Well here you go, another chapter! I'm amazed that people actually like my writing so thank you everyone that reads my story. I've been inactive in Fanfiction for a long time, but this is exactly the reboot that I need.
DISCLAIMER: Unfortunately, I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters. I just make them dance for my own entertainment. And hopefully yours, as well.
Prompt: First time Jenny prepares Vastra's meals.
Jenny awoke with a start, her limbs lashing out at imaginary attackers. Her big brown eyes flew open and she snapped back into reality. Instead of the dark and cold alleyway she expected, the girl was met with a cozy, well-furnished bedroom. She didn't feel the dirty London street under her hands, but only smooth silken bed sheets.
Flashes of the incident with the Tongs danced across her mind's eye, making everything clear again. Jenny didn't even got a chance to properly thank her savior before fainting from undernourishment into the arms of a Time Lord. Yes, that's right, she fainted from undernourishment and not because of the fact that she was rescued by a lizard woman from the dawn of time. That all happened two nights ago and Jenny still couldn't believe her luck; she, Jenny Flint, a lowly and deviant match girl, was now a maid in the home of the Great Detective. Well, she haven't exactly told her mistress about her 'preferences in companionship', and she was willing to keep it that way.
Not wanting to be late on her first day, Jenny pulled herself out of bed and prepared for work. She washed her face, tied her long hair into a neat bun, and changed into her new maid's uniform before quietly making her way downstairs to the kitchen. Her first priority was to make breakfast for her mistress.
Said mistress walked into the kitchen as Jenny was setting up the kettle. Madame Vastra stood in the door frame wearing nothing but her long-sleeved purple nightgown and slippers.
"Miss Flint? How could you possibly be up so early?" Yawned Vastra, trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes.
"Good morning, ma'am," Greeted Jenny cheerfully. "And to answer your question, I'm just doing my job is all. What kind of maid would I be if I decide to lay around in bed all day?"
Vastra grinned at the girl's healthy sense of humor. "A rather poor one, I imagine."
"Exactly! Now, please take a seat and I'll have your tea ready in a minute ma'am."
Without taking her eyes off the kettle, Jenny quickly gestured at the dining table. The Silurian sat down in a chair and began reading the daily newspaper on the table. Another loud yawn from her mistress caught Jenny's attention and she became concerned.
"Blimey ma'am!"Exclaimed the brunette, "You sound like you didn't sleep a wink at all last night! Is that new case bothering you?"
Vastra casually replied with,"My kind doesn't require nearly as much sleep as you apes-err,humans-to function. Besides, I would much prefer to get this done and over with as soon as possible. I feel like I am so close to finding an answer."
Jenny rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the Silurian's backhanded insult. At least she corrected herself from calling them as 'apes' this time. The young maid carefully poured some piping hot tea into a cup before proceeding to serve it to her mistress.
She placed the cup down on the table saying, "That's sounds great, ma'am! So I suppose you will be out of the house the entire day?"
"Yes, most likely." Vastra stopped reading in order to take a tentative sip of the tea. Judging from the smile that resulted, one could say she was pleased. "Mmm...this is easily the best cup of tea I've ever had. Thank you, Miss Flint."
The compliment caught Jenny off guard and she could only stutter, "Uh, sure...you're very welcome ma'am. I'm glad you like it."
She then swiftly turned away so that Vastra could not see the light blush that rose in her cheeks. Vastra raised an inquisitive brow at her maid's sudden bashfulness, but decided to not say anything. Jenny searched everywhere in the kitchen and still failed to find anything useful for making breakfast.
"For Christ's sake, ma'am, where have all your food gone to?" Jenny called back over her shoulder," There seems to not be a single crumb left in here!"
"Well, in my defense, I've been too busy with Scotland Yard that the issue of food has slipped my mind. So please be a dear and go out to purchase more food when you can, Miss Flint."
Jenny nodded obediently and responded,"Aye ma'am, I'll be sure to do that later today."
The matter was never brought up again, as they both resumed their morning routine. Madame Vastra was gone within an hour, leaving Jenny to look after that empty house alone. Jenny found plenty of chores with which to occupy herself, which included dusting various trinkets, watering the plants, doing the laundry, and scrubbing the floors. While doing the laundry she was surprised to find most of Vastra's clothes stained with muck and a dark, sticky substance that she prayed wasn't blood. It made her wonder what else her mysterious mistress did late at night when she claimed to be "going for a walk." It took Jenny quite a while to clean every part of the large house, except for the cellar where Vastra had made her promise to never enter under any circumstances.
Seriously, this lizard woman was the most shady employer there is! And yet, Jenny knew that it wasn't her place to question her mistress about these oddities, as disturbing as they are.
Of course, then there was the pantry that was desperately in need of restocking. Bundled in a cloak and bonnet, the former match girl set out into town with some money Vastra had given her for food. Her first destination was the butcher's shop, where she bought a pound of beef, pork loins, and sausages. They were lucky that Jenny was chums with owner, Mick, who treated her to a special discount. Next, she bought several loaves of fresh bread from the local bakery. Then it was off to the market for fruits, vegetables, and a wheel of fancy cheese. She came across a salesman selling exotic bottles of wine, and thought it would be a good idea to buy one so that they could celebrate if Madame did solve the case.
