As Fiona puts the lid on the steamer and turns to find Mother Vastra waiting, "Yes?"

Mother Vastra asks, "May I have permission to visit your bedroom?"

"Of course, may I know the reason for the intrusion?" Fiona smiles.

"I would like to see if the tea supply is located in your bedroom."

"You may look but the tea has not been stored in any private bedroom."

Mother Vastra looks into Fiona eyes hoping for a hint. Fiona forces her mind to think of custard pies and Alaya kisses.

Mother Vastra says something in Silurian.

Mother Jenny laughs, "My poor Vastra. She has been like this for a whole year. Frustrated."

"Alaya and Mother Vastra have the same streak of determination."

Mother Vastra announces, "I am going to look at the library stacks." She looks at Fiona hoping for pupil reaction, nothing and leaves the kitchen in a huff.

"She has looked behind every book, on every shelf at least once a month. You hid it very well."

"She taught me well. I know what she wants and that is my advantage. She needs to change her goal."

"What do you mean?"

"Do not share information with the enemy." Alaya quickly interrupts her wife from saying another word.

"Alaya!" Fiona stomach instantly fills with butterflies. She rushes to her wife and stops short of grabbing her wife when she notices Alaya clasps her hands.

Fiona hands start to tremble. "Is there something wrong?"

Alaya takes her wife hand and pulls into the drawing-room. Alaya pauses when she notices her Mother Vastra going over each shelf, book by book. Alaya pulls her wife as she is desperate ... she leads her wife up to the gymnasium.

They are finally alone.

Alaya and Fiona face each other, "We are finally alone ... the bedroom is too intimate."

Fiona heart is beating, butterflies in her stomach and feels as if she is forgetting to breathe. "It has been so long."

"Last night you stood by my side, prepared to fight."

"Where else would I be? My place is by your side, is it not?"

Alaya takes a deep breath, "My dear your place has always been at my side."

"What do you fear most?" Fiona asks with tears developing in her eyes.

"You have grown away from me. What do you fear most?"

Fiona cups her wife's face, "I might have been miles away, but my heart belongs to you. Whatever changes we have made to survive will sustain our ... love." She takes a deep breath and looks down at her wife's clasps hands, "I fear that you isolated yourself and cursed your lack of control."

"I did for a short while."

"You mothers told me."

"What changed?"

"Me."

"In what way?" Fiona grabs her wife's clasps hands, "There is nothing to lose in your honesty."

"No matter what I did, your scent slowly weakened and then completely disappeared. I felt you slipping away. The only thing I could do was force myself to remember you. I only had my mind. It wasn't enough, at first."

Fiona patiently waits as her wife gathers her feelings and finds the right words never letting go of her wife's half-Silurians hands.

"It became enough. Knowing you, being with you, being your wife ... it became enough. I allowed myself to miss you and enjoy life. I allowed myself to laugh and feel guilt of my laughter. I didn't stop enjoying being me. Learning and growing. I have to be more for myself and not the same person I was two, five or ten years ago. If I am the same person with no more experiences in ten years my life would be wasted. I am more than just my wife. I am more than my mothers. I am me." Alaya looks into her wife's eyes for any reaction.

Fiona cups her wife's face, "You are amazing. I have learned something about myself."

"What is that?"

"I can't leave you again."

"What if you must."

"No." Fiona shakes her head, "I need to be in control of my own destiny. Too many have interfered with my life ... I will not stand for it any more. I stand by your side always to protect our choices. Nobody will makes demands of my future or try to manipulate me like a puppet." Fiona tears up. "Will you stand by my side to allow me to take back our future?"

"Oh god, yes. Yes!" Alaya holds her wife tight. "You will always have the right to you make your own decisions. I must remind you that we are married and I expect to have the same rights to our future as you demand."

Fiona blushes, "I have not forgotten we are married."

"I never thought you did." Alaya smiles at her wife's adorable red face, "I believe in you, me and together we can to do anything."

Fiona eyes widen, "Together!"

"Together."

Fiona pushes her wife against the wall and kisses her wife. The coolness, how she missed that coolness ... like mint iced-tea on a hot summer day. She pull back and takes off her glasses. "I love you Alaya."

Alaya pulls up her wife off the ground and spins her around. "I love you."

Fiona lets herself laugh and smile. She is finally feeling better, "Your mother and I have made a nice meal."

"It smells wonderful. Do you have your appetite back?"

"Because of you."

"Let me change, I will meet you down in the kitchen in a few minutes."

Alaya goes to her bedroom while Fiona goes down to the kitchen.

As soon as Fiona enters the kitchen Mother Jenny warns Fiona, "Vastra would like to talk to you."

"About what?"

"Her tea supply."

Fiona smiles.

Mother Vastra enters the kitchen making a beeline into Fiona's direction.

Fiona smiles and yells, "ALAYA!"

Mother Vastra, "She will not help you. I have a question."

Alaya runs into the kitchen and stands between her mother and wife ... she prepares to protect her wife. She stops and evaluates her stance. To Vastra's surprise Alaya steps back and stands to her wife's side.

Mother Vastra smiles at the minor adjustment, "I just want to ask the little one a simple question."

Fiona smiles at her wife, "Ask your question." She stands as tall as her small frame can against the tall Silurian.

