Fic: Twist of Fate 6/? (Veronica/Weevil) (rated nc-17 overall)
TITLE: Twist of Fate 6/?
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
PAIRING: Duncan/Veronica, Weevil/Veronica
RATING: en.sea.xvii (NC-17) overall
WORD COUNT: 3379
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 ;)
The first week at school had been both emotionally and physically draining. The first two days ended with Veronica crying in her room; the next two days began with yelling matches with Duncan in the parking lot. Wallace tried to interfere, tried to push her wheelchair (with her in it) towards the school before her boyfriend saw them, but Duncan always caught up.
On Friday, Eli had told Duncan to "step off" and Veronica was pretty sure there was an "or else" somewhere between the lines; she told Eli she appreciated the effort, but she didn't want to have to depend on the guys in her life for protection.
He hadn't seemed upset when she told him. Instead, he seemed pleased. And that left Veronica feeling very confused.
She kept her physical therapy appointment on Saturday, and on Sunday, she and Wallace hung out, while she did the exercises her therapist told her to do.
Duncan called Sunday afternoon, but Veronica didn't pick up the phone.
"Honey," Keith said as she watched him cook their supper. "You're going to have to talk to him."
"I want revenge first."
He gave her his best fatherly look. "He's not going through anything easy, Veronica," he reminded her. "He found out you were going out with Logan... and then that Logan's dad killed his sister... and then, after Meg breaks up with him, you two get together, but you then were in the accident. You were in a coma, and he finds out that Meg's pregnant with his child. And you're not talking to him now, and spending quite a bit of time with another guy from school." He paused. "Sweetheart, he doesn't deserve revenge. He's probably in his own version of hell."
"Another guy from school? Wallace?" Veronica asked. "Why on earth would Duncan be---Oh. Eli?" Her father raised his eyebrows. "Daaad!"
He smiled and shrugged. "I just know what I see," he said quietly, before returning his attention to preparing their meal.
"We're friends!" Veronica protested.
"Veronica. I'm your father. And a man."
"I've noticed both of statements are true," she quipped.
"He visited you every day in the hospital," Keith pointed out. "He visits you here, he carries your books at school---"
"We're friends!" she repeated.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to hear you say that," he said, putting his hands up. "I don't exactly want my daughter mixed up in gang stuff---"
"He was kicked out of the gang."
Keith shrugged. "Okay... well, that makes me happy, too, but my point is---"
"I know what your point is," she assured him. "And we're not together."
"He wants you two to be," Keith said. "He has a thing for one of the members of the Mars family, and it's definitely not me."
Veronica smiled. "Could always be Back-up."
Keith chuckled and finished making their meal.
&&&&
Monday morning, she got settled into her wheelchair and told Wallace to carry her books.
"You don't want a push?"
"I need to get back to taking care of myself," she said firmly, while putting her hands onto the wheels of her chair. "Besides, I'm only in this for a little while longer, full time, and then I can start using the crutches a bit."
"Cool."
"I hope so," Veronica replied.
When they saw Duncan approaching them---even though Wallace and Eli told him to get lost, he still kept trying to see Veronica---Wallace asked if she wanted him to stay or go.
Veronica sighed. "I need to talk to Duncan," she said quietly, even though all she wanted to do was hide. "I can't stay and fix things, or go and move on, until we start talking to each other again."
"Good," Wallace said, smiling.
"Are you guys all networked or something?" Veronica asked. "I get depressed, Mac calls Eli... Dad and Eli must've had a conversation to get me back to school. Were you in on it, too? Did you guys all talk about my relationship---"
Wallace snorted. "God, don't think so highly of yourself. We don't have a Veronica-Network." He smirked. "It took Mac three days to work up the courage to talk to Weevil, by the way. She knew you were depressed and she knew you weren't seeing any of us. She figured he'd be able to get through to you."
"Three days? He's not that scary."
"Veronica, she's a computer geek. He's... not."
She smiled. "True."
"Hey," Duncan said quietly, as he finally reached them. "Veronica, can I see you for a minute before class?"
She nodded. "If you carry my books, yeah."
Duncan took her books from Wallace and once her friend was gone, Veronica looked up at Duncan. "Is there someplace we can stop and talk?"
