Veronica Mars
A/N: Trying my hand at Veronica Mars. I like the show and just watched the movie. Like or not!
"Mr. Mars, your daughter has suffered head trauma as well as severe bleeding from her injuries. We are going to have to keep her for some time. She had to have several stitches to the back of her head due to the explosion," I heard the doctor telling my dad as I tried to open my eyes.
"I understand all that, but you said that I had to come pick up something. I don't understand what that meant, if my daughter is lying in that bed," I heard my dad saying. I wanted to yell 'no' because he doesn't know, but I can't move anything. I am stuck in this bed unable to protect the one thing that has been mine for the last 5 years.
"May I call you Keith," the doctor asks.
"Yes," my dad says.
"Your daughter has a little girl, who is sitting in the waiting room with her sitter since the report of this hit the media," the doctor says.
"I think you have the wrong person. Veronica doesn't have any children," my dad says as my heart machine goes into over drive. This wasn't how I wanted my dad to meet her. No I hadn't meant for anyone to meet her, but then again things never go in the direction I want them to go in.
It has been three days since I was injured, and in that time my dad has sat beside me absolutely silent. I have heard bits and pieces of his conversations with Alicia, but nothing important. He hasn't spoken to me just yet, I feel like I have let him down on so many levels.
"Dad," I call out as I enter the small kitchen in my apartment. I have been home for two weeks, and my dad has stayed at my place for all of that time.
"In here," he calls out as I look into my little girl's room. He was sitting on her bed reading her a book.
"We need to talk," I say softly as he gently places her down. I watch as he kisses her forehead and places the book they were reading on the nightstand.
"Veronica," he says as he exits the room.
"I think it's time for you to go home," I say as I sit down on the couch. He follows me sitting beside me.
"Why?" he questions looking at me.
"Why, because you have a home in Neptune, don't you miss Alicia?" I snap just wanting him to go.
"Yes, but you need me right now. They all understand that," he says as he goes to place his hand on my knee. I flinch away from him, surprising him and me.
"I want you to go," I say quietly.
"You don't want me here," he snaps.
"Dad, it's not that. I need to get back to normal. I really have enjoyed you being here, although I wish it was under better circumstances. Yet, I want to just forget what happened and move on," I say pleading with my eyes for him to let it all go.
"I will go home, but not right now. The doctor said you needed to take it easy for a month or so. I'll leave after that appointment if my help isn't needed. I want to get to know my granddaughter. A granddaughter I wasn't aware I had until a few weeks ago," he snaps at me. I knew this was coming but I just didn't think it would be in the middle of me asking him to leave. Damn it!
"What do you want me to say?" I question him as I get up, and walk over to my daughter's room closing the door all the way.
"I want to know why you kept her from us. Veronica, why wouldn't you want us to know," he questions me as he stands up reaching out for me.
"Because I left that life behind me, I didn't want to be influenced back. I wanted to make something out of my life without my old life resurfacing" I yell as I feel the anger washing over me. "I knew if I told anyone, you'd all try to convince me that I should come home. I didn't feel like Neptune was my home anymore. I knew about her before I left." I say softly hoping he wouldn't catch on. I glanced over in his direction and saw that he was thinking back to when I left.
"Veronica, oh my God what the hell were you thinking? Damn it, why didn't you tell him," he snaps as he walks to the door and walks out of it not to return. I had finally made the one link to my past leave me.
It's been 6 extremely long years since I had been home. I had been so stressed when I left that it really hadn't mattered to me, yet as I saw the 'WELCOME TO NEPTUNE' sign on the side of the highway my heart started to race. I didn't want to be here anymore than I knew my father didn't want me to. He rarely calls me anymore, and if he does it's to speak to his granddaughter not me.
"Mommy, there's water," my 5 year old says from the back seat of my hybrid.
"Yes, there's water." I say frustrated with my own thoughts. Why was I even here? Right, I knew why!
(FLASHBACK)
"Detective Mars, my office now!" Captain Lawrence yells out as I pass by my desk.
"Captain," I say as I enter his office.
"Close the door and have a seat," he says motioning with his hands.
"Sir," I say sitting down.
"What are your plans, Detective," he asks as he flips through papers on his desk.
"I don't understand!" I question back.
"You have lied and gotten away with so many things, but it ends now. I am taking you off of the kidnapping case," he says looking up from his papers.
"I don't understand," I say standing up.
"Miss. Mars, you have a daughter. I didn't know that," he says as he hands me a file. I open it, not expecting to come face to face with this though.
"Where did this come from?" I snap looking over the different photos of my daughter and me over the course of several years. I was struck to the core though when I saw a few photos of myself from high school.
"These photos and several hundred more were found in a storage locker belonging to the owner of the apartment where you found the girl. There were also links to tie this person to several other cases you worked on," he says as he hands me a list of unsolved murder cases. My heart dropped, I turned around quickly and threw up the contents of my breakfast.
"This is too much to be a coincidence," I say as I look back to him.
"Yes, I agree. The first victim was a teenager from Neptune High School while you were there," he says looking hard at me. "I'm taking you off the case, and you are taking time off," he was still talking when I put my hand up.
"Sir," I say when he slams the file down.
"Ms. Mars, you do not have a choice in this matter. It is final, you will be going on leave to rest and recuperate. You came back after the incident way too soon, I should have made you take more time," he stops as if he was thinking or pondering about something.
"I am fine," I snap as I slam my badge and gun on his desk. "I guess I don't need these anymore than do I," I say as I open his door and walk out. My partner looks over at me, but I don't have anything personal at my desk so I walk out to my car leaving the station behind.
(End)
I park across the street from my dad's office. I notice there isn't a lot of traffic out right now as I unbuckle my daughter and walk across the street. As we enter the hallway I feel déjà vu, but push the thoughts out of my mind. I walk into the small office to see Alicia standing in front of my dad.
"Grandpa," my daughter says as she runs from behind me to my dad.
"Hey," he says as he picks her up with a surprised look on his face.
"Dad," I say as I shut the door and walk over to them.
"Veronica, it's good to see you," Alicia says as she gives me a slight hug.
"Yeah, well I got some time off, so here I am," I say reaching for my daughter.
"So who's this darling, Keith didn't tell me about her," Alicia says nudging my dad.
"This is my daughter Lily," I say as Eli comes into the room from my dad's office.
