. Which Jenny won without even sharping, due to the inebriated state of her fellow players. It was fun. Jenny thought to herself. Simple and fun. Like family. So why was there this strange little ache in her chest that made her want to go home? She stared at her cards. Was it because the bond between Missus Blackett and Jess was so clear? That was the family feeling. She didn't really belong there. Or possibly it was the inevitable side effect of being the only sober person in the room.

Jess walked Jenny home in the early evening, remarkably steady for someone who'd been drinking that much. Jenny tried to make her stay with Missus Blackett, nervous about Jess meeting Vastra in her current state.

"Small world ain't it." Jess sniffed in the cold winter air, attempting to start a personal conversation again. "I c'ld…always come round and visit sometime?" she offered. "If'n yer wife wouldn't mind it, that is."

"She ain't my wife! Bleedin' 'ell."

"Mistressthen." Jess huffed out a breath.

"She ain't that either. I dunno what she is but…"

"You poor sod. Fallin' in love an' with that arrangement set up too, where yer go round pretendin' ter be 'er maid." Jess thumped her on the shoulder comfortingly and then hastily backed away, remembering that it hurt to be shoved against a wall by Jenny Flint. And although they were walking down the main street, there were still shop fronts. With glass windows.

But Jenny merely stopped, staring down at the cobbles. "S'that seriously wot you fink I done?" she asked, unsure now whether Jess really was teasing her.

"Din't yer?" Jess looked at her in surprise, having taken Jenny's refusal to acknowledge anything as more a riposte than a real denial of anything. "I mean it's a swish set up but if she's gi'en yer money now to be independent what else are yer stayin' for? Witty conversation? She don't seem the type."

"You stayed with Missus Blackett." Jenny argued.

"Aye, aye that I did. An' when I got a fine new job, I moved out on me onesies. Got a nice little room down a street where people don't piss on yer doorstep. That often." Jess frowned at her insalubrious accommodations.

"It ain't…it…" Jenny gave one last ditch effort.

"Ooh dearie me, she may have been ter Egypt but yor the one in denial ain't yer." Jess shook her head, grinning. "You poor bastard."

"Well wot am I s'posed ter do?!" Jenny cried out. "She's a lizard woman! You fink she'd even…she 'ates people like me! But I s'pose it's bloody typical of all the people I c'ld go for..." she gave a small laugh.

"You know what you need Jenny Flint?" Jess clapped an arm around her shoulders, seeing as there was no sign of violence from her sister. "A drink. It's Christmas. We're two sisters celebrat…" she stopped suddenly, mid gesture and turned to look at Jenny. "Wot do you mean lizard woman?"

An: Well that's going to be an interesting conversation…