The Sharp household was built on a farm on the outskirts of Glasgow. It was a quaint little cottage nestled into the side of a hill overlooking the countryside. In the late afternoon sunlight you could make out hills and valleys covered in the purple growth of heather. The kitchen windows were open and a faint breeze with the smell of spring rain drifted through the room, tempting anyone indoors to run out into the Scottish meadows.

But Alek couldn't go outside. He was stuck peeling potatoes. He was nearly on his seventeenth spud when Mrs. Sharp entered the room with another sack for him to peel.

"Just got word that Collin and Maggie are coming up for supper as well. They have three little ones, so best put another pile of potatoes on the stove."

Alek sighed and paused from the current potato he was peeling to rest his aching hand for a moment.

"How many people all together?" He asked Mrs. Sharp.

"Including you? Fourteen." She said cheerfully. "And I may invite the McClouds over as well. Their youngest just had twins and I haven't gotten a chance to see the babes yet." She started to hum a minor tune and turned away from Alek to begin chopping the potatoes he had already peeled.

Mrs. Sharp wasn't a small woman, but you wouldn't dare call her overweight. She was unsightly tall, much taller than Deryn, and had the build of a farmer's wife. Large shoulders and thighs made up most of her figure. Her hair was long silvery blond and tied back in a tight French braid that emphasized the angles of her cheeks. She really didn't look like Deryn at all besides the height and the hair color. No one really looked like Mrs. Sharp, even her sons were tiny compared to her.

Of her sons Jaspert was the youngest. The two elder boys were Collin and Gregory; both married with children of their own. Gregory's family was already home visiting and Alek would occasionally glimpse a small child running by possibly chasing a cat or dog. On top of that, Deryn's father's sisters were coming over as well. In Alek's mind it was far too many people in way too small of a house.

Deryn was long gone from the establishment. Her aunts on her father's side had insisted on taking her shopping that morning. The girl wasn't given a choice and was reluctantly pushed out the door by her mother with a command to buy a proper dress and act a like a proper lady. Now with supper approaching Alek wondered if she would be home soon.

"Greetings your highness!" Jaspert bellowed as he marched into the kitchen. He ruffled Alek's hair before sitting down at the table next to him. Alek gave the boy a happy grin back. Surprisingly Jaspert was much friendlier than Alek would have originally guessed. He never did beat him up like he threatened to and instead accepted Alek like another brother.

"You could help with some of those potatoes yourself." Mrs. Sharp said to her son.

"That's no necessary; I think Alek is doing just fine by himself." He answered. Alek rolled his eyes. Mrs. Sharp had given everyone jobs to get ready for dinner, but Alek had been forced with the worst, potato duty. It was all due to his lousy injury. It was dreadfully unfair since his wound was almost completely healed and he could walk just fine. But Mrs. Sharp wouldn't let him out of her sight since they had arrived yesterday. Currently she had cornered him in the kitchen between the stove and the potatoes.

"Even royalty needs to help cook in this house!" She had declared when showing him how to peel the potatoes. It wasn't so bad now that he thought about it. From his seat in the kitchen he got to meet everyone that came into the house and hear more about the huge Sharp family.

"I brought down those photos you were asking about, Ma." Jaspert said. Alek noticed that he was holding a few framed photographs. Jaspert spread them out on the table so Alek could see them. "Ma wanted me to show you some decent pictures of the family before everyone got here. Therefore you won't have too much trouble trying to keep everyone straight. She might say that this is a welcome home dinner for Deryn, but it's really a chance for everyone to come and meet you, princey boy."

Alek saw Mrs. Sharp shaking her head.

"This supper is for Deryn, Jaspert. It's been nearly three months since she's been home and everyone's dying to see her."

"Oh stuff it Ma! You know they're only coming because they want to see her new boyfriend!" He bumped Alek with his shoulder. "Honestly, Mum is the happiest I've seen in weeks since you showed up. We were all certain that Deryn was a lost cause until she brought you home. Used to say she would die an old maid."

SMACK!

"Don't go saying such rude things about your sister!" Mrs. Sharp screeched. Jaspert was rubbing the back of his head where she had just hit him with wooden spoon.

"OUCH! Christ Ma, you didn't need to hit me!"

"Are you going to show him the pictures or not?"

