A/N: Thank you for the reviews!
Vera grunted as she eased down into the wheelchair. While she couldn't walk, she had forced herself to sit up after the doctor had told her she could go home once she could sit up without causing herself pain. It hurt like hell, but she wanted to go home, so she did what she always did. Pushed through it and got her way.
"We're going to miss you, Ms. Stanhope." The young nurse smiled as she handed Vera her bag.
Vera scoffed. "Going to miss my friends more like. They're both very easy on the eyes." She looked up at the young woman. "And I'm sure Billy's been a horrible flirt."
The young nurse shook her head. "No. He hasn't flirted with any of us. He's been completely focused on you. He must love you very much."
"He's just a friend, pet. We've known each other for a long time. He was afraid of losing the one person in his life that will put up with his cheek." Vera patted the young woman's hand. "You've taken very good care of me, Love, and I'm grateful. I hate being fussed over."
"We noticed."
Vera chuckled as she smiled up at the young woman. "Cheeky."
"Ah! Vera! You've been released!" Billy smiled as he waited for her by the lift.
"As if you didn't know. Daft buggar."
Billy grinned as he knelt down in front of her. He could see the pain in her eyes, knew that she was ignoring it so she could go home. "Yes, I knew. I'm going to take you home."
"I knew that. Although I'm surprised you didn't push me off on Hu." She raised an eyebrow at him, letting him know she knew what he'd been up to.
"Hu was busy."
"Uh huh."
The lift dinged before their back and forth could continue and the nurse chuckled as she pushed Vera in. Shaking her head as she watched the pair, she wondered just how it was that a woman could be so blind to what was right in front of her face. She'd seen both men, and in her opinion…both of them were in love with Ms. Stanhope, whether any of them knew it or not.
VS
Shep got out of her car when Billy's car pulled up in front of Vera's house. She hadn't seen her boss but once since she'd been weaned off the sedative, but after the run in she'd had with the replacement, she'd needed to take a personal day, knowing she had to talk to Vera. She had to know what to do.
"Hello, Ma'am," she greeted as she walked up to the car, smiling when Vera looked up at her.
"Shep? Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Took a personal day."
Vera quirked an eyebrow. "Just to greet me?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Vera gave Shep a look, she didn't believe the young woman. Something was going on. "Alright. Help Billy get me the house and then out with it."
"What?" Shep asked as she held the wheelchair steady as Billy gently helped Vera out of the car and settled her in the seat. Shep heard the hissed breath, saw Billy caress Vera's hand as he looked at her with a worried frown, and she realized that her boss was in pain and hiding it so she could be home. Damn stubborn woman.
"Oh don't even try, pet. You're not here to welcome me home." Vera told Shep, looking up at the younger woman as they moved toward the house.
Shep sighed. "You know that's annoying."
Vera chuckled. "That's what they always say."
Shep shook her head and looked up at Billy when he came in with Vera's bag. "How the bloody hell do you put up with her?"
Billy laughed as he grinned down at Vera. "I've known her too long to give up now."
Vera huffed and rolled her eyes. "Help me out of this damn contraption. I'm convinced a man with rocks for arse cheeks invented it."
Shep laughed as she pushed Vera over to the sofa and held it steady as Billy transferred Vera from the wheelchair to the much more comfortable piece of furniture. "Better?" she asked.
"Much, you cheeky thing. Now," she pointed at the end of the sofa. "Sit and tell me what's eating you."
Billy tucked a throw over Vera and put another pillow behind her back. "I'll just go get my things and the make us all some lunch."
Shep raised an eyebrow as she watched Billy leave then turned her attention back to her boss. "His things?"
"Well, you didn't think he was going to let me stay here by myself, did you?"
"No. I just assumed that you'd have hired a nurse."
"Oh, there's one of those too. Billy insisted. He'll work during the day and the nurse will watch me. He'll come back and tend to me in the evenings."
"And physical therapy?"
"Oh, that's taken care of too, though I won't start for another couple of weeks."
"Sounds like he has it all worked out."
Vera shrugged. "I'm no longer in charge of my life," she scowled then shook her head. "Never mind that. Tell my why you're here."
Shep looked down at her hands. "I had another run in with your replacement."
"Temporary replacement. I will be back, Shep. Even if I have to go back and just sit behind my desk. I will be back."
"I hope so." Shep whispered.
Vera cocked her head and studied her visitor. "What's going on, Shep? Why did you say you hope so?"
Shep looked up at her boss. "They're out to get you. They've made accusations. They're trying to make it look like you had something to do with all of this mess, that it's your fault it took so long to find the murderer, that…" she bit her lip and shook her head. She didn't know how Vera was dealing with her part in Steven's death and didn't want to upset her.
"I didn't set out to murder anyone, Shep."
"I know that!" Shep nearly shouted as she stared wide eyed at Vera. "I never thought any different! None of us do!"
"Calm down now." Vera held out her hand, smiling when Shep finally took it. Giving the trembling hand a gentle squeeze, she studied Shep. "What's wrong, Shep?"
