Title: Honor Among Thieves
Author: slacker_d
Crossover: Veronica Mars/glee
Pairing/Characters: Veronica Mars, Wallace Fennel, Santana Lopez/Rachel Berry
Summary: Not trusting Santana Lopez doesn't mean that Veronica is going to turn down being owed a favor by one of McKinley's elite.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: ~2,450
A/N: For Pezberry week 2014. Inspired by kiarcheo's AU entry.
"I need a favor."
Veronica looks up in surprise. She hadn't even heard the door open and apparently close. It seems that Santana Lopez can actually be quiet when she wants to be. Because entering Mars Investigation silently isn't an easy feat.
"I don't do favors," Veronica replies. "While my payments aren't always strictly money, I don't do things for free."
"And if I owe you a favor in return? Certainly being owed a favor one of McKinley's elite is worth having."
This makes Veronica pause a moment. "You'd owe me?"
Santana nods.
"Any restrictions?"
Santana shakes her head.
"All right, I'm listening."
…
"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Wallace asks Veronica as they sit in her car, waiting in the school parking lot
"No," Veronica replies. "But I can't see how this could be a set up."
"Santana Lopez is the biggest schemer at McKinley," Wallace points out. "She got Quinn Fabray kicked off Cheerios so she could be captain."
"I remember."
"She also got Noah Puckerman expelled for stealing from the senior class trip fund because it was rumored that he slept with Quinn while he was supposedly dating Lopez."
"I remember that as well."
"And I know that having her owe you a favor is a big deal," Wallace continues. "But how do you even know that she'd keep her word?"
"I just do," Veronica replies.
"Is this like honor among thieves or whatever?"
"I suppose that's one way to look at it," Veronica admits as she sees her target and pulls out of the parking lot after her.
"I still don't like this," Wallace says as they tail the Prius. "Rachel Berry might be one of the elite too, but she's also one of the few nice ones. Like her and Meg Manning could probably have a competition of who is nicer, except neither would agree to compete because they're too nice."
"The only reason I'm not staring at you in judgmental disbelief right now is because I'm trying to tail Rachel," Veronica retorts.
"I'm just saying that of the two elites in this situation, are you really trusting the right one?" Wallace questions.
"If we're supposed to get pictures of what she's up to this afternoon, how good can she really be?" Veronica points out. "Maybe the cheery, singing, cookie baker is really secretively heading to a crack house."
"There's no way that Rachel Berry does crack," Wallace protests. "You're just jealous because her peanut butter cookies are as good as your snicker doodles."
"Maybe she's just a dealer," Veronica argues as Rachel turns into a neighborhood that, according to her dad the former, disgraced sheriff, is crack free. "And I'm taking your disloyalty to my baking skills as a slight."
"A dealer? Really? Why?" Wallace asks. "She doesn't need the money. Berry Industries employs almost this entire town."
"Maybe daddy's girl likes to rebel," Veronica offers.
"Because she has two dads, she has to rebellion twice as hard?"
Veronica doesn't answer as she watches Rachel park in the driveway of a small, but respectable house. She continues to drive further down the street. Wallace confirms her suspicions that Rachel is checking her surroundings before exiting her car. Veronica quickly parks a few houses down and pulls out her camera. Zooming in through the back window, Veronica begins snapping. She gets Rachel quickly climbing out of her car and trying to discretely check the neighborhood. Satisfied that no one has noticed her arrival, Rachel scurries to the door and knocks twice. Veronica keeps taking pictures, incredibly curious about who Rachel is visiting.
The door opens to reveal an older woman, brunette, who smiles widely upon seeing Rachel. They hug tightly and kiss on the cheek before she pulls Rachel inside.
"Uh... Do you think... that they're..." Wallace stammers.
"No idea," Veronica replies, already getting out of the car. "Stay put. Get ready to leave in a hurry, just in case."
He doesn't reply, but Veronica imagines he's nodding.
As she begins walking, she tries to be discret. She realizes that she didn't plan this as well as she could have. Still she has no choice but to continue to walk. She ends up next to a mini van parked on the opposite side of the street as the mystery woman's house and she bends down, hoping it seems like she's tying her non laced shoes. She quickly angles her camera and begins snapping again.