"I don't think fifteen minutes before the bell is gonna give us enough time, but---"
"It'll be a start," she interrupted gently.
He walked over to a bench near the quad, and she rolled alongside of him. Once he sat down and set their school supplies down, she sighed and he looked everywhere except at her face.
"So..."
Duncan sighed. "I should have told you when I first found out."
"Yeah."
"But, you just woke up... and you weren't quite yourself... and I didn't know how you'd take it."
"No better than how I'm taking it now," she pointed out.
He sighed again. "I guess."
"When did you find out?"
"A day or two after the bus crash," he replied. "Meg told me then. We were going to come in and tell you when you woke up... but Weevil was there and your dad... and... and it wasn't the right time---"
Veronica's mouth fell open. "So, that's what set Eli off when he went to leave... Meg was there."
"Yeah."
She closed her mouth and nodded slowly.
"I didn't cheat---"
"She's just about ready to have the baby, Duncan... I know you didn't cheat on me. The math doesn't add up," she interrupted quietly. "I'm not mad because I thought you... did that. I'm mad because you didn't tell me."
"Who did? Weevil?"
"No... and why are you---"
"I don't like the way he looks at you," Duncan said, cutting her off. "It would be just like him to try to break---"
"You don't know him, so you shouldn't comment on what would be 'like him' to do," Veronica scolded sharply. "And I'm really getting sick of people telling me that he's trying to hook up with me. He's been nothing but a good friend!"
Duncan opened his mouth to speak, but Veronica put her hand out and spoke first. "And he didn't tell me about Meg. I saw you two out walking around your house."
"Oh."
She reached out and touched his arm. "What are you going to do?" she asked quietly. "Have you and Meg talked yet?"
He sighed and shook his head. "We try to talk about it... but it's so hard to figure out," he told her. "Her parents are furious. And they want Meg to give the baby up for adoption... but the agency they want to go with is just so... religious. And that makes both of us uncomfortable."
She nodded and slipped her hand down to his. "Whatever you two decide to do... you know I'll support you, right?"
He sighed and turned his hand over so his fingers threaded through hers. After pressing a kiss to her knuckles, he looked at her. "Even if we decide to keep the baby?"
"Duncan, your child is more important," she whispered. "Whatever I can do to help... I love you... just name it."
"Are we okay?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Maybe in a few days," she murmured, smiling at him. "I just need you to stop hiding and lying... okay?"
He nodded. "Okay."
"Now... do you mind coming with me to my locker?"
"Not at all," he murmured, before leaning in to kiss her.
Veronica's lips curved into a smile against his; she felt like some of her life was fitting together, and she figured the rest would fall into place soon enough.
&&&&
In the spirit of getting her life back together, Veronica had decided to volunteer for the Future Business Leaders of America, at their booth in the Winter Carnival.
The booth served Slushies---Electric Lemonade, Tropical Vanilla, Cherry Banana, Rainbow Mix, Punch, and Blue Raspberry---and Snow Cones---Icicle Blue, Strawberry, Grape, Green Apple, Cherry Pink, and Cotton Candy. It was a popular booth; it seemed many people were looking for a sugary high while they enjoyed the other activities at the carnival.
"Slushies!" Veronica called out, trying to shore up some more support.
Logan came over, a grin on his face.
Veronica called out again to the masses: "Get your ice cold frozen... sugar water!"
"You had me at 'ice cold.'"
With a tight smile, Veronica asked, "What's your poison?"
Logan smiled and walked around to the front of the booth. "Let's see... uh, I want something that suits my mood."
"Oooh. I'm sorry," Veronica shot back, "we're all out of liquid evil."
Logan snorted. "I thought you didn't think I was evil anymore."
Veronica smiled. "You haven't offered to carry my books for me yet."
"Don't you have a backpack you can attach to the back of your new wheels?" Logan inquired. "Come to think of it... where are your new wheels?"
Veronica's smile turned into a smirk. "I am wheel-free today," she announced, motioning to the crutches propped up against the ice machine. "As long as I don't bear too much weight on it, I'm fine."
"Hey, that's some quick healing," he pointed out.
"Hey, I did most of the healing while I was out cold," she said. She tilted her head to one side. "Did you decide on what you want?"
"I'll take two of whatever will turn my tongue blue," he replied.
She turned and went to get his drinks.
