Keith was quite pleased to discover the front room of the apartment came as a package deal with the bedroom, as it meant he could cook dinner at his leisure instead of relying on whatever kitchen staff they had around here. He was busy cooking chicken al mattone when he heard Veronica try to open the front door.
To say he had mixed feelings about her being here was an understatement. On the one hand, he always loved having her around. On the other, she was supposed to be off in Quantico for three months starting a fabulous career and having a future, not stuck in a place like this.
"What kind of father would I be if I didn't occasionally put your life skills to the test?" he called back, wiping his hands on a dish towel and making his way to the door. He opened it and tilted his head questioningly at her, unable to hide a smile. "But I'll let you off the hook this once. Come on in."
"Thanks so much," Veronica said, her tone practically dripping with sarcasm so thick that it could've been bottled and sold. And fine stock it would've been because she brought out only the best for her father and her sarcasm was already several levels above everyone else's.
She stood there for a few moments, just taking him in and realizing that he was real and here. A wide smile broke out on her face and Veronica lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly.
"It's good to see you, Dad," she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.
"You're welcome, sweetie," Keith responded quite sincerely to her sarcasm, reaching a hand out to touch Veronica's shoulder. God, it really was good to see her, no matter what kind of place they were living in now. When she threw herself at him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her so tightly her feet came off the ground for a minute.
"I'm so glad to see you." He raised one arm to rest his hand against the back of her head, cradling her gently against his shoulder before planting a kiss on top of her head.
After a few long minutes of standing in the doorway holding her, simply being happy for her presence, Keith pulled back and smiled at her. "Whadaya say to some real food before you fill yourself up with ice cream?"
"I say you're trying to fatten me up," Veronica responded with a cheeky little grin, side stepping him and moving into the apartment. Backup barked and bounded down the small highway of the apartment and overjoyed to see him too, Veronica knelt down to pet the pit bull. Alright, maybe she could deal with how overprotective her dad was because right now it was like having the best of Neptune without actually having to be there.
Really all this place needed was Wallace and Mac and it would be ten million times better then Neptune, California.
"Hi boy," Veronica said, ruffling the dog's fur. "Does he have some giant cauldrons hidden in his room? You gotta keep a look out for me. Once he's eaten me, he's gonna go after you."
"Would putting on a few pounds really kill you?" Keith countered. He knew she ate healthy and stayed in good shape, but she'd always looked a bit thin to him.
He made his way back to the stove and pulled the chicken out, using a spatula to transfer it to their plates. "Veronica, don't be silly," he said, turning back to grab the pan of sizzling vegetables from the stovetop and shovel several spoonfuls onto each plate, "I would never eat Backup."
One thing he had certainly not expected when he took this deal was to be sitting down at the kitchen table for dinner with his daughter like they'd never left Neptune. So far, S.S. Creepy Barge was better than expected.
"Now come eat your fill, my dear," he said, doing his best impersonation of an evil witch.
"Told you that he likes you better," Veronica muttered to the dog, pressing her face against Backup's muzzle for a few moments before she got to her feet and made her way over to the kitchen table.
"Think of me fondly when I'm gone, boy," she added after taking her seat. Veronica had one hand out under the table, constantly keeping a grip on the dog, almost like she was trying to reassure herself that he was real. Or it was just that she had a strong attachment to the pit bull.
"And make sure to have lots of pups. It's up to you to carry on the Mars name now."
Keith sat down and watched his daughter pull the pit bull over to the table. As happy as he was to see her, he did have concerns that he wanted to talk with her about.
"Now tell me, sweetheart, are you absolutely sure no one's tried to tried to... ruin your reputation?" he asked, not sure he trusted that Mal Reynolds person but not wanting to overlook a potential problem.
Veronica let go of the pit bull long enough to start patting herself down, making a little show of it as she got both arms, and her chest and stomach before she stopped the little charade.
"Nope, feels pretty intact to me," she said with an easy smile, reaching for her fork and stabbing a vegetable with it. Her head tipped to the side a little bit, the soft smile still plastered to her face. Was she going to tell her dad about what happened with Adam? Probably not. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
"Why? Does it look less shiny or something? I swear I just got it waxed and polished and everything."
