The sound of Logan's alarm wakes Veronica. She rolls over as he lifts the phone and silences the sound. "Foo Fighters? Nice," she murmurs. Veronica feels him shift towards her, although her eyes remain closed. She makes a contented grunt when he leans in and kisses her on the temple before he moves to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over and stretching as he stands. The fold out couch creaks in his absence.
They'd gotten back from the marina late, and opted to stay at her dad's place. They both agreed that while their day together was wonderful, the real world wouldn't let them stay away too long. Logan has to head to base to tie up some loose ends and Veronica wants to spend some time at the office before visiting her dad.
After Logan's shower, Veronica slips in while the air is still warm. He makes coffee and puts together a quick breakfast for them. They kiss on the lips before he leaves, and the scene feels weirdly domestic to Veronica. She doesn't say anything, but that feeling of everything being different and nothing having changed hits her again.
Veronica starts her father's Buick, easing it out of the driveway. The drive to the office is less than 10 minutes, and Veronica barely has time to find a station that isn't one of his preset soft rock favorites.
Before she unlocks the door, Veronica takes a deep breath. It's weird to be here without her dad, and even more strange to realize it might be months before he can climb the stairs to reclaim his office. She only stopped by twice since coming back to Neptune, and she shudders to think about the piles of files, case notes, and disorganized ledger that await her. Her dad used to have a strict cash-only policy, but he's softened in his old age. In the last two years, Veronica has heard of all sorts of interesting barters for his services.
The smell that greets her is familiar. Stale air tinged with dust and old paper. She thinks about opening a window, but she knows it won't help. Her father's organizational system has always been pretty simple: the closer the file is to the desk, the higher priority. Veronica pulls a pad of paper out of her bag, finding a pen on the desk. She starts with the center of the desk, taking down the names scribbled on the case files, as well as what she can gather are the salient points of the case. She can ask her dad about them later.
When she fills three pages of notes, Veronica takes a break to stretch her back. She wanders around the office, peaking at the sparse decorations. There's a picture of them at her Columbia graduation. She remembers the moment. Piz was the photographer, and her dad is beaming. Veronica's stomach knots when she thinks about the conversation that is to come. Technically, she reasons, she's already told him when he was in the ICU. Although she's had to tell her dad the details of the accident and her following 24 hours more than once since it all happened, so she realizes there's a good chance she'll have to recap this as well.
After another hour of sorting through the ledger, emptying the voicemail, and sorting through the mail for any checks to be cashed, Veronica is overwhelmed. She's sure that she won't be able to trudge through more information today. She hasn't done this much cramming since she studied for the bar. She pulls out her phone and pecks out a text.
Mac Attack, are you allowed to leave for lunch, or do they hook you up to a nutrient supplement while you work?
Veronica smiles when her phone chimes before she can pocket it. There's some manufacturing glitch with the Soylent Green protein source. Guess we're allowed out this week.
They agree to meet near Kane Industries in 30 minutes. Veronica grabs her pad of paper, now brimming with notes and questions, and heads to lock up. She knows coming back is the right choice, but she can't help but notice the nagging feeling in her brain that says she's up to her eyeballs in student debt only to be back where she was before she even graduated high school. Veronica tries to shake it off as she leaves the building.
They are at a trendy sandwich shop, feeling very lucky to have found a small table in a corner. Almost as soon as Mac sits, Veronica's thoughts spill out. "I'm staying in Neptune."
Mac just nods as though she expects Veronica to announce such life changing decisions everyday.
"That's it?" Veronica is exasperated. "I tell you I am uprooting my entire life to move back here, and you act like I just told you the scores from last night's game?"
"Sorry Bond, but if you actually knew information about any real sporting event, I might be a little more shocked."
Veronica glares.
"OK, OK, I'm sorry," Mac relents. "I'm thrilled that you're sticking around. Really, I love it. I just can't say I'm surprised is all." When Veronica still doesn't speak, Mac continues, her voice still amused. "Oh come on, it was pretty clear that you were gonna stick around, even before your dad's accident. You're Veronica frakkin' Mars. Neptune is your bitch."
Despite the attempts to butter her up, Veronica is still miffed by Mac's comment. To be honest, she expects more fanfare. "What do you mean even before my dad's accident?"
"Come on, Mars. You got the call and came back," Mac starts to say before Veronica cuts her off.