Jaspert sighed and nodded while pointing to the photographs for Alek to see.

The largest picture was a group shot of the entire Sharp clan. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best and circled around Mrs. Sharp who sat in a large armchair in the middle of the crowd. It must have been fairly recent because both Deryn and Jaspert looked to be about the same ages as they were now and their father was not in the shot. Alek squinted to get a better look at Deryn with longer hair. He grinned when he saw how grumpy she looked, obviously forced into a frilly dress for the photograph.

Jaspert took the time to point out everyone and name them but Alek wasn't paying attention. His eyes were caught on the second picture frame which looked like an old wedding portrait. The bride was Mrs. Sharp, dressed in a gigantic wedding gown and holding a large bouquet of heather. Beside her was a short skinny man that must have been Deryn's father. He had the same twinkling eyes and smile as his daughter topped with a messy fluff of very light colored hair. Alek even thought it might be white hair if the man wasn't so young. The couple was quite an amusing pair, her being so large and him so small. But even from the photograph Alek could tell they were in love.

"And that's my Da." Jaspert said when he saw Alek looking at the photo. "Owen Oliver Sharp. You know he was a decorated soldier? Won a medal of honor after he died. It's really quite a touching story, but I think Deryn should tell it to you, she was there." Alek heard a hint of sadness in Jaspert's voice.

"Yes, I know. She told me before. I'm really sorry, Jaspert." He said. Jaspert only shrugged and showed him the last picture.

"And this is us as wee babes!" He laughed. The photo showed a smiling yet frazzled Mrs. Sharp holding a toddler Jaspert and an infant Deryn. Behind her were the two elder sons who must have been no more then seven.

"They're lovely photographs." Alek said. "My parents never let me take my picture. It's nice to see what they might have looked like." Alek felt something on his shoulder and looked to see Bovril leaning over to point at the photograph.

"Family." Said Bovril. He then pointed to Jaspert and said. "Miss Sharp!" Alek laughed.

"Mr. Sharp!" Jaspert corrected him, pointing to himself with both hands. "I'm MISTER Sharp!"

"Miss Sharp!" Bovril answered happily while Alek snorted.

"I'm afraid that you have really rattled the attic of that poor creature." Mrs. Sharp said from the stove. Alek had to agree. Deryn had been trying to fix it so that Bovril called her Miss Sharp and Jaspert was now Mr. Sharp. Of course Bovril didn't think that was such a good idea and decided that Jaspert sounded better as a 'Miss'.

Jaspert would have continued to argue with the Loris if he wasn't interrupted by Deryn and her aunties entering the room.

"Ah, at last!" Mrs. Sharp put down her potatoes and walked over to kiss her daughter on the cheek. Deryn let her kiss her once before shrugging her off and wiping off the kiss. "Now darling, I wish you would act as much of a lady as you look."

"But she does look splendid, doesn't she!" Said one of the aunts. One of them was Clara and one was Denise but they were almost identical so Alek couldn't tell which was which. He bent in his chair so he could peer around one of the aunties and get a better look at Deryn.

Alek gulped down a gasp. Deryn didn't look splendid, she looked beautiful. She was wearing a simple white gown made mostly of elegant lace. It had short sleeves and a wide neck hole so she wasn't overwhelmed by too much fabric. They had let her keep her short hair and instead of a wig she wore a light blue ribbon that pulled back her bangs and ended in a small bow next to one of her ears.

"Well done sis, you finally are a girl again!" Jaspert said. Deryn and her aunts scowled at him while Mrs. Sharp snapped him on the back of the head with a wooden spoon again.

"Off with you now! If you aren't going to help with the cooking then get out of the kitchen!" She scolded him. Jaspert gave her a playful smile and while rubbing the back of his head quietly departed the room.

Alek caught Deryn's eye and smiled at her.

"I think you look wonderful." He complimented her. Deryn blushed prettily and looked down at her feet in embarrassment. One of the aunties gave Alek a wink.

"She does clean up well, doesn't she?" She said to Alek, then turned to talk to Mrs. Sharp. "If you'd like Fiona, we could help you set the dinning room up."

"Excellent." Said Mrs. Sharp. "Deryn could you help Alek with the potatoes, the guests will be here any minute." Without waiting for an answer the three older women left the kitchen leaving Alek and Deryn alone.