"I'm worried about you." Shep admitted. "They interrogated me but didn't bother the guys. They never talked to you, they never saw what he did to you, they…"
"Hey. I can take care of myself."
Shep scowled at that. "Don't start that again!"
"Shep. I took care of myself. I'm here, aren't I?"
"Damn it!" Shep felt tears sting her eyes and pulled away. Standing up she paced around the room, avoiding Vera so that the older woman didn't see the tears that had refused to go away.
"Shep, come here." Vera whispered, her heart melting at the sight of the younger woman so clearly upset. She hadn't realized how much Shep cared about her. "Come here," she said again when Shep shook her head.
Shep finally gave in and moved to sit where Vera indicated which put her directly beside Vera. "I'm sorry. It's just that…I've never had a boss like you before and damn it all, I was afraid."
Vera chuckled and wiped at the tears on Shep's face. "I was scared myself, but we won't tell anyone that. It will be our secret. We don't want the guys thinking we've turned in to simpering women."
Shep laughed as she looked at Vera. "You're insane. You know that, right?"
"I do. But you're just as insane for caring about your crazy boss."
Shep smiled. "Maybe I am, but I do." Her smile faded as she looked down to where Vera held her hands. "I blame myself for not being more stubborn about protecting you. I should never have let you go off by yourself at any time. I should have ignored your assurances that you can take care of yourself and did what I wanted to anyway."
"And I would have threatened to write you up for insubordination." Vera told her. "Shep, I think I can safely say, without it going further, I made mistakes. This case rattled me, far more than you could imagine, and I was doing my best to keep all of you from realizing I was going mad."
"What do you mean? Going mad? You aren't mad."
"Oh, but I felt like I was. Shep," Vera started then sighed, realizing she'd have to finally tell the young woman all of the truth if she was ever to get her to stop blaming herself for what happened. No one was to blame but Vera herself, and she'd not have one of the strongest members of her team breaking down over her. "Ever since the day I found Martin and Hellen Kingsley, she's haunted me."
Shep blinked in surprise and frowned. "Haunted you? As in a ghost?"
"No. I've seen things in my dreams as if I were Hellen. I was living things that happened to her. I felt her fear, her happiness, sadness…death." Vera stopped and closed her eyes. "I know that it sounds like I've gone balmy, but that's why I looked like hell. I wasn't sleeping because all I saw when I'd close my eyes were things Hellen needed me to see. How do you think I knew to ask Anne about the therapist? How do you think I knew to ask her about possible threats? If Hellen had an affair…or any of the other things that I just seemed to know…how do you think I knew them? I saw Martin die, that's why Billy started spending the night here, why I let you get by with following me and staying outside to watch the house when I was alone. In the hospital, the screams…that was because I finally saw all of the day Hellen and Martin were murdered. I felt her die…me die. I was her…she was me. I felt the arm around my neck, felt the warmth of the blood that sprayed over her when Steven cut Martin's throat…I could smell it. I felt the burn of the knife cutting my own throat…her throat. Do you understand? I wasn't thinking clearly, Shep. None of what happened to me is your fault or Aiden's. It's mine, and mine alone."
Shep's tears had returned and they rolled down her cheeks as she stared at her boss whose own eyes were watery with tears. "I'm sorry."
"For what, pet?"
"That you had to experience all of that."
"There's no need to apologize. You didn't do it to me. I learned a lot about the couple that we never would have known, and I have things that I can tell their family that will give them some peace. I promised Anne that I would tell them once this was over."
"You mean you told her?"
"I had to when she got suspicious of why I was asking about something only she should have known."
"And how did she take it?"
"She was confused at first, but then I explained and she understood…she believed me. I hope you do."
Shep nodded. "I do. The others might not. And I know the idiots investigating you won't."
Vera patted Shep's hands. "I'll be okay, pet. They'll make some noise then they'll see my medical report and that will be that. They can't get rid of me that easily. I'm like a bad penny."
"They're trying very hard." Squeezing Vera's hands, Shep held her gaze. "I didn't say anything they could use against you. They know nothing about anything that you told me in confidence." She chuckled and grinned mischievously. "I may have given them a bit of run around."
Vera laughed. "And that's why I wanted you back." Patting Shep's hands, she gently nudged the younger woman to move. "Go see what in the world Billy's up to. I haven't heard him banging about and I'm hungry."
Shep nodded, laughing as she wandered off into the kitchen, nearly bumping into Billy as she did. "Whoa. Eavesdropping?"
"Yes." Billy admitted.
"She's one helluva woman."
"Yes, she is…but don't let her fool you."
"It's all a cover. I know."
"We'll fix it. I promise, Shep. Between Hu and I, we'll get her to talk. She's said she doesn't remember exactly what happened with Steven, but Hu can help her. She needs to remember if she's going to keep those vultures off her tail."
"I'll do whatever I need to."
Billy smiled and nodded. "She cares a great deal about you, Shep. Just be careful how ever you choose to deal with this new DCI."
"I will be. I have no intentions of doing anything to get me removed from the team. We're her team and we're all going to be there waiting for her when she comes back."
