Normal's Not The Watchword: 5/?
Okay, so I posted this on ff.net ages ago and just remembered to post it here. I'm focussing on my other story 'Visiting Smallville' right now, so I doubt this will be updated for awhile. Anyway, Chapter 5 is finally up on LJ!
Previous Chapter
Part 5: Alter Ego
"Hey Beaver!" Veronica chirped, flinching slightly as Cassidy's head turned towards her incredibly quickly. "I just found out the dream I had where I was trapped all alone in a bedroom with you was reality. Care to share the details, lover?"
Cassidy stared at Veronica incredulously. "Veronica…"
"I was told that you were in a guest bedroom with me at Shelley Pomroy's party last year." she snapped, her voice low.
Cassidy's eyes widened. "Veronica, if you're accusing me of what I think you're accusing me of… I would never." Veronica raised an eyebrow and Cassidy looked down. He remembered Shelley's party. "Alright, Dick left me in the guest room with you, but nothing happened. There was this freshman, who's, well, she's easy. Dick had something set up but she left with some other guy. Dick and Sean brought me into the room with you and they left." Veronica watched him, eyes wide, and he could tell she was desperate to hear what happened next. He grimaced, floundering for a story, remembering how as he reached to help Veronica up and take her home, Oliver had called with an emergency recon mission in Mexico. "I couldn't...what Dick was telling me to do…" he murmured. "I mean, I ran out of there as fast as I could. I bumped into Carrie Bishop but I don't know if she saw me." Veronica swallowed and Cassidy grimaced at the mad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you there."
She swallowed, leaning back against the locker and searching his eyes. He seemed sincere. Grimacing, she watched as he started to walk away. She inhaled, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she paused, seeing Logan staring concernedly at her. She held his gaze for a few seconds before pushing off from the locker and walking down the corridor.
Picking up her pace, she strode out of the school into the empty car park and was about to unlock her car when she heard mumbling from the side of the school. Curious, she walked towards the voices, eyes widening when she saw Cassidy talking to Ms White.
"I haven't even gotten close." Ms White was murmuring. "He has much better security than the Luthor mansion ever did."
Cassidy laughed. "Arrow says if you don't find anything soon, he wants you back home and he'll send in Aquaman. Apparently, he's desperate to come, being by the sea and all."
The teacher scowled. "Look, I just need a little more time."
"Aquaman's my friend, but its cooler having you around."
Ms White laughed. "You can tell Arrow I'm not going anywhere."
"Soon, you'll have as many names as me." Cassidy continued, but Ms White grimaced.
"I've heard some of them, Beaver." She smiled as Cassidy winced at the name. "What is it with you and names beginning with B. Beaver, Bart and I'm sure I've seen the name Barry on one of your IDs you carry around."
Veronica's eyes widened. It sounded as if Cassidy and Bart were the same person. Deciding to look into the bank accounts, she returned to her car.
"I thought we weren't going to meet in school anymore." Chloe told Cassidy. "You said you didn't want to be involved in this."
"I don't." replied Cassidy. "I just heard that Aaron Echolls is having a party tonight." Cassidy grinned. "I figured you could sneak in."
Chloe nodded. "Couldn't you just look around, you can run faster than a speeding bullet. And you're probably invited."
"Dick wants me there. I can't just zoom around when people I know could notice."
*
Veronica frowned at the computer. Mac had tried her hardest to hack into the bank records and trace the link from Cassidy to Bart Allen, but there was nothing. Mac couldn't find a Bart Allen or a JL Towers - while Cassidy's account looked completely normal. With a grimace, she reached for the phone, balancing it in her hand as she tried to decide whether or not to call the bank.
All she could think of was the possibility of Cassidy somehow removing any evidence of this connection to the 16 year old in Alabama. All her searches had yet to yield any information about a JL Towers.
She was already at a dead end. Whoever was involved was doing a great job of covering their tracks.
About to drop her face into her hands, Veronica paused, hearing a rapping at the door. She sprung up from the soda and opened it, smiling wearily.
"Logan." she greeted, letting him come in and joining him on the sofa. "I'm glad you came."
"Well, you called." Logan smirked, reaching over to hold Veronica's hand. She smiled up at him, watching as his eyes softened.
"I'm so sorry." she stated, tightening her grip on Logan's hand. "I know now it wasn't you and I'm sorry I accused you."
"It's fine." Logan replied. "You okay?"
