Note: Once again, the timeline is split in two.
CHAPTER 4: INTERMISSION, PART II: Eve Walker
PRESENT – THREE MONTHS LATER
"I was just standing there and I thought "Wow… so that explains a lot…" Avery spoke, laughing along with Veronica as they walked into school.
"Never underestimate the power of a…" They stopped at the sound of someone's sobs. Looking up, they saw it was Natalie, at her locker. Veronica and Avery shared a look before rushing over to their friend. "Nattie? What's wrong?" they ushered her away from curious eyes and into the girls' bathroom.
"My father's in jail," she finally mumbled out.
"What?" Avery and Veronica spoke at once.
"But he's innocent, I know he is. He would never do these things."
"What is he being accused of?" Veronica asked.
"They say he took some money that was supposed to go to one place but went to another…"
"How much money?" Avery asked.
Natalie looked up at her, then down as she squeaked, "Ten million." Before they could say anything, a sickly sweet giggle they'd learned to dread was heard and Candace Scott walked out of the center stall.
"Well isn't this funny? Turns out the felon thing is hereditary. The daughter, fashion criminal – the father…" she made a 'pout' then grinned powerful once more. "I'm sure everyone will love to hear all about daddy's little crime spree…" Natalie's lip quivered and in an instant, Veronica had Candace pinned to the wall.
"Nina!" Avery gasped. "Oh you did NOT just do that," Candace tried to sound in control, but they could see she was a bit freaked out.
"I'm thinking I did. Now here's the deal Candy. If I hear one word of this out there, well… you don't even want to know. Do we understand each other?" Both seemed to be checking if the other would budge for a moment. Finally, Candace rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, I'll let her off the hook. You on the other hand? Better look out."
"I'm not afraid of you. I've seen worse things…" Veronica finally let her go. After Candace was gone, she turned to Natalie. "It's gonna be okay. We'll get your dad out."
"H-how?" she blinked. Veronica paused, asking herself the same question.
"I don't know yet, but I'll find something, I promise."
Once they'd calmed Natalie down, they convinced her to take the day off. Once her brother had picked her up, Avery looked to Veronica. "Nina, what… you… How did you…" she blinked repeatedly. Veronica couldn't look at her, for fear of her face betraying her.
The last few months, though she seemingly settled in well enough, she also became much more aware of the need to ready herself for whatever would come. As far as she knew her life was still in danger, but if anyone thought she would take this lying down didn't know who her father was. Veronica would call on any bit of information her father had given her over the years, cherish them.
"Come on, better get to class."
For the rest of the day, Veronica could tell Avery wasn't sure how to address her, and she hated that she couldn't just tell her. The instances had to be piling up by now.
It had all started three months before, with the website. After her mother had picked her up, it was the only thing she could think about. So the next morning she'd asked to be dropped off early, under the pretense that she needed to familiarize herself with her new school. Once her mother's car had rounded the corner, she'd dashed back to the computer lab. She was the only one there, which she was glad for.
She'd made her way back to the office's site, not restricting the tears at the appearance of her father's face now. She kept it together though, knowing she didn't have much time. She started scribbling down all the items, where in the site they had been, and in what order she'd been able to access them. Once that was done, she'd gone to class. It took her two days straight to decipher what it all meant but finally it had given her a new web address.
She carried the folded notebook page in her back pocket for three days before finally sitting before a computer and entering the link.
The site was bare essentials, no pictures, no colors, just text. The text was all she cared about.
"I don't know if or when you'll read this, but for now I have to hope this reaches you somehow. Veronica, know that I could never be mad at you. You're my daughter and I have to believe you did what you had to do. You have to understand though that forgiving your mother will be harder. But that's beyond your control, so I don't want you to feel bad about it, alright? I'm glad to hear you're safe. Got your note, was pleased to see you remembered what I taught you. I won't lie and say I'm not worried about you. I know this must take a lot of courage, so you just worry about doing that. I got this site set up so I could communicate to you. I don't know if you're reading this or if I'm just talking to myself. Backup is fine, but he misses his Veronica too. I hate having to write this without knowing if you'll ever read it, so I'm sorry if I sound off. The house is so quiet without you. I'll be waiting to hear you laugh again. Be brave Veronica. Love, with all my heart, Dad."
