Disclaimer: The wonderful town of Neptune and all its inhabitants are the intellectual property of Rob Thomas. I merely write stories(few and far between) within a story.
Summary: Veronica knows that everything comes at a cost- be it wealth or lies. A move to Neptune seems to be just what she needs to escape her past until one Logan Echolls changes everything she thought she wanted. With his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Lilly; Veronica's shady identity, and Logan's mistrust causing a rift between them, is the price for lies too high for Veronica to pay?
Chapter 1: Moving
"Veronica, where are you? I have some news…" Keith Reynolds trailed off as he ventured into his daughter's canary yellow bedroom.
Sensing his hesitance, Veronica turned from her laptop. "What is it?" she questioned, worry clouding her features from her furrowed brow and her questioning azure eyes to her lightly pursed rosy lips. He couldn't have found out about mom's affair, could he? Quickly banishing the thought to the dark depths of her mind she looked into her father's coffee-colored eyes as he mumbled the words that caused her feelings to start a war with themselves.
"I have been asked to set up security for this small town down south, just outside of San Diego. Now Neptune is only a couple hours away, so I'm sure you'll be able to see your friends all the time…" he said trailing off.
Now Veronica wasn't incompetent—quite the opposite actually—but when her father said she could visit her friends all the time, she shut off. Her brain ceased it's ever present calculating and she froze. Within a time span of three seconds, it restarted and flew from thought to thought so quick it could give whiplash.
On one hand, Veronica was relieved that her father didn't know of her mother's affair. On the other, the last thing she wanted to do was move away from her beloved Los Angeles. Sure, the city was loud and, at times, dangerous but it was still where she grew up. What little friends she managed to keep were here. Her soccer team was here; she couldn't just pack up and leave. Los Angeles held everything she loved and hated. It was her everything.
She had planned on looking her father straight in the eye and telling him she wasn't going to leave but when their eyes meet she could see his silent plea, begging her not to object. In an uncharacteristically small voice that now fit her small form, she asked in a broken tone, "Have you told mom yet?"
Keith Reynolds smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and replied, "I was planning on telling her at dinner. Sweetheart, I know that this is going to be a hard transition but you have to know I didn't agree to this without thinking of you first. The school is supposed to be fantastic and the house we're going to be moving into is amazing. There is even a little space in the downtown area that I rented out for your own little agency-"
"Dad, I realize you're trying to sell me on the idea of moving but I can honestly say that anything I hear right now is probably going to make me—wait, what did you mean by 'agency?'" she questioned her eyes narrowing.
Keith chuckled, "I got a call from your school counselor last month saying that there had been a slight uproar and you were at the center of it all. Mrs. Strauss said a number of students claimed you were involving yourself in troubles that were none of your concern. She also mentioned that a few kids admitted to hiring you to catch who framed them for cheating on a test or for help catching a cheating partner, et cetera. I thought that you would make a good little detective, so I got you a small space in downtown Neptune for your own business and named it Reynolds Investigations.
"I only ask two things to help set your old dad's mind at ease, okay? One, you run it with Cedric's help and only if he vets the clients beforehand. Two, you take Backup," he said referring to their family's head of security, Cedric, and Veronica's aptly named barely year-old pit bull, Backup.
While listening to her father speak Veronica's throat closed up. Her family may be broken, but at least she now knew that her father truly did listen to what she wanted; at least she had one parent who cared.
Veronica collected herself before countering his offer, "That sounds amazing, dad, but I have a few requests of my own."
Keith Reynolds' brow furrowed before he chuckled and then promptly switched into business mode, "And what might those be?"
"From my experience, no good comes from people knowing who I am. They always treat me differently and, though there are a few perks," she trailed off looking around her lavishly decorated room, "I believe that having the lifestyle that our family has isn't worth it for me. I need to feel normal for once in my life and I don't think I can do that while constantly being connected to the Reynolds family name."
"What are you trying to say?" Keith questioned hesitantly, his face as pale as a ghost.
"I love you, dad, but I need a little space once we move to Neptune. When we get there, I would like to use your surname: Mars. We have tried to keep my name and face out of the papers and news since I was six—most people don't even know you have a daughter, not until they hear 'Reynolds'. I figure, everyone would be expecting Keith and Lianne Reynolds so, as long as I go by Mars, no one should know who I am."