She stumbled over to him awkwardly since she was wearing heels and Alek stood to pull out the chair beside him so she could sit down.

"Don't start with that!" She growled. "I'm no different than before. I can take care of myself!" She stomped around to the opposite side and pulled out her own chair.. Alek smiled and returned to his seat.

Nerves bubbled up in his stomach. He needed to tell her something, and soon, but it was awfully difficult with him being so nervous. Deryn didn't seem to notice his fears and picked up a potato to peel while dryly chatting about her day.

"Miserable aunties! They don't even care what I say; it's all about how I look. Thank God we finally found a dress we all agreed on or else I'd have been trapped there all barking night!"

"Dress!" Said Bovril. He leaped off of Alek's shoulder and into Deryn's lap. She scratched his ears while continuing to complain.

"I'm never gonna get it into their thick skulls that…."

"Deryn?"

"That dresses are daft…."

"Deryn!"

"stupid things that should be burned…"

"DERYN!"

She jumped. "AYE ALEK! Barking spiders, you don't need to holler!"

"I'm sorry, but I need to ask you something."

She looked up from the potato and into Alek's eyes. Something like a mix of excitement and confusion was in her face. Alek took a deep breath before continuing with his question.

"Do you…..do you regret what happened at the dungeon? I mean…neither of us was expecting Jaspert to come to the rescue. Had we known he would I'm sure that…um….certain events….um….would not have occurred. Being that what should not have happened did happen, I hate to admit that it puts me in a very awkward situation…..and….what I'm trying to say is…..I don't regret it, Deryn. That is, of course, if you don't….." He was completely making a fool of himself by mumbling and blushing like a loon. To make matters worse Deryn wasn't speaking. Her face had gone pale as she sat and gawked at him.

"What I meant to say is that I am not ashamed by how we behaved but it does complicate things. With you being a young maid at the time and since I was the one to take your virginity, it seems only correct that I must take you as my wife. I know this may seem a bit sudden and I understand if you refuse but I think that I should uphold your honor and…"

"BLOODY HELL! Alek, are you proposing to me?"

Well, it wasn't the exact response he wanted, but at least it was a response.

Deryn pulled her face away from him. She suddenly looked very sad and tired.

"Don't get me wrong, I am honored, but you can't be serious, Alek?"

"Of course I'm serious!"

"No you're not! You can't marry me, remember! I'm common, common as dirt. If a commoner falls in love with you then you have to run a mile, right?"

He was about to say she was wrong but bit his lip because he had indeed said that very thing to her back in Istanbul. The fact that she had brought it up again after all they had been through was very hurtful. It had been before he had known that she was a girl, and therefore it shouldn't count. How dare she say such a thing? Yet on the other hand…

"Are you admitting that you've fallen in love with me?" He grinned.

Deryn's cheeks turned red and her eyes widened.

"What! NO! I'm just repeating what you said!" But Alek could tell he had her.

"Well, what if I've fallen in love with you? Does that mean you have to run a mile?" He said.

She was speechless.

"Think about it, Deryn. I'm not a prince anymore, not really. If I ever appear again in public Churchill will have me imprisoned or possibly killed. I can't go back to my own country and even if I did my Granduncle would try to kill me as well." Nervously he eyed her belly. "Plus there is always the chance that you really are pregnant."

She gaped at him in shock as if she hadn't realized the possibility before, then covered her stomach with her arms and glared at him.

"HUSH! Don't say things like that so loudly you bumrag."

"Well, your family is bound to hear about the trial one of these days. Do you really think Jaspert can keep that to himself? Half of London thinks you're pregnant. If you were to marry me it won't look nearly as bad." He didn't know where all this courage was suddenly coming from. He was elated; delighted that he could finally express his feelings into words. All he needed now was for Deryn to agree to his proposal.

"I don't know, Alek. It's just too good to be true. I'm scared that if I say yes then someone will come and take it away."

"REALLY! I mean, you would say yes?"

She beamed at him. "Of course, you ninny. Can't you tell I'm smitten by you?"

Alek felt his stomach summersault. He realized he should do this properly and pulled out of his chair so he was kneeling on the ground in front of her. The smile was wiped from her face and replaced with terror.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She fumed.

