A/N:
Some of you maybe follow me on tumblr and know that I´m a big fan of Penelope Wilton and that I want her to play a returning character on "Vera".
My idea is that Penny plays a retired psychologist (called her Dr Jean Forthsight) . She and and Vera meet one day during a murder investigation and even after the case is closed, Vera sometimes consults her and asks for advice. To make a long story short, they bicker, fall in love and get married (because I say so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
I thought about Jean's bio and here are some ideas I came up with
- she was married to a woman (Catherine) who died a couple of years ago
- Catherine adopted her nephew Jonathan when he was little, after his parents died in a car crash. She and Jean raised him together.
- Jonathan is married and has two daughters, Laura and Jessica
This is going to be a collection of drabbles in no particular order.
„It´s always the same with you. You ask me for my professional opinion and when I give you a piece of my mind, you just shrug it off and tell me why my theory won´t work." Jean gets up frustated, stuffing her notepad into her bag, not caring that the paper creases. This time she really had it with her.
Vera is standing at the window, her hands burried in the pockets of her waistcoat, not very impressed by Jean´s little tantrum. She deals with worth in the interrogation room.
„Look, dear. I- "
„No," Jean is raising her hand, signaling Vera to shut up. „This time I´m really pissed." Vera has to chuckle because she never heard Jean using any swear words or strong language but her smile is wiped away when Jean takes her coat and storms out of the office, slamming the door behind her which makes Vera jump.
Kenny as seen how Jean stormed out of Vera´s office and takes a deep breath before he knocks because he can very well anticipate in what mood Vera is.
„What?" Vera snaps at him, still looking bewildered at the door.
„The ... erhm … suspect is here, boss."
„Good," Vera takes the file of their current case and storms pass Kenny into the direction of the interrogation rooms, not giving him the chance to comment on what just happened between her and Jean.
After a long day with lots of twists and turns, Vera leaves the office. She checks her mobile but there is no message from Jean. „Maybe no message is a good sign," Vera sighs and starts the engine but she is wrong. Jean´s car is nowhere to be seen when Vera arrives home. Vera hopes that she parked behind the house, like Jean does sometimes but when she opens the front door, darkness is greeting her. Vera sighs again and walks into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of whiskey, takes off her hat and sits down at the kitchen table, still wearing her coat. The whiskey in the glass looks tempting but Vera doesn´t touch it. She hardly touched any hard alcohol since Jean stepped into her life, besides the occasional glass of wine when they sit together in front of the fireplace. She doesn´t need it anymore because now there´s Jean who filled this gap in her life, the alcohol was only hiding. Her eyes wonder through the kitchen and Vera smiles. Kenny onced said, that her home needs „a woman´ s touch" and that was the first thing Jean did, when she moved in. She pratically turned the house upside down and although Vera would rather die than admit it, she loved it. She loved every pillow Jean has placed, every picture Jean hung on the wall. It finally felt like home and not like a lodging.
„What am I still doing here?" Vera gets up, tipping the whiskey away and grabs her hat.
It´s only a short drive to Jean´s flat. Jean kept it after they got married, in case she needs some quiet for working on an article for a medical journal or when they had another row. It doesn´t happen often, that Jean stays overnight in town after they had an argument but Vera knows, that she fucked up big time when Jean does – like today.
Vera parks the car opposite of Jean´s flat. She gets out and looks up at the building. She can see a dim light coming from Jean´s living room. Vera hurries upstairs and lets herself in with the key Jean gave her. The hallway is dark and music is playing. Opera. Vera can´t tell them apart but she knows this one. It´s Jean´s favourite and she once said to Vera, that this composition felt like a cozy blanket to her, she likes to wrap around her, hiding from the world outside.
Jean doesn´t look up when Vera opens the door to the living room. She has made herself comfortable on the couch, with a blanket and a magazine. Vera looks at her for a moment, studies her face, looking for some signs how angry she is still at her.
„Are you going to stand there the whole evening?" Jean still doesn´t look at her.
Vera sits down on the couch where Jean has made room for her. Jean puts down the magazine, looking expectant at her.
It´s not seasy for her to admit a mistake or to say sorry because usually it only takes an hour or two till they make up again without losing any words about their previous argument.
„I … I am sorry for earlier. I know, that I sometimes behave like -"
„Like a silly old cow? " Jean suggests and when Vera looks at her, she can see a hint of a smile Jean´s lips.
„Well, I guess that sums it up pretty well."
Jean leans forward, putting her hand onVera´s cheek. „Look, I don´t want to fight or be angry with you and by now, I know how you are but sometimes it just drives me crazy that you are so stubborn and won´t accept a second opinion or at least listen to it."
„I know and I know that I sometimes tax your patience, " Vera sees Jean raising her eyebrow and corrects herself, „Maybe more than sometimes." Jean nods. „I promise to be better in the future and maybe the next time you are frustrated with me just kick me against my shin, since I´m apparently not very good at reading signals."
„Oh, good, then I´ll give you shinpads for christmas this year," Jean laughs but caressing Vera´s cheek.
Vera puts her hand on Jean´s, leaning into her touch. „I often wonder why you mess around with me."
„Well, I think that´s called love." Jean leans foward for a kiss. They smile at each other.
„Do you intend to stay in your coat for the rest of the evening?"
„Does this mean I´m allowed to stay?" Jean nods, kissing Vera again.
Vera´s pulls a battered bar of chocolate out of the pocket of her coat before she takes it off. „Here, I´ve got something for you."
Jean laughs. „Let me guess, you bought it on your way to work and kept it there the whole day. Well, at least it´s my favourite."
„ Dr Forthsight, you would make an excellent detective. " Vera throws her coat over a chair before she joins Jean under the blanket. „Actually you would really make a good detective because you were right." Vera takes a piece of chocolate.
„ I beg your pardon. What were you just saying?" Jean did hear what Vera said but she can´t really believe her ears.
„You were right all along," Vera mumbles, chewing the chocolate.
„Say that again," Jean teases her, coming closer.
„I said, that you were right all along. Okay?" Vera repeats loud and clear.
„Wow, I never thought I would live to the day where Vera Stanhope admits, that she was wrong."
„I don´t want to be a nitpicker here but I didn´t say I was wrong. I only said that you were right. „
„Oh, shut up, woman, and kiss me."
The End