Fic: Twist of Fate 4/? (Veronica/Weevil) (rated nc-17 overall)
TITLE: Twist of Fate 4/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
PAIRING: Weevil/Veronica
RATING: en.sea.xvii (NC-17) overall
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. I'm just having a little fun. I'll put the characters back when I'm finished, I promise.
SPOILERS: AU; although general seasons 1 and 2 knowledge applies.
NOTES: I had a thought while I was watching old episodes and making caps: what if Veronica had been on the bus? So, much of this is going to be AU. I apologise in advance ;)
A couple of weeks later, and just in time for Christmas vacation, Veronica's doctor had decided that she was well enough to return home. He had probably decided that because she had been begging to get out of the hospital for days; he stipulated that she had to stay off of her hip and leg as much as possible, and she would have to go to physical therapy as an outpatient.
Her father had been elated, and in his euphoria, he planned a party to mark her return to the Mars home. Veronica wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but she was determined to suck it up for her friends and family.
At least she was getting her favourite foods out of the deal.
She tolerated the nurse wheeling her to the exit, but the instant she saw Wallace pulling her LeBaron up to the door, she demanded to be released from the hellish hospital world.
"Hold on, girl," Wallace said, putting the car into park and hopping out to give her a hand. "We gotta do this right!" He saw Veronica shift the potted plant to her bad hand, and start to push herself out of the wheelchair and he put his hands out. "Stop! Sit your ass back down in that chair!"
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Wallace, I can hop on my good leg to the car. It's like two bunny hops."
"Well, Bunny, sit your ass back down and wait until I get your door open," he shot back.
The nurse, a woman named Helen who had been driving Veronica crazy every chance she got, chuckled and helped Wallace open the passenger side door and set Veronica up for a quick transfer into the vehicle.
Once she was settled, once her plant was settled in the backseat with the rest of her cards and flowers, Wallace folded her wheelchair and put it in the backseat.
Veronica groaned. "Can we get out of here already?"
"Hold your horses, Veronica."
"Look, my crutches are already at home, Dad's probably mapped out all the safest routes from my bedroom to the other rooms in our small apartment, and I'm sure he's probably fixed my bathroom with all of those safety bars and other invalid devices," she said, almost sounding snappish. "I'm sick of being confused, sick of forgetting things, sick of not feeling like myself, sick of not being able to walk, and I'm really, really sick of the hospital."
"Y'know, I'm so glad you have no problems with your speaking abilities," Wallace quipped, before hopping back into the driver's seat and closing the door.
Veronica sighed and closed her eyes. "Sorry... I'm just... so tired of this."
"I know," he said quietly. "Don't worry. I don't mind. Take all the time you need."
"Thanks," she murmured.
She kept her eyes closed for the entire drive; she enjoyed the wind on her face and in her hair, appreciating it more because the hospital's air supply seemed so stale.
She wondered if Wallace knew it took her a few minutes to realise where they were when he parked her car, but she didn't ask him. She figured it out all on her own, so she didn't see the need to worry her friend.
The instant he parked the car, she moved to open the car door. It was instinct---and Wallace reprimanded her for it.
"Just let me get your chair," he said, almost pleading with her.
"Somebody need a lift?"
Veronica turned and saw Eli standing in front of the car. She felt her lips curve into a smile before she could control the expression; he smiled back and walked around to her side of the car.
"You gonna push my new wheels?" she asked as he opened the door.
"Nah," he replied.
He didn't explain what he was doing, and before she knew what was happening, she was being lifted into his arms. Veronica squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped one arm around her back, and the other underneath her knees; she laughed into his neck and shoulder as he carried her into the complex.
Wallace chuckled and followed behind them with her wheelchair.
"You kidnapped me!" she squeaked as he brought her to the right apartment door.
"V, if I wanted to kidnap you, you'd know it," he told her, smiling at her. He turned his head and looked at Wallace. "Hey, Fennel, could you help me out?"
He nodded and opened the door, pushing the chair in and getting out of the way just as Eli brought her into the apartment.
"Thanks, man," Eli said to Veronica's other friend.
"No problem."
Veronica had been laughing, but she didn't miss the exchange between the two young men. She would have beamed at Wallace and teased him a little, before going to Eli and asking him if he made a new friend, but Eli jostled her a little, she laughed more, and then her father and everyone else in the apartment decided to prey upon her and subject her to greetings and well-wishes.
