Bad Dreams and Bedtime Stories

A tiny soft padding sound vibrated through the air of the silent house, weaving it's way to Vastra's sensitive ears. She smiled, her eyes still closed as she basked in the gentle warmth of the fire, her wife in her arms, She chuckled as the noise made it's way tentatively towards the staircase, and the second step from the top creaked.

"What?" Jenny mumbled sleepily, and Vastra opened her eyes to smile down at the beautiful human who had been dozing lightly in her arms. She couldn't blame her. It was late after all, and the heat of the fire in their little living room had an intoxicatingly soporific affect.

"Listen," she whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Jenny blinked hard and did as her wife told her, a smile stretching across her face as the floorboards outside the living room squeaked and the door creaked open.

"Mama?" The voice was small and very sleepy. "Mummy?" Jenny pushed herself up to look around at the door and smiled at her sleepy little daughter.

"Hello monkey," she smiled. "What are you still doing up? You should be asleep Aurora." The tiny four year old padded into the room, coming around to the front of the sofa where she looked timidly up at her two mothers, a blanket clutched closely to her chest.

"I had a bad dream," she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

"Now that just wont do will it my sweet," Vastra said softly as Jenny lifted the child up into her lap. The girl nuzzled into her mother, resting her head on top of her chest so as to be able to hear her heartbeat.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jenny asked, but Aurora just shook her head. "Do you want a story?" She nodded.

"Who do you want to tell you a story tonight my darling?" Vastra asked. "Mummy or I?" Aurora thought for a moment, the mumbled,

"Mama." Vastra gave a soft hiss of approval.

"Not me?" Jenny asked, feigning offence. "Are my stories no good? Am I boring? Or do you just love Mama more?" She tickled the girl's sides as she spoke, eventually earning a smile and a shy little giggle from her.

"No!" she said. "But you said one earlier so is Mama's turn now."

"Yes my dear," Vastra grinned. "It's my turn now. That's only fair is it not?" Jenny smiled despite herself ad rolled her eyes at her wife.

"Oh okay you two win," she smiled. "Mama's turn to tell a story." Vastra chuckled and Aurora resettled herself, hugging her blanket close to her and nestling herself in her mother's protective arms. Jenny couldn't help but smile as she swept a soft black curl from her little face.

"This is the story of the beauty and the beast," Vastra started. "There once was a very lonely woman from a far away world, who lived all alone in a great old house. Because she was from another world, people though her to be strange and terrifying, and many were very frightened of her. This is why they called her a beast." Jenny felt her heart tighten in her chest as she listened to her wife's story, and snuggled back into her arms silently.

"Was she very ugly if they called her a beast?" Aurora asked innocently. "Or only very terrifying?"

"Not ugly no," Jenny smiled. "Just different. But beautiful because of it." She felt Vastra stroke her cool fingers down the side of her face, and turned her head so that she could kiss the palm of her hand, making her purr approvingly.

"But they called her a beast none the less," The silurian continued. "And because of this, she became very sad, and very very lonely. One day she was walking down a very dark street when she heard a terrified cry, and so she ran to see what was the matter." Aurora looked up at her mothers, her bright green eyes wide with a frightful curiosity.

"What did she find?" she whispered.

"She came upon a beautiful girl, being savagely attacked by a group of evil monsters," Vastra hissed, her eyes darkening with fury as she described the night that she and Jenny had met. "But the woman was brave and strong and she easily fought off the monsters, slaying them all and saving the beautiful girl." Aurora listened, enthralled by the story that, unbeknown to her, belonged to her parents. "She took the girl back to her home, and cared for her until she was well again. Much to her surprise, she beautiful girl did not shy from her, and was not frightened of her, and she saw in the beast, a beauty that no one had seen for a very long time. And then neither of them were alone any more, and they both lived happily ever after."

When Vastra looked down she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her wife and daughter both dozing in the firelight. It was a sight too perfect for words, reminding her that the ending of her story was indeed true, as neither was alone, and both could not have been happier.