L.A. Fire

Summary: Veronica becomes a firefighter candidate, meanwhile attends Hearst College

Hi folks hi hope you enjoy this fanfic, please de gentle with the comments because English is not my birth language also I don't own nothing from the VM Show.

I relocated Neptune and I made it a district from LA. Here is the picture; it took me 5 minutes with Photoshop.

Also I want to apologize in advance for some of the inconsistencies that it may happen during this fanfic, thoughts are in italics.

Newbie on the house

Veronica POV

Veronica walks carrying a handbag and a big red bag with her firefighter gear, fresh out from High school and fire academy but with her characteristic geeky appearance, loose and unhealthy hair, orthodontic brackets and the remains of acne.

Ok, here I am, welcome to fire station 17, one of the worst destinations in Los Angeles, Veronica thinks while standing outside of the old building who is the resident of Engine 55 and Ladder 49.

It doesn't matter after I spent the last years bullied in High School, being the candidate won't be so hard to endure.

-"Hey. You the new rookie?" says a firefighter sat in the front desk reading a newspaper.
-"Uh, yeah, I'm looking for, uh, Captain..."
- "Hey, yo, Frank. What's up?" Says another one behind Veronica, passing her meanwhile bumping into her bags.
-" What's up, Tommy?" answers the one in the desk almost ignoring Veronica.
-"Drop your bag .Uh, take the spiral staircase, look for the door that says Captain's Office." Continues without look a second time to Veronica.

-"Thanks." Says Veronica, dropping her big red bag and taking the stairs to the first floor following the other firefighter.

-" What's up?"
- "Any breakfast?"
-"Yeah, in the kitchen."

Veronica heard before entering in a room that is filled with couches and a lot of mementos from the people of the 17th.

-"How are you doing? " Chirps Veronica to the firefighter resting in one of the couches as she enters in the restroom. Getting no response from him.

Fuck, what is wrong with those guys, I know they don't like girls in this man club that the firefighters are, but it won't kill them if at least said hello one on a while.

-"Captain Pridgen?" asks Veronica to a new firefighter entering the room.
- "You the new rookie?"
- "Yeah."
- "Jack Morrison." Says the man offering his hand.

-"Veronica Mars." Says back shacking his hand.

- "Captain's Office is back there." Pointing to a dirty old door.

Veronica knocks before entering
-"probationary firefighter Veronica Mars reporting, sir."

The only thing that Veronica can hear is the snoring from the man seating in the desk full of reports and with a bottle of whiskey up on the front.
Man I hope that the captain is not drunk at work; I can't bear another Lamb alike useless person in charge.

-"Sir?"
-"Sir?" says again rolling her eyes in annoyance, before a watch alarm stats beeping.

-"Your shift started at seven, kiddo." Says the captain turning off the watch alarm.
-"Uh, well, sir, I was already here" Please don't start with this crap so soon.
-"Ah, save it, sit down." Waving one cigar and using a face that looks like he doesn't care.

As soon Veronica sits the captain continues using his face of serious business.
-"Now, let me tell you somethin', girl, firehouse 17 is the busiest and most disciplined firehouse in the city. No room for slackers. You got that?"
-"I know that, sir." Yeah right, then why everybody gave me the condolences in the academy?
-"We get over 4,000 calls a year, that's a lot of action, gotta be willing to go the extra mile.
Are you, Veronica? Are you willing to go the extra mile?" Continues the captain meanwhile he takes another glass and putting it right In front of Veronica moments before filling it up.
- "Well, yes, sir."
-"I don't think so." Finish the captain whit a slurred voice hitting the desk with the fist.
-"I can." Retorts Veronica, trying not to be surprised because the captain is clearly drunk.

Then Jack appears in the office and knocking the door frame says
-"Sorry, Cap. Father Hogan's here."

The Captain put on a face of heavy thinking
-"Uh, I'll go last. I'll go last. Let her go first. Go ahead. Go ahead, Veronica."

Then the man rises staggering from his chair, and totally surprising Veronica by not wearing pants, just a white with red hearts boxer shorts and the heavy duty boots.
-"Yeah, so, Veronica... OK. Welcome to, uh, House 17." Says walking unstable to the front of his desk and giving Veronica a friendly tap in her shoulder.