She cried for twenty minutes straight.
After that, she was Nina Healy.
Her father wanted her to be brave, and part of that meant trying to get through this situation, the only thing she could do. Her father continued to write, telling her about things happening in his life, in Neptune. She still checked the newspaper site, knowing he wouldn't tell her everything.
Becoming Nina, creating her, was a thing she had to handle with care. She couldn't go and exaggerate but she couldn't stay Veronica. She used her fear, used her anger and determination, used everything at her disposal at the moment and emerged with a stronger presence in life. If Lilly could see her now…
PAST – AT THE BEACH HOUSE"Duncan, stop it!" Lilly screeched as he held a worm out at her.
"Okay, okay!" he relented. He turned to show it to Veronica and she let out a little squeak, moving back a bit. Duncan shook his head and threw the worm into the water. "Dad brought action movies, but he says we're too young to watch them."
"Or you're too scared," Lilly teased.
"Am not!" Duncan insisted.
"Okay Mr. Cry Baby," Lilly laughed, joined in by Veronica.
"Don't call me that!"
"Why, are you gonna cry?" Duncan smirked, kicking his foot in the water, splashing the three of them. "Duncan!" Lilly shouted. He stood, jumping off the dock with a holler. Lilly grinned and jumped in after him. Veronica followed suit.
"You can't catch me!" Duncan called, swimming away.
"We can too!" Veronica called back as she and Lilly swam after him.
"We're gonna get you Donut!"
Over on shore, Celeste observed as her husband looked over the children smilingly. "Look at them go," he was laughing.
"Yes," Celeste did so, smiling as she saw her son and daughter swimming happily. Her smile wavered a bit at the sight of the young Mars. "I should get lunch settled," she turned toward the house just as a high-pitched scream was heard, sounding more panicked than joyous. Still, Celeste was distracted, and it was her husband's voice that drew her back.
"Oh my God…" As she turned, he was already running. "Veronica!"
PRESENT – A WEEK LATER, "HEALY" HOME"Veronica, do you realize what you've done?" Lianne paced around the living room.
"I was helping a friend," she spoke, voice controlled unlike her mother's.
"You've exposed us."
"I haven't."
"We have to move…"
"What? No!" she stood from the couch.
"Your name's in the police report."
"No, Nina Healy's name's in the report."
"If this gets checked they'll figure it out. We may not be exposed yet, but…"
"That's right. We're not exposed yet, and for all we know we never will be."
"We can't take that chance."
"Mom, you've already made me change schools in the middle of a year once, I can't do it again!"
"Veronica…"
"Mom, please… Just…" She paused, approaching her mother. "It's just a few weeks. Let me finish the school year, and then we'll go. I swear." Lianne hesitated for a minute.
"Alright." Lianne smiled, hugging her daughter.
Going to bed shortly after, Veronica looked at the ceiling. They had cleared Natalie's father. She could hardly believe it herself. She didn't know if it was because she missed her father, but she'd loved this. She'd felt exhilarated, alive… it was a good feeling. But she couldn't kid herself. She knew she couldn't do this too often.
The fact that her name, her fake name, had landed in the report had been an unfortunate accident. She had tracked the true culprit, and he was going to leave town. She'd had no choice but to call it in, to involve herself openly. She'd faked a loss of consciousness before him, stalling him. The bump on her head would be completely worth it. The police had come, the guilty party was arrested thanks to their tips. She hadn't spoken with Avery yet, but she'd no doubt have many questions the next day in school.
A FEW WEEKS LATERVeronica sighed as she walked into Keating High. At this moment, her mother was home, packing. This would be her last day at Keating High, her last day as Nina Healy. That wasn't the hardest part. The hardest would be leaving Avery, and Natalie, and Jake, and Sully. They still had no idea.