Eli put her on the sofa, and Keith made sure she was comfortable. Wallace turned on the music, and while he claimed to have picked a good song, the instant he saw his girlfriend at the door, he ignored the song completely.
Veronica watched Wallace and Jackie carefully. She had heard about her, through Wallace---and through Duncan and Eli, although neither of them knew her at all---and she was eager to see if this girl lived up to Veronica's standards of what her best friend's girlfriend should be.
"Retract those claws," Wallace scolded as he brought her a drink, flanked by Jackie. "Veronica, meet Jackie. Jackie, meet Veronica."
"Claws?" Veronica asked, smiling sweetly as she accepted her drink. "What claws?"
"Don't even try---"
Veronica laughed and extended her bad hand, since her right hand was holding onto her plastic cup. She realised how hard it would be for Jackie to shake it, and then she blushed and dropped her cast-covered hand.
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I keep forgetting."
"Don't worry about it," Jackie assured her, smiling almost too sweetly for Veronica's liking. "How are you doing?"
"My boys busted me out of the hospital!" Veronica exclaimed happily. "How do you think I feel?"
She saw the flinch in Jackie's face---it lasted only for a minute, but she saw it, and guessed that it was related to Veronica's use of possessive language. Wallace didn't see it; he started explaining how intensely focused Veronica was upon getting out of the hospital.
"Your boys?" Eli asked.
She beamed at him. "What? You don't wanna be mine?"
His guard had been down, and she had seen the light flushing that turned the tips of his ears pink.
"I'd rather it if you were mine," he shot back.
"But I want a manslave," Veronica teased in a drier tone of voice.
"You keep wishing, V, maybe you'll get one," he said, winking before getting up and heading to the kitchen.
Veronica watched in amazement as he offered help to her father, with cooking the meal, and as her father accepted the offer. A few minutes later, Cliff wandered over to them, and the three males were engrossed in conversation. And when Alicia went over to see Keith, she didn't flinch or cower or even grimace at the sight of Eli; she seemed relatively relaxed with him in her presence. Veronica smiled and leaned back on the sofa.
"You okay?" Wallace asked.
She realised she must have winced. She was a little sore, but she knew she had painkillers around somewhere, so the pain wouldn't be too hard to take care of; she just needed someone to sneak off and get them, without making too much fuss.
"A little stiff," she conceded.
"Want your meds?"
Veronica smiled. "Narcotics? Yes, please."
"The only time your dad'll let you get away with saying that," Wallace teased.
He got up and went to get her prescriptions, and Veronica looked up at Jackie. She smiled. "So... Wallace talks about you all the time," she said, hoping she sounded nice enough.
Jackie seemed pleased by that. "Oh, really?"
Veronica nodded. She had opened her mouth to say something else, but Mac came into the apartment, looking apologetic and a little unsure, and the instant Veronica saw the Q to her Bond, she felt her face light up.
"Veronica!" Mac exclaimed. She came over, carrying a spool of CD's that was wrapped up with a bow, and half-hugged Veronica carefully (because while they were happy to see each other, neither of them were really comfortable with hugging), before plunking herself down on the sofa. "Hey, Jackie," she said quietly.
"Hi, Mac," Jackie replied, as Wallace came back into the room.
Veronica let Mac fill her in on everything---she has a crush on Cassidy, she and Wallace were helping her dad out with some of the Mars Investigations' cases, school sucks, Butters has been making puppy-dog eyes in her general direction, and she dyed the stripes in her hair red---and then she took the pills from Wallace.
Wallace suggested that he and Jackie go get drinks, and once they left, Mac turned to Veronica, her eyes wide and worried. "I'm sorry I didn't go visit you in the hospital. It's just... they freak me out."
"Don't worry about it," Veronica assured the brunette. "It's okay." She pointed to the present in Mac's lap. "What's that?"
"This is all the television you missed," Mac said, sounding a little smug. "I burned everything onto DVD's, so you can watch them out here or on your computer. You've got some reality, some drama, the decent comedies... even some late-night television."
"Oh... you rock."
Mac smiled. "I try to. I just figured if you were taking it easy, you'd have a lot of free time on your hands."
Veronica knew the pills had kicked in, because she wrapped her arms around Mac's shoulders. "You're the best," she murmured.
"I thought that was me."
The petite blonde blushed when she saw Eli. She noticed that Mac looked a little amazed that "Weevil, you know, that scary, tattooed, biker guy" was teasing Veronica and spending time in her apartment, acting like he belonged there.
