(Untitled)

[bald_sleuth]

WHO: Keith and Veronica
WHEN: towards the end of port
WHERE: the Endless Forest

Comments

[petite_sleuth]

Veronica was... happy. A thousand times happier then she ever remembered being in her stepfather's castle, a place that was a distant memory by now. Her sister and stepsisters and everyone back there hardly ever crossed her thoughts anymore. She was content in her castle in the middle of the woods with her Beast and her talking household objects. It wasn't really the happily ever after that most princesses dreamed of it but it worked for her.

She didn't know about the curse and hadn't really seen the Beast in almost a day but she didn't think anything of it.

It was a beautiful day and she decided that the vase in the library could use some fresh flowers, and so she headed outdoors into the sunshine. Veronica was inspecting one of the rose bushes when she looked up and saw a funny little man standing not too far off.

"Hello there!" she called, grinning and waving at him to come closer.

[bald_sleuth]

That was a happy surprise. Keith gave Veronica a disapproving look as he walked over to her.

"Enjoying castle life, honey?" he asked, raising one hand to scratch his beard. The damn thing itched.

[petite_sleuth]

Veronica frowned at him, the look on her face still staying pretty and radiating sunshine and rainbows despite the fact that she had no idea why he'd called her honey. She was confused but she felt like that was no reason to be mean to this poor stranger even if he was giving her that mean look.

"I like it here a lot," Veronica said, casting a fond glance towards the castle before looking back at him.

"Are you lost, little... dwarf? Not many people come this way."

[bald_sleuth]

"No, actually, I was looking for you." Keith continued frowning at her, wondering what he was supposed to do to make her remember who she really was. Was this some kind of brainwashing? Or had the Admiral hit her on the head with a really bit mallet to give her amnesia?

"Please tell me you have some hint of a memory of me in there."

[petite_sleuth]

Veronica gave him a blank look. That beard she would've remembered, since it was... all over the place and ugly, and she frowned deeper for a moment while she tried to beat that petty thought back. There was something about the Beast's castle that made her want to change, to be better then she'd ever been at Castle Petrelli.

"Should I?" she asked sweetly, tipping her blonde head to the side a little bit. "Why were you looking for me? Is it the king? Is he being cranky again?"

[bald_sleuth]

"No Veronica," Keith said patiently. It bothered him more than he would admit that she didn't remember him. She'd been more or less his entire life for years, and he couldn't stomach the thought of life without her.

"I'm your father. Keith Mars. You want to work for the FBI, not be a fairytale princess. You just took your private investigator licensing test, and you got two points lower than me, remember?" He certainly wasn't going to let her forget that she'd only gotten a 95.

[petite_sleuth]

Veronica nodded slowly... even though she didn't know what he was talking about. Some of it got to her, like a dim lightbulb in the back of her head that seemed to agree that she was this man's daughter. Which didn't make much sense because he was about as tall as she was and men were supposed to be tall and strapping and handsome and all that and everyone knew that dwarfs didn't have children.

"No," Veronica said finally. "Would you like some tea? The teapot makes better tea then you'll find in Castle Petrelli even."

[bald_sleuth]

"I don't want tea, Veronica," Keith insisted, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Don't you remember living in Neptune? That nice fellow you were dating... Stosh. Going to Hearst, getting that FBI internship you wanted..."

He sighed in frustration. He really didn't want to dig up old skeletons to make her remember who she was, but it was looking like he'd have to. But he'd put off bringing up the bad stuff for as long as he could. "When you graduated high school, we went on that trip to New York City, and we took that photo on top of the Empire State Building, remember?"

[petite_sleuth]

Veronica stiffened a little bit under his touch, though it felt normal for some reason. He did seem familiar now that she thought about it. Must've meet him years ago because she felt strangely comfortable around him.

Stosh didn't sound familiar. Hearst kind of did but she couldn't say why. And she had no recollection of whatever the FBI was. Probably not the best tactic to use against her since if she were herself, she'd have no knowledge of getting that internship either.

"Are you sure you don't want any tea?" Veronica asked in a quiet voice. "The Beast won't mind. He's nicer then he looks."

[bald_sleuth]

"Of all the fairy tales in all the Amrican Kingdom..." Beauty and the Beast was far better than Hansel and Gretel, at least. If Keith had to choose between his daughter marrying an unusually hairy prince and getting eaten by a witch, he'd take the first scenario any day.

"Backup? What about him? Or your friends. Wallace, Mac... Duncan, Logan." Keith listed off Veronica's ex-boyfriends reluctantly, preferring that she remember Wallace and Mac, who were nice respectable kids and had never been charged with kidnapping or murder. "Come on, Veronica. The South Park movie. You've gotta remember the South Park movie."

He laughed and did his impression of Kyle. "'Oh my god, they killed Kenny!' Remember?"

[petite_sleuth]

"Oh!" Veronica said suddenly, bringing her hands up slowly and holding them over her mouth. If she was being honest, which actually she wasn't all that honest with her dad, out of concern for his well being and a natural desire to evade his over protection then a mistrust issue, it was more the mention of Logan and Duncan and yeah, Wallace and Mac that did it. That finally kicked that light on in her head and brought the real Veronica back.

But she'd lie and say it was that impression and the dog. Or bury it under so much sarcasm that he wouldn't know the difference.

Veronica stared at him for a few moments, glancing around the castle grounds before lowering her hands and looking at her father. "Dad, what died on your face?"

[bald_sleuth]

"Very funny," Keith said sarcastically as his hand went to his beard, but was secretly relieved. Veronica was back and mocking his appearance - all was right with the world.

He grinned widely at her and opened his arms. "Who's your daddy?"

[petite_sleuth]

"Can't be the man standing in front of me," Veronica retorted, planting her hands on her hips and making a face when he asked her that question. She hated it when he asked her that and usually she didn't even entertain it, shooting it down cold with a pointed look.

But since he just saved her from being brainwashed in this backwards country for he rest of her life, she supposed she could cut him a break, just this once.

"I don't even recognize him under all the fur. Must be a poor lost critter, hated and reviled by all the world."

[bald_sleuth]

"I can't possibly be as hairy as your new boyfriend," Keith said, wagging a scolding finger at her. "The Beast, Veronica? I had more faith in your taste than that. Duncan and Logan might have been indicted for felonies, but at least they're not covered in fur."

He was just teasing, really. If the Disney movie was anything to go by, the Beast was a nice enough fellow. Though he hadn't seemed too keen on Beauty's dad...

[petite_sleuth]

"You prefer Duncan to this guy?" Veronica asked, dropping her jaw in mock surprise. "And Logan?" she added, tipping her little blonde head to the side. A wave of curls attacked her shoulder with that move and she realized then how ridiculously big her hair was. At least he hadn't said anything about her outfit yet. She could withstand the teasing about this latest development in her love life.

If she remembered right, one of the... talking brooms had called him Harvey and if that meant what she thought it meant, that was pretty awkward.

"Are you feeling okay?" She put a hand to his forehead, wrinkling her nose playfully. "Feverish under all that hair? We should probably get you back to the ship before you pass out."

[bald_sleuth]

"You know, I am feeling a little woozy," Keith said, letting his daughter pretend to fuss over him. "Maybe you should make me dinner and rub my feet once we get back on board."

He eyed her sideways. "Unless you don't want to come back. I mean, you must have a pony to go with your delightful castle and furry boyfriend, and I know how much you've always wanted a pony."