A/N:I want to send a special thank you to the artist who drew the cover art for this story. She is, and always will be very dear to my heart.

Home Is Where The Girl Is

Chapter 7 – The Fire of Passion

Several hours had past before Madame Vastra finally went back to the cottage. It was so late, that the young maiden had eaten supper alone. Coming through the back door, the reptilian barely spoke as she dismissed herself to her room for the night. When Jenny asked if she would like her to make something to eat, her mistress flatly replied, "No thank you. I am not hungry" and disappeared upstairs.

Encroaching on the midnight hour, a horrible lightning storm woke the lite sleeping warrior. Rising from her bed, she watched as brilliant shards of light lit up the night sky. Moving closer to the window, she realized that the rain, which typically accompanied such storms, had not come yet, and that only the crackling thunder followed the sky flashes. Worried that her assistant might be frightened, the curvaceous reptilian quickly dressed and headed to her companion's room. With three pronged candelabra in hand, the curvaceous woman was almost disappointed when she was unable to comfort her young maiden. Apparently, despite the booming noise outside, the match girl was dead asleep and had not even stirred.

Complacent not to disturb the sleeping beauty, Vastra decided to go check on all the windows and doors. By then the dry warm wind was blowing quite fiercely. From a distance, the prestigious Victorian could hear the kitchen window opening and shutting violently. She immediately headed in the direction of the clamor. Peering out the window, that overlooked the back field, the Silurian suddenly jumped unexpectedly. Causing her fright was a large explosion and whip of light touching down on the ground; only a mild distance behind the cottage. The concentrated voltage discharged itself in a thick of tall grass.

Dangerously close to the cottage, the reptilian knew that fire had to be put out at once. She had to wake her chamber maid. Vastra frantically shook the human. "Get dressed! There is a fire!"

The word 'fire' caused the dark haired beauty to immediately rise from her bed. "What fire? Where misses?" Feeling her boots and clothes being tossed at her, the eloquent mentor answered.

"In the back field, behind the barn."

The assistant barely swung around when the ancient warrior gave her further instruction. "Grab a blanket, wet it in pool and meet me out back." Right before heading out the door, Vastra gripped the door jam to pull herself back into the room, "And be quick about it Jenny! We don't want to loose the cottage."

Outside, Jenny followed the luminous glow of the fire, stumbling every now and then from carrying the heavy wool blanket. Only making it out about twenty feet, the woman wish she had grabbed the lighter cotton comforter as it would have soaked up less water and would have been easier to drag across the field. Still dazed from the sudden awakening, and unsure what she was doing, the maiden dragged the blanket behind her like a child.

Her solitary compass was a brilliant orange light that came into full view once she passed the barn. To her surprise the brush fire was larger than she imagined. Reaching six or seven feet high, the bright ambers formed a crescent shape from where it started. Everything was glowing except for her mistress' silhouette, who was frantically trying to combat the natural phenomena. Thick smoke swirled violently around the ancient warrior. Accenting her form was mixture angry gold and red wispy flames bellowing high in the air.

From the corner of her eye, the lizard saw her assistant ahd cried out. "Help me!"

Blankly staring at the rising flames, the inexperienced pupil stammered, "I.. I.."

Madame Vastra saw that the human was terrified and unable to move. Not wanting to waste another second, the warrior hollered over the roaring flames, "Here, take my blanket. Soak it in the pool and come back as fast as you can Jenny." Before she knew it, the warrior had taken her blanket and she was now holding Vastra's.

With the high winds whirling around her, making her task more difficult, the formidable Silurian urged, "Hurry. Our home is at stake." She then grabbed the corners of the new blanket and headed back towards the raging fire.

As fast as her tired legs could carry her, the willing servant did as she was instructed in a timely manner. Nearly reaching the reptilian, another crash of lightening caused the human to freeze in her tracks. Only a few feet from the warrior woman, the brown eyed girl drop to her knees and watched the astounding scene played out before her.

The prestigious Victorian was surrounded by the untamed brush fire being wildly fanned by the violent winds. Panic petrified Jenny as thoughts of loosing her mentor to the brush fire was growing as rapidly as the flames. Filled with fear, the maiden was unable to rise and help; she was frozen with fright. Tears begin to drizzle down her cheeks as she imaged a world without the illustrious Madame Vastra at her side.