-"Good to have you on board, kiddo, ok get out." Then he walks back to his chair
-"Well, thank you, sir." Finish Veronica, and before the captain sees her, she puts one finger in the glass filled with whiskey and taste it.

-"So, Veronica, you Catholic?" Jack asks as Veronica walks out from the office
-"Not really, why? "

-"Most of the guys are, uh... we have a thing here. A priest comes around twice a year.
We all go to confession. In this job, you need it, I mean, you get enough fires, you find God."
-"Ok I'll see him." Yeah, Ice tea instead of whiskey like Duncan Kane used to drink at Poker Nights, the captain faking to be drunk, the rest of the guys in the restroom are gone and finally a priest, I can sense I am going to be a victim of a prank.

She Enters in an empty room with a single chair close to a curtain situated like in a confessional place in a church, the she sits with a sigh. Then she hears a voice coming from the other side of the curtain.

-"A good confession now, daughter."
-"Bless me, Father... Uh, bless me, Father, for I have sinned. Says Veronica trying to remember the words.
-"It's been, uh... seven years since my last confession." Lies Veronica.
- "Seven years is a long time."
- "Yes, Father."
-"All right, where do we start? Theft? Robbery? Fraud? Taxes?"
-"Well, you know."
-"Taxes? Always taxes, How 'bout sex? Impure thoughts?"
-"Well, yes, quite a bit."
-"Try to cut back, are you a virgin?"
- "No, Father." Not since Shelly Pomroy´s party
-"Oh, you think it's funny to fornicate with loose men?" continues the priest with a low noise of men snickering.
Yeah right, I am going to give you something big so you can laugh at my expense, but at the end you will be embarrassed that you got the Intel from this prank.

-"Uh, no, no, not at all." says at the end Veronica
-"Well, if you wanna have sex, you should get married."
- "I can't."
- "Why?"
-"It's not allowed."
-"What do you mean, it's not allowed?"
Okay, now for the grand finale, nothing that at the end they will not know but…

-"Well, the church doesn't allow two women to get married, Father."
-"Excuse me?" says the voice in clearly shock.
-"I'm gay."
Then Veronica stands up and drawing back the curtain she finds a bunch of firefighters looking at her in shock and embarrassment, and clearly not knowing what to say to her.

-"That means that I can go to a strip club with you guys" finally says Veronica trying to defuse the awkward situation.

-"Uh… Lieutenant Mike Kennedy from Ladder 49" says quickly the exdrunk in shorts those fellas are Tommy drake, Don Miller, Ray Gauquin, Frank McKinney, Lenny Richter and you met Jack Morrison earlier".

The smiles appears again on the crew as Veronica smiles at them while shaking their hands like is not big deal and she is not uncomfortable with being out the closet.

-"Ok Veronica you will be posted in Engine 55, right now they are out, car crash, they will be here in an hour, but in the meantime we are going to give you the station tour, are you ready?"

-"Yeah… Sure but the captain…"

-"He is not here, he is downtown in a staff meeting or something with the major´s office."

-"So when the cat is away…"

-"Sorry for the prank Veronica, we are terrible sorry, can I give you a piece of advice?"

-"Sure."

-"Don't tell the captain that you are gay."

-"Why, is he homophobic?"

-"No but he is an asshole and he will try to humiliate you in an anti homophobic fashion way"

-"I thought that I wasn't in High School anymore"

-"My little Veronica, you spent your youth wanting to grown up, and we fossils want to be younger's again, and life is like a big High School, you know… with Jocks, Cheerleaders, Geeks, Bullies, it will be like you never left High School"

Veronica Mars 0, High School 1, I spent 2 years ignored by the people of my school for being the daughter of the police department captain, and the other 2 bullied for being the only friend of Yolanda Hamilton.

Taking his advice under consideration she follows the Lieutenant around the old and battered fire station.

Captain Pridget and Firehouse 17 are borrowed from Chicago Fire, the firefighters are from the movie Ladder 49 and the geeky Veronica appearance is from You Again Movie.

In Europe you can start driving lessons before 18 but the requirement for having the driving test is you have 18 the day of the test, so I applied more or less the same for the fire academy Veronica took the test when she finished High School. Please remember this is fanfiction.