A/N: Hello, lovelies! ❤️

Okay, so we have now arrived at an episode that I've actually been pretty excited to get to. 😁 There's kinda a reason for that, I suppose...

If you've looked and watched the gif that I have attached at the top of this chapter, you'll see that it's a gif mashup of Lexi (Karen) and another woman. A woman, who in fact, is going to be guest starring as a brand-new OC that I created a while back and have been eagerly waiting to use. 🙂 So... let me introduce you to her! 😃

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Guest Starring

Rose Leslie as Marguerite
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Yep! 💜 Marguerite is a new OC that I absolutely adore and am so excited about. She's actually pretty unique and I hope you end up liking/loving her as much as I do. 💕

Anyway, as we all know, this episode you're about to read takes place in Victorian times and I thought it was appropriate to dress everyone for the occasion. So, here are the outfits I've selected for the OCs:

You might be wondering about the outfit I picked for Marguerite, but just wait. It'll make more sense once you read and find out who she is. *grins knowingly*

Like seriously, I have absolutely no idea what made me so inspired for this episode. I'm so glad it happened, though! *squeals excitedly*

I've even thrown in a bit of flirty Gloronimo since I feel like we don't get enough of that. 😍💕

Now, I'm not gonna ramble anymore because I'm just so excited for all of you to read this episode! 😀

P.S. ~ The beginning of this episode may not make a lot of sense, but you know how this episode goes. It'll make sense eventually. 😁

So, without further ado, I very happily present to you... "The Crimson Horror"!!! 🎉

Enjoy! 😘

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YORKSHIRE (1893)
Inside, Factory, Hall, Night...

"If I have not returned in an hour, you must fetch the police." A man, Edmund, said to his wife, Effie, as they stood in the middle of dimly lit hallway.

"Edmund!" Effie cried as she grabbed his face, kissing him.

"Don't fret, Effie, my dear. All will be well." Edmund told her, holding her face in his hands after they pulled apart. "But we must get to the bottom of this dark and queer business no matter what the cost."

Edmund then turned away from Effie before walking down the hall to the door at the end, the round window of the door letting you see a red glow coming from whatever was on the other side. Edmund then glanced back at Effie one last time before going through the doorway.

However, almost as soon as Edmund had gone through the door, the lift arrived, making Effie turn around to see a number of women walk out. All of them clad in demure black gowns with black bonnets.

"Mrs Gillyflower!" Effie exclaimed in surprise, looking to the older woman that stood in the center of the group of women.

"We have come about your husband, my dear." Mrs. Gillyflower stated, speaking in the local Yorkshire accent. "A tragedy."

Effie frowned. "My husband?"

"Your... late husband."

"There must be some mistake." Effie said, confused. "My husband is quite well."

Just then, an agonizing scream came from behind the closed door at the end of the hall, making Effie look to the door Edmund had gone through before turning back to face Mrs. Gillyflower. Said woman had a look a feigned concern on her face.

"We are so very sorry for your loss."

All Effie could do was scream as the other women advanced towards her.

Inside, Morgue, Day...

"Hell fire." The coroner, Amos, said as he lowered the sheet from the body to reveal it to Edmund's brother, Mr. Thursday. Edmund's skin was a deep red, his face set in terror. "That's put me right off me mash. Another one."

"Another?" Mr. Thursday questioned as he held a handkerchief over his nose and mouth.

"He's not the first I've had in 'ere looking like that." Amos told him. "The Crimson Horror! That's what they're calling it."

"I have no interest in the deplorable excesses of the penny-dreadful." Mr. Thursday scoffed before turning to leave.

"Hey, hey." Amos snapped his fingers, making Mr. Thursday turn to look at him. "Payment in advance, flower." He said before Mr. Thursday reached into his pocket and took out a some coins. He reached across the body to pay Amos, said man grabbing his hand. "Taking a big risk, you see, I am." He informed Mr. Thursday. "They'd have my vitals for fiddle-strings if they knew I'd let you come to have a look at one of their precious stiffs."

Scowling, Mr. Thursday yanked his hand away. "This stiff is my brother. I've come up from London to bring him home."

Mr. Thursday then turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks as the doors to the morgue swung open, letting a very familiar woman (at least to us readers) walk in.

Clad in a beige and black Victorian gown and holding an ornate golden oil lamp adorned with rubies, emeralds and blue sapphires, Lexi smiled at Mr. Thursday as Amos turned to see who had just entered the room.

"Now," Lexi began. "what is this I hear of The Crimson Horror, was it?"

"Can I help you, Miss...?" Amos questioned as he walk up to stand next to Mr. Thursday.

"Smith. Alessandra Smith." Lexi introduced herself, adjusting her hold on the jeweled golden oil lamp in her hands. "And yes, I do believe I require... help, of sorts. My husband and our friends have gone missing and I believe it has something to do with that." She pointed at Edmund's body that laid on table on the other side of Dr of the room. "I was down by the town's canal and they've just found another victim. And if I know my husband, and I think I do, he will go wherever the trouble is."

"You say your husband is missing?" Mr. Thursday questioned her.

"Yes, Mister...?"

"Thursday, Mrs Smith." Mr. Thursday said, nodding respectfully in greeting.

"Mister Thursday." Lexi nodded back. "Well, I do believe you might be able to help me. So," She started as she held up the oil lamp and gently rubbed her hand against the side of it. "you will come with me and my associate."

"What are you–" Mr. Thursday began but stopped, watching with widened eyes as a glowing purple mist began to come out of the oil lamp and swirl through the air before it soon took the form of a blue-eyed, red-headed woman wearing a shimmering red floor-length dress with an attached purple tunic, a dark blue star-studded cape and a matching belt. "Oh, Lord..."

