They walked to their room in silence. A silence which Jenny broke first.
"Why were they giving you such hassle? I mean I know why but…"
"We have more pressing matters to attend to." Vastra cut her off. "There are only a few more stops to make and then we will be in battle. Your first."
"I've fought before." Jenny argued.
"By yourself. This is more a team effort."
"Bloody weird team." Jenny muttered. Something was nagging at her mind. She sat down on the bed. "I met this…dunno if it was a bloke or a woman…anyway he thought I was a boy."
"I wouldn't take offence. The Doctor thought you were as well, the first few times you met him." Vastra pointed out. "Perhaps it is the trousers."
"I've got long hair!"
"It's in a bun. Besides, so does the Doctor, in this regeneration. And I have no hair at all."
"Yeah but…
"You apes make far too much of appearance when attempting to discern gender. And apparently species."
Jenny didn't have time to bite back about the "you apes" or to enquire as to what precisely Vastra meant by that. Their door was flung open and a Silurian strode in, holding their swords out to them. "It is nearly time. We must prepare. You know what to do?" Vastra nodded, taking the swords and passing Jenny hers. "Then come with me."
Pride kept Jenny from admitting she still didn't know what her and Vastra were meant to do. Her reputation among the other Silurians was all too new. But there was a sense of panic too as they strode along the corridors to the console room.
"Remind me of the plan again?" She hissed to Vastra as they stood, in amongst the crowd of strange people and creatures. She couldn't see the Doctor at all, perhaps he'd already left.
Vastra gave a brief outline of the plan, pointing out the different species and groups as they filed out the door. "Our part is relatively simple. We are to gain control of the technical room and operate the lights at intervals. Threats but no deaths. Doctor's orders." The Silurian sounded put out. "Were you not paying attention during the meeting?"
Jenny bit back her remark that no-one had paid her any attention during the meeting, including Vastra. She saw Strax stomp through the doorway, focussed and grinning, happy to be going into battle. She wasn't sure whether she was happy. It was anger that was beginning to coil in her stomach, but at least it was replacing any fear. She still didn't know whose life was being saved, who they were rescuing. She realised it didn't matter. The Doctor was right. It was a life; it was being saved. Anything else was a minor detail. She tried to keep hold of that thought as they left the TARDIS, tried to keep her eyes from wandering around the metal corridors, filled with steam and harsh lights. Anger was now being over-ridden by a sense of wonder and excitement. She was on a spaceship. In space. Sword out and Vastra by her side. She glanced at the Silurian who was leading the way. There was no veil, no device to mask her scales. She caught herself grinning. This was how it should be. They met no resistance, by the looks of things every soldier was in the main hall. Vastra motioned towards a door. They could hear cries of outrage. "That'll be the Doctor." Vastra whispered with a grin and pressed the button, causing the door to slide silently open. They strode equally as silently into the room, spotting the two men in their seats.
"Go on. Resist. I am ever so hungry…"
She'd never really seen the Doctor at work before. Against the Kraal, he'd gotten them lost. Against the Cybermen, he'd disappeared off to another time and had left Jenny and Vastra behind. All the other times, had been fleeting visits. Even against Croup and Vandemar. It was an experience to watch him create mass fear and panic among armed military men with just a monk's cowl, a brief speech and a dim of the lights.
"Clever, isn't he?" she remarked to Vastra.
"And rather attractive."
"You do realise he's man, don't you ma'am." Jenny had an inkling Vastra was making a point over their argument.
"Mammals. They all look alike."
"Oh thank you!" Jenny gave up and turned away. Vastra was operating the lights, it wasn't as if she were particularly necessary at this moment in time.
"You mistook Grimaya for me!"
Jenny stared at the console in front of her in disbelief. Was that what this had been about? "Only once! After I saw you, I couldn't believe I'd ever thought she was you." She felt the Silurian pause, reassess things.
"Was I being insensitive again, dear? I don't know why you put up with me."
Jenny restrained from rolling her eyes as Vastra's tongue flashed out to stun the guard. But she couldn't stop the small quirk of her lips.
Something occurred to her. "How did you know I was a girl anyway? When we first met? If even the Doctor couldn't tell."
"I have my ways. Far more accurate than clothing and appearance." Vastra shrugged.
Jenny decided she'd ask her again later. She leant over the console, watching the scene unfolding below.
"Colonel Manton is regaining control."
"Where's the Doctor gone?" Jenny assumed Colonel Manton was the man currently repeating 'we are not fools'. Personally, she thought he was. They were now all unarmed and the hall was now full of fully armed Silurians and Judoon and there was Strax, right next to Colonel Manton. The Doctor was saying something, and she had to grab the console as explosions rocked the base.
"The spitfires taking out the communications." Vastra reassured her.
Once the explosions stopped, the door sprang open to reveal the Doctor and a large blue man. "Right. We'll just wait here for Straxy to bring ol' Colonel Manton up and then we can get to business." He plopped down in the chair, gestured for the two men to be released and switched on the lights in the same instant. Jenny hesitated to untie the men. Not that they'd been difficult to subdue but… "Don't worry." The Doctor said, as if reading her thoughts. "They're going to surrender. Aren't you boys?" he spun on the chair and grinned at them. Somehow it was more frightening than even Vastra's grin. The two men quietly stood by the door after Jenny untied them. "Take them away after Manton gets here. They can go join their little friends down in the main hall, ready for them to all run away." The Doctor spun back round to watch the monitors.
Jenny nodded.
She passed a terrifying looking woman on the way down, wearing some kind of silver eyepatch, guarded by two Silurians. None of the group acknowledged Jenny and her two prisoners.
"Right. Here you are then." She felt the words lacked something, but the two men were dragged off by two Silurians. She stood watching as the Judoon and Silurians were joined by the pirates. Captain Avery. That was his name. And his son. The spitfire pilots, Danny Boy or whoever, must still be outside.
"Men." A voice echoed through the hall. It sounded defeated but still choked on the words. "I order you…to run away."
Well it wasn't so much running. The Clerics were escorted onto ships quite civilly. A bit of an anti-climax for her first battle. Hadn't even got her sword bloody. She watched as the spitfires disappeared, feeling a little jealous. She wouldn't mind flying like that one day. It seemed a lot more comfortable than a dragon or an eagle, although less exciting.
"Ah! Boy."
"Hello Strax." She took a breath and turned away from the window. She should find the Doctor, or Rory or Vastra and report what was happening.
"Not much of a battle in the end, eh? Didn't even die." Strax spat, striding along beside her. "But you distinguished yourself well. For a human."
"Thanks." I think…
She was distracted from her report to Rory by the baby crying, being held by a woman who she deduced was Amelia. Were they saving Amelia or the baby, she wondered. Probably the baby. Amelia looked as if she could take care of herself. Strax set off, when the Doctor reappeared with a cot, muttering about securing the perimeter. Jenny decided that was a good idea. The conversation looked a little personal.
Apparently, they'd missed someone. She strode back to the group at the sound of Strax's voice. The thought that he'd apprehended an innocent bystander was dispelled by the Cleric uniform. She'd come back to warn them. As the lights flickered out, Jenny thought on Strax's words. "Not much of a battle, in the end." She was inclined to believe this Cleric. Should've realised sooner, that it had been far too easy. She kept a ready hand on her sword as Strax scanned the area, although the knowledge that the Monks weren't alive was not comforting. How did you kill something that wasn't alive? The sight of Vastra striding towards them lifted her spirits, but when Vastra and Maldover told of their suspicions, Jenny's apprehension only deepened. As a shield came down around the TARDIS and the doors locked, she heard on the edge of her hearing, a deep ominous chanting. She tried to see something, through the dark and the steam. The Doctor wasn't in control now. She'd fought dogs and eagles and Torchwood, but what could you do against something that wasn't alive? She readied herself, she wouldn't give in to fear. She wasn't a fool and she didn't need a colonel to tell her that. But not giving in to fear wasn't the same as not being afraid, when she heard the swish and thunk of Maldover dying, clutching at the plasma pistol the woman had given her, not a clue how to operate it as she saw the crackling red lightning of the monk's swords and the headless body…
She threw it away as they attacked, unable to figure out how to reload it or recharge it. Relying on her sword and her minimal skills. This wasn't like putting Bol down or showing off, or getting lucky against a huge dog. This was a fight for life, to the death. She saw Strax fall, the woman (who was definitely a woman, according to Vastra) fall. Rory finished off two of the last monks and another fell to Vastra's sword. With a sick feeling in her stomach, Jenny cut down the headless Maldover, turning swiftly at the sound of Amy's screams.