"Deryn Louise Sharp, I would be privileged if you would do me the honor…"

"STOP THAT! They'll hear you!"

"of being my bride." He held her right hand and pulled out the cameo charm that had been his mother's. "I'm sorry that I don't have the Hapsburg bridal ring, but I do have my mother's necklace. You remember that Elsie had you wear it? And I will remind you that you are speaking much louder than I am so if anyone is going to hear anything in the next room it will be you."

She shut her mouth and nodded frantically. Alek felt tears shake off of her cheeks and onto his own. Silently he draped the necklace over her head and let it drop around her neck. Afterwards he stood up and pulled her to her feet before kissing her gently on the hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and then laughed.

"You better give me a better kiss than that, Aleksander Ferdinand!"

She didn't have to ask him twice. Standing on tip toe because she was wearing heels, Alek kissed his new fiancé. It was sweet and innocent at first but that soon changed when she wrapped her arm around his neck to pull him closer. Alek groaned and let his fingers trace the line of her jaw and her smooth neck. Deryn's hands were slowly inching their way under his shirt when Alek felt a strong jab of pain between his shoulder blades.

"NOT IN THE BLEEDING KITCHEN!" Mrs. Sharp screeched. The kissing couple quickly pulled apart and Alek turned to see Deryn's mother standing behind him with her wooden spoon right above his head, threatening to hit him again. "Honestly! I leave you two alone for a minute and look what happens. Don't give me that look young lady; I'm sure it was your idea to start with. Now, those potatoes aren't gonna peel themselves! Get on with it!" Alek was deeply ashamed and quickly sat down. He should have known better, but he had let himself get lost in the moment.

"I'm very sorry ma'am." He said softly. To his surprise Mrs. Sharp didn't look at all angry anymore. She even winked at him. "T'sall right son, just try to keep it in your pants until after dinner."

"MOTHER!" Deryn flushed.

"Hush child, get back to work." She was about to turn and leave but suddenly stopped and pointed at Deryn's necklace. "What's that?"

"Proposing!" Said Bovril. Alek snapped his eyes to the floor where Bovril was happily eating potato peelings. Deryn seemed to be thinking the same thing and scooped up the loris before dumping him in her lap and trying to cover its mouth, but it was hopeless.

"Bride!" Bovril cheered. "Pregnant!"

Mrs. Sharp's face turned purple but before she could open her mouth there was a rapping knock on the front door.

Knocking might be a normal act in most households, but not here. At the Sharp's family home people barged in all the time without even bothering to say hello. It was a bit strange at first but now that Alek was used to random entrances it was remarkably odd that anyone would ever think of knocking.

Luckily the knocking had distracted Deryn's mother from Bovril's new vocabulary because she went to go answer the door. When she came back she looked very bewildered and Alek could understand why when he saw the guests enter the kitchen.

It was none other than Count Volger and Dr. Barlow. Behind them, Tazza was sniffing the kitchen floor and licking up crumbs.

"Aleksander, Deryn, it's wonderful to see that you made your trip safely." Barlow chimed. She was grinning profusely and when Alek turned to look at his fencing master he was surprised to see Volger smiling as well. "I have some excellent news. After much discussion and argument, Winston Churchill has agreed to pardon Ms. Sharp of all her charges."

"It took some major arm pulling, or dare I say, severe threatening." Volger added. Alek gulped. There was no doubt in his mind that Volger and Barlow together could be quite a threatening pair.

"You mean, I'm free?" Deryn smiled. "They can't kill me?"

Dr. Barlow shook her head. "No, my dear, they cannot. But there are a few negotiations that had to be made instead. Don't worry; I think you will be quite pleased with them."

"WHAT! What do you mean 'kill'?" Mrs. Sharp was purpling even more. She towered over Volger and the Doctor, her eyes widening. "Who are you people?"
"I'm sorry, you must be Fiona Sharp." Dr. Barlow said politely. She removed one of her riding gloves to shake the other woman's hand. "I'm Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow, and this is my partner Count Volger."

Alek felt his throat cinch shut. Did she just say partner?

"I acquainted myself with Deryn on the Leviathan and I assure you, no danger will come to your daughter and you have nothing to worry about."

Mrs. Sharp didn't look the least bit calmer; instead she looked even more nervous.

"Did you say Darwin?" She asked, awestruck.