Everyone watched as Mr. Thursday's eyes rolled to the back of his head before he promptly fainted, falling backwards to the floor.

The woman that had manifested from the glowing purple mist quirked an eyebrow as she looked down at Mr. Thursday unconscious body. "Well... that's never happened before."

Lexi smirked, looking over to Amos. "Would you mind helping us get Mister Thursday to his carriage?"

Inside, Carriage...

Mr. Thursday woke up some time later, now finding himself in his carriage as it moved along the road. As he became more awake, he realized he was not alone.

"Ah, you're awake." Lexi smiled as she and the red-headed woman sat across from him, the oil lamp sitting on the seat in between them. "Sorry about earlier. I did not think you would react like that." She said before gesturing to the woman sitting next to her. "This is Marguerite. Anyway, we have had to commandeer your carriage."

"Where are you taking me?" Mr. Thursday asked angrily, looking back and forth between the two women. "Why are you doing this?"

"Same as you." Lexi told him. "You have just lost your brother due to mysterious circumstances. And you are also not sure what on Earth could have caused his body to become the way that it has. Oh, and do not worry. I have finished arranging to have your brother's body brought down to London for you. And as for where we are going, we are also going to London. I know of someone who can and will most definitely be willing to help investigate."

"So you want to investigate as well?" Mr. Thursday raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes." Lexi nodded. "As I said earlier, my husband and our friends are missing. I intend to get to the bottom of that."

"And what has grabbed your attention to go along with this?" He questioned, looking to Marguerite.

"Oh, you know..." She trailed off, a slight smile on her face. "...a bit of an obligation, of sorts."

LONDON

Outside, House...

Lexi knocked on the door incessantly as Marguerite and Mr. Thursday stood slightly behind her, Marguerite now holding her jeweled golden oil lamp.

Lexi continued to knock on the door and didn't stop knocking until it opened, revealing one Jenny Flint standing there in a maid's outfit.

"Hello, Jenny." Lexi greeted her before pointing behind her at Mr. Thursday and Marguerite. "This is Mister Thursday. This is Marguerite. She's a genie. Can we come in? Great, thanks. Vastra!" She said quickly before just walking right past Jenny and and into the house, Jenny watching her with wide eyes given the fact that last time she had seen Lexi was when she and the Doctor had been there at Christmas 1892.

Inside, House, Vastra's conservatory...

"Sorry to drop in on you unannounced." Lexi said as she and Marguerite sat in chairs across from Vastra, said lizard-woman sitting in a large wicker chair across from them as she wore her veil while Jenny stood at her side. "However, a matter has arisen..."

"Clearly, or else you would not be here." Vastra responded. "And judging by the fact that you are on your own, suggests that this matter involves a certain... husband?"

"Oh, you know me so well." Lexi gave her a smirk before glancing back at Mr. Thursday, said man standing behind the two chairs she and Marguerite were sitting in. "Mister Thursday, would you care to explain to Madame Vastra how this matter has drawn you in?"

"Yes." He nodded before looking to Vastra. "Mrs Smith has informed me that you are the investigator to see if there are strange goings-on."

"Yes." She nodded. "I have read about this Crimson Horror the papers seem to be speaking of. And I am sorry to see, Mister Thursday, that your brother appears to have become another victim of it."

"This Crimson Horror, as it is claimed, is... unique." Mr. Thursday stated. "No one seems to be able to figure out what it could possibly be. And my brother, you see, he was a newspaper man. He and a young woman were working undercover."

"And that is what brings us here." Lexi chimed in. "Now, Vastra, I am fairly certain that you know what an optogram is, correct?"

"A silly superstition." She nodded. "It is the belief that the eye can retain an image of the last thing it sees..."

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FLASHBACK

Inside, Morgue, Day...

Glancing away from watching Amos help Marguerite drag Mr. Thursday's unconscious body out of the room, Lexi used an old camera to take a photograph of his brother's (Edmund's) staring eyes.

END OF FLASHBACK
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Inside, House, Vastra's conservatory, Day...

"This is a photograph Mrs Smith took while I was... otherwise engaged." Mr. Thursday said, reaching into his coat pocket as he walked around the chairs Lexi and Marguerite were sitting in. He took out a photograph before handing it to Jenny, said woman then passing it to Vastra.

Vastra stared at the picture for a moment before promptly removing her veil. "Good grief!"

"Oh, God..." Seeing Vastra's lizard-face for the first time, Mr. Thursday's eyes rolled to the back of his head before he fainted and fell backwards to the floor just like he had done at the morgue when he saw Marguerite materialize out of her genie lamp.

Marguerite sighed. "And there he goes again..."

Inside, House, Dark room...

"I didn't want to come right out and say what I've found because I wanted you to see it for yourselves." Lexi stated as she stood beside Jenny, said woman making enlargements of the photograph. "It's quite... interesting, to say the least. And worrisome. Very worrisome."

"Considering who you're married to, Alexis, that does not surprise me." Vastra responded as Jenny clipped the photo on the line to dry before looking closer as it developed more clearly.

"Well, I'll be blowed..." Jenny muttered. "I think that we'd better make plans to head North."

Vastra came over from where she had been on the other side of the room to look at the photograph just as Marguerite entered, watching the three women closely.

"I do believe that you are right, dear Jenny." Vastra stated as she, Jenny and Lexi gazed at the photo. "Alexis darling, you and your husband never disappoint."

What could be so captivating in the photograph that they were all looking at?

Reflected within the enlarged photo of the dead man's (Edmund's) eye was the Doctor, his arms outstretched and his mouth open with a scream.