As was now almost routine, she walked into the computer lab to "check up on Neptune". There was something about this that made her feel like a Peeping Tom… Peeping Veronica. The Neptune site had nothing of interest to report, neither had her father's. He usually updated every week or so, but this week's hadn't come yet. She'd have to wait until they were… wherever it was they were going. Her mother hadn't told her about that yet, perhaps didn't even know herself yet. Veronica sighed, leaving the lab.
She hated this. She was worried about leaving her friends, and this English final was not something she wanted to think about at the moment. Did it even matter? These were Nina Healy's grades. They didn't belong to Veronica Mars; she hadn't been in school in months. Whoever she would be now would have whatever grades her forged records would have. So what did it matter if she showed up at this test?
She stopped walking then. She looked at the room ahead, at the exit on the end of the hall. Her feet wavered from one direction to the other. After a moment more, she turned and slowly walked out of Keating High. She walked on the lawn, looking up at the building. She sat in the grass, not really thinking about anything or even wanting to.
Lost in thought, she must have lost track of time, because the next thing she knew, Avery was standing before her.
"Nina, where were you? You missed the final." Veronica continued to look into nowhere. Avery sat in front of her. "What's going on?" she asked calmly. Veronica felt the urge to cry but resisted it – a gift from the Nina personality book.
"I'm going away."
"What?" Avery asked.
"My mother and I are leaving town."
"Nina…" she spoke, then stopped. She was quiet for a few minutes, the two of them in an eye lock. "Who are you?" Veronica blinked.
"What?"
"Your name's not even Nina, is it?"
"What…"
"For months, something felt strange about you, not right… this is my only conclusion, especially with this info now. Are you in witness protection or something?" Veronica rubbed at her eyes.
"No."
"Really?"
"Really."
"It still doesn't… Is Nina Healy your name or not?" Her hand slipped slowly away from her face, looking at her friend.
"No…" Avery seemed to process this information. "I… My name is Veronica."
"Veronica…" Avery repeated.
"I'm not in Witness Protection, but I am on the run. Someone… I don't know who they are, what they want or why they want it… they threatened my mother… that they would hurt me…"
"My God…"
"You can't tell anyone. Not Nattie, Jake, Sully, no one. Ever. Avery, you have to promise."
"You have my word," she nodded. There was a honk and Veronica didn't even need to look.
"That's my mom. I have to go." She stood, facing Avery. "I'm going to miss you the most." She smiled.
"I don't know what's going to happen, but… try to write me? Let me know you're okay?" Veronica nodded. They hugged, and Veronica got in the car, bidding farewell to Nina Healy.
A FEW DAYS LATERVeronica looked around the tiny apartment. Well it was an improvement from the last place, thanks to her mother's job back there. This time they each had a bed. So far her mother hadn't brought up any kind of a makeover, though for all she knew, she was working up to that. She had to do her color soon anyway, or she'd start coming up blonde. Blonde wouldn't work. Blonde was Veronica Mars. Blonde wasn't Nina Healy, and now it wasn't Eve Walker. That was her new name. She was sounding it out in her head, trying to adjust. Her mother was now Caroline Walker, though she was usually just "mom", so she didn't have to think about it so much.
"So what are you going to do this summer?" her mother asked, unpacking their few belongings.
"Oh, I don't know. Vacation… well that's pretty much out of the question. Can't hang out with friends because they're… dead or in another state… So I don't know, maybe catch up on soaps. What are they up to these days?" she spoke, trying to tame the slight snap in her voice.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked…" Lianne sighed.
"It's okay." Veronica stood, going to help her mother unpack. "I was thinking a job. Nothing fancy, I don't know."
"I think it's a great idea," Lianne nodded and Veronica smiled.
"So… what's the story with the Walker women?"
"Oh, I don't know…"
"Can I drawl? Oh please can I drawl? I love me a twang," she spoke with her requested accent. Lianne laughed.
"Well sure!" she did the same.
"Nice," Veronica grinned, and Eve Walker was born.
PAST – STILL AT THE BEACH HOUSE"Veronica!" Jake dove into the water, swimming after the young girl struggling to keep above water.
"Duncan, Lilly! Get back here right now!" Celeste called to her children. They floated still by their friend, freaked out and unsure what to do. "Duncan! Lillian! Now!" Celeste called louder. Finally they looked to her and started swimming back. Celeste lifted them back to the dock one by one, putting towels over them. They stood, shivering, looking on as Jake swam over with Veronica hanging limply on his back.
"Celeste, take her!" he panted as he reached the shore. She did so, taking her up and resting her in her lap as she sat on the dock.
"Veronica!" Lilly cried, but stood back as her father got back on the dock.
"Be careful!" he told his daughter. The upset in his voice caught Celeste then. She watched as her husband tended to the tiny blonde. "Veronica? Look at me… look at me…" he pleaded. She was conscious, barely, tired from the struggle. Jake gently lifted the strands of hair plastered from her face. Her eyes blinked about, dazed. "You're going to be okay, alright? I promise." He picked her up then, addressing his wife. "Come on, we have to take her to the hospital."
There was a moment where she couldn't move. The dawning of sudden realization was paralyzing. Eventually she did stand. She drove, Duncan sitting in the seat next to her but constantly looking back, and Jake and Lilly in the back with Veronica. This was it, her fears were coming true… and she couldn't do anything about it.
PRESENT – A MONTH LATER"Here's your change. Come again," Veronica finished with her customer as another flagged her down.
She really liked working in the diner, it was a place which allowed her just enough social interaction for her tastes, so she couldn't hope for more… well, except for home of course, but that was just something else entirely.
"Welcome to the Roadside Diner, what can I get you?" she dispensed her usual greeting to the customer with his nose in the menu, whipping out her order pad and pen. He didn't budge. "Sir? Can I take your order?"
"Veronica Mars…" She stopped, gripping on to the pad in sudden fear. It dissipated a little when the man lowered his menu. She knew the stunned face, and for once she was almost glad to see him.
"M-Mr. McCormack."
"Please, call me Cliff… Eve?" he read off her nametag. She touched her fingers to it for a moment before running them through her hair.
"How… how'd you find me?" she whispered, dropping the Eve twang.
"Just came in for breakfast. I wasn't looking for you. I was called in to help with a case, but it looks like a more interesting one has come along."
"Please," she leaned over the counter. "You can't tell anyone you saw me here, no one. Cliff…"
"Now a few months back, after your… kidnapping… your father asked me to help pull the media off your case, and I wondered why. You've been communicating?"
"No… It was just the one time. Look, I'm serious. You can't tell him. You never saw me." He looked at her for a moment.
"I'll have pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, and coffee, black… Eve." She smiled.
"Coming right up," she spoke, back in her persona. Before walking toward the kitchen though… "How is he?"
"Miserable. He misses his little girl," he spoke honestly. Veronica stood there for a moment, feeling that guilt again.
"She misses him too."
PAST – ONE HOUR LATER, HOSPITAL"I called Keith and Lianne, they're on their way," Jake told Celeste as he found her dealing with a barely functioning coffee machine.
"Good. What'd you tell them?" she asked, still pushing at the buttons.
"That she had an accident, but we got her out in time, and the doctors said that, with some rest, she'd be just fine." He sighed, rubbing at his face as he rested against the side of the machine. "For a moment…"
"What?" Celeste asked, finally getting some success with the machine.
"We could have lost her… just a moment longer and…"
"She's fine, Jake, you said so yourself. Stop worrying about it," she handed him the cup.
"I can't…" he took a sip.
"Why?" He didn't speak. "How long have you known?" He looked at her. "Did Lianne Mars just pull you to the side one day and go 'By the way, there's a possibility…'"
"Stop."
"I wasn't sure if you knew, but after today…"
"Celeste…"
"I saw it in your eyes, you thought your daughter was dying…"
"Enough!" he turned back to her, not running anymore. Celeste stood as tall as he did.
"She is not one of us, Jake. You have two children, our children, no more. Remember that."
"Sorry to wound your pride, but for all I know, that may not be the case."
"Then ask for a test."
"I can't," he turned again.
"Why not?" He remained quiet. "Keith. Of course."