"I'm not staying because of Logan." She pauses for a moment. "Happy circumstance? Yes. But not because of him."
Veronica can see Mac attempt to hide an eye roll. "Fine, you aren't staying just because of him. But you are staying, and the two of you are about as subtle as you were in high school. The whole trying to keep your distance at Gia's funeral- you know it was obvious, right?"
Veronica can feel the heat flush her cheeks. She tries to deflect. "Well, you don't have to worry too much. He deploys next Sunday." Veronica doesn't miss the sharp inhale of breath from her friend.
"Shit, Veronica. I thought they might delay it with everything happening. At least that's what we hoped."
"We?"
"Dick might have mentioned something at the funeral." Mac at least has the decency to look guilty. She tries to change the subject. "Have you told your dad yet?"
"Um, technically, yes?"
"And how'd that go?"
"Great for me, he was very understanding. And unconscious." Veronica tries to rush the last sentence in hopes her friend won't call her out.
"So you haven't actually told him, so much as mentioned it aloud when he couldn't hear you."
"They say people who are unconscious hear things all the time," Veronica retorts.
She's met with an eye roll, this time unchecked. "You haven't told him."
"I haven't told him," Veronica repeats, and feels like a scolded child. "But I want to believe that he'll be so excited that he'll finally get me that pony."
Veronica can see Mac choose to ignore the question, and ask her own instead. "So what's the plan? Take the money shot and staple your business card to it? 'Mars Investigations and hassle-free divorce services'? Eh, nevermind, you might need a postcard to get all that on there."
Veronica takes one of the sugar packets she's been fidgeting with and chucks it in Mac's direction. "I don't know. Right now, keep the doors open. Maybe think about sitting for the Bar? I don't know, it feels like there's a lot up in the air."
Mac nods sagely. "Glad to have you back, Bond. You've been missed by many."
Veronica can't tell how wide of a net Mac is casting to include the many. Clearly, she and Wallace are among the number, but she doesn't know how much contact they've had with Logan over the years. More than Veronica herself has, obviously, but that doesn't mean much.
The food arrives and they are silent as they each construe elaborate plans to ingest the oversized sandwiches. After a few minutes of silent eating, Mac begins again.
"Have you talked to Piz?"
Veronica looks down, focused on her plate. "No, not since his parents. I guess he called you?" Veronica hasn't had a chance to fill Mac in on all the details. She figures it was either a phone call or a Facebook status change that she missed.
"Wallace," Mac corrects, and Veronica nods.
"Sorry you guys spent the money on the ticket."
"Eh," Mac says with a shrug. "It was a Hail Mary pass anyway. Mostly Piz's idea, now that I think about it."
Veronica nods again, unable to come up with a quip. "I was kind of awful, huh?" she asks, and she hopes her friend will show her compassion.
Mac seems to know what she needs and shrugs her shoulders. "Kind of, yeah." Veronica frowns. "I mean, I don't think you did it on purpose, but yeah, you pretty much broke his heart."
Veronica expects the bluntness, but she doesn't expect it to sting quite this much. "I guess I'm off the newsletter updates?"
"I'd imagine so," Mac replies. "But the good news is that you might also get off the donation drive call list."
"I'm pretty sure I've just signed myself up for a lifetime of calls, emails, and texts," Veronica responds with an eye roll.
"Probably true. I should remember that for my next break up, it's pretty brutal. I mean, I've done the whole, 'sign them up for dungeon porn' and-"
Veronica holds up a hand. "Enough! I don't even want to know how you use your evil powers. I like a certain level of plausible deniability."
The ladies finish their sandwiches quickly, keeping in mind Mac's limited lunch hour. They are getting ready to leave when Mac clears her throat.
"So, off to tell your dad?" there's a hint of hope in her voice.
"Off to see him, yeah," Veronica confirms. "I didn't see him yesterday, and I have some mocking about getting a sponge bath to work out. I can't decide whether to go with the dirty old man angle, or...well, all I've worked out is the dirty old man angle, it's been a busy day."
Mac just nods as they leave their table and head to the door. Before they part on the sidewalk, she gives Veronica a hug. "Happy to have you back, Bond. Just be careful with yourself, okay?" Veronica doesn't have to ask what she means, she knows it's about more than the cases she's taking on for her dad.
"Uh huh," she replies, squeezing Mac a little harder. "You get back to work before they activate the homing beacon on you," she attempts to deflect with a smile.