Neptune - Monday Morning [nfb due to distance]
Veronica and Archie had arrived back in Neptune from Paris late the previous night. Now they'd had breakfast, Veronica's car was packed for her move to the dorms at Hearst and they were waiting for Cliff to show up with Archie's new identity.
Archie was fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt, more out of a need to do something with his hands than any agitation. He was oddly calm about this, despite the uncertainty that lay in his future as a result.
"You're sure you're all set?" he asked, by way of distracting himself from that line of thought.
"As ready as I'm going to be," Veronica replied. "I'm so glad we got to spend last week together in Paris," she added.
There were a lot of things she suspected she should be saying at this point, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
Likewise, Archie couldn't bring himself to make the reply he thought he should make to that statement. Instead, he just moved over and wrapped his arms around Veronica. "Thank Marty again for me," he said simply.
"I will," Veronica promised, resting her head against his shoulder for a moment before a knock came at the door.
She swallowed hard and pulled back, giving Archie a tight smile. "That's probably Cliff."
Privately, Archie halfway hoped it wasn't Cliff, but he realized, resignedly, that it would only be delaying the inevitable even if the person at the door was someone else. He reached down and squeezed Veronica's hand quickly, then sat back down on the couch where it would be slightly easier to disguise the fact that he was trying very hard not to panic.
Veronica squeezed his hand back and then walked over to the door, grateful that her father had gone to the office to let them do this alone.
"Hey, Cliff," she greeted with a forced smile.
"V, long time, no see," Cliff said, breezing past her into the room. "And this must be Archie. Heard a lot about you, kid," he said. "I believe these are for you." He handed Archie a rather thick manilla envelope.
Veronica closed the door and moved to sit next to Archie as Cliff settled into a chair.
"Thank you, Cliff," he responded with a brief smile, instinctively shifting a bit closer to Veronica.
Archie took the envelope, hoping his hands weren't shaking too obviously as he undid the flap and pulled out the stack of paperwork inside. Driver's license, passport, birth certificate and naturalization papers -- it was a damned thorough job, and he couldn't help being impressed despite the implications of all of it.
"Jack Foley," he read off the driver's license. "Do I look like a Jack Foley?"
Veronica looked at him thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure," she finally decided. "It'll be weird calling you Jack though."
Cliff cleared his throat. "Yeah, about that, V..."
She sighed, knowing what was coming.
Archie squeezed her hand again, his own stomach churning unpleasantly. "I'm sorry," he said softly. It was all he said; he was determined not to cry, not now.
"Me too," she whispered, clinging tight to his hand.
Cliff gave them a sad smile. "It's for his safety," he explained. "The less possible ties back to his old identity, the more likely the new identity is to hold up."
Veronica bit her lip. "I understand."
"So do I," Archie said, not letting go of Veronica's hand. "I -- honestly don't like it, but I understand it's necessary."
He wondered, briefly, if it was too late to change his mind.
Cliff stood up. "I'll give you guys a few minutes and then take Jack here to the bus station. There's a ticket there for a bus to San Diego and I've arranged accomodations for you there."
"Thanks, Cliff," Veronica said quietly, waiting until he left the room to turn to Archie, determined not to cry.
"We knew this would probably happen." Archie reached over and cupped Veronica's face in his hands so he could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry it's so selfish of me to do all this, and leave you."
"No, it's not," Veronica said. "At least this way, I'll know you're safe and you'll be doing something you love."
She leaned in and kissed him.
"I'll worry about you, though," Archie objected, resting his forehead against hers. "I know you well enough; trouble finds you, if you don't find it first."
"I've gotten better," Veronica protested. But then she smiled. "You should also know me well enough to know I'm always prepared for every eventuality."
She dug a small post-it note out of her pocket and handed it to him.
"We may not be able to visit or call, but we can keep in touch occasionally."
Archie looked at the note and laughed softly before he folded it and tucked it into his wallet. "Email addresses. I'm glad you taught me about that, now. And I particularly love the one you chose for me."
"It seemed appropriate," Veronica said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I love you," she whispered. "And maybe someday we can be together again."
"I love you too," Archie murmured, holding her as close as he could. "I always will, and I'll never forget everything you've done for me. But . . ."
He couldn't hold back a sniffle this time, as he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "If you -- should you find a chance at happiness elsewhere, don't pass it up for my sake."