"Hot date?" she asked as casually as she could make it sound.
"Rain check?" he shot back.
Veronica glared at him. He smiled and shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he said, not sounding at all apologetic. He shrugged again. "Night with the fellas, you know how it is."
"Right..." she trailed off and the shot him a quick glance. "Hey, have you talked to Duncan lately?"
She knew they had made up sometime while she was in a coma---Logan had filled her in on one of his visits to her house. They met a couple of times in the hospital, and it had been awkward; over time, they started slowly talking about their summers, and then, when Logan's house had been burned down---by Eli and his friends, Veronica guessed, but since she missed it, she never discussed it with him---Duncan offered Logan the other room in his hotel suite. They had been back to being inseparable ever since.
"I don't know what he and Mommy-to-be are doing," he said as he fished his wallet out of his back pocket. "He doesn't like to talk about that much."
"Yeah... no kidding," Veronica muttered.
"Pies! Pep Squad pies!" Madison called out from her booth, distracting both Logan and Veronica.
"Boy," Logan said in a wry tone of voice. "Boy, people really love Pep Squad Pie."
Veronica looked over at the booth. "It's genius," she commented, "Madison's dad gives her forty bucks to buy a pie from some chi-chi bakery and then drops three bills to buy it back in front of a live studio audience. He loves her."
She brought the Slushies over, their bright turquoise colour almost blinding her.
Logan said in an amused tone of voice, "Oh, the rich---how they mock you."
He handed her a fifty dollar bill. Veronica gasped, mock-shock written all over her face and laced through her voice as she asked, "There's a fifty dollar bill?"
"Had them made special," Logan told her, smirking.
She laughed quietly, and took the money pouch out to make change for Logan. He left, saluting her with one of the drinks in his hands, and then Veronica returned to work.
She hadn't expected to be solving a mystery at the end of the carnival. But, it had been fun to see Ms. Hauser and J.B. squirm; Madison's displeasure had been icing on the cake.
And while she wasn't sure what the tagging on the paddle was all about, she was pretty sure that the copy she made would become valuable information at some point.
For the first time in a long time, she felt more like her old self. She went to bed feeling more optimistic than she had since she woke up from the coma.
The next day, she woke up and decided that she would use her crutches instead of her wheelchair. That sent her father off to work with a smile on his face; she went to school with a smile on her face because she decided she could drive there on her own.
She was on her way out of the parking lot when she saw a lime green car pulling into one of the vacant spaces. She saw Eli behind the wheel; as she approached, he got out of the car.
"Got a funny story for you," she said, smiling. "I call it, 'How Eli got his new car.'"
"Well, are there pictures?" he asked. He smirked. "'Cause I'm a little slow."
"Remember that whole thing with Nancy's number on the fifty dollar bill? Yeah, I made it up."
He smiled and shook his head. "You haven't lost your skill, girl. Not a bit of it."
"I'm not as quick as I once was," she said, smiling back at him. "But, I can still put the clues together."
His smile turned into a grin. "I know."
"The sheriff let your buddy Thumper go," she said, using the term 'buddy' loosely. "The bag of pills you planted? Ephedrine. There is one thing I can't figure out, and it's pretty much driving me insane. I know you broke Thumper's lock, just took off your own and put it on Thumper's locker, but I don't know how you did it. Where did you hide the cash box?"
"The two places you looked for it."
"What?!"
He chuckled. "V, the cash box was in my niece's backpack, and then she went into the ball pit, stashed the box... we got the third degree from you---like I didn't know that was coming---"
"Then she went back in and got the box."
Eli nodded.
"While I was having the ball pit drained," Veronica continued, "you were planting cash and ephedrine in Thumper's locker."
"Well," Eli admitted, "I had to go back later and add the incriminating fifty dollar bill."
She tilted her head. "So... when you rented The Thomas Crown Affair... McQueen or Brosnan?"
He didn't reply; instead, he grinned at her.
After a minute, he asked, "Is it your undying love for me or just good, old-fashioned lust, V?"
She put her hand to her ear. "¿Qué?"
"That kept you from turning me in," he explained.
She put her finger on her lower lip and thought for a moment. Then she pointed at him.
"Love," she said quietly.
She tapped her lip and then pointed at him, again.
