Half a Stranger: Chapter Seven: Emotional Dark Glasses
Title: Half a Stranger
Author: Jesterlady
Pairing: LoVe, Spuffy
Word Count: 2,312
Rating: PG-13
Summary: BTVS/VM crossover. Veronica and Buffy have a little body swapping problem.
Warnings: This takes place in late Buffy S5 and in between VM S1&2. I know there's discrepancies timing wise, but it's fanfic! And I've realized I switch viewpoints a lot, but hey, it's how I write.
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Veronica Mars or Buffy. The title comes from James Houston. This chapter's title comes from James Houston. Many thanks to clare328 for the beta. My banner was made by the amazing buffy_the_vamp6.
Chapter Seven:
“We could just post a bulletin in the Navigator or have them broadcast it,” Logan said sarcastically.
“It’s not my fault we’re talking to them. Well, maybe only slightly, but still, Veronica thinks we can trust them.”
“You can trust them,” Logan agreed. “Doesn’t mean they’re not going to freak out, call the funny farm and/or try to break us up.”
“Very funny. Very paranoid. Let’s go.”
They walked to the parking lot where Wallace and Mac were waiting for them. Over the past few days Wallace and Mac had been something of a hindrance. Buffy really liked them and thought they’d make swell additions to the Scoobies, but it didn’t change the fact that they were in the way.
Keith had been sending her and Logan out to do his footwork for him while he tried to track down the connections between Buffy and Veronica. Just because they knew about Ethan didn’t mean they knew who he was working with and Giles was still waiting for the information from Riley. Buffy wasn’t holding her breath.
But in the meantime, they weren’t having any luck and it was hard for them to talk to people when they kept tripping over either Wallace or Mac every step of the way.”
“Hey,” Wallace greeted them. “You ready to rip it up at the beach?”
“Pulsating with eagerness,” Logan assured him. “Get in.” He clicked his unlock button and the Xterra’s lights flashed.
They drove in mostly companionable conversation to the beach though Buffy made enough blunders that the entire confession could have happened at any point.
“Seriously, girl, what’s up with you?” Wallace finally asked as they walked along the tideline.
“Nobody knew that question was coming,” Buffy muttered. “Listen, I’m going to tell you something you won’t believe. Like literally won’t believe.”
“You’re right,” Wallace said after. “I don’t believe that.”
It took a lot of persuading. In the end Keith had to be called and Veronica’s assurances procured that she would call them later. Buffy could tell they still didn’t believe deep down, even though they knew something was fundamentally off about her.
They went home having been sworn to secrecy and Mac having promised to return all the equipment to Radio Shack.
Logan and Buffy continued to walk along the beach. It was their favorite pastime. Buffy was amazed she’d been able to develop a favorite anything.
The peace was shattered when someone whose appearance strongly suggested they belonged to a motorcycle gang stepped in front of their path.
“Watch where you’re going, dawg,” he said and shoved Logan backwards.
“Not now, Weevs,” Logan smirked. “Got my lady friend here.”
“Seems like she ain’t no lady if she’s hanging out with the likes of you.”
“Don’t speak about her like that,” Logan said, instantly furious.
“She knows the score but she gives it all up for you anyway. What’s that make her?”
“Smart and able to make up her own mind. Leave her out of it.”
“We’ll see.”
“Next time you decide to do a drive by on my car make sure that she’s not in it.”
“Don’t be stupid, man. I don’t do things like that.”
“The damage to my car would say otherwise.”
“Just stay off our beach.”
“You know I could buy it for so little?”
“Go ahead, waste your money Daddy left to go to prison for.”
“Funny how I’m vindicated of one murder to be indicted with another.”
“Must run in the family.”
Weevil glared hard at Logan and cast a disappointed glance at Buffy. Then he walked off. Buffy pursed her lips.
“Funny, it felt like I was right there the whole time, yet everyone kept talking for me. Or Veronica.”
Logan pulled out his cell phone.
“Excuse me.” He turned away slightly. “Hey, Dick. Yeah, what’s hanging? A little run in with our bald friend. No, alone. Something’s gotta go down. Yeah, that sounds good. No, I’ll meet you later. Still working on the Veronica thing. No, Dick, that I manage quite fine. Yeah, talk to you later.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Buffy asked when he hung up. He stared down at the petite blonde.