"Veronica, I don't know about that. Where would the lie stop? Would you still live with your mother and me? You have to consider all the consequences of this decision. If this is what you want, I'm not going to stop you. I just want you to know once you do this— if you lie…you can't undo that. You have to stick with your decision no matter what the consequences."
Looking down at her hands, Veronica made her decision. She didn't know whether it would make her life harder or easier but she knew one thing: either way this turned out…she had to live with it so she might as well take a chance.
"Dad, I want to do this. I'm not going to be lied to again. I realize that what I'm asking isn't the most ethical thing to do, but what I want more than anything right now is a normal, middle-class life. I could get a small apartment," Veronica saw that her father was about to object, "I'll do it on my own if I have to, but I hope you can support me in this."
Keith eyed his ambitious daughter. He admired that she, much like himself, wished to work for what she had. For Keith Reynolds was a man built from nothing. He had earned the millions to his name and knew the benefit he had from having to work hard for every penny. He wished to instill this viewpoint into his daughter's mind so he questioned, "How do you plan to provide for yourself?"
Veronica fiddled with her hands in her lap, "I could work at the place you got me and pay for a small apartment. Though, if you can support my decision, I would like to change the name to 'Mars Investigations,'" Keith smiled at the use of his previous family name before he married Lianne and took her maiden name in respect to her family. He sometimes missed his name—Keith Mars—but he loved Lianne more. When he bought out her father's company and she begged him to keep the corporation named Reynolds Security in her family's name in order to keep up appearances, he happily obliged her.
"When would your mother and I see you?"
"I would come to family dinner on Sundays," Veronica replied, low-balling him.
Keith recoiled as if he had been physically struck, "No, Veronica. If I allow you to do this, I expect you to sleep under my roof for at least four days out of the week."
Veronica's schooled her expression so Keith couldn't read her thoughts, "I'll sleep at home two nights a week, but only on the weekend. This way, during the week, I can go to school and work at 'Mars Investigations' then I'll be home for the full two-day weekend."
Keith nodded his head in consideration, "Make it three days a week and I'll help you pay for the apartment; meaning, if you live there half the time, I pay for half the month."
Veronica beamed at her father, "You have yourself a deal, Mr. Reynolds," Veronica stuck out her hand to shake.
Keith moved to take Veronica's hand, "Listen, kiddo, I realize that the move will be tough for you, but think of it as a new start—a break from all those people who have used and hurt you," he offered, referring to a good portion of the people who managed to inception their way into Veronica's life to get to her father, well, her father's money…
~*ADV*~
That evening, Mr. Reynolds broke the news of the family's move to Neptune to Lianne, his wife. To his misfortune, he chose to tell her while she sipped at her red wine which, in turn, ended up on the previously pristine, ivory tablecloth.
Veronica rushed to her mother's side only to be shooed away.
"You can't be serious, Keith," she said in a deathly calm voice, "Los Angeles is our home. We can't just pack up and leave, it's preposterous."
"We can and we will. I have accepted the job and have found us a house already."
"YOU ALREADY BOUGHT A HOUSE!" she screamed, her calm façade now gone.
It was one of the few times Veronica had heard her parents fight. It was the second time in her life she heard her mother raise her voice. The first being when she was meeting a brown-haired man after her soccer game when she was five, Veronica had refused to venture from behind her mother's legs to greet him.
Not knowing what to do, Veronica stood uncertainly and climbed the stairs to her room, where she crossed the room to her bed picking up her iPod along the way and turning to, "Into the Night" by Santana. Veronica closed her eyes to shield herself from the yellow painted walls that seemed too happy for this rare occasion.
UPDATED: 1/26/2017
A/N: It's me again, the fanfiction writer that seemed to have dropped off the face of the planet. I am giving myself one last shot to write (and finish) this story. I started this story when I was in the eighth grade and, currently, I am in my first year of college. Yeah, it's been about five years. I need to finish this story for me and whoever is out there reading this, so I'll try to update as soon as I can. I am starting off by editing the chapters, slowly, but I will get into writing new ones. I already planned out the ending of this story so—despite it being five long years for some of you— please stick with me for this last ride.