Hey guys, I wrote this as a Thanksgiving gift to you all! Sorry that it took me so long, but high school is currently doing a number on me. I only have one more propmt after this so as soon as I get that done, I'll be ready to accept new prompts! But for now, please enjoy this little chapter of mine.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Doctor Who or any of these amazing characters. If I did then there would would have been a spin off about the Paternoster Gang ages ago! Fanfiction is the next best thing, I guess.
Prompt: First time Jenny beats Vastra in a sparring match.
The silent stillness of morning in 13 Paternoster Row was disrupted by the sounds of weapons clashing coming from the house's cellar.
Jenny Flint let out a loud grunt as she landed flat on her back onto the hard floor of their cellar modified to serve as an indoor gym. That was an exceptionally forceful blow by Vastra, which left her choking for breath as if all the air had been knocked out her lungs. It was just another regular Saturday morning and the two of them had been up since six o'clock sparring as usual. Jenny was dressed practically in a pair of dark trousers, leather boots, dress shirt and waistcoat. On the other side was Vastra, who had decided to don her ancient Silurian warrior's uniform. Even though they were both fighting with wooden weapons, that still did not prevent Vastra's superior strength from taking the advantage.
"Oi! I think you may have used too much force that time," complained Jenny as she struggled to raise herself up."If I wake up tomorrow with severe chest pains, I'm holding you responsible, daft old lizard." With a little bit of elbow grease, Jenny eventually succeeded in getting to her feet and proceeded to dust herself off.
Meanwhile, Vastra was standing at her normal position, legs slightly spread apart and her sword positioned point-first against the floor. Smirking, she looked up at the clock on the wall and remarked, "Well won't you look at that...you lasted for a whole hour and forty-five minutes before I was able to knock you on your back. A splendid new record, my dear."
Jenny rolled eyes in exasperation as she placed her hands on her hips. "Well that's very good and all, ma'am, but you do realize that there's only one of me right? So unless you want a broken wife, I suggest you ease it down a little."
Jenny attempted a smile which instantly morphed into a wince as she felt a sudden pain shoot through her shoulder. Sensing that something was wrong, Vastra wasted no time in running to her wife's side and fretted most fastidiously. It's wasn't like this sort of thing never happened before, but Vastra just couldn't help being overprotective of her beloved wife no matter how small the injury. Jenny didn't mind all the attention, because she felt special knowing that there was someone who cared so deeply about her.
"Jenny, darling, are you alright? Are you hurt?" The Silurian sharply scolded herself for having been so careless, "Oh, I am such a foolish lizard! I should really have better control of my strength than that!"
It made Jenny somewhat sad to see Vastra blaming herself for this. Flashing a compassionate smile, she gently cupped one of her scaled cheeks and spoke, "Nonsense, my love, this was never your fault so please stop blaming yourself. Trust me, it's nothing serious just a sore shoulder that's all."
The pleasant warmth produced by Jenny's hand against her skin helped to put Vastra at ease immediately. "If you say so, my dear. Do you require that we stop so that you can have a break until you're feeling better?"
Jenny nodded affirmatively and allowed herself to be guided by Vastra to sit down on the bench that stood against the left wall. It was then that she noticed Jenny's eyebrows furrowing into a half frown.
"What's the matter now, Jenny?" Inquired Vastra in genuine concern.
The brunette's eyes lifted up to meet Vastra's gaze as she replied, "I...It's just that you are always so much stronger, graceful, durable, agile, and simply downright amazing in everything you do! I can't help but feel intimidated while having to stand in your shadow all the time." Jenny's face was flushed before she could finish her confession and returned her gaze to the floor in embarrassment.
The Silurian, not knowing what to say, could only remain silent for a long time with her mouth slightly ajar. She had no idea that Jenny felt this way, and hearing the truth for the first time made heart grow heavy with pity. While Jenny was completely right about Vastra having certain advantages due to being a Silurian, she also knew that Jenny was a truly outstanding warrior in her own right. Therefore, it caused her much sorrow to see her wonderful wife struggling with low self esteem.
Vastra then knelt down to Jenny's level and lifted her chin up with one green finger. Her sparkling blue eyes locked with Jenny's rich brown ones, she then spoke,"I want you to listen to me Jenny. Listen well, when I say that you don't have to prove anything to me because I can already see what a brilliant and skillful fighter you are. It really bothers me that you would be intimidated by my battle prowess. Even I am capable to making mistakes sometimes, which is why I am very glad to have you around to support me. So I implore you, never question your self-worth or abilities ever again, can you do that for me?"
The way that Vastra spoke to her with such sincerity and devotion instantly erased all doubt from Jenny's mind. It wasn't long before a bright smile appeared on her face and she nodded in response. Vastra was relieved at this, and also smiled as she kissed her wife's forehead.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I will be right back with some tea since I'm certain that you must be parched."