Where there had been a baby was now just…white liquid. Rory went to pull Amy into a hug but was pushed away, as Amy stumbled to a crate and sat down, quietly staring at the floor. Vastra strode back and forth between them and the TARDIS, checking for any more Monks and keeping an eye on the dying woman. Rory stood a little way away. Feeling raw and numb, Jenny crept towards Amy. She closed her eyes, remembering her mother, remembering the baby. She sat down behind Amy and put a useless hand on her shoulder in an attempt at comfort. Amy didn't appear to notice but Jenny didn't know what else to do.
She sat on the box, watching and listening, and still not quite understanding what was going on. Even less so when another woman turned up. She was new. Jenny had never seen her before. But it looked like the Doctor knew her. Vastra came over to her, slowly, not wanting to interrupt the scene unfolding.
"Who are you?"
Jenny very much wanted that question answered herself. She stood up as Vastra came to stand beside her. She knew far too little of the Doctor she realised. But her eyes narrowed as the woman went over to the cot.
"I am telling you."
"Vastra," she whispered. "you don't think…"
"I am beginning to suspect. No wonder the Doctor gave up. If he already knew..."
"They seem a little bit…close."
"Mm."
"But if she's Rory and Amy's…"
"Yes."
Jenny failed miserably at keeping a wide grin off her face. That was going to be one very awkward conversation.
"Jenny! Vastra! Til next the next time!"
It became apparent that Rory and Amy weren't as quick on the uptake. Jenny took a step back as Amy picked up the gun. She felt a little like an intruder and looked away as River revealed who she was.
River song took Rory and Amy back home first. Jenny pressed her forehead into Vastra's shoulder, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "I still ain't got the first clue what's going on. Did we actually accomplish anything?"
"I'm not sure. At any rate we appear to have helped solve a mystery."
"I want to go home." Surrounded by dead monks and a dead Lorna and a dead Strax on a space station base or whatever it was. She felt like she hadn't really slept since Vastra had come from eating the Ripper.
"And I'm here to take you there!" River smiled at them.
"A Vortex manipulator!" Jenny recognised the device on River's arm.
"Ooh. A smart one." River winked at her, holding out her hand to Jenny. Vastra hissed warning at River as Jenny took it. "You too." River grasped Vastra's gloved hand and placed it over Jenny's. "Now. Where am I taking you?"
"13 Paternoster Row. London. 1888. Morning of the 10th of November should do it."
"Right you are…"
"Jenny. Jenny Flint. Hard as 'em."
"Good introduction! And your…"
"Vastra."
River ignored the Silurian's huffiness and activated the vortex manipulator.
And there they were. Back at 13 Paternoster Row. In their bedroom, no less. Jenny could see the urchins out in the back yard, playing some game of sorts. All her strays. She never had gotten round to making that offer to Strax. She took off her waistcoat and tie and threw them on the pile of washing. Better get back to maid's clothes now they were home.
"Uh-oh. I know that face from the Doctor. What's wrong?" River was staring at her.
Jenny chewed her lip, trying to think of how exactly to explain. "Strax."
"The Sontaran?" Vastra asked, unbuckling the short katana from her back and reverently checking the blade for damage.
"It's just…he was all alone. I was thinkin'…"
"Of offering him a home here." Vastra finished, with a small sigh. She placed a comforting hand on Jenny's shoulder. "I'm sorry. But there's nothing we could've done for him. He died. Nothing in the world can bring…" Jenny knocked her hand away. "Jenny?"
"His device!" Jenny quickly explained what Strax had told her.
"And you think you can operate it?" River asked, catching on to the excitement.
"But even if you could bring him back, how were you planning to convince him to come back here? He's a Sontaran. According to the Doctor, they're hardly amiable, particularly to other species." Vastra snorted.
"It's worth a try, ain't it?" Jenny was already dressing in her second waistcoat and a black tie.
River and Vastra exchanged a look.
But River gave Jenny a slow smile. "Always worth a try." She held out her hand once more and Jenny grasped it.
Vastra picked up Jenny's sword. "We'll take these with us, I think. In case there's any monks left. Or your Sontaran is more belligerent upon being brought back to life."
"I'll take us back a couple of days after. Don't want to end up with two lots of us. Or if anyone comes snooping. I'll take us to the level below. I don't think he saw me. Don't want to confuse him too much. Coming back from the dead can be a bit of shock. Trust me." River winked again as she pressed the button to take them back.