"It's not fine." Veronica insisted. "I'm really sorry."
Logan glanced at her tear-filled eyes, understanding that she had a very difficult couple of days on top of an already awful year. "Veronica." he murmured. "All I care about is you." Veronica stared at him, eyes wide. "Did you find something out?"
Veronica nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you want to tell me about it?" he continued, grasping her other hand. "I mean, you don't have to but I'm just here for whatever you need, okay?"
Veronica swallowed. "I was drugged, but I wasn't…" she whispered. "…I was with Duncan." Logan's eyes widened and he tugged Veronica closer. "Apparently, we ended up in the guest bedroom together and he was wasted and I was out of it… and I guess our feelings and nature…"
"I'm sorry."
"I'm just glad you're here." Veronica wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing when he slung his arms round her waist. "I told Wallace everything. About Lilly… and what happened…"
Logan interrupted, staring at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah…I've been looking into this Cassidy thing but it's a whole load of dead ends. Bart Allen is some guy in Alabama and whatever link there was between Bart and Cassidy's accounts is gone. I think Ms White might somehow be involved because they're always talking but there's nothing suspicious about her at all, just some ex-reported from Gotham. I thought maybe, Cassidy was Bart but then he would have had to somehow create this guy, but I don't know how that's possible and…"
"Veronica…" Logan interrupted, watching as she pulled him closer. "Calm down, it's okay. Don't worry about it. At least not today." Veronica made to protest but Logan pulled his hand away, raising it to her check and brushing his lips across hers, deepening the kiss when she pressed herself closer to him. "Now, if you're feeling up to it…" he murmured, resting his forehead on hers. "My dad is having a gourmet meal tonight and he hinted that I should bring you."
Logan stared nervously as he waited for Veronica's answer. Eventually, she nodded, allowing him to lace his fingers with hers. She brushed another kiss over his lips before standing up, using her free hand to rub her eyes.
"Sure." she broke out into a grin. "He's making seafood, right?" Logan raised an eyebrow, but she laughed as he led her out of the apartment. "Don't worry; I don't want to kill you yet."
She halted, Logan turning around in confusion. "Veronica, what is it?"
"I'm sorry about missing our date." she said suddenly. "We'll just have to reschedule for some other time."
Her breath caught when Logan smiled fondly at her. "Come on…don't want to keep Aaron Echolls waiting."
Previous Chapter
Part 5: Alter Ego
"Hey Beaver!" Veronica chirped, flinching slightly as Cassidy's head turned towards her incredibly quickly. "I just found out the dream I had where I was trapped all alone in a bedroom with you was reality. Care to share the details, lover?"
Cassidy stared at Veronica incredulously. "Veronica…"
"I was told that you were in a guest bedroom with me at Shelley Pomroy's party last year." she snapped, her voice low.
Cassidy's eyes widened. "Veronica, if you're accusing me of what I think you're accusing me of… I would never." Veronica raised an eyebrow and Cassidy looked down. He remembered Shelley's party. "Alright, Dick left me in the guest room with you, but nothing happened. There was this freshman, who's, well, she's easy. Dick had something set up but she left with some other guy. Dick and Sean brought me into the room with you and they left." Veronica watched him, eyes wide, and he could tell she was desperate to hear what happened next. He grimaced, floundering for a story, remembering how as he reached to help Veronica up and take her home, Oliver had called with an emergency recon mission in Mexico. "I couldn't...what Dick was telling me to do…" he murmured. "I mean, I ran out of there as fast as I could. I bumped into Carrie Bishop but I don't know if she saw me." Veronica swallowed and Cassidy grimaced at the mad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry I left you there."
She swallowed, leaning back against the locker and searching his eyes. He seemed sincere. Grimacing, she watched as he started to walk away. She inhaled, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she paused, seeing Logan staring concernedly at her. She held his gaze for a few seconds before pushing off from the locker and walking down the corridor.
Picking up her pace, she strode out of the school into the empty car park and was about to unlock her car when she heard mumbling from the side of the school. Curious, she walked towards the voices, eyes widening when she saw Cassidy talking to Ms White.
"I haven't even gotten close." Ms White was murmuring. "He has much better security than the Luthor mansion ever did."
Cassidy laughed. "Arrow says if you don't find anything soon, he wants you back home and he'll send in Aquaman. Apparently, he's desperate to come, being by the sea and all."
The teacher scowled. "Look, I just need a little more time."