"If something serious was going on, you'd tell me, right?" Keith asked, ignoring her humorous evasions for the moment.
He knew she didn't always tell him everything, and he knew she could take care of herself. Whatever Mal Reynolds had been talking about probably wasn't a big deal, but Keith wanted to make sure.
There was a brief pause when Veronica couldn't stand to lie to him. He was her best friend really when it came down to it, was pretty much the one shining example she had of what a person should and shouldn't do (with the exception of his last girlfriend but they were moving past that). If she was going to be honest with someone, she should be honest with him at least, right?
Well, what he didn't know wouldn't kill him.
"Course," Veronica said, twisting her fork between her fingers and meeting his gaze evenly. What happened with Adam? Child's play. She could do that in her sleep.
"You gotta have more faith in me, Pops. I can totally go a week without offending someone."
To say he had mixed feelings about her being here was an understatement. On the one hand, he always loved having her around. On the other, she was supposed to be off in Quantico for three months starting a fabulous career and having a future, not stuck in a place like this.
"What kind of father would I be if I didn't occasionally put your life skills to the test?" he called back, wiping his hands on a dish towel and making his way to the door. He opened it and tilted his head questioningly at her, unable to hide a smile. "But I'll let you off the hook this once. Come on in."
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She stood there for a few moments, just taking him in and realizing that he was real and here. A wide smile broke out on her face and Veronica lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly.
"It's good to see you, Dad," she said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.
Reply
"I'm so glad to see you." He raised one arm to rest his hand against the back of her head, cradling her gently against his shoulder before planting a kiss on top of her head.
After a few long minutes of standing in the doorway holding her, simply being happy for her presence, Keith pulled back and smiled at her. "Whadaya say to some real food before you fill yourself up with ice cream?"
Reply
Really all this place needed was Wallace and Mac and it would be ten million times better then Neptune, California.
"Hi boy," Veronica said, ruffling the dog's fur. "Does he have some giant cauldrons hidden in his room? You gotta keep a look out for me. Once he's eaten me, he's gonna go after you."
Reply
He made his way back to the stove and pulled the chicken out, using a spatula to transfer it to their plates. "Veronica, don't be silly," he said, turning back to grab the pan of sizzling vegetables from the stovetop and shovel several spoonfuls onto each plate, "I would never eat Backup."
One thing he had certainly not expected when he took this deal was to be sitting down at the kitchen table for dinner with his daughter like they'd never left Neptune. So far, S.S. Creepy Barge was better than expected.
"Now come eat your fill, my dear," he said, doing his best impersonation of an evil witch.
Reply
"Think of me fondly when I'm gone, boy," she added after taking her seat. Veronica had one hand out under the table, constantly keeping a grip on the dog, almost like she was trying to reassure herself that he was real. Or it was just that she had a strong attachment to the pit bull.
"And make sure to have lots of pups. It's up to you to carry on the Mars name now."
Reply
"Now tell me, sweetheart, are you absolutely sure no one's tried to tried to... ruin your reputation?" he asked, not sure he trusted that Mal Reynolds person but not wanting to overlook a potential problem.
Reply
"Nope, feels pretty intact to me," she said with an easy smile, reaching for her fork and stabbing a vegetable with it. Her head tipped to the side a little bit, the soft smile still plastered to her face. Was she going to tell her dad about what happened with Adam? Probably not. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
"Why? Does it look less shiny or something? I swear I just got it waxed and polished and everything."
Reply
He knew she didn't always tell him everything, and he knew she could take care of herself. Whatever Mal Reynolds had been talking about probably wasn't a big deal, but Keith wanted to make sure.
Reply
Well, what he didn't know wouldn't kill him.
"Course," Veronica said, twisting her fork between her fingers and meeting his gaze evenly. What happened with Adam? Child's play. She could do that in her sleep.
"You gotta have more faith in me, Pops. I can totally go a week without offending someone."
Reply
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