After Vastra had left the cellar, Jenny then allowed herself to lean back against the cool stone wall and released a weary sigh. Though what Vastra had said made her feel a great deal happier than before, Jenny still couldn't get rid of her desire to beat the Silurian at one-on-one sparring. She and Vastra had been training everyday in the cellar for as long as she could remember. During the earlier days when she was just an employee in the Great Detective's household, Jenny had begged Vastra profusely to teach her self-defense so that incidents like the Tongs will never happen again. Vastra, not being too fond of 'apes' back then, simply shrugged her off each time because what good was a skinny teenage girl in a fight? It wasn't until when Vastra came home covered in blood and on the brink of hibernation one winter night, that she finally agreed to train Jenny in combat to be her assistant on cases. Jenny could recall all the countless times she had fallen on her arse when they first started training together. Their sessions always ended with her collapsing onto her bed with aching bones and feeling as if she had been trampled on by wild horses. Vastra was willing to stop training if it got too hard for her, but Jenny was too stubborn for her own good, so she insisted that they carried on with training. Her perseverance paid off eventually, as over time the pain in her muscles faded and she was soon able to hold her ground against the Silurian warrior. Just like Vastra had said, she had become an excellent fighter in her own right, and was more than a match for the many dangerous criminals that they had face in the streets of London.
Yet after all this time, she still had not been able to fulfill her true goal; winning a sparring match against the formidable Vastra. In that very moment, Jenny was determined to change that.
Vastra walked into the cellar minutes later carrying a tray of tea to see Jenny standing ready with her sword in hand. Without removing eye contact, Vastra set the tray down on the bench and slowly approached Jenny with an amused look on her face.
"From what I'm seeing, it would be safe to say that you've already recovered?" Asked the Silurian, wearing a toothy grin.
Jenny simply winked and replied with a question of her own, "Fancy going another round, ma'am?"
Never one to back down from a challenge, the Silurian nodded her acceptance with enthusiasm. She retrieved her own wooden practice sword and both combatants moved to their appropriate spots on opposite sides of the training mat. Jenny then positioned herself in the starting stance Vastra taught her, with feet spread apart, body slightly leaning forward, and both hands holding the sword in front of her in a defensive pose. The two of them spent the first next minutes simply studying each other, daring each other make the first move. Neither were willing to risk even a blink as their muscles became tense with anticipation at what the other might do. The atmosphere surrounding them was so stifling that it was almost unbearable. One could have easily heard a pin drop in the profound silence that followed.
Eventually, it was Vastra who was the first to act, charging at Jenny with her sword aimed at her head. Jenny was able to react in a timely manner by raising her sword up to block the Silurian's oncoming blow. The human then retaliated by attempting to strike at Vastra's chest which she deflected with ease. Vastra pushed Jenny away, who stumbled and was barely able to prevent the Silurian's sword from hitting the side of her abdomen. So from there, the two adversaries instantly fell into a warlike rhythm, matching each other's intensity with blow for blow. They grunted with every effort required to raise their weapons, skin slick with sweat and adrenaline rushing through their hot-blooded veins. Though as time went on, Jenny, being the human that she was, began to give in to her exhaustion. Vastra took notice of Jenny's slacking movements and decided to use that to her advantage. In one swift motion, she brought her sword down upon Jenny's exposed head. The former match girl lifted her weapon and succeeded in stopping Vastra's blade just inches above her head. The Silurian was not deterred, however, as she continued to impose even more pressure. Jenny struggled to find a secure footing against Vastra's relentless onslaught; she does realize that this was only a practice sparring match, right? Then just as all seemed lost, Jenny was empowered by a new surge of energy, allowing her to finally drive Vastra back with great force. She then delivered the coup de grace by shooting her leg out in a sweeping kick, effectively toppling Vastra down to the floor.
The Silurian let out a grunt as she tried to get up, but found that her arms had been pinned against the floor. When she opened her eyes, Jenny was looming over her wearing a triumphantly impish smile. It instantly occurred to her that Jenny had become the predator and she is the prey; the sudden role reversal left Vastra feeling oddly stimulated.
"At last, the student has surpassed the master,"announced Jenny with a bit of mocking in her tone."It's about bloody time, too! Does this not remind you of our first kiss, my darling?"
Vastra's lips curled to form a smirk as she replied,"Yes it does...though I distinctly remember me being the dominant one."
Jenny laughed before leaning down to capture Vastra's cool rough lips in a gentle yet firm kiss. They soon deepened the kiss as Jenny's hand moved to cup her wife's cheek, while Vastra's free hand became entwined in her soft brown curls. Once they pulled apart, Vastra gazed fondly upon her beloved's face and was aware of how far Jenny had come. She was no longer the scared, timid ,scrawny little girl that she had rescued in the alleyway, but a truly accomplished warrior. Vastra could not be any prouder than she was in that moment.
Yeah I'm really bad at writing fight scenes, but anything is good when it comes to my OTP. So you know the drill, please leave a review because I love hearing feedback on my work. I really helps me to grow and improve as a writer.
I wish you all a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday!