Prompt 6: "Why are you so jealous?"
Summary: Everyone assumed Shelagh's goldfish would be named Patrick… Set during Season 4.
A/N: I just rewatched the goldfish episode and I had to write this. Also, I miss Jane. Jane was great.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
The table at Nonnatus house was full of food, love, and and an abundance of laughter that night. Jane (now Mrs. Jane Applebee-Thornton) had finally come to visit Poplar and the Nonnatuns were thrilled. Pasty, Barbara, Phyllis, and Sister Winnifred had felt slightly out of the loop, but as dinner progressed, they found themselves enamored with the sweet woman and in utter hysterics over the stories from Trixie, Cynthia, Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina, and Shelagh. Jane had been predictably shocked to find out that the quiet, supportive nun she'd grown to love was now married with two children, but one look at Shelagh showed she was now happier than Jane ever remembered her being, so clearly everything was for the best.
Jane could understand that. The feeling of freedom and finding where you truly belong. She could see it in Shelagh's eyes. Any time Dr. Turner was mentioned, Shelagh's eyes glazed over for a millisecond and Jane could tell she was lost in her love for her husband.
Miraculously, they'd almost made it through dessert without the embarrassing tale of the goldfish coming up, but of course, Trixie couldn't allow that to go on any longer.
"So, how is little Reverend Applebee-Thornton?" Trixie asked gleefully.
"Little?" Asked Patsy.
"Oh, no, not this again." Sister Evangelina sighed.
Jane shook her head.
"It's alright, Sister." Jane assured. "Unfortunately, he's not with us anymore, but his replacement, Little Jane is doing quite well."
"Who are these people?" Asked Nurse Crane.
"Not people," Jane clarified, "goldfish. The nurses and I all went to a fair when I first arrived and I won a goldfish and we named it after Reverend Applebee Thornton."
"Oh, that's adorable." Barbara delighted.
"She left out the main part of the story!" Trixie chided Jane. "On our way back, we were trading salacious stories of our first kisses…"
"They weren't that salacious." Said Cynthia.
"Yes they were, miss first-kiss-at-eight-years-old…" Trixie cut in. The table turned to Cynthia with a shocked, but affectionate glance. "Anyway," Trixie continued, eager to bring the conversation back to the goldfish and off her friend, "we all shared and then we agreed that Jane's fish should be named after her first kiss. Well, at the time she didn't have one, but by the end of the Reverend's stay...let's just say, our little fish had a name."
The table smiled and laughed.
"Oh, I think that's wonderful." said Sister Winnifred. "It's quite romantic when you think about it."
Jane blushed.
"Jane, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Shelagh reached out to grasp the young woman's hand. "I agree with Sister Winnifred. You and the Reverend could not have come together in a sweeter way and we're so happy for the both of you."
"I completely agree." Said Sister Julienne.
The phone's ring echoed through the dining room.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm first on call." Sister Evangelina excused herself and Sister Julienne and Sister Winnifred followed, suddenly realizing the time and needing to collect Sister Monica Joan for Compline.
"I just realized!" Trixie started.
The rest of the nurses turned to her expectantly and somewhat nervously of what was to come.
"We have so many new first kiss stories to hear." She burst into giggles.
"Oh, no Trixie, we couldn't." Barbara insisted, somewhat embarrassed.
"Oh go on," Trixie encouraged, "the nuns aren't here anymore and we all know Jane's now, it's only fair."
The table turned to Barbara and she crumbled under the army of eager smiles.
"Alright," Barbara sighed. "It wasn't all that exciting. Being a Vicar's daughter, I didn't go out very much. But there was this one boy in our Parish, Michael, and he and I were rather good friends, and well, one day, just after Sunday School, he asked me if I'd ever been kissed and I said no, so he just kissed me and said 'now you have!'."
"What?" Laughed Patsy.
"I was so confused, I ran home and we never spoke of it again." Barbara said, now laughing at her own story.
"What about you, Patsy?" Asked Cynthia.