"Of rollercoasters."
He chuckled, but she saw the tension in his shoulders and wondered what that was about.
"And," Veronica added, "hatred of anything that requires me to tie a sweater over my shoulders and be at sea with my classmates. Nothing to do with you."
"I'm hurt, V."
"I'm sure you'll recover."
He shrugged. "I don't know about that..."
"So, when are you gonna pick me up and take me for a spin in your new wheels?"
He smiled again. "How does tonight sound?"
"Excellent, add a stop at an ice cream place along the way, and we have a deal," she said, beaming at him.
"I'll pick you up at... eight?"
Veronica smiled. "Sounds good."
She balanced herself on one crutch and lifted her fist up; he mirrored her actions and they gently tapped their knuckles together.
"See you later, Eli," she said, before taking her crutches back up and hobbling off towards one of the school's entrances.
&&&&
When she got home from school that day, she did her homework quickly; she was looking forward to her evening plans, and she didn't want anything to get in the way of her having a good time.
A knock on her bedroom door interrupted her from finishing her last pre-calculus problem.
"Hey, honey?" her father said as he opened her door.
"What's up, Dad?"
"I just got a tip on a---"
"Go," she said with a smile. "I've got Back-up to keep me safe."
"And Duncan."
"What?"
Keith smiled. "He's here, wanting to see you."
"Oh... okay. Tell him I'll be right out," she said, as she set her pencil down. "And you, be careful, okay?"
"Careful's my middle name," he reminded her with a grin. "I'll call if I'm going to be later than a day."
She smiled at him. "I know the drill."
After he left her room, she got up on her crutches and made her way to the living room. Duncan looked miserable; she didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she felt a sinking sensation inside her body.
"Hey, you," she murmured.
"Hey."
She sat down on the sofa. He followed.
"What's going on?" she asked quietly.
"Meg had our baby today," he told her.
Veronica forced herself to smile. While Meg had been pregnant, Veronica could ignore how everything would change a bit better; Duncan's news changed everything. The baby was suddenly much more real, once alive.
"Congratulations," she whispered, reaching out and rubbing Duncan's arm. "Boy or girl?"
"A girl," he admitted. "A girl... we named her Lilly."
"Oh... that's... that's perfect," Veronica murmured.
"We need your help."
That sinking sensation turned into a canyon, filled with negative feelings. She nodded slowly. "Right now?"
"Please."
She took her cellular phone off of the clip at her belt and quickly called Eli.
"Hey," she said quietly when he answered. "I'm gonna have to postpone our ice cream plans."
"That's cool, V. Everything okay?"
"Hardly," she replied as honestly as she could.
He paused. She wondered what he was going to say.
"Call me if you need anything, a'right?"
"I will," she promised. "Thank you."
She ended the call and looked at Duncan. "Okay. What can I do?"
He sighed. "Meg's dad is pushing for adoption. He's already drawing papers up and stuff."
"What are you going to do?"
"Run."
Veronica's eyes widened. "Duncan---"
"He abuses Grace, and the place he wants to send Lilly is just as bad, Veronica. We aren't going to let our daughter go to someone who uses psychological abuse and religious indoctrination as---"
"Hey," she interrupted quietly. "I know... I get it... what can I do for you?"
"We need to get out of town. Quickly. And without leaving a trace of evidence so your dad can't find us, when he eventually gets hired by the Mannings or my parents."
"Duncan..."
"I love you," he assured her. "I'll always love you. But that's my daughter, Veronica! I need to protect her!"
"If you go... we can't ever... I mean, you'll have to break all ties with Logan... with me..."
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know," he said quietly.
She looked over at him and saw how sad he looked. She cupped his face in her hands and gently kissed him.
"Let's get started," she whispered. "How soon before Meg and Lilly can leave the hospital?"
"A couple of days," he told her. "Lilly was a little jaundiced and she's having trouble keeping body heat."
"Doesn't she know how hot her namesake was?" Veronica teased, hoping to insert some humour into the conversation. When Duncan didn't smile, she rubbed his arms. "We'll need to skip class tomorrow... you'll need to get cash, we'll need to handle travel documents and all that... and we'll need to get Meg's stuff, too."
Duncan hugged her close and whispered how grateful he was in her ear. Veronica hugged him back, wondering if that was the last time she'd ever feel her first love in her arms.