The two of them are sitting in the living room on the couch. There are blinds, but they're open, so Veronica can still mostly see in. She continues taking pictures as she watches the two of them talk and laugh. Veronica's not sure what to make of the situation. And just when she's about to dismiss the odd feeling she has about how closely they're sitting to each other, the older woman brushes a strand of hair away from Rachel face. The gestures screams a certain intimacy and familiarity, making Wallace's unspoken question seeming more and more possible.
However, before anything else can happen, she hears footsteps approaching and so she slowly stands up, triumphantly holding up the lens cap, hoping that whoever is coming will believe that she was looking for it. No comment is made as the footsteps continue by her, but Veronica can feel the questioning eyes on her and decides that it might be better to leave. She calmly walks back to the car and climbs in. Wallace has slid back over to the passenger seat and he accepts the camera from her. She starts the car and heads home.
…
Veronica expected Wallace to be full of questions on the drive back, but he's strangely quiet until they're in front of her laptop, uploading the photos. After sorting through them, she prints out ten of them. Wallace pulls them off the printer, staring at them.
"This seems like good blackmail material," he says, flipping through them.
"It might not be what we're thinking," Veronica points out.
"Why do you think she wants to blackmail Rachel?" Wallace asks.
"Or maybe she's trying to get back at her."
"For what? I think I actually saw Rachel give her a plate of cookies the other day," Wallace replies. "Oatmeal raisin."
"But blackmail seems more likely?" Veronica counters.
"I don't know," Wallace says. "I've been confused by this since the moment you told me."
"True."
Wanting to be done with the whole thing as soon as possible, Veronica texts Santana.
"What'd she say?" Wallace asks.
"We're going to meet tomorrow before school," Veronica answers.
"And you're going to just hand over the pictures?"
She nods.
"I know that this favor is going to come in handy one day," he says. "But are you really okay with this?"
"We had a deal," Veronica reminds him.
"I'm starting to worry that you're becoming a stale marshmallow."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks.
"Someone with a crusty exterior from being left out too long," he explains. "You've been exposed to too much too soon."
"That doesn't even make sense," she replies. "And you worry too much."
"We'll see."
…
Veronica's sitting at her usual table when Santana sits down across from her.
"So what'd you find out?"
Veronica slides the manila envelope across the table.
Santana raises an eyebrow at the gesture, but opens the envelope and begins flipping through the pictures. Veronica watches with interest as Santana's expression goes from curious, to uncertain, to angry.
"That little fucking bitch," Santana growls.
Veronica decides that this might be a good time to stay silent.
"Thanks," Santana says, looking up, eyes full of fury. "I owe you."
Before Veronica can respond, Santana is standing and stalking away, leaving Veronica staring after her baffled.
…
"So?" Wallace prompts as he joins her mid step in the hallway.
"Hello to you too," Veronica says, continuing her trek to class.
"Since when did formal greetings become necessary for you?" he retorts. "Or is it only when you address me?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"So what did Lopez say when you showed her the pictures?" Wallace asks. "Did she say what she plans to do with them?"
Veronica shakes her head. "She just got pissed and took off. But at least she confirmed that she owed me."
"You know, for a detective, you're not very inquisitive."
"Weren't you saying yesterday that Santana Lopez is scary? Asking her at that moment seemed suicidal. I only had my stun gun to protect me. I'll just ask her when I call in the favor."
"But that could be months," Wallace protests.
"You need to learn patience," Veronica tells him.
"Ha! I will when you do."
…
Using the bathroom as her office isn't necessarily her first choice, but the way the elite have taken over most of the other corners of the school, Veronica really has no choice. She's currently sitting Indian style—to hide her feet—on the toilet in the first stall, because using the handicap stall is too obvious. She's investigating a series of suspicious break ins for Principal Clemmons and the bathroom is the safest place. Is it wrong that she's glad that something like this is happening, because it makes her request of her own parking spot not seem so unreasonable?
The slamming open of the door shocks her into almost falling off the toilet. By the time it has whooshed closed and the lock clicked, Veronica has managed to right herself again. She has no idea who just walked in deciding they needed private time, she just hopes that she doesn't have to listen to her classmates having sex. Once was traumatizing enough.