"That's correct. My grandfather was Dr. Charles Darwin."

"Are you barking serious!" Mrs. Sharp gawked. Volger pushed her aside and made his way to the table

"We also have worked out that Aleksander won't be imprisoned." He mentioned. "Although he will have to live in London from now on."

"Huh? London? What made them decide that?" Alek asked.

"That is one of the negotiations." Said Dr. Barlow. "Alek is still considered a prisoner of the Empire and must follow all orders of the Crown until the end of the war. In consolation he will be staying with Volger and his men at the Royal Hotel in London and allowed free range within the city while under guard. With Aleksander this close to parliament, it will be easier to discuss the ending of this Great War and perhaps collaborate in some sort of peace treaty with the Clanker nations."

Alek had to admit that was loads better than being imprisoned in the Tower of London. He shared a look with Deryn and noticed that she still looked confused.

"What about me? I thought Churchill was set on having me hanged." She asked. Barlow didn't answer right away and instead pulled out a small book from the inside of her jacket.

"Your sketchpad, Ms. Sharp." She said, then walked across the room and handed Deryn the book. "It came quite in handy yesterday when I showed it to the court. They were amazed by your talent and it didn't take much coaxing to change their minds and agree to awarding you a scholarship."

"Scholarship?" Both Deryn and Alek said together.

"That's right." She pulled out something else from her pocket and handed it to Deryn. It was a large envelope sealed with an elaborate wax stamp. Deryn quickly opened it and read the letter inside. Alek couldn't tell if she ever finished reading it because a few seconds after she had first glanced at it she dropped it and began scream.

"Are you barking mad! A full paid scholarship to the University of London!"

Dr. Barlow was beaming. "It won't be eligible until you turn eighteen, but I assure you it is real. I almost cried myself when I saw it. Not many women get the honor of a true education. If you pick the paper back up you'll see that the form is signed by both the headmaster of the University and the King. Honestly Deryn, I don't think there is a better opportunity available."

"But, why?" She didn't pick the paper back up, just stared at the doctor in disbelief.

Barlow shrugged. "Your talent is extraordinary, my dear. And with my recommendation it was hard for the Court to refuse. They are always in need of clever scientists."

"Unfortunately, you will be forced to study that godless biology!" Volger snorted.

"Now, now Vincent. Deryn is perfectly capable of creating amazing fabrications. Have you seen her drawings?" She pulled back the sketchbook and began flipping through the pages. "Amazing renditions of Huxleys, dart bats, the perspicacious loris as well as the hydrogen sniffers. And here I see a few new ideas of fabrications that she made up herself. Completely extraordinary. And if you look closer, I believe you'll make out the workings of your walker contraptions as well as some of those flying machines." Surprised, Volger snatched the book out of her hands and began to look through the sketches. Alek even thought he saw Volger looking a bit impressed.

"She's right." Volger said. "With your knowledge of both the fabrications and the Stormwalkers, you will be a valuable asset to Britain."

Mrs. Sharp gasped. "Now hang on a squick! Are you telling me that my little girl is going to be a boffin?"

"That is the hope, Mrs. Sharp." Dr. Barlow replied. "However, there is one small necessary step before she will be permitted to her scholarship. Since Miss Sharp does not have proper training to prepare her for college, she will need to move to London and start an education immediately. My personal preference is that the girl stays as my assistant at the Royal Zoo."

Mrs. Sharp didn't get a chance to answer because Deryn had jumped over the table and wrapped her arms around Dr. Barlow with a squeal.

"YES YES! I'll be your apprentice! When do we get to go? Is Jaspert coming? Do I have to wear dresses all the time? What do you get to do at the zoo? Are their Huxleys? Do you get to fly often?" She continued to blabber away and the surprised Dr. Barlow gave her a moment before recovering herself and pulling Deryn off of her.

"Well, you certainly won't be wearing trousers, Miss Sharp, you are a woman." She replied. "As for the Huxleys, most of the hydrogen breathers are under my supervision, so I am certain that you will be flying in more than a few of them."

Deryn squealed again and bounced once again into the woman's arms. Dr. Barlow didn't look at all happy, especially when Bovril jumped on her as well and began making noises that sounded like Tazza barking. This in turn made Tazza bark and jump.