TBC...
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
PAIRING: Duncan/Veronica, Weevil/Veronica
RATING: en.sea.xvii (NC-17) overall
WORD COUNT: 3379
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 ;)
The first week at school had been both emotionally and physically draining. The first two days ended with Veronica crying in her room; the next two days began with yelling matches with Duncan in the parking lot. Wallace tried to interfere, tried to push her wheelchair (with her in it) towards the school before her boyfriend saw them, but Duncan always caught up.
On Friday, Eli had told Duncan to "step off" and Veronica was pretty sure there was an "or else" somewhere between the lines; she told Eli she appreciated the effort, but she didn't want to have to depend on the guys in her life for protection.
He hadn't seemed upset when she told him. Instead, he seemed pleased. And that left Veronica feeling very confused.
She kept her physical therapy appointment on Saturday, and on Sunday, she and Wallace hung out, while she did the exercises her therapist told her to do.
Duncan called Sunday afternoon, but Veronica didn't pick up the phone.
"Honey," Keith said as she watched him cook their supper. "You're going to have to talk to him."
"I want revenge first."
He gave her his best fatherly look. "He's not going through anything easy, Veronica," he reminded her. "He found out you were going out with Logan... and then that Logan's dad killed his sister... and then, after Meg breaks up with him, you two get together, but you then were in the accident. You were in a coma, and he finds out that Meg's pregnant with his child. And you're not talking to him now, and spending quite a bit of time with another guy from school." He paused. "Sweetheart, he doesn't deserve revenge. He's probably in his own version of hell."
"Another guy from school? Wallace?" Veronica asked. "Why on earth would Duncan be---Oh. Eli?" Her father raised his eyebrows. "Daaad!"
He smiled and shrugged. "I just know what I see," he said quietly, before returning his attention to preparing their meal.
"We're friends!" Veronica protested.
"Veronica. I'm your father. And a man."
"I've noticed both of statements are true," she quipped.
"He visited you every day in the hospital," Keith pointed out. "He visits you here, he carries your books at school---"
"We're friends!" she repeated.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to hear you say that," he said, putting his hands up. "I don't exactly want my daughter mixed up in gang stuff---"
"He was kicked out of the gang."
Keith shrugged. "Okay... well, that makes me happy, too, but my point is---"
"I know what your point is," she assured him. "And we're not together."
"He wants you two to be," Keith said. "He has a thing for one of the members of the Mars family, and it's definitely not me."
Veronica smiled. "Could always be Back-up."
Keith chuckled and finished making their meal.
&&&&
Monday morning, she got settled into her wheelchair and told Wallace to carry her books.
"You don't want a push?"
"I need to get back to taking care of myself," she said firmly, while putting her hands onto the wheels of her chair. "Besides, I'm only in this for a little while longer, full time, and then I can start using the crutches a bit."
"Cool."
"I hope so," Veronica replied.
When they saw Duncan approaching them---even though Wallace and Eli told him to get lost, he still kept trying to see Veronica---Wallace asked if she wanted him to stay or go.
Veronica sighed. "I need to talk to Duncan," she said quietly, even though all she wanted to do was hide. "I can't stay and fix things, or go and move on, until we start talking to each other again."
"Good," Wallace said, smiling.
"Are you guys all networked or something?" Veronica asked. "I get depressed, Mac calls Eli... Dad and Eli must've had a conversation to get me back to school. Were you in on it, too? Did you guys all talk about my relationship---"
Wallace snorted. "God, don't think so highly of yourself. We don't have a Veronica-Network." He smirked. "It took Mac three days to work up the courage to talk to Weevil, by the way. She knew you were depressed and she knew you weren't seeing any of us. She figured he'd be able to get through to you."
"Three days? He's not that scary."
"Veronica, she's a computer geek. He's... not."
She smiled. "True."
"Hey," Duncan said quietly, as he finally reached them. "Veronica, can I see you for a minute before class?"
She nodded. "If you carry my books, yeah."
Duncan took her books from Wallace and once her friend was gone, Veronica looked up at Duncan. "Is there someplace we can stop and talk?"
"I don't think fifteen minutes before the bell is gonna give us enough time, but---"
"It'll be a start," she interrupted gently.