"How do I need to change my goal? I am looking for my tea supply am I not?"

"Those are two questions." Fiona smiles looking up to Vastra.

Vastra curses in Silurian, "You have hidden my tea supply?"

"Of course. You had over a year to find the supply." Fiona shaking her head, "I am disappointed. What of your tracking ability? Do you conceded failure to locate your tea supply?"

"I do not!"

"Then I shall not answer any questions or offer hints." Turning her attention to her smiling wife, "Are you hungry?"

The four enjoy the dinner that includes beef in pastry, swiss chard with garlic and anchovies and carrots.

After the first bite Mother Vastra calmed herself.

"This is absolutely delicious. Thank you mother and Fiona." Alaya finds herself smiling in between bites. "I stopped by Miss Shaw and Miss Gardner's home after work today. I told them to take the next week off, as the temp workers have been hired for the next week." Alaya places a key on the table.

Jenny quickly picks it up, "What door opens this key?"

"It is for the car we drove from Italy."

"You drove?" Alaya asks.

"I did a little. Mainly Miss Gardner drove. She is better equipped behind the wheel. Besides we had no other option. The trains were controlled by the Germans, the passenger ships were questionable transportation and walking would have taken a month to return home. The automobile was the most sensible option."

"How did you know where to go?" Mother Jenny inquired.

"We only drove between sunrise and sunset. I slept in the car while the others slept in their tent." Looking at Mother Vastra's empty plate, "Would you like seconds or have desert?"

Vastra looks to the her family's plates, "I see that most are almost finished. Desert would be welcome, is it sweet?"

"Very," answers Fiona in a sultry tone.

Mother Jenny blushes.

Fiona jumps up and returns with a tray. She places a plate in front of each of her family.

Mother Vastra laughs, "What have you made your family?"

Alaya stares at the plate and then curiously to her wife.

Fiona smiles as she scoops the soft cold desert into her mouth, "Mmm. This heavenly."

All decide to plunge in and take a scoop themselves.

"What do you call this desert?" Mother Vastra is the first to ask.

Mother Jenny rolls her eyes, "You had to ask."

"Strawberry Breasts." Fiona replies as she puts another scoop in her mouth, "MMM."

Mother Vastra laughs from deep inside her body. "Wonderful. How wonderful." She returns to eating the lovely treat.

Fiona takes another scoop with her spoon, "Mmm" as she licks the spoon clean and gets another scoop. Each spoonful dances on her tongue and she is enjoying the fun flavors. With each spoonful Fiona offers a soft moan with pleasure.

Alaya blushed as each time it brought an unsettled stomach.

She leaned into Fiona and whispered, "Do not tease, you have my attention."

Fiona's eyes popped wide open, she blushed and stuttered a whisper to her family, "I .. I am sorry. It has been so long for anything as simple as strawberries."

Vastra teased, "Is that all? My poor Alaya wishes she was that spoon."

Jenny's face turned red, "Vastra!"

Fiona kissed her wife on the cheek. "I shall never tease, I will always follow though."

Fiona slowly finished her desert and wait for her wife to finish. "Would you like to take a walk this evening?"

"That would be wonderful. I do not work tomorrow."

"No? Why?"

"It will be Sunday."

Fiona sits back and looks around, "My mind needs to adjust. Tomorrow is really Sunday?"

Alaya smiles. "It will take time."

Alaya stands to take the plates and dishes to the kitchen. Fiona woke up from her thoughts and helped.

Jenny stands, "We will do the. You two girls go for a walk."

"Thank you mothers." Alaya turns her attention to her wife, "Are your feet able to walk?"

"A few, I just want to be outside."

Alaya nods, they head to the front door. Alaya looks to her wife, "I am sorry ... I must." She activates the device on her arm and turns into a a human representation of her half-Silurian self.

Fiona lets a tear fall. "I don't know how to comfort you."

Alaya opens the door and leads her wife out to the fresh air. "You are by my side, that is enough."

As they walk towards Garden Square Alaya dares to ask, "How are you?"

"I am actually quite relieved. I mean if Elsie held my education captive, then it is not for me. I shall be content working for my family."

Alaya stops progress, "Do you not know?"

"There is much I do not know. Is there something specific you want to disclose?"

"Elsie and eighty women are prisoners of war, for over a month."

Fiona, "What? No. I am so sorry for them. Not Elsie, but the other women." Fiona mind is buzzing, "I am sorry. But can we call Louisa? This could be important."

They turn around and walk back home. "What do you need me to do?"

"Those medical logs I gave you, are they safe?"

"Yes, in my mother's office, locked."

"Good."

They get back inside the front door.

Alaya turns off her device.

Fiona pounces and pushes her wife against the door. She kisses the cool lips with her own trembling warm lips, with a whisper, "I must take care of this, for my sanity and my ... our future. I want to court again. I know it is stupid, we are already married ..."

"That is a great idea. Courting. We have to talk about this past year ... when we are ready."

"Of course I want to feel you when I sleep and share our bed. I need to get to know you again."

Alaya kisses her wife, "Getting to know each other is always such fun."

Fiona laughs and pulls her wife upstairs. "Please get the logs and I will call Louisa."