Mrs. Sharp called an end to it by yanking her daughter up in one arm pushing the doctor away with the other.

"Do you really think I'm going to let you take my child away from me right after she just got home! I'll have you know that Deryn is only fourteen. When I was her age I was milking cows and learning to bake let alone joining the Navy and flying all over the world." She set her daughter down and gave her a stern look.

"But MA!"

"If you go running off to some school for eight years how do you expect to get along in life? Are you going to find some sort of husband at this zoo? Who's going to take care of you if you never get married?"

Deryn gave a mischievous grin and glanced over to Alek.

"I think I'll be able to handle that problem much easier than you think." She said.

Alek groaned with embarrassment. This was going to take some explaining.

"Barking Spiders!" Said Bovril, bursting into giggles. Alek gave the Loris an angry glare. Barking spiders indeed.

END

DISCLAIMER: I am not Scott Westerfeld, although I may pretend to be at times. This time being one of them.

afterward

There are many things in this story that took a bit of research to figure out. I think you, the reader, deserves to hear about them if you so choose.

Firstly, I want to make it clear that it was very difficult for me, being Jewish, not to see the Clankers as the future Nazi Regime. This does not mean that I think Alek and his men are Nazis, because that would be awful. (In fact I've heard that the Hapsburgs were publicly against Hitler). Instead, I thought that this was a good opportunity to show how the Germans and Austrians started toward their Nazi beliefs. This was the main reason I added Elsie and her back story to the fic. Elsie's mother is Jewish and married her father who was not Jewish. Truthfully, intermarriage between Jews and nonjews was becoming much more common than ever before, especially after and during the first world war. There were many people who were not okay with this. Intermarriage was considered blasphemy and later led to beliefs such as poisoning the future children of Germany with nonGerman blood. This in turn would be one of the pulls Hitler would use to blame Germany's downfall on the Jews and use them as a scapegoat. I wanted to point out that these thoughts of intermarriage were quite common, especially in people like Volger who were very traditional. Not saying that Volger was a Nazi, but that his antisemitic beliefs were quite common for the time and would later lead to nastier things. Also, I added the idea of Elsie escaping back to Germany at the end of the story. You may recall that she returned to her homeland eventhough she was treated poorly there because of her religion. In fact, many Jewish people could have left Germany and the surrounding countries ahead of time before things got worse. Many did, and many did not and chose to stay in their homelands and dwell with the antisemitism. I thought it would be a nice touch to have Elsie go back to Germany but Deryn would have negative thoughts about her doing so, as if Deryn knew something bad would happen. Let's just say that if Elsie did make it home and stayed there until the next war, her future would not be so bright.

On that cheerful note I will step off of my soap box and stop lecturing.

Second Fact: Tsingtao, or Qingdao as it's called in Chinese, was a German Naval Base from 1898 until 1914 when it was attacked by the British and seceded to the Japanese as a consolation for them to join the war. Today, Qingdao is a large prosperous Chinese port city.

Also, Emperor Taisho was the Emperor of Japan during the first world war. He was born with Cerebral Meningitis and suffered from neurological disorders for the rest of his life. He seldom was seen in public appearances because it was so difficult for him to speak and perform. He was never hooked to a fabrication, but, why not?

As for Winston Churchill, he was the Prime Minister of Britain during WWII and the First Lord of Admiralty during WWI. He also was a very controversial man. He sponsored the Gallipoli Campaign to try to take over the Ottoman Empire, which failed and killed many. He's also known for changing the pound from silver to gold and therefore deflating the economy of the UK during the 1920s. But, he was one of the first to warn others about Hitler and opposed Hitler when most of Europe would not.

The Goliath was another clue about WWII, although a bit more of a stretch. I tried to use it as a similarity to the atomic bomb. Instead of having Japan as the victim, I switched it and made them create the bomb. It was pretty much the same idea, a powerful weapon that couldn't be defeated by the enemy, thousands of innocent people being sacrificed for the sake of less war, and a highly controversial case that is still being argued today. Should the United States have dropped the bomb om Hiroshima? Was the reward worth the sacrifice? You can argue both sides, undoubtedly.

I realize now that I have been chewing your ear off for about five thousand words and I really appreciate that you have given your time to read this! Thankyou so much! I am already working on another story that is equally as exciting.

cheers!