He walked over to a bench near the quad, and she rolled alongside of him. Once he sat down and set their school supplies down, she sighed and he looked everywhere except at her face.
"So..."
Duncan sighed. "I should have told you when I first found out."
"Yeah."
"But, you just woke up... and you weren't quite yourself... and I didn't know how you'd take it."
"No better than how I'm taking it now," she pointed out.
He sighed again. "I guess."
"When did you find out?"
"A day or two after the bus crash," he replied. "Meg told me then. We were going to come in and tell you when you woke up... but Weevil was there and your dad... and... and it wasn't the right time---"
Veronica's mouth fell open. "So, that's what set Eli off when he went to leave... Meg was there."
"Yeah."
She closed her mouth and nodded slowly.
"I didn't cheat---"
"She's just about ready to have the baby, Duncan... I know you didn't cheat on me. The math doesn't add up," she interrupted quietly. "I'm not mad because I thought you... did that. I'm mad because you didn't tell me."
"Who did? Weevil?"
"No... and why are you---"
"I don't like the way he looks at you," Duncan said, cutting her off. "It would be just like him to try to break---"
"You don't know him, so you shouldn't comment on what would be 'like him' to do," Veronica scolded sharply. "And I'm really getting sick of people telling me that he's trying to hook up with me. He's been nothing but a good friend!"
Duncan opened his mouth to speak, but Veronica put her hand out and spoke first. "And he didn't tell me about Meg. I saw you two out walking around your house."
"Oh."
She reached out and touched his arm. "What are you going to do?" she asked quietly. "Have you and Meg talked yet?"
He sighed and shook his head. "We try to talk about it... but it's so hard to figure out," he told her. "Her parents are furious. And they want Meg to give the baby up for adoption... but the agency they want to go with is just so... religious. And that makes both of us uncomfortable."
She nodded and slipped her hand down to his. "Whatever you two decide to do... you know I'll support you, right?"
He sighed and turned his hand over so his fingers threaded through hers. After pressing a kiss to her knuckles, he looked at her. "Even if we decide to keep the baby?"
"Duncan, your child is more important," she whispered. "Whatever I can do to help... I love you... just name it."
"Are we okay?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Maybe in a few days," she murmured, smiling at him. "I just need you to stop hiding and lying... okay?"
He nodded. "Okay."
"Now... do you mind coming with me to my locker?"
"Not at all," he murmured, before leaning in to kiss her.
Veronica's lips curved into a smile against his; she felt like some of her life was fitting together, and she figured the rest would fall into place soon enough.
&&&&
In the spirit of getting her life back together, Veronica had decided to volunteer for the Future Business Leaders of America, at their booth in the Winter Carnival.
The booth served Slushies---Electric Lemonade, Tropical Vanilla, Cherry Banana, Rainbow Mix, Punch, and Blue Raspberry---and Snow Cones---Icicle Blue, Strawberry, Grape, Green Apple, Cherry Pink, and Cotton Candy. It was a popular booth; it seemed many people were looking for a sugary high while they enjoyed the other activities at the carnival.
"Slushies!" Veronica called out, trying to shore up some more support.
Logan came over, a grin on his face.
Veronica called out again to the masses: "Get your ice cold frozen... sugar water!"
"You had me at 'ice cold.'"
With a tight smile, Veronica asked, "What's your poison?"
Logan smiled and walked around to the front of the booth. "Let's see... uh, I want something that suits my mood."
"Oooh. I'm sorry," Veronica shot back, "we're all out of liquid evil."
Logan snorted. "I thought you didn't think I was evil anymore."
Veronica smiled. "You haven't offered to carry my books for me yet."
"Don't you have a backpack you can attach to the back of your new wheels?" Logan inquired. "Come to think of it... where are your new wheels?"
Veronica's smile turned into a smirk. "I am wheel-free today," she announced, motioning to the crutches propped up against the ice machine. "As long as I don't bear too much weight on it, I'm fine."
"Hey, that's some quick healing," he pointed out.
"Hey, I did most of the healing while I was out cold," she said. She tilted her head to one side. "Did you decide on what you want?"
"I'll take two of whatever will turn my tongue blue," he replied.
She turned and went to get his drinks.
"Hot date?" she asked as casually as she could make it sound.