"Can't you two share?" Veronica asked, batting her eyelashes in Eli's direction.
"I don't share, V."
Mac gulped and then smiled a bit. "As long as you only beat me out by a small fraction, I'm okay with being second best."
Eli chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Red. We can share."
The computer-genius blushed a bit. "Okay. Cool. Wallace might get jealous."
"Wallace is busy," Veronica said wryly, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Besides, he knows what side of the toast the butter's on."
Eli chuckled and gently put his fingers over Veronica's shoulder. "Do you need anything, V?"
She shrugged. "I could eat... but I think Dad's working on that." She paused and frowned. "Where's Duncan?"
"I sent him an e-mail," Mac said quietly. "He knows about this."
When she felt Eli's fingers squeeze her shoulder tenderly, she turned to look at him. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm sure he'll come soon, V," he assured her. She watched his dark eyes for an emotional tell, and she thought she almost saw one, but before she could identify it he covered his tracks and his mask was in place. He smiled. "I'll go see how your dad's doing."
Once he was gone, Mac leaned in and whispered, "What is going on there?"
"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.
Mac arched an eyebrow and sighed in an exasperated tone. "Veronica, I mean with him and you!"
"Nothing!" Veronica hissed.
"Seriously?"
The blonde shrugged. "I don't know," she murmured. "I mean, we had a spat the day of the crash..." she trailed off.
She frowned as she tried to recall the fight. She knew that relations between the haves and the have-nots had been bad, after Logan's trial and the jury's verdict, so she guessed that her relationship with Eli had been strained. He told her it was a bad conversation, but he refused to tell her what had been said.
She shrugged again. "He's just always been there, Mac," she said in hushed tones, trying to explain. "He would come after hours, just because I couldn't sleep... he makes me smile. I mean, we have our issues and all, but when it's just us, everything's okay.
"He should be careful. I can't imagine his 'boys' would be too happy about him spending so much time with me," she added quietly. "But he never tells me... he never puts them first. Or so it seems. You know?"
"His boys aren't too happy these days, but it has nothing to do with you, believe me," Mac said quietly.
Veronica blinked. "What's going on?"
"I'll tell you later," Mac promised. "Call or e-mail me tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on what I've heard."
Veronica nodded.
&&&&
Cliff, Mac, Wallace, and Jackie were gone by eight that evening; Keith and Alicia had then gone to take Back-up for a walk. That left Eli and Veronica in the apartment, watching television while Eli cleaned up the kitchen.
"I had no idea you were so domestic," Veronica teased.
He glared at her. "V, I'd appreciate it if you didn't share this fact with the rest of the Neptune population."
She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
They lapsed into silence. Veronica didn't return her attention to the television; instead she found herself staring off into space. She wasn't even aware of it until she felt Eli's fingers on her shoulder.
She blinked and looked up at him. "Yeah?"
"You okay? I was talkin' to you for ten minutes before I realised you're lost in space or something," he explained.
Veronica blushed. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Is everything okay, V?"
She shrugged and sighed. "I guess."
"How's your head?"
"Physically or emotionally?" she asked.
Eli draped the dishcloth over his shoulder and sat down next to her. "Whichever you wanna talk about," he said.
"What makes you think I want to talk about either of them?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.
"You've got that look," he replied, leaning back so he could look at her.
She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm not... I don't feel like myself," she admitted. "I know the doctor said that could take some time... but..." she trailed off and looked even further away from Eli. "Am I different?"
"Not really," he replied. "I mean, you've been through a lot, Veronica. And that sort of thing would... effect anyone's head, y'know?" He paused and shrugged. "You're tough, but you're not invincible, V. And you're not like a pod person. You're just, trying to make sense of everything."
She nodded and bit her lower lip. Duncan hadn't shown up to celebrate her departure from the hospital; he hadn't visited much at all, and she was beginning to wonder if he didn't like the person she had woken up to be.
"Where'd you go?"
She blinked and glanced at Eli again. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Call him and talk to him, V," Eli advised. "Because you'll drive yourself crazy."
She smiled a bit. "Am I that obvious?"
"Yeah."
"God, I've completely lost my touch," she complained, before burying her face in a throw pillow.
"What else is wrong?"
She turned her head just enough to peek at him with one eye. "Can we put this conversation on hold until I've got it a bit more figured out?"