"Nursing school. Community dance. Jack Parker." Patsy said matter-of-factly before she paused. "I kissed him on a dare and decided it wasn't an experience I ever wanted to repeat." She stuck her tongue out at the shocked faces.
"Patience Mount, I never." Trixie feigned offence.
"What can I say?" Patsy grinned, "I've always thought the best way to learn was from experience."
The table turned to the next Nurse in the line.
"Oh no," Nurse Crane protested, "I'm not one for these games, it's Shelagh's turn."
Shelagh smiled and was about to speak when Trixie interrupted.
"But we know Shelagh's already...or at least we know the who, I must admit, I'm rather curious about the when." Trixie suggested playfully.
No one noticed Dr. Turner walking towards the dining room to pick up his wife on his way home. He smiled at the sight of Shelagh laughing with her friends - something she never thought was possible only a year ago.
"You might not know as much as you think." Shelagh teased.
"You mean, Dr. Turner wasn't your first kiss?!" Trixie asked, enthralled with the possibilities.
Patrick stopped dead. He probably wasn't supposed to hear this conversation, but the part of him that respected his wife's privacy was losing horribly to the part of him that needed to know the answer to that question. He'd always just assumed he'd been her first, well, everything.
"No, he was my second." Shelagh said somewhat defiantly, proud that she'd managed to shock her friends.
"Dr. Turner!" Cynthia gasped.
Shelagh turned around so fast, she nearly fell off her chair.
"Patrick," she stammered, "what are you doing here?"
"I, um, I came to pick you up, but I can see I've come at a bad time." He paused awkwardly. "I'll see you at home." He turned around quickly and headed for the door.
"I'm sorry, I'll see you all tomorrow, I have to -" Shelagh rattled as she grabbed her coat.
"Go, lass. We'll see you tomorrow." Nurse Crane assured her.
"Well, that was awkward." Trixie stated. Cynthia gently elbowed her.
"Ow!"
Shelagh ran down the hall and out the door. Patrick was halfway down the stairs.
"Patrick!" She called out. "Patrick, wait!"
He stopped at the car and let her catch up.
"How much did you hear?" She asked.
"Shelagh, it doesn't matter, it's not as if you kissed someone else while we were together."
"I saw your face, dear, I know it bothers you." She replied.
"It doesn't," He started, but stopped at her raised eyebrow.
"Darling, why are you so jealous?" She asked softly. "It was so long ago, it didn't mean anything."
"I know that." He said honestly. "I really do know that. It just always felt so special to think that I was your first."
"You were my first everything else." She said cheekily. He smirked. "And you'll be my last." She promised sweetly.
He pulled her into a gentle kiss and quickly forgot why he was ever upset.
"Patrick." Shelagh whispered.
"Mmmhmm." He hummed against her cheek.
"Take me home."
Hours later, they lay together in a blissful, sleepy tangle of limbs and sweat, all worry and jealousy completely forgotten.
Patrick couldn't help but be curious, though.
"So, who was your first kiss?" He asked.
"Oh no, Patrick, are we back to that?" She sighed.
"I'm not upset, I'm just insatiably curious." He turned to look at her with the eagerness of a little boy in his eyes and she couldn't refuse him.
"You're insatiably a lot of things." She muttered. "His name was Colin. He lived on the farm next to us and one day, we were out playing,"
"Playing?" He asked.
"I was nine, Patrick, I told you it didn't mean anything, you silly man." she laughed, "Anyway, we were playing tag and he tagged me a little too hard and we both tripped and fell on top of each other and he just kissed me."
"What did you do?" Patrick asked.
"I laughed at him." Shelagh smiled, embarrassed. "I think I hurt his feelings, poor thing."
Patrick laughed and turned them so he hovered over her again, kissing her soundly.
"I'm glad you don't laugh when I'm on top of you kissing you." he said, his voice noticeably deeper than before.
"Never." Shelagh whispered before pulling him down.
6 down, 44 to go! Hope you enjoy!