"How did you even find out?" Celeste smirked to herself.
"I received a letter, months ago. Someone informed me of your little secret."
"Who?" he asked.
"Didn't say. It was signed 'A.K.'" Jake turned to his wife, taking her by the hands.
"Celeste, listen to me. I'm not sure what's going to happen after today. Whether or not she's mine, I promise I won't let that change anything for us," he spoke, his voice shaking a little. "But I need to know you're with me on this." Celeste matched his look, softening.
"'Til death do us part." He nodded, smiling.
"That's right."
"Daddy?" They turned, finding Lilly standing quietly by. Whether or not she'd been standing there all along was not of concern at the moment. Jake approached his daughter, lifting her into his arms.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"I'm thirsty," she explained.
"Okay, let's get you some juice. Where's your brother?"
"With Veronica and Nurse Terry."
"Are you okay? You had a scary moment back there," Celeste walked over, gently brushing at the young Kane's hair.
"Is Veronica gonna be okay?" Lilly asked, her voice small and frightened.
"Of course she will be. So will we all," Jake smiled, looking to his wife on the last part. She still looked unsure, but for their daughter's sake she focused on their family moment.
"Come on, let's go," Celeste guided them back to the room. Duncan was asleep in a chair.
Veronica was awake and well.
PRESENT – LATER, BACK AT THE DINERVeronica wiped at the counter, thankful for the quiet of closing time. There were still a few stragglers here and there, nothing to keep her 'busy' though. But she loved the time. After long days, it was a period where she could start unwinding, where her thoughts allowed themselves to roam back into the open of her mind.
What they gave her to think about varied with each night – the last letter Avery had e-mailed her, the screaming matches of the couple next door, the weather forecast for the next day… But she wasn't kidding herself. Eventually, the subject always found its way back to home.
These days, she mostly thought about her bed, her room, all these little things she'd left behind. She thought about the torn pair of pants she'd left on her desk. She was going to mend them that day after school.
But no. Instead she'd been taken by her mother, unwillingly, then willingly… and she'd left it all behind.
Sometimes she had trouble picturing it – her bed, her room, and all those little things. Home had become not so much a place as a concept, one that seemed too distant now. But she craved it more than anything. All she wanted in the world was her home, her dog, and her father.
"I think it's clean now," Veronica turned.
"Mr… Cliff… What are you doing here?"
"Had a feeling you were holding back on me before. Was there anything else you needed?" Veronica put her rag down, wiping her hands on her apron before indicating an empty booth.
"Just give me a couple minutes, okay?"
Cliff went to sit as Veronica looked about. A few minutes later, the last customers were gone. After going into the back to change into her street clothes, she returned, pouring and carrying over two cups of coffee. Sitting across from each other, they remained quiet, fixing their coffees to their likings.
"What'd Dad been up to? Is he working?" Veronica spoke first.
"Oh he's working. He's working himself senseless. I have never seen a man get into that much diversion work." Veronica looked into her cup.
"He's looking for me," she stated rather than asked.
"What do you think? This is Keith Mars we're talking about. Half the time I have to watch him or he'll go in too deep." Veronica looked up.
"You have to get him to slow down," she pleaded, worrying for her father's safety in these attempts to find her.
"What do you think I'm trying to do?"
"Try harder," her voice broke.
"Now how am I supposed to do that?"
"I don't know… Look, I don't know how long it'll be before I can go home again. I need to know that my dad's gonna be okay." Cliff sighed, drinking his coffee.
"I'll do my best, but you know as well as I do there's only one thing that'll put him at peace."
"Goes both ways," Veronica nodded to herself. Cliff stood.
"I should be heading to the airport. Listen, I'll try…"
"Can you make sure… he doesn't find me?" she asked after a moment.
"I'm not sure I like the sound of this. If he finds out I'm in contact with you behind his back…"
"Let me worry about that. I'll keep you updated, just… divert him if he gets close."
"Whatever's going on, I know you'll make it. You're your father's daughter." She kept thinking, once he'd gone, how she hoped he was right.
TBC