He nodded. He left the sofa and finished the dishes, and then he grabbed his jacket and prepared to leave. Veronica had taken another painkiller by that point, and she was feeling rather groggy when Eli walked over to her. The sensation of his fingers brushing her arm made her shiver and smile.
"See you later, V," he said quietly, before turning and walking towards the door.
Veronica closed her eyes and rode out the medication high; when she opened her eyes, she noticed that Back-up was on the sofa with her and her father was sipping coffee at the island.
"Hey, Veronica," he said quietly. "Everything okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah," she replied, "although I think I might have to go lie down soon."
"If you need any help, you let me know, alright?"
She nodded again, this time with a smile on her face. "Alright," she murmured, before reaching out and petting Back-up's head.
It took her a few seconds to notice that someone was knocking on the door. Keith got up and answered it, and then stepped aside to let Duncan inside.
Veronica gave him a tight smile. "You missed my party," she said, sounding very sleepy.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, as he offered her a bouquet of roses.
She accepted them and inhaled their scent, before setting them down on the coffee table. "I'm watching the weeks of television I missed while I was out cold," she told him. "Wanna sit with me?"
"Don't stay up too late," Keith warned as he left the kitchen. "Veronica, if you need me, holler."
"Thanks, Dad," she called out to his back.
"Thanks, Mr. Mars," Duncan echoed, as he made his way over to the sofa. He settled down next to Veronica and put his arm around her shoulders. After kissing her temple, he smiled and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better."
She turned her head and kissed him---not because she needed to, but because she felt like it was the right thing to do. She didn't feel right in her skin; but she didn't want Duncan knowing that.
"Why didn't you show up?" she asked quietly.
He sighed and kissed her temple again. "I had an interesting day," he said, in a tone of voice that told Veronica he did not want to discuss the events of his day.
She nodded. "Oh... okay."
"I just want to hold you for a little while," he whispered into her hair. "And then, I'll help you into bed... and let myself out."
"What a gentleman," Veronica murmured in a teasing tone of voice.
After a few moments of watching television and not talking, Veronica turned her head and looked at her boyfriend. He didn't look very happy; she knew her investigative skills were a little rusty, but she knew what "deep-in-thought" and "upset" looked like from a mile away.
Especially on Duncan's face.
TBC...
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
PAIRING: Weevil/Veronica
RATING: en.sea.xvii (NC-17) overall
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone. I'm just having a little fun. I'll put the characters back when I'm finished, I promise.
SPOILERS: AU; although general seasons 1 and 2 knowledge applies.
NOTES: I had a thought while I was watching old episodes and making caps: what if Veronica had been on the bus? So, much of this is going to be AU. I apologise in advance ;)
A couple of weeks later, and just in time for Christmas vacation, Veronica's doctor had decided that she was well enough to return home. He had probably decided that because she had been begging to get out of the hospital for days; he stipulated that she had to stay off of her hip and leg as much as possible, and she would have to go to physical therapy as an outpatient.
Her father had been elated, and in his euphoria, he planned a party to mark her return to the Mars home. Veronica wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but she was determined to suck it up for her friends and family.
At least she was getting her favourite foods out of the deal.
She tolerated the nurse wheeling her to the exit, but the instant she saw Wallace pulling her LeBaron up to the door, she demanded to be released from the hellish hospital world.
"Hold on, girl," Wallace said, putting the car into park and hopping out to give her a hand. "We gotta do this right!" He saw Veronica shift the potted plant to her bad hand, and start to push herself out of the wheelchair and he put his hands out. "Stop! Sit your ass back down in that chair!"
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Wallace, I can hop on my good leg to the car. It's like two bunny hops."
"Well, Bunny, sit your ass back down and wait until I get your door open," he shot back.
The nurse, a woman named Helen who had been driving Veronica crazy every chance she got, chuckled and helped Wallace open the passenger side door and set Veronica up for a quick transfer into the vehicle.
Once she was settled, once her plant was settled in the backseat with the rest of her cards and flowers, Wallace folded her wheelchair and put it in the backseat.
Veronica groaned. "Can we get out of here already?"
"Hold your horses, Veronica."
"Look, my crutches are already at home, Dad's probably mapped out all the safest routes from my bedroom to the other rooms in our small apartment, and I'm sure he's probably fixed my bathroom with all of those safety bars and other invalid devices," she said, almost sounding snappish. "I'm sick of being confused, sick of forgetting things, sick of not feeling like myself, sick of not being able to walk, and I'm really, really sick of the hospital."
