Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I will try to post on a weekly basis as this has been very fun to write!

Chapter 2

She dreamed about the girl. Again. Vastra sighed as she got up, glancing at the clock to see that it was only 4pm. Still another couple of hours before night fall, Vastra shook her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "What's gotten into you" she asked herself. It had been a week since she had saved that girl in the alley and yet it seemed she couldn't stop wondering about her. The last two days Vastra had even made excuses to herself just so she could pass by the girl's apartment on her way home. At first she thought it was just because she had wanted to ensure that the girl was ok. But then Vastra realized that, against her own instincts, she liked this girl. Vastra was used to saving people. It had been nearly fifty years since she had made the vow to save ape - human lives in penance for her own crimes against them. As much as she disliked humans with their wanton waste and illogical reasoning, she would never break her word. For decades she had fought with evil so that the victims could live, and yet each time that victim, once they realized someone came to their aid, would stop and allow their fear to overtake them. That fear only trebled once they saw that the person who saved them was a lizard. Vastra had become used to the screaming, the running, the hurtful words that were hurled in her direction. But she was unaccustomed to being thanked. That was definitely a first.

Shortly after the first dream, Vastra had realized those that two words had been the difference. Not only had the girl thanked her, but she had also seen her face and seemed to accepted it without explanation. Vastra shook her head again, harder this time, trying to stop her own train of thought. Don't start thinking about that again, she told herself. A short beep made her look around. She quickly crossed the room and picked up the cell phone that had been given to her by Lieutenant Lestrade. He was the fourth Lieutenant she had worked with at the police department. The Doctor had kindly informed the first one about Vastra's talents and it had gone down the line of Lieutenants over the years. The text message on the phone simply stated "Need help on a case" and it gave an address. Vastra smirked. She liked having the apes grovel to her when they were confronted with situations their mediocre brains couldn't handle.

—/—

As Vastra walked home from the scene, she couldn't help thinking how strange this case was. Usually the cases Lestrade called her in for were easily completed by the next day. This new one, however, promised to be the most challenging yet. Apparently the police had seen a similar case two months ago but since the killer didn't repeat it within a short amount of time, they assumed that was the end of it. Assumed. Typical of the ape police. Vastra briefly glanced at the intersection she was crossing and realized she was very close to the girl's apartment. Well, maybe walking by wouldn't be a bad thing. Just to make sure she's ok. Right. Vastra sighed and rolled her eyes but her feet automatically turned her toward her new destination.

—/—

She pushed her keyboard away in frustration. Apparently lack of concentration will be the order of the night. Jenny stood up from her desk and stretched. She had been trying to finish her paper for the last three hours but hadn't had any success. She lightly paced around the small apartment hoping the muscle movement would help her brain to gain a clearer thought process. Jenny pursed her lips, it was no use. Since the attack last week, the only item her mind would focus on was the green woman. If she was a woman at all. Definitely female but maybe not human. The amount of physical strength it would have taken to defeat those men seemed to be too much for a human woman. And it only made Jenny even more curious. At first she had wondered if all of it had actually happened, but reality set in after she saw her reflection in the mirror sporting an impressive black eye.

The street light outside flickered for a moment and Jenny went to the window, pulling back the curtain to check outside. As she looked down she noticed a hooded figured walking down the street. Now, people dressed in hooded attire are not uncommon in the area and Jenny at first didn't think anything of it. But then, something about the individual's gait caught her attention. As the figure came closer to her apartment they glanced up, right to her window. Jenny gasped. It was the green lady. Before she could register anything else, Jenny found herself sprinting down the stairs and rushing outside. The woman had evidently noticed the curtain movement in the window because she was quickly moving down to the far end of the street. Jenny ran to catch up and yelled "Hang on! I know its you!". As she rounded the corner she nearly ran right into the green woman, who had stopped upon hearing Jenny's voice.

"Sorry" she panted "I just wanted… just wanted to say hi", Jenny was out of breath but that wasn't the reason she was struggling for words. Now that she was standing in front of the woman, she didn't quite know what to say. "Hello" was the only response she got. There was a moment of awkward silence and Jenny tried to fill it "Sorry, but I don't even know your name. My name is Jenny, Jenny Flint." She held out her hand. The green woman seemed to hesitate and shift uncomfortably before replying "My name is Vastra". She briefly shook Jenny's hand. When their hands met, Jenny was surprised to feel cold, hardened skin on Vastra's hand. "Why are you so cold?" she asked and, before she could stop herself, added "And why is your skin like that or is it skin?" Jenny blushed a deep red. Leave it to her big mouth and curiosity to always get the best of her. She reminded herself that this was why she had so few friends. Her father used to always tell her to stop asking so many questions since it would never be possible for a girl to learn all the answers. She cringed at the memory but was brought back to the present by Vastra's own question. "Why are you not afraid of me?" Jenny tried to answer honestly "Well, you saved me. You got me home. I figured if you were going to hurt me you could have done it in that alley." Vastra seemed a bit taken aback by this but after a moment said "I won't hurt you. And I don't have skin, I have scales". She tilted her hand in the limited light available from the street lamp to show glittering green scales. "I am a lizard." Jenny's brain stopped for a moment and tried to process this information. Lizards are small to medium sized creatures, as far as she knew none of them walked upright. The last ones to do that were dinosaurs, but those were huge so where.. "But, how.. I mean why.." Her voice trailed off. Vastra gave a small, sad smile.

BANG.

Both women gave a start. "What was that?" Jenny asked. "Well, as I am standing here with you, I do not know. But I can find out." Vastra gave a smirk and started off towards the alley. Jenny narrowed her eyes slightly at the jab but, with a slight smile, followed the green woman nonetheless. Her curiosity was peaked, and for the first time in a long time she was having fun.