"Rain check?" he shot back.
Veronica glared at him. He smiled and shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he said, not sounding at all apologetic. He shrugged again. "Night with the fellas, you know how it is."
"Right..." she trailed off and the shot him a quick glance. "Hey, have you talked to Duncan lately?"
She knew they had made up sometime while she was in a coma---Logan had filled her in on one of his visits to her house. They met a couple of times in the hospital, and it had been awkward; over time, they started slowly talking about their summers, and then, when Logan's house had been burned down---by Eli and his friends, Veronica guessed, but since she missed it, she never discussed it with him---Duncan offered Logan the other room in his hotel suite. They had been back to being inseparable ever since.
"I don't know what he and Mommy-to-be are doing," he said as he fished his wallet out of his back pocket. "He doesn't like to talk about that much."
"Yeah... no kidding," Veronica muttered.
"Pies! Pep Squad pies!" Madison called out from her booth, distracting both Logan and Veronica.
"Boy," Logan said in a wry tone of voice. "Boy, people really love Pep Squad Pie."
Veronica looked over at the booth. "It's genius," she commented, "Madison's dad gives her forty bucks to buy a pie from some chi-chi bakery and then drops three bills to buy it back in front of a live studio audience. He loves her."
She brought the Slushies over, their bright turquoise colour almost blinding her.
Logan said in an amused tone of voice, "Oh, the rich---how they mock you."
He handed her a fifty dollar bill. Veronica gasped, mock-shock written all over her face and laced through her voice as she asked, "There's a fifty dollar bill?"
"Had them made special," Logan told her, smirking.
She laughed quietly, and took the money pouch out to make change for Logan. He left, saluting her with one of the drinks in his hands, and then Veronica returned to work.
She hadn't expected to be solving a mystery at the end of the carnival. But, it had been fun to see Ms. Hauser and J.B. squirm; Madison's displeasure had been icing on the cake.
And while she wasn't sure what the tagging on the paddle was all about, she was pretty sure that the copy she made would become valuable information at some point.
For the first time in a long time, she felt more like her old self. She went to bed feeling more optimistic than she had since she woke up from the coma.
The next day, she woke up and decided that she would use her crutches instead of her wheelchair. That sent her father off to work with a smile on his face; she went to school with a smile on her face because she decided she could drive there on her own.
She was on her way out of the parking lot when she saw a lime green car pulling into one of the vacant spaces. She saw Eli behind the wheel; as she approached, he got out of the car.
"Got a funny story for you," she said, smiling. "I call it, 'How Eli got his new car.'"
"Well, are there pictures?" he asked. He smirked. "'Cause I'm a little slow."
"Remember that whole thing with Nancy's number on the fifty dollar bill? Yeah, I made it up."
He smiled and shook his head. "You haven't lost your skill, girl. Not a bit of it."
"I'm not as quick as I once was," she said, smiling back at him. "But, I can still put the clues together."
His smile turned into a grin. "I know."
"The sheriff let your buddy Thumper go," she said, using the term 'buddy' loosely. "The bag of pills you planted? Ephedrine. There is one thing I can't figure out, and it's pretty much driving me insane. I know you broke Thumper's lock, just took off your own and put it on Thumper's locker, but I don't know how you did it. Where did you hide the cash box?"
"The two places you looked for it."
"What?!"
He chuckled. "V, the cash box was in my niece's backpack, and then she went into the ball pit, stashed the box... we got the third degree from you---like I didn't know that was coming---"
"Then she went back in and got the box."
Eli nodded.
"While I was having the ball pit drained," Veronica continued, "you were planting cash and ephedrine in Thumper's locker."
"Well," Eli admitted, "I had to go back later and add the incriminating fifty dollar bill."
She tilted her head. "So... when you rented The Thomas Crown Affair... McQueen or Brosnan?"
He didn't reply; instead, he grinned at her.
After a minute, he asked, "Is it your undying love for me or just good, old-fashioned lust, V?"
She put her hand to her ear. "¿Qué?"
"That kept you from turning me in," he explained.
She put her finger on her lower lip and thought for a moment. Then she pointed at him.
"Love," she said quietly.
She tapped her lip and then pointed at him, again.
"Of rollercoasters."
He chuckled, but she saw the tension in his shoulders and wondered what that was about.