"Y'know, I'm so glad you have no problems with your speaking abilities," Wallace quipped, before hopping back into the driver's seat and closing the door.
Veronica sighed and closed her eyes. "Sorry... I'm just... so tired of this."
"I know," he said quietly. "Don't worry. I don't mind. Take all the time you need."
"Thanks," she murmured.
She kept her eyes closed for the entire drive; she enjoyed the wind on her face and in her hair, appreciating it more because the hospital's air supply seemed so stale.
She wondered if Wallace knew it took her a few minutes to realise where they were when he parked her car, but she didn't ask him. She figured it out all on her own, so she didn't see the need to worry her friend.
The instant he parked the car, she moved to open the car door. It was instinct---and Wallace reprimanded her for it.
"Just let me get your chair," he said, almost pleading with her.
"Somebody need a lift?"
Veronica turned and saw Eli standing in front of the car. She felt her lips curve into a smile before she could control the expression; he smiled back and walked around to her side of the car.
"You gonna push my new wheels?" she asked as he opened the door.
"Nah," he replied.
He didn't explain what he was doing, and before she knew what was happening, she was being lifted into his arms. Veronica squeaked and wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped one arm around her back, and the other underneath her knees; she laughed into his neck and shoulder as he carried her into the complex.
Wallace chuckled and followed behind them with her wheelchair.
"You kidnapped me!" she squeaked as he brought her to the right apartment door.
"V, if I wanted to kidnap you, you'd know it," he told her, smiling at her. He turned his head and looked at Wallace. "Hey, Fennel, could you help me out?"
He nodded and opened the door, pushing the chair in and getting out of the way just as Eli brought her into the apartment.
"Thanks, man," Eli said to Veronica's other friend.
"No problem."
Veronica had been laughing, but she didn't miss the exchange between the two young men. She would have beamed at Wallace and teased him a little, before going to Eli and asking him if he made a new friend, but Eli jostled her a little, she laughed more, and then her father and everyone else in the apartment decided to prey upon her and subject her to greetings and well-wishes.
Eli put her on the sofa, and Keith made sure she was comfortable. Wallace turned on the music, and while he claimed to have picked a good song, the instant he saw his girlfriend at the door, he ignored the song completely.
Veronica watched Wallace and Jackie carefully. She had heard about her, through Wallace---and through Duncan and Eli, although neither of them knew her at all---and she was eager to see if this girl lived up to Veronica's standards of what her best friend's girlfriend should be.
"Retract those claws," Wallace scolded as he brought her a drink, flanked by Jackie. "Veronica, meet Jackie. Jackie, meet Veronica."
"Claws?" Veronica asked, smiling sweetly as she accepted her drink. "What claws?"
"Don't even try---"
Veronica laughed and extended her bad hand, since her right hand was holding onto her plastic cup. She realised how hard it would be for Jackie to shake it, and then she blushed and dropped her cast-covered hand.
"Sorry," she said quietly. "I keep forgetting."
"Don't worry about it," Jackie assured her, smiling almost too sweetly for Veronica's liking. "How are you doing?"
"My boys busted me out of the hospital!" Veronica exclaimed happily. "How do you think I feel?"
She saw the flinch in Jackie's face---it lasted only for a minute, but she saw it, and guessed that it was related to Veronica's use of possessive language. Wallace didn't see it; he started explaining how intensely focused Veronica was upon getting out of the hospital.
"Your boys?" Eli asked.
She beamed at him. "What? You don't wanna be mine?"
His guard had been down, and she had seen the light flushing that turned the tips of his ears pink.
"I'd rather it if you were mine," he shot back.
"But I want a manslave," Veronica teased in a drier tone of voice.
"You keep wishing, V, maybe you'll get one," he said, winking before getting up and heading to the kitchen.
Veronica watched in amazement as he offered help to her father, with cooking the meal, and as her father accepted the offer. A few minutes later, Cliff wandered over to them, and the three males were engrossed in conversation. And when Alicia went over to see Keith, she didn't flinch or cower or even grimace at the sight of Eli; she seemed relatively relaxed with him in her presence. Veronica smiled and leaned back on the sofa.
"You okay?" Wallace asked.
She realised she must have winced. She was a little sore, but she knew she had painkillers around somewhere, so the pain wouldn't be too hard to take care of; she just needed someone to sneak off and get them, without making too much fuss.
"A little stiff," she conceded.
"Want your meds?"