“Oh, it’s called a cell phone. See-“
“Shut up! What is the matter with you? You complain about Veronica pushing you away and you’re pulling stuff like that?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“All I know is that if you think she doesn’t want to be around you, well, maybe she has good reason.”
“What reason?”
“I don’t like my boyfriends breaking the law and hurting people. In fact, I usually have to kill them. What would make her any different?”
“Her boyfriend isn’t a monster.”
“Maybe not on the outside, but if you’re going to do something stupid like torch the community pool, yeah, I heard about that, then forget about keeping her as your girlfriend. She will run away, I promise you.”
Logan looked down at the cell phone in his hand. Slowly, he brought it up to his head, hitting redial.
“Yeah, Dick. Cancel that stuff. It’s nothing, okay. Misunderstanding. No, it doesn’t help. Whatever, man, it’s my bag, just drop it. I’m not helping. You’re too lazy by yourself. Just relax. Fine, okay. I’ll see you later.”
He hung up.
“That’s why she loves you,” Buffy said softly. He smiled grimly.
“Oh, to be so sure.”
“You can be surer now.”
“Thanks,” he said softly.
They drove home in silence.
***
“Wallace, if I have to go through every single embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to the two of us again, I might as well sign up my boots right here. I’m so tired, Papa Bear.”
“Okay, it’s you.”
“Thank you.”
“When are you coming home? This robo Veronica doesn’t hit the spot.”
“That’s sweet, but I would be nice to her if I were you. She’s a little scary from
what I hear. Not my justice kinda scary, but physically hurting scary.”
“Just get home. I want snickerdoodles, woman!”
They talked for a few more minutes and then Veronica hung up the phone. She’d already had the same conversation with Mac. She envied Buffy. When she called and told her friends she’d been body snatched, they all started researching. Not a single straitjacket joke had been made.
Veronica wandered to the stairs, keeping well out of sight of Joyce’s bedroom. She couldn’t even walk around the house freely. She plopped down on the middle step and leaned her head against the wall.
Patrol had been late the night before. Xander and Anya had joined them and, apart from the incessant bickering, they had been attacked by a larger number of vamps than she’d handled before. Spike had been beset and couldn’t help her as much so she was a bit sore today. Not that the Slayer healing thing didn’t have its perks. Xander had gone off the rail at Spike again about taking her out on patrol until Veronica pointed out that he’d brought his girlfriend along. Strangely enough, Anya had looked pleased to be included in the conversation.
But one thing they agreed on was that they wanted to stay off of this Glory’s radar, so
they’d packed it in and gone home.
“I hope you’re settling in well,” Tara’s soft voice came from the top of the stairs. She descended further and sat on the step above Veronica, who straightened up, turning to face her.
“Well, I know everyone’s names.”
“If you don’t want to go on patrol, Spike will get it. He’s all grr, but the grr’s kinda sweet.”
“I’m telling him you said that,” Veronica laughed.
“Anything I can help with?”
“No, I just left a place filled with testosterone and grudges and suspicion and now here it is again. I was thinking I had to run away from it but I guess it’s everywhere.”
“I can understand,” Tara said gently. “Sometimes there’s a time to run, I did once. But then I tried to run again and it was the wrong time. I guess we just have to guess the right time.”
“You’re encouraging and cryptic all at once,” Veronica observed.
“Sorry, I’m not-not good at talking to people.”
“Oh, you are. A whole lot better than this bunch.”
“Well, they’re more vocal anyway.”
“Not always a good thing.”
“Perhaps. I just never know what to say.”
“Well, you got tangled up with the right crew. They’re all about knowing what to say. Logan’s like that too. Always has to open his mouth.”
“They’re just trying to deal. It’s been a long road for them on the Hellmouth. I can’t really speak for Logan, but I’m sure there’s something he’s trying to evade too. You’d know best. But here, the Hellmouth rules everything.”
“I might have been in less physical danger, but Neptune isn’t all roses and love. It’s the opposite.”