Veronica's eyes were wet as she nodded. "Same goes for you," she said around the lump that had suddenly developed in her throat.
Archie kissed her forehead and, as he did, slipped something small, round, and solid into her hand.
"Jack Foley wouldn't have this, but Archie Kennedy would. And Archie Kennedy would want Veronica Mars to have it, to remember him by."
"Veronica Mars would tell Archie Kennedy that there is no possible way she could ever forget him," she replied in a shaky voice, her hand clutching the item tightly.
"She would also tell him to be safe and happy and to drop her an email once in a while to let her know that he's okay."
"And he would tell her that after having known her, there's no way he could ever not be happy," Archie replied, his own voice shaking. "But he would also promise to keep in touch with her, provided she does the same. Because he loves her, very much, and wants her to be happy."
Veronica knew she couldn't say anything else without breaking down in tears and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. So she simply wrapped her arms around Archie again and held him tight for a moment.
Archie pulled Veronica as close as he could, prolonging the contact as much as possible until he realized he'd lose his resolve if he didn't let go.
"You've come far, and though you're far from the end, you don't mind where you are 'cause you know where you've been," he quoted as he stroked her cheek.
Veronica felt a tear slipping down her cheek, but she ignored it and let out a shaky breath.
"No regrets," she whispered, leaning in to give him one last kiss as she heard Cliff's car horn outside.
"No regrets," Archie repeated as he kissed her for the last time. "Not now, or ever."
The horn honked again, and with a sigh Archie got up, gathered his things, and prepared to leave. "The man who walks out that door will be Jack Foley," he told her with a weak smile. "In a manner of speaking, Archie Kennedy never went away."
"And he'll never be forgotten," Veronica promised with a small smile.
"And he'll never forget Veronica Mars, either," Archie replied. "Be good to yourself, Veronica -- and I won't say goodbye."
The tears in his eyes were unmistakable despite the smile as he put his hand on the doorknob and let himself out. Before getting into the car, he paused to put on the new sunglasses he'd gotten in Paris along with the haircut.
And, just as he had in his own time, Archie Kennedy ceased to exist -- except perhaps to the few people who'd spent time on a strange, wonderful little island off the coast of Virginia.
[ooc: I'm issuing a severe tissue alert for this post. You have been warned. And, oh - co-written with actingltcrumpet.]
Archie was fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt, more out of a need to do something with his hands than any agitation. He was oddly calm about this, despite the uncertainty that lay in his future as a result.
"You're sure you're all set?" he asked, by way of distracting himself from that line of thought.
"As ready as I'm going to be," Veronica replied. "I'm so glad we got to spend last week together in Paris," she added.
There were a lot of things she suspected she should be saying at this point, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it.
Likewise, Archie couldn't bring himself to make the reply he thought he should make to that statement. Instead, he just moved over and wrapped his arms around Veronica. "Thank Marty again for me," he said simply.
"I will," Veronica promised, resting her head against his shoulder for a moment before a knock came at the door.
She swallowed hard and pulled back, giving Archie a tight smile. "That's probably Cliff."
Privately, Archie halfway hoped it wasn't Cliff, but he realized, resignedly, that it would only be delaying the inevitable even if the person at the door was someone else. He reached down and squeezed Veronica's hand quickly, then sat back down on the couch where it would be slightly easier to disguise the fact that he was trying very hard not to panic.
Veronica squeezed his hand back and then walked over to the door, grateful that her father had gone to the office to let them do this alone.
"Hey, Cliff," she greeted with a forced smile.
"V, long time, no see," Cliff said, breezing past her into the room. "And this must be Archie. Heard a lot about you, kid," he said. "I believe these are for you." He handed Archie a rather thick manilla envelope.
Veronica closed the door and moved to sit next to Archie as Cliff settled into a chair.
"Thank you, Cliff," he responded with a brief smile, instinctively shifting a bit closer to Veronica.
Archie took the envelope, hoping his hands weren't shaking too obviously as he undid the flap and pulled out the stack of paperwork inside. Driver's license, passport, birth certificate and naturalization papers -- it was a damned thorough job, and he couldn't help being impressed despite the implications of all of it.
"Jack Foley," he read off the driver's license. "Do I look like a Jack Foley?"
Veronica looked at him thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure," she finally decided. "It'll be weird calling you Jack though."
Cliff cleared his throat. "Yeah, about that, V..."
