Vera
Kenny/Vera
…
It had only been 4 hours but they had become without a doubt the worst 4 hours of his life, 4 hours since Vera had gone to question Liam Pearce up at Jarrow about the murder of his Father Vincent 3 days before.
"Kenny any word yet?" Joe asked, walking back in to the office.
He looked up and saw the exasperated expression on Joe's face and felt bad that he had no news as yet.
"We sent Shep up to the manor house but it was empty, they did find the Bosses Land Rover out the back."
"Any signs of a struggle inside?"
Joe saw the looks exchanged by Shep and Kenny. "What is it?"
"We did find some bloody, only a few small traces but we've sent it off to be tested…we should get it back in a few hours."
"A few hours, we don't have a few bleedin hours. Vera's been gone for hours now and god only knows what Liam might have done to her…we need to be out there searchin' for her."
"Joe's right, we're doing no good sittin' in here." Kenny added.
"Shep, you and I can go have a look around the surrounding area of the manor." Joe said.
"I'll stay here and see if there's anywhere he could be holding her."
"Alright, you find anything Kenny…you call yeah."
"Yeah of course…what else am I gonna do."
A few more hours passed as the Team searched for their Boss, Shep and Joe drove on and on, searching abandoned barns near to where she's last been seen and came up empty every time. Shep glanced over at Joe as she drove them around and could see how worried he was about her.
"You okay Joe?"
"How could we let this happen eh, I mean I normally go everywhere with her and the one time I nip out for all of ten bloody minutes, she decides to go off on her own to a possible murder suspects home."
"She was going on instinct I guess."
"Well she should bloody well know better, she use to get on at me all the time about never going anywhere without back up and look what she bloody well does."
"We'll find her Joe."
"You better be right."
…
Vera pulled her long trench coat tighter around her small frame as the wind picked up outside, she could feel herself becoming colder as the hours ticked by. Her hand went to the back of her head as the pain came and went from where she had previously been struck hours earlier, blood remaining on the palm of her hand. She felt nauseous from the lack of food she had consumed during the day, thinking to herself how much she could do with a drink right about now. The door opened and Liam Pearce came in to view, Vera felt fear overtake her when he looked down at her with anger and guilt.
"I don't know how you think you'll get away with this pet; you can't just kidnap a bloody copper and think no one will notice, you can't…."
"SHUT UP, just…..shut the hell up and let me think will you."
He paced in front of her, his hands shaking as he held the knife tightly in his hand. Vera couldn't take her eyes off the weapon; the same weapon she assumed had killed his Father.
"Is that what you killed him with, your Father?"
"What, no I….it was an accident; he fell forward when we were arguing. It, he was trying to cut me off…don't you see, I couldn't let him do that…it would have destroyed me."
"Money isn't everything pet."
"It is in this bloody family, it's the only thing that ever mattered. Do you really think women would look twice at me if I didn't have money to throw around? It's what I'm famous for, the gorgeous girls and flash cars."
"It'll never make you happy."
"He never made me happy; he did nothing but try to put me down every chance he got."
"Did you really think killing him would help, love you could spend the rest of your life in prison for what you've done."
"No because you see I won't be around for very much longer, I plan to get out of here before your lot get me."
He went over to the drawer and pulled out a long rope, coming back over to Vera who tried to move away, he grabbed hold of her and began tying her hands behind her back before getting back up.
"Now, you might be here a while but hopefully I'll be long gone before your pals find you. No a word or I swear to god you'll go the same way as my precious Father, got it?"
All Vera could do was nod her head as he left her alone once again.
…...
It was nearing 10pm as Kenny trolled through file after file on Liam Pearce, hoping and praying that something would pop up on screen. Another hour passed and he finally found what he was looking for, looking into Liam's personal expenditures, he found a list of buildings that Liam owned, a few nightclubs, a holiday home but the one the stuck out was an abandoned farm about 10 miles from town, he phoned Joe immediately to inform him where he thought Vera could be.
"Is he sure, I mean absolutely sure?" Shep asked.
"Well he's not 100% but what else have we got to go on, keep driving."
"I hope to god she is there, it's been nearly eight hours Joe, what if he's really hurt her."
"If he so much a lay…..what the hell."
"What, what is it."
"That was Liam's car."
"What?"
"The car that just drove past…it was him….come on follow him."
"I thought we were going to get the Boss."
"I'll call Kenny to go get Vera, we need to get him….come on, put your foot down."
Joe texted Kenny and informed him about what was happening as Joe and Shep went to arrest Liam Pearce. Kenny was in the car and driving faster than he really should have been but he was so desperate to see her and make sure she was alright. They were just coming up to a junction when Liam had stopped as cars went around the roundabout.
"Go into him." Joe said.
"You what."
"Ram in to him."
"Are you mad, Joe we can't."
"If we don't then we're gonna loose him, do it…it's an order."
Shep swore under her breath as she looked around making sure there were no more vehicles around before she put her foot down and braced herself as she ran in to the back of Liam's BMW.
"What the fuck." He yelled. He got out of the car, slamming the door as he strode towards Shep and Joe, unaware that it was them inside. The door opened and Shep stepped out stopping Liam in his tracks. He immediately backed up and made a run for it but Joe was quick on his heels, running up behind him and throwing him to the ground.
"Get off me, get the hell of me you son of a bitch."
"You pal are nicked, where is she….is she at your barn?"
"Piss off."
"ANSWER ME….IS SHE THERE?"
"YES, yes she's there."