“You should tell me about it,” Tara encouraged. “I could use some different grist to grind my horror mill.”
“You got a week or two? That will cover just this last year.”
Tara smiled.
“Shoot.”
Veronica leaned back against the wall and proceeded to spill her guts. Despite what she may have told Ms. James, she needed to talk and she might just have found someone who didn’t make her feel even more jaded when she did so.
***
“I don’t know about you two,” Logan said and threw down his pen with a huff. “But I’m about to lose interest. None of this makes any sense.”
“You’re right, Logan, but I’m going to keep trying.” Keith turned back to his computer
with a long suffering silence.
Logan grudgingly turned back to his work. He didn’t know how to make Keith see that he really loved Veronica and wanted to get her back. He wasn’t exactly knowledgeable on parental authority and submission. He knew he had a bad habit of mouthing off to people who deserved his respect, but he wasn’t sure how to change that.
He had actually overheard some of Keith and Buffy’s conversation in the kitchen. It must have been a between sleep cycles thing because he’d fallen back asleep without ever fully waking up.
He’d been thinking about what Keith said about being the parent to Veronica as well as being close to her. He was beginning to realize he had always separated the two in his mind. To him you weren’t friends with someone in charge of you and it was hard to put parental beating in the same category as friendly banter. Mostly what he was becoming more aware of was how incredibly screwed up his life was and how confusing that made his future life choices. He just hoped Keith would see that and give him enough slack to pull his act together. It would probably take awhile.
“I think we’re going about this wrong,” Buffy finally said. She had reached the ‘needing jelly donuts to function’ stage.
“How’s that?” Keith looked up from his work.
“We’ve been looking for someone in Veronica’s past who’s connected to Ethan. Maybe we should look for someone in her past who’s connected to the occult or magic. We’re assuming these two were buddies, but they could have just been random acquaintances. Or strangers on a chance encounter.”
“You might be on a better track. Because we’re sure not getting anywhere with the one we’re on.” Keith switched gears and started a new cross search.
They worked a while longer.
“This might be something,” Keith said finally. “I don’t know if it means anything but there was a time when the Kanes were in the same section of England as Ethan. Celeste was studying abroad.”
“And what was she studying?” Logan asked with interest, leaning over Keith’s shoulder.
“Ancient civilizations.”
“Seems hardly her M.O.”
“Celeste is a varied creature.”
“Sounds like someone I want to meet,” Buffy said.
Veronica’s cell phone started to ring and Buffy ignored it. She thought it was probably Wallace or Mac or someone who thought she was Veronica.
“The number’s coming from out of town,” Logan said after inspecting it. He answered.
“Logan?”
“Not exactly in the flesh, but yeah.”
“This is Willow. Is Buffy around?”
***
“What is she so excited about?” Veronica whispered to Dawn. Willow had gathered them all and called Buffy to announce some huge happening.
“I think she got some news in the mail. Probably Riley with his huge mess of information.” Dawn rolled her eyes and Veronica got the distinct impression Dawn wasn’t too thrilled with the man either. He must have been quite interesting to create so many bad impressions.
“What’s the haps, Will? Do I get to come home or click my heels or what?” Veronica’s voice crackled over the speaker phone. Veronica reflected on how odd it was to know that someone else was using her voice for her.
“We just got Riley’s package, Buffy. It had all of Ethan’s release information. Apparently, someone with a lot of money and government connections got a special release for him.”
“Could you trace the money trail?” Keith asked.
“No need to trace, it was all there in the report. It was someone named Celeste Kane. I guess her husband’s a big media mogul.”
“Something like that,” Logan muttered. “In her off hours she likes to teach synchronized swimming and organize assassinations.”
“You guys know this woman?” Xander wasn’t that shocked; coincidences didn’t really happen in their lives.
“She’s definitely on my list,” Veronica spoke up. “She’s always hated me.”
“You’d think she would’ve backed off now that you’re not her step daughter. Anyway, we just found out she went to school near this Ethan guy.”
Willow pondered Logan’s words.
“Then their connection makes sense; their hatred merged and here’s the result.”
“Yippee for us,” Buffy said flatly.