Searching for any kind of resolution, the maiden looked up at the sky and wondered why there was lightning but no rain. Surely, the rain would put out the fire, but the fierce winds whipping her unkempt hair everywhere suddenly answered that question. A short distance ahead, she heard the normally eloquent voice call out to her, "Jenny get up! You have to help me put this fire out!"

Shakingly returning to her feet, the inexperienced pupil shot back, "But I don't know what ter do Miss?"

"Swat the ground with your wet blanket – like I am doing."

Horrified by the fire, yet more terrified of losing her best friend, the frightened maiden found her feet again and replicated the action her guardian was doing. Treating this like any of her other physically strenuous chores, the maiden pushed away her dreadful shock and assisted. With short burst, the wet comforters slammed into the ground, robbing the flames of the precious oxygen it needed to survive.

After a few exhausting minutes, the brush fire was finally out. Hunched over looking at each other, the two women did not even have time to celebrate their victory before it began pour. Surprised that it started to rain now, Vastra outstretched her arms and leaned her head back victoriously soaking in the midnight rain. "Thank the Goddess!" As the water streamed over the reptilian's face, she was snapped out of her trance when Jenny spoke; but more so by what she thought the maiden said.

"I don't know what I'd do wiv aaaht yew."

Unsure what exactly what the girl had said over the blistering winds and now heavy downpour, the well educated woman halted her rain dance. Smiling, the prestigious Victorian turned and faced her assistant. "What was that?"

Louder than she intended, the woman in shock declared in a serious life threatening tone, "I fnk I would die wivaaaht yew!"

The smile floated off her mistress' face. "The fire was not that bad Jenny." Seeing the dark hair beauty trembling in her soaking wet clothes, the affluent woman thoughtfully removed her cape and placed it around the girl. "We were able to put it out." Believing that would satisfy the human, her mentor stepped back and said, "There, that is better, yes?"

Not waiting for a real answer, the Silurian opened her arms to the sky again and thoroughly enjoyed the torrential downpour. "You know I miss rain the most." Glancing at the maiden who hadn't moved, the lizard lady disclosed, "The way it slides over your skin. It is so cool and refreshing."

"I love you."

The sudden remark caused the warrior to freeze in her tracks. As her head popped back up, her arms went limp at her side. The ancient warrior thought she must have misheard the match girl because of the loud rain. Looking at her with a cocked head, the blue eyed woman questioned, "Did you say something my dear?"

Trembling from the night's cold, looking like drowned rat, the maiden cried out, finally letting out what she felt was her dirty little secret. "I love you Madame Vastra."

Despite the weather, the curvaceous reptilian swallowed dryly and starred at the willing servant. Unsure what to do, the warrior naturally placed her arms around the girl's shoulders to warm her. Believing that the young maiden was going into shock, the matriarch conveyed, "I am fine Jenny." With no response, the fearless investigator stated, "I was never in real danger my dear."

Sheets of water poured over her flat hair, until every muscle in Jenny's petite body shivered. Mustering all the courage she had left, she glared straight into the matriarch's eyes. "Madame Vastra, I am in love with you." When the piercing blue eyes stared blankly back at her, the match girl revealed, "I am hopelessly and uncontrollably in love with you Madame…Vastra." The woman's name slowly drizzled off her lips as she spoke.

The dark haired beauty waited for the warrior woman to react; which to her felt like centuries. It took a few before the sapphire eyes indicated a registered thought. Taking in a few ragged breathes herself, the warrior absentmindedly covered her mouth, with her bandaged hand, and floundered backwards. "By the Goddess above…"

Glancing at the ground then back at her assistant, Vastra felt her own heart leap from her chest. Pressing her other hand over her chest as if to silence her pounding heart, the well educated woman motioned to stroke her companion's cheek but inches from touching her, the reptilian thought better of it considering the circumstances. She did not want to take advantage of the human. Perhaps the young girl was in shock because of the fire and did not know what it was she was saying. The mistress could only force out one simple command, "Let's get you inside and warmed up."