"And," Veronica added, "hatred of anything that requires me to tie a sweater over my shoulders and be at sea with my classmates. Nothing to do with you."
"I'm hurt, V."
"I'm sure you'll recover."
He shrugged. "I don't know about that..."
"So, when are you gonna pick me up and take me for a spin in your new wheels?"
He smiled again. "How does tonight sound?"
"Excellent, add a stop at an ice cream place along the way, and we have a deal," she said, beaming at him.
"I'll pick you up at... eight?"
Veronica smiled. "Sounds good."
She balanced herself on one crutch and lifted her fist up; he mirrored her actions and they gently tapped their knuckles together.
"See you later, Eli," she said, before taking her crutches back up and hobbling off towards one of the school's entrances.
&&&&
When she got home from school that day, she did her homework quickly; she was looking forward to her evening plans, and she didn't want anything to get in the way of her having a good time.
A knock on her bedroom door interrupted her from finishing her last pre-calculus problem.
"Hey, honey?" her father said as he opened her door.
"What's up, Dad?"
"I just got a tip on a---"
"Go," she said with a smile. "I've got Back-up to keep me safe."
"And Duncan."
"What?"
Keith smiled. "He's here, wanting to see you."
"Oh... okay. Tell him I'll be right out," she said, as she set her pencil down. "And you, be careful, okay?"
"Careful's my middle name," he reminded her with a grin. "I'll call if I'm going to be later than a day."
She smiled at him. "I know the drill."
After he left her room, she got up on her crutches and made her way to the living room. Duncan looked miserable; she didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she felt a sinking sensation inside her body.
"Hey, you," she murmured.
"Hey."
She sat down on the sofa. He followed.
"What's going on?" she asked quietly.
"Meg had our baby today," he told her.
Veronica forced herself to smile. While Meg had been pregnant, Veronica could ignore how everything would change a bit better; Duncan's news changed everything. The baby was suddenly much more real, once alive.
"Congratulations," she whispered, reaching out and rubbing Duncan's arm. "Boy or girl?"
"A girl," he admitted. "A girl... we named her Lilly."
"Oh... that's... that's perfect," Veronica murmured.
"We need your help."
That sinking sensation turned into a canyon, filled with negative feelings. She nodded slowly. "Right now?"
"Please."
She took her cellular phone off of the clip at her belt and quickly called Eli.
"Hey," she said quietly when he answered. "I'm gonna have to postpone our ice cream plans."
"That's cool, V. Everything okay?"
"Hardly," she replied as honestly as she could.
He paused. She wondered what he was going to say.
"Call me if you need anything, a'right?"
"I will," she promised. "Thank you."
She ended the call and looked at Duncan. "Okay. What can I do?"
He sighed. "Meg's dad is pushing for adoption. He's already drawing papers up and stuff."
"What are you going to do?"
"Run."
Veronica's eyes widened. "Duncan---"
"He abuses Grace, and the place he wants to send Lilly is just as bad, Veronica. We aren't going to let our daughter go to someone who uses psychological abuse and religious indoctrination as---"
"Hey," she interrupted quietly. "I know... I get it... what can I do for you?"
"We need to get out of town. Quickly. And without leaving a trace of evidence so your dad can't find us, when he eventually gets hired by the Mannings or my parents."
"Duncan..."
"I love you," he assured her. "I'll always love you. But that's my daughter, Veronica! I need to protect her!"
"If you go... we can't ever... I mean, you'll have to break all ties with Logan... with me..."
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know," he said quietly.
She looked over at him and saw how sad he looked. She cupped his face in her hands and gently kissed him.
"Let's get started," she whispered. "How soon before Meg and Lilly can leave the hospital?"
"A couple of days," he told her. "Lilly was a little jaundiced and she's having trouble keeping body heat."
"Doesn't she know how hot her namesake was?" Veronica teased, hoping to insert some humour into the conversation. When Duncan didn't smile, she rubbed his arms. "We'll need to skip class tomorrow... you'll need to get cash, we'll need to handle travel documents and all that... and we'll need to get Meg's stuff, too."
Duncan hugged her close and whispered how grateful he was in her ear. Veronica hugged him back, wondering if that was the last time she'd ever feel her first love in her arms.
TBC...