"Aquaman's my friend, but its cooler having you around."
Ms White laughed. "You can tell Arrow I'm not going anywhere."
"Soon, you'll have as many names as me." Cassidy continued, but Ms White grimaced.
"I've heard some of them, Beaver." She smiled as Cassidy winced at the name. "What is it with you and names beginning with B. Beaver, Bart and I'm sure I've seen the name Barry on one of your IDs you carry around."
Veronica's eyes widened. It sounded as if Cassidy and Bart were the same person. Deciding to look into the bank accounts, she returned to her car.
"I thought we weren't going to meet in school anymore." Chloe told Cassidy. "You said you didn't want to be involved in this."
"I don't." replied Cassidy. "I just heard that Aaron Echolls is having a party tonight." Cassidy grinned. "I figured you could sneak in."
Chloe nodded. "Couldn't you just look around, you can run faster than a speeding bullet. And you're probably invited."
"Dick wants me there. I can't just zoom around when people I know could notice."
*
Veronica frowned at the computer. Mac had tried her hardest to hack into the bank records and trace the link from Cassidy to Bart Allen, but there was nothing. Mac couldn't find a Bart Allen or a JL Towers - while Cassidy's account looked completely normal. With a grimace, she reached for the phone, balancing it in her hand as she tried to decide whether or not to call the bank.
All she could think of was the possibility of Cassidy somehow removing any evidence of this connection to the 16 year old in Alabama. All her searches had yet to yield any information about a JL Towers.
She was already at a dead end. Whoever was involved was doing a great job of covering their tracks.
About to drop her face into her hands, Veronica paused, hearing a rapping at the door. She sprung up from the soda and opened it, smiling wearily.
"Logan." she greeted, letting him come in and joining him on the sofa. "I'm glad you came."
"Well, you called." Logan smirked, reaching over to hold Veronica's hand. She smiled up at him, watching as his eyes softened.
"I'm so sorry." she stated, tightening her grip on Logan's hand. "I know now it wasn't you and I'm sorry I accused you."
"It's fine." Logan replied. "You okay?"
"It's not fine." Veronica insisted. "I'm really sorry."
Logan glanced at her tear-filled eyes, understanding that she had a very difficult couple of days on top of an already awful year. "Veronica." he murmured. "All I care about is you." Veronica stared at him, eyes wide. "Did you find something out?"
Veronica nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you want to tell me about it?" he continued, grasping her other hand. "I mean, you don't have to but I'm just here for whatever you need, okay?"
Veronica swallowed. "I was drugged, but I wasn't…" she whispered. "…I was with Duncan." Logan's eyes widened and he tugged Veronica closer. "Apparently, we ended up in the guest bedroom together and he was wasted and I was out of it… and I guess our feelings and nature…"
"I'm sorry."
"I'm just glad you're here." Veronica wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing when he slung his arms round her waist. "I told Wallace everything. About Lilly… and what happened…"
Logan interrupted, staring at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah…I've been looking into this Cassidy thing but it's a whole load of dead ends. Bart Allen is some guy in Alabama and whatever link there was between Bart and Cassidy's accounts is gone. I think Ms White might somehow be involved because they're always talking but there's nothing suspicious about her at all, just some ex-reported from Gotham. I thought maybe, Cassidy was Bart but then he would have had to somehow create this guy, but I don't know how that's possible and…"
"Veronica…" Logan interrupted, watching as she pulled him closer. "Calm down, it's okay. Don't worry about it. At least not today." Veronica made to protest but Logan pulled his hand away, raising it to her check and brushing his lips across hers, deepening the kiss when she pressed herself closer to him. "Now, if you're feeling up to it…" he murmured, resting his forehead on hers. "My dad is having a gourmet meal tonight and he hinted that I should bring you."
Logan stared nervously as he waited for Veronica's answer. Eventually, she nodded, allowing him to lace his fingers with hers. She brushed another kiss over his lips before standing up, using her free hand to rub her eyes.
"Sure." she broke out into a grin. "He's making seafood, right?" Logan raised an eyebrow, but she laughed as he led her out of the apartment. "Don't worry; I don't want to kill you yet."
She halted, Logan turning around in confusion. "Veronica, what is it?"
"I'm sorry about missing our date." she said suddenly. "We'll just have to reschedule for some other time."
Her breath caught when Logan smiled fondly at her. "Come on…don't want to keep Aaron Echolls waiting."