All of that running around London proved to be most physically draining for Jenny. By the time she arrived home, it was already three hours past noon. Once she reached the kitchen, Jenny unceremoniously dropped the groceries to the floor and slumped against the wall with one nagging question in mind.
"So...how exactly is one supposed to go about cooking for a carnivorous reptile?"
"Thank you, Parker, I shall relieve you of your duties for tonight."
Madame Vastra bid the cabby a good evening before walking the short distance toward 13 Paternoster Row. Vastra then took out a handkerchief to wipe off any traces of blood from her mouth. She was smiling smugly under her veil, pleased with herself for having solved yet another difficult case. Then again, she always relished an opportunity to prove her superior intellect over these primitive, idiotic apes she's forced to work with. Though to the Silurian huntress, the real reward that came out of this case was a rather tasty mammalian meal. Goddess knows the despicable villain deserved it for all his unspeakable crimes.
Vastra pushed the door open and entered the house with grace. She began to shed off her cloak, calling out,"Miss Flint, where are you?"
"I'm in the kitchen ma'am!" Came Jenny's echoing response.
Vastra followed the maid's voice into the kitchen, and was genuinely surprised by the sight that greeted her. Laid out across the dining table was an array of many different dishes unlike anything she'd ever seen. There was a thick and juicy slab of steak, succulent pork chops, beef stew with vegetables, deviled eggs topped with sour cream, and a chunk of fine cheese. In addition, there was also a nice apple pie for dessert. Everything was set out perfectly, from the silverware to the wax candles which provided just the right amount of mood light. The girl had definitely went all out, she'll give her that much. Such a grand and delectable spectacle might have been a welcomed gift from God to any starving tramp on the street; but to a Silurian, however, it was a complete waste of appetite.
The lizard woman then adjusted her gaze upon Jenny, who stood there attentively awaiting her judgement.
"Why, Miss Flint...care to explain what all of this is?"
Jenny risked a small smile and answered, "It's your dinner, of course, I made it all myself! So tell me, ma'am, how is that case for the Yard coming along?"
"Ah yes, the case,"recalled Vastra with a delighted sparkle in her eyes,"I am happy to say that I have succeeded in resolving it today!"
"Really? Well then, congratulations ma'am!" Jenny stepped closer to Vastra, offering her mistress a glass of wine. "Let us celebrate with a drink! Come on now, you've earned it! I'll be disappointed if you don't because boy was this expensive."
Seeing no harm in that idea, Vastra graciously accepted the glass and slurped a large swig. She immediately spit the wine out, not the reaction that Jenny was hoping for.
"Sorry about that, ma'am, have I done something wrong? I knew I should-"
Vastra silenced Jenny by placing a finger to the girl's lips, before calmly saying, "Hush, my dear, for you have done nothing wrong in the least." She then put the wine glass down with a sigh and took Jenny's small hands into her own. "You see, Miss Flint...the real problem here is that I am a Silurian, a homo-reptilia. My species does not share the same digestive system that allows you humans to consume vegetation and burnt meat. Instead, we have a diet based solely on the flesh of other organisms, and we always consume it raw. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Vastra spoke slowly and carefully to endure that her young maid can grasp her meaning. Jenny just stared into the lizard woman's blue eyes, being mesmerized, as she adsorbed her words. Soon enough, she gave a nod to confirm her understanding. She also noticed the way Vastra's mouth twitched and the slight shuffling of her feet as if she wanted to say more.
Jenny gave here mistress's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes go on, ma'am, I'm listening."
"I'm aware that we've only known each other for a short period of time,"began Vastra in earnest,"But there is something about you, that makes me feel like I can trust you. Therefore, I think it's time you know the truth behind why I go out each night, Miss Flint." With that, she pulled away the front of her coat to reveal the katana underneath. That elicited a shocked gasp from Jenny."My people sought out raw, mammalian meat as a vital source of nutrition and energy. I'm afraid to say that one of our favorite preys were home-sapiens, early ancestors of humans. Here in London, I have an almost limitless supply of prey with which to sustain myself. You don't need to worry, however, because I only eat the truly evil ones. I hope that knowing this doesn't make you regret accepting my job offer."
That was the end of the discussion, as Vastra started to head for the exit. She paused in the doorway to inform over her shoulder, "Oh and Miss Flint, I shan't be needing dinner tonight."
So with a wink she was gone, leaving a bewildered Jenny in the kitchen with her mouth gaping open. Meanwhile, her brain was going a million miles per hour trying to make sense of what just happened. What in the name of God did she just got herself into?! Her confusion quickly turned into outrage when her gaze averted to the food on the table. She worked her arse off to set up this elaborate bloody banquet, and the daft lizard couldn't even be bothered to take one bite! While she should have known that Silurians might have different tastes than humans, she'll be damned if she allow Vastra to get away with this!
Shaking a fist in the air, Jenny stormed out after her mistress yelling,"Oi, I don't care if you devour human flesh! You come back here right now, ma'am, or God so help you! I did not spend the entire day slaving away in that blasted kitchen just for you to worm your way out of eating dinner!"
Whoo! That was the last prompt I had, so now I can cross it off my list! Feel free to give more prompts so I can keep this show on the road! In fact, give me all the most cutest, most fluffiest, most romantic prompts that I you can think of! Also remember to leave a review because they're like my life's blood. I'll die without them!
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday to you all!