"So we're alone. Now can you tell me what has you so upset?" a familiar voice inquires.
"I found out," a voice that Veronica recognizes as Santana Lopez's barks.
"Found out what?"
Veronica is pretty sure the voice belongs to Rachel Berry. Well, at least she's finally going to find out why Santana wanted the pictures.
"You know what," Santana snaps.
"Santana, if I knew," Rachel replies. "I wouldn't be asking."
"I know where you've been sneaking off to lately," Santana snarls.
"Oh."
"Oh?! That's all you have to say?"
"What else do you want me to say?" Rachel questions. "You've obviously already made up your mind about the situation and are angry. Though truthfully, I had hoped you'd be on my side."
"On your side?! Why the hell would I be on your side, Rachel? You're cheating on me."
Wait, what? Veronica certainly wasn't expecting that.
"I most definitely am not," Rachel replies. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"These," Santana growls.
The bathroom falls silent except for the sound of Rachel flipping through the pictures, though if she listens hard enough, Veronica would almost swear that she can hear Santana's angry breathing.
"Please don't tell me that you think I'm sleeping with this woman," Rachel says eventually, voice full of resignation.
"How else am I supposed to interpret these pictures?"
"While I admit there's a certain closeness between us, it's hardly appears sexual nature," Rachel says, calmly. "Where did you even get these?"
"I'm Santana fucking Lopez," she replies. "I have my ways."
"I'm sure you do. But it really isn't what you think. Her name is Shelby—"
"I don't give a flying fuck what her name is."
"...and she's my birth mother."
This time the silence in the bathroom has a different sort of tension.
"No one can know," Rachel continues after a long moment. "She signed a contract that there'd be no contact between us until I was eighteen. If my dads find out, there will be some horrible ramifications for her. You know how powerful daddy is in this town. It's the only reason why, as two gay men, they haven't been shunned. Berry Industries is just too successful. This town can't afford to lose it."
"Why wouldn't you tell me?" Santana asks, quietly.
"I told you," Rachel says. "No one can know, that includes you. We felt it was just too risky. The less people who know, the better. Daddy would demolish her. Especially since she sought me out."
Santana sighs. "You know this is going to end badly, don't you?"
"Of course it is," Rachel replies. "Family things have a way of doing that for us. It's why you and I have to be a secret, right?"
"I really am sorry, Rachel," Santana says. "You know my dad would disown me and I can't be poor. Plus, I'd lose my status as elite at this hellhole of a high school and going here already sucks. Can you imagine if I was one of the pathetic losers here?"
"Santana, really," Rachel sighs.
"Besides, it's only another few months and then you and I are New York bound."
"It's getting more and more difficult," Rachel says.
"Remember what I told you," Santana replies. "Consider this an acting exercise."
"Just promise me that you're not mad anymore," Rachel requests.
"I'm not mad anymore, Rachel, I swear," Santana assures her.
"You know I'd never cheat on you," Rachel continues.
"I know."
And then the sound of them kissing can be heard. Veronica's not entirely sure what makes her do it, but she opens the camera on her phone and takes a few pictures through the gap between the door and the stall. While she doesn't get much, she does get enough for some incriminating photos. She's also eternally thankful that she'd set her phone to silent before the two of them came in.
The longer the kissing continues, the more Veronica worries about what she's going to have to listen to. Thankfully, one of their phone announces a text and they break apart.
"I gotta go," Santana announces. "Britt's looking for me."
"I should probably go find Ms. Dent to discuss our song for Nationals."
"I don't know why you're worried," Santana replies. "This is our senior year. You've led us to a national title for the last two years. Why would this year be any different?"
Veronica hears the lock unclick as they exchange one more kiss—she assumes—and then one of them leaves. The door shuts quietly. Veronica counts to twenty before she hears the door swoosh open again and the footsteps of the other one exiting.
She lets out a sigh as she looks at the pictures she took. She supposes she should feel guilty, but she can't. Knowing that Santana Lopez is hiding such a big secret doesn't make her any more trustworthy.
Veronica may believe in honor among thieves, but in a school like McKinley and a town like Neptune, a little extra insurance is a nice thing to have.