She sighed, knowing what was coming.
Archie squeezed her hand again, his own stomach churning unpleasantly. "I'm sorry," he said softly. It was all he said; he was determined not to cry, not now.
"Me too," she whispered, clinging tight to his hand.
Cliff gave them a sad smile. "It's for his safety," he explained. "The less possible ties back to his old identity, the more likely the new identity is to hold up."
Veronica bit her lip. "I understand."
"So do I," Archie said, not letting go of Veronica's hand. "I -- honestly don't like it, but I understand it's necessary."
He wondered, briefly, if it was too late to change his mind.
Cliff stood up. "I'll give you guys a few minutes and then take Jack here to the bus station. There's a ticket there for a bus to San Diego and I've arranged accomodations for you there."
"Thanks, Cliff," Veronica said quietly, waiting until he left the room to turn to Archie, determined not to cry.
"We knew this would probably happen." Archie reached over and cupped Veronica's face in his hands so he could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry it's so selfish of me to do all this, and leave you."
"No, it's not," Veronica said. "At least this way, I'll know you're safe and you'll be doing something you love."
She leaned in and kissed him.
"I'll worry about you, though," Archie objected, resting his forehead against hers. "I know you well enough; trouble finds you, if you don't find it first."
"I've gotten better," Veronica protested. But then she smiled. "You should also know me well enough to know I'm always prepared for every eventuality."
She dug a small post-it note out of her pocket and handed it to him.
"We may not be able to visit or call, but we can keep in touch occasionally."
Archie looked at the note and laughed softly before he folded it and tucked it into his wallet. "Email addresses. I'm glad you taught me about that, now. And I particularly love the one you chose for me."
"It seemed appropriate," Veronica said, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"I love you," she whispered. "And maybe someday we can be together again."
"I love you too," Archie murmured, holding her as close as he could. "I always will, and I'll never forget everything you've done for me. But . . ."
He couldn't hold back a sniffle this time, as he pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "If you -- should you find a chance at happiness elsewhere, don't pass it up for my sake."
Veronica's eyes were wet as she nodded. "Same goes for you," she said around the lump that had suddenly developed in her throat.
Archie kissed her forehead and, as he did, slipped something small, round, and solid into her hand.
"Jack Foley wouldn't have this, but Archie Kennedy would. And Archie Kennedy would want Veronica Mars to have it, to remember him by."
"Veronica Mars would tell Archie Kennedy that there is no possible way she could ever forget him," she replied in a shaky voice, her hand clutching the item tightly.
"She would also tell him to be safe and happy and to drop her an email once in a while to let her know that he's okay."
"And he would tell her that after having known her, there's no way he could ever not be happy," Archie replied, his own voice shaking. "But he would also promise to keep in touch with her, provided she does the same. Because he loves her, very much, and wants her to be happy."
Veronica knew she couldn't say anything else without breaking down in tears and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. So she simply wrapped her arms around Archie again and held him tight for a moment.
Archie pulled Veronica as close as he could, prolonging the contact as much as possible until he realized he'd lose his resolve if he didn't let go.
"You've come far, and though you're far from the end, you don't mind where you are 'cause you know where you've been," he quoted as he stroked her cheek.
Veronica felt a tear slipping down her cheek, but she ignored it and let out a shaky breath.
"No regrets," she whispered, leaning in to give him one last kiss as she heard Cliff's car horn outside.
"No regrets," Archie repeated as he kissed her for the last time. "Not now, or ever."
The horn honked again, and with a sigh Archie got up, gathered his things, and prepared to leave. "The man who walks out that door will be Jack Foley," he told her with a weak smile. "In a manner of speaking, Archie Kennedy never went away."
"And he'll never be forgotten," Veronica promised with a small smile.
"And he'll never forget Veronica Mars, either," Archie replied. "Be good to yourself, Veronica -- and I won't say goodbye."
The tears in his eyes were unmistakable despite the smile as he put his hand on the doorknob and let himself out. Before getting into the car, he paused to put on the new sunglasses he'd gotten in Paris along with the haircut.
And, just as he had in his own time, Archie Kennedy ceased to exist -- except perhaps to the few people who'd spent time on a strange, wonderful little island off the coast of Virginia.
[ooc: I'm issuing a severe tissue alert for this post. You have been warned. And, oh - co-written with actingltcrumpet.]