Veronica smiled. "Narcotics? Yes, please."
"The only time your dad'll let you get away with saying that," Wallace teased.
He got up and went to get her prescriptions, and Veronica looked up at Jackie. She smiled. "So... Wallace talks about you all the time," she said, hoping she sounded nice enough.
Jackie seemed pleased by that. "Oh, really?"
Veronica nodded. She had opened her mouth to say something else, but Mac came into the apartment, looking apologetic and a little unsure, and the instant Veronica saw the Q to her Bond, she felt her face light up.
"Veronica!" Mac exclaimed. She came over, carrying a spool of CD's that was wrapped up with a bow, and half-hugged Veronica carefully (because while they were happy to see each other, neither of them were really comfortable with hugging), before plunking herself down on the sofa. "Hey, Jackie," she said quietly.
"Hi, Mac," Jackie replied, as Wallace came back into the room.
Veronica let Mac fill her in on everything---she has a crush on Cassidy, she and Wallace were helping her dad out with some of the Mars Investigations' cases, school sucks, Butters has been making puppy-dog eyes in her general direction, and she dyed the stripes in her hair red---and then she took the pills from Wallace.
Wallace suggested that he and Jackie go get drinks, and once they left, Mac turned to Veronica, her eyes wide and worried. "I'm sorry I didn't go visit you in the hospital. It's just... they freak me out."
"Don't worry about it," Veronica assured the brunette. "It's okay." She pointed to the present in Mac's lap. "What's that?"
"This is all the television you missed," Mac said, sounding a little smug. "I burned everything onto DVD's, so you can watch them out here or on your computer. You've got some reality, some drama, the decent comedies... even some late-night television."
"Oh... you rock."
Mac smiled. "I try to. I just figured if you were taking it easy, you'd have a lot of free time on your hands."
Veronica knew the pills had kicked in, because she wrapped her arms around Mac's shoulders. "You're the best," she murmured.
"I thought that was me."
The petite blonde blushed when she saw Eli. She noticed that Mac looked a little amazed that "Weevil, you know, that scary, tattooed, biker guy" was teasing Veronica and spending time in her apartment, acting like he belonged there.
"Can't you two share?" Veronica asked, batting her eyelashes in Eli's direction.
"I don't share, V."
Mac gulped and then smiled a bit. "As long as you only beat me out by a small fraction, I'm okay with being second best."
Eli chuckled. "Don't worry about it, Red. We can share."
The computer-genius blushed a bit. "Okay. Cool. Wallace might get jealous."
"Wallace is busy," Veronica said wryly, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Besides, he knows what side of the toast the butter's on."
Eli chuckled and gently put his fingers over Veronica's shoulder. "Do you need anything, V?"
She shrugged. "I could eat... but I think Dad's working on that." She paused and frowned. "Where's Duncan?"
"I sent him an e-mail," Mac said quietly. "He knows about this."
When she felt Eli's fingers squeeze her shoulder tenderly, she turned to look at him. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm sure he'll come soon, V," he assured her. She watched his dark eyes for an emotional tell, and she thought she almost saw one, but before she could identify it he covered his tracks and his mask was in place. He smiled. "I'll go see how your dad's doing."
Once he was gone, Mac leaned in and whispered, "What is going on there?"
"What do you mean?" Veronica asked.
Mac arched an eyebrow and sighed in an exasperated tone. "Veronica, I mean with him and you!"
"Nothing!" Veronica hissed.
"Seriously?"
The blonde shrugged. "I don't know," she murmured. "I mean, we had a spat the day of the crash..." she trailed off.
She frowned as she tried to recall the fight. She knew that relations between the haves and the have-nots had been bad, after Logan's trial and the jury's verdict, so she guessed that her relationship with Eli had been strained. He told her it was a bad conversation, but he refused to tell her what had been said.
She shrugged again. "He's just always been there, Mac," she said in hushed tones, trying to explain. "He would come after hours, just because I couldn't sleep... he makes me smile. I mean, we have our issues and all, but when it's just us, everything's okay.
"He should be careful. I can't imagine his 'boys' would be too happy about him spending so much time with me," she added quietly. "But he never tells me... he never puts them first. Or so it seems. You know?"
"His boys aren't too happy these days, but it has nothing to do with you, believe me," Mac said quietly.
Veronica blinked. "What's going on?"
"I'll tell you later," Mac promised. "Call or e-mail me tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on what I've heard."