…Kenny pulled up in front of the large barn as his phone buzzed, it was a text from Joe telling him they'd caught Liam and it was confirmed that Vera was definitely being held there. He walked up to the barn, the wind hitting him hard, there was a paddle lock on the barn door so he went to the boot of his car and got a wrench and began banging the lock until it fell apart, he was glad it was quite an old lock otherwise he could have been at it for much longer. He opened the door and heard the small groans to his left; he walked a few yards and saw Vera lying on the ground. His stomach turned as he saw her lying there looking so vulnerable, he rushed to her side, her eyes opening slowly as he helped her to sit up. He untied her hands as she fell forward into his chest, never in all her days had she been so relieved to see him. He held on to her tightly as she tried to regain her composure, eventually she looked up at him and saw the worry in his face.
"Don't look at me like that Kenny, I'm alright." She said breathlessly.
"Do you have any idea how bloody worried we've all been."
"Well don't go blamin' me."
"Well who else are we to blame, you're the one who went off on her bloody own without back up…you're always getting on at us about it and then you…."
"Yeah alright, I was an idiot, I get it….now back off….oooh."
""What's wrong?"
"Me head, he knocked me out."
Kenny brought her head forward and saw the blood at the back.
"Okay we need to get you to the hospital and get that checked out."
"It's just a bump."
"You've had a bang to the head and it needs checking, you're going whether you like it or not, come on."
He helped her to stand, she was a little shaky but with Kenny's help she made it to the car. He quickly phone Joe and told him that he was taking her to the local hospital.
"Make sure she gets home safely okay." Joe said.
"Yeah no worries, what's happening with Liam?"
"Shep and I are booking him in as we speak, he's being charged with his Fathers murder and the kidnapping of a police officer. Convince her to try and take tomorrow off okay, I need to really get home after this…Celine's already moaning at me…tell he I'll be by tomorrow to check on her."
"Yeah will do."
Kenny got in the car and turned to see Vera's eyes closed.
"Vera…vera speak to me."
"I'm alright pet, I'm just resting me eyes."
"We'll get you seen too, don't worry."
…
Kenny was stood outside the room as the Doctor attended to Vera, she had always been the most annoying woman to him but the very thought of anything happening to her had scared the hell out of him. He looked up when the Doctor walked up to him.
"How's she doing Doc?"
"I've had to put a few stitches in the back of her head, it was a pretty deep cut, she was having a few pains with her angina but she really just needs to rest, I've given her medication for the angina…I'd prefer if someone stayed with her overnight, with a bang to the head you can never be too careful."
"Yeah no worries, I'll stay on her couch for tonight."
"Make sure she takes these pills every 5 hours, if she starts to feel dizzy or nauseous then have her come back in."
"Sure, thanks for taking care of her Doc."
"No problem, it's my job."
Kenny went into the room to see Vera watching him closely.
"Don't worry; the Doc says I'll live to be a hundred."
"Well come on, let's get you home."
He helped her to stand up and guided her out to the car, she fell asleep in the car…he couldn't help grinning as she began to snore. She certainly wasn't like any other woman he knew. He pulled up outside the old farmhouse and gave her arm a gentle squeeze as she came too.
"You're home."
"Oh, that was quick...you'd better not have been speeding."
"Of course not, I know better than that."
Vera got out of the car and made her way inside, followed quickly by Kenny.
"Look Kenny, I'm grateful for the lift back but you can get off home now."
"Yeah I don't think so."
"You what, I'm more than capable of looking after myself you know."
"I didn't say you weren't, the Doc just thinks it's better if someone be with you overnight, because of your bang to your head."
"Well we'll tell them you stayed okay but really, I'm fine."
"Vera, I'm not leaving."
"Oh for god sake, look I said I'm fine."
"You were kidnapped today, by a guy who could have killed you. Do you have any idea how bloody worried we all were, what we were all going through."
"What about what I was going through eh, it was my life in danger not yours."
"And who's fault is that, you are one of the most stubborn women I have ever met. Why are you always so bloody afraid to let anyone in huh, why can't you just let the people in your life that actually give a damn help you out."
Vera stood open mouthed as Kenny rattled on at her, his voice getting louder and louder.
"What do you bloody care anyway eh, you're just like me and you know it, two stubborn coppers together and don't go denying it." She yelled.
Kenny moved closer to her, invading her space. She made an attempt to back up but his hand came around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. She couldn't quite read him in that moment and it scared her more than she thought it would.
"Kenny, what…"
"Sssh, don't say anything."
"What, I don't…"
Kenny leaned down and quickly covered her lips, pulling her closer to him.
"Kenny, what are you doing?"
"I….I'm just so glad you're okay."
"Why did you kiss me?"
"Because I wanted too."
"You should go, I know you didn't mean too…."
He took her in his arms again and placed another kiss to her lips, this time with a little more force, leaving her in no doubt of his feelings.
"Kenny, this….us, it's not right. You don't want me, I'm the most annoying, stubborn person you know….you said so yourself."
"But that didn't mean I don't care about you, more than I thought I could."
"What are you saying?"
"Vera, I don't know what this is but one thing I know for sure…especially after what you went through today, I know I have feelings for you and I want to see if something could develop from that."
"You want us, to be together?"
"If you'd consider it."
"Kenny I…"
"I think I love you, and yeah I know it might be too soon but I just really needed you to know."
"You love me?"
"I do, don't hate me for it will you."
"Oh Kenny, I think you've lost your mind."
"Just think about it, I'm not proposing marriage. I just want to see if there might be something here."
"If and only if I consider this….they can't know about this at the office, at least not right now."
"I can accept that, so does this mean you'll try?"
All she could to was nod her head in agreement as she smiled softly at him before he captured her lips one last time.
…
-Fin
