Wallace wasn't doing anything special for the day. He had woken up, had breakfast, shot some hoops - same old, same old, but not in a bad way. In fact, for the most part, the day hadn't been bad at all.
It was getting dark soon, though, and he was headed back to the compound, not wanting to get caught outside without a flashlight. He didn't see Veronica at first, but he did hear the quiet sniffling, which made him stop in his tracks. He scanned around before his gaze fell on her, and he knew, just knew, something horrible had happened.
He couldn't remember the last time he seen her cry.
"Veronica?" he called out, moving to kneel by her side. He hesitated before gingerly touching her shoulder. "Hey, V, what's going on?"
Veronica reached up to wipe the tears roughly away with the back of her hand, her mouth a line, shoulders hunched. She didn't look up, didn't turn to let him see the way she looked now, just let out a slow, shuddering sigh. Her breath caught, she lowered her head a little further. "Lilly's gone," she said, voice still unsteady.
Gone. Wallace remembered when Dick disappeared, and yet he still never thought someone else he knew would disappear too. Especially not Lilly - not after Veronica got her back. That was just damn cruel.
He knew better not to ask if she was sure. If anyone could find someone, it was Veronica. He didn't doubt she had exhausted every place she could look.
"Shit," he breathed out. "I'm so sorry, V. When did she...?"
"I don't know," she said, too quickly, stumbling over the last syllable. "I woke up and..." Veronica licked her lip, then bit it, shaking her head slowly. "I looked everywhere." Now she just wanted to sleep, the weight of tears making even her eyes tired - sleep and pretend it hadn't happened and wake up to find it wasn't true.
He let out a slow sigh, frowning. She looked completely exhausted, and knew she probably didn't want more people coming across her looking the way she did.
"Maybe we oughta get you inside somewhere. You got anywhere you wanna go?"
She didn't want to go back to the room, not tonight, and face it without Lilly. She didn't really want to go to Wallace's room and deal with his weird roommate either. Shrugging, Veronica was quiet a moment, thinking. And then she reached a hand out - not to Wallace, but near him, meaning essentially the same thing. "My dad," she said at last. "He's on his own anyway."
"Alright, I'll walk you there," he nodded, standing up. He took her outstretched hand and helped her stand too. He didn't want her to be alone - even if it was just walking to the compound. Not with what was going on.
For the first time in hours, Veronica managed the barest trace of a smile. Allowing Wallace to help her to her feet, she set her lips in a line and nodded. A deep breath and she was walking, on her own two feet and her hand tugged out of his - she needed him there, but she needed to do this herself. "Thanks, Wallace," she said quietly.
Biting her lip, Veronica nodded and her head tilted just a bit higher. "Yeah," she said, and it was almost a gasp, a sharp intake of air. "I'm... I'll be fine. I just... need a little time, but I will be a-okay." She'd lost Lilly before. She could recover from losing her again.
There was a real smile at that, though it was small and tight, and Veronica just nodded. "Yeah, I know," she said softly. "And that's enough, Wallace." If she couldn't have Lilly back, she could at least be glad she had Wallace there.
He offered a smile of his own, glad what little he could offer could be some help. They were at the steps of the compound, and he held the door open for her with his foot.
"It's right down the hall from mine," Veronica said. She couldn't actually remember the number, but it was only a few doors down. Tonight, though, she was pretty sure it didn't matter how close it was; she wasn't going back. Not yet.
There was a momentary pause and then Veronica nodded. "Yeah," she said shortly. "That... that would be good." Someone had to break it to Mac, even if she probably wouldn't take it all that hard. They'd gotten along alright - better than Veronica had actually hoped for - but they definitely hadn't been close.
It was getting dark soon, though, and he was headed back to the compound, not wanting to get caught outside without a flashlight. He didn't see Veronica at first, but he did hear the quiet sniffling, which made him stop in his tracks. He scanned around before his gaze fell on her, and he knew, just knew, something horrible had happened.
He couldn't remember the last time he seen her cry.
"Veronica?" he called out, moving to kneel by her side. He hesitated before gingerly touching her shoulder. "Hey, V, what's going on?"
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He knew better not to ask if she was sure. If anyone could find someone, it was Veronica. He didn't doubt she had exhausted every place she could look.
"Shit," he breathed out. "I'm so sorry, V. When did she...?"
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"Maybe we oughta get you inside somewhere. You got anywhere you wanna go?"
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"Ain't a problem, V," he replied. "Um. You gonna be alright?"
His voice wavered a little with worry that he had been trying to mask.
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Not that he could think of anything he could do. It wasn't like he could make Lilly appear again.
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"What room is your dad in again?"
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"You want me to tell Mac you ain't gonna be in the room for a while?" he asked. That he could do, at least.
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