Veronica nodded.
&&&&
Cliff, Mac, Wallace, and Jackie were gone by eight that evening; Keith and Alicia had then gone to take Back-up for a walk. That left Eli and Veronica in the apartment, watching television while Eli cleaned up the kitchen.
"I had no idea you were so domestic," Veronica teased.
He glared at her. "V, I'd appreciate it if you didn't share this fact with the rest of the Neptune population."
She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
They lapsed into silence. Veronica didn't return her attention to the television; instead she found herself staring off into space. She wasn't even aware of it until she felt Eli's fingers on her shoulder.
She blinked and looked up at him. "Yeah?"
"You okay? I was talkin' to you for ten minutes before I realised you're lost in space or something," he explained.
Veronica blushed. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Is everything okay, V?"
She shrugged and sighed. "I guess."
"How's your head?"
"Physically or emotionally?" she asked.
Eli draped the dishcloth over his shoulder and sat down next to her. "Whichever you wanna talk about," he said.
"What makes you think I want to talk about either of them?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.
"You've got that look," he replied, leaning back so he could look at her.
She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm not... I don't feel like myself," she admitted. "I know the doctor said that could take some time... but..." she trailed off and looked even further away from Eli. "Am I different?"
"Not really," he replied. "I mean, you've been through a lot, Veronica. And that sort of thing would... effect anyone's head, y'know?" He paused and shrugged. "You're tough, but you're not invincible, V. And you're not like a pod person. You're just, trying to make sense of everything."
She nodded and bit her lower lip. Duncan hadn't shown up to celebrate her departure from the hospital; he hadn't visited much at all, and she was beginning to wonder if he didn't like the person she had woken up to be.
"Where'd you go?"
She blinked and glanced at Eli again. "Sorry," she whispered.
"Call him and talk to him, V," Eli advised. "Because you'll drive yourself crazy."
She smiled a bit. "Am I that obvious?"
"Yeah."
"God, I've completely lost my touch," she complained, before burying her face in a throw pillow.
"What else is wrong?"
She turned her head just enough to peek at him with one eye. "Can we put this conversation on hold until I've got it a bit more figured out?"
He nodded. He left the sofa and finished the dishes, and then he grabbed his jacket and prepared to leave. Veronica had taken another painkiller by that point, and she was feeling rather groggy when Eli walked over to her. The sensation of his fingers brushing her arm made her shiver and smile.
"See you later, V," he said quietly, before turning and walking towards the door.
Veronica closed her eyes and rode out the medication high; when she opened her eyes, she noticed that Back-up was on the sofa with her and her father was sipping coffee at the island.
"Hey, Veronica," he said quietly. "Everything okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah," she replied, "although I think I might have to go lie down soon."
"If you need any help, you let me know, alright?"
She nodded again, this time with a smile on her face. "Alright," she murmured, before reaching out and petting Back-up's head.
It took her a few seconds to notice that someone was knocking on the door. Keith got up and answered it, and then stepped aside to let Duncan inside.
Veronica gave him a tight smile. "You missed my party," she said, sounding very sleepy.
"I'm sorry about that," he said, as he offered her a bouquet of roses.
She accepted them and inhaled their scent, before setting them down on the coffee table. "I'm watching the weeks of television I missed while I was out cold," she told him. "Wanna sit with me?"
"Don't stay up too late," Keith warned as he left the kitchen. "Veronica, if you need me, holler."
"Thanks, Dad," she called out to his back.
"Thanks, Mr. Mars," Duncan echoed, as he made his way over to the sofa. He settled down next to Veronica and put his arm around her shoulders. After kissing her temple, he smiled and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better."
She turned her head and kissed him---not because she needed to, but because she felt like it was the right thing to do. She didn't feel right in her skin; but she didn't want Duncan knowing that.
"Why didn't you show up?" she asked quietly.
He sighed and kissed her temple again. "I had an interesting day," he said, in a tone of voice that told Veronica he did not want to discuss the events of his day.
She nodded. "Oh... okay."
"I just want to hold you for a little while," he whispered into her hair. "And then, I'll help you into bed... and let myself out."
"What a gentleman," Veronica murmured in a teasing tone of voice.
After a few moments of watching television and not talking, Veronica turned her head and looked at her boyfriend. He didn't look very happy; she knew her investigative skills were a little rusty, but she knew what "deep-in-thought" and "upset" looked like from a mile away.
Especially on Duncan's face.
TBC...