DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, any recognizable dialogue, and the canon events of their storyline belong to Rob Thomas.
A/N:
To the new readers who recently found this series: Welcome. Glad to have you along on this rollercoaster ride.
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Chapter 12 includes a modified version of #3.9 "Spit & Eggs."
Occurs in early to mid-December 2006.
Chapter 12
The week after Mercer was arrested, Eli and I talked more than we had in a long time. Not deep conversations. And our primary disagreement was far from settled. But we were talking and spending time together. And that was a step in the right direction.
One afternoon, he sent me a text saying that Letty insisted we come over for dinner. She had been disappointed that she didn't get to see me on Thanksgiving. Apparently, Eli hadn't told her that I was avoiding him during my investigation of the rapes on campus. He had simply told her that I had been busy and that my dad didn't want to share me on Thanksgiving Day.
However, after she heard what happened to me, she told Eli that she needed to see me with her own eyes to make sure that I really was okay.
It was nice to see her and spend time in her kitchen again. That was one bad thing about Eli moving out of the house – I missed getting to see his family.
When Letty asked me how school was going, I gave a vague answer. I didn't want to bring up the good things – like the possible FBI internship – or the bad things – like how exhausted I had been since the attack. I mentioned nothing that would venture into conversational territory that could affect Eli's good mood.
When she asked about work, I avoided giving any answer at all – for the same reason that I was vague about school.
She didn't seem to notice. I just turned the conversation around and asked her how she was doing. She told me that her health was continuing to improve and that she had made some new friends at work. She also mentioned that her younger grandkids were doing better in school and staying out of trouble – she attributed this to them having an older cousin to look up to. Then she began to cry. She wrapped her arms around me as she thanked me again for helping Eli finish high school and helping him learn to believe in himself.
Ophelia interrupted our moment to ask how long until the food would be ready.
"Get Eli to help you set the table. We'll be out soon," Letty said, as she wiped her eyes.
Having dinner with them was wonderful – a giant slice of "normal" in contrast to the recent craziness of my life. Sitting here with them, I could understand why Eli pleaded with me to stop putting myself in danger. That type of change would allow us to have more normal in our everyday lives.
During dinner, Ophelia talked excitedly about how her friends were all into making radio dedications – she described it as "very old school." She asked if my friends and I had done that when we were younger.
I had to stop to think. I guess we did. But it was definitely a bigger thing before the days of social media.
She continued to talk about her friends and told us all about her favorite classes and activities. The way she prattled on non-stop, you'd have thought that she never had a chance to talk to anyone.
After dinner, Ophelia and I did the dishes while Eli helped Letty with a few things – loose door hinges, a leaky faucet, a clogged pipe, etc. He enjoyed helping his grandmother, and she enjoyed having him around. Even if it was just for short periods of time.
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By ten o'clock, he was pulling his Mustang into the parking lot of my apartment building. His fingers were intertwined with mine as he walked me to my door.
He stroked my cheek as a warm smile spread across his face. "Nights like these … feel like a glimpse into the future."
Although I wasn't sure exactly what he meant by that, I was glad that he'd been in a good mood all evening.
I guess you'd say that things between Eli and I were getting back to normal – whatever the hell that was. He was satisfied that I was letting Dad do what he called "the dangerous stuff." In truth, I just wasn't taking on anything new because the semester was ending and finals were around the corner.
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Dad certainly had plenty to keep himself busy. One evening, he had gone over to Dean O'Dell's office to break the news about his wife's infidelity. O'Dell had hired Dad to find out if his wife was cheating, but Dad hadn't found any evidence. However, I figured out that he was working for the dean, and I told him what I had discovered while looking into my supposedly plagiarized paper – that Mindy O'Dell was having an affair with Hank Landry.
Dad was, of course, duty bound to tell O'Dell. That night, they sat around for a while and drank. Once Dad was sure that the dean wasn't planning on leaving his office couch, Dad came home.
We found out the next day that Dean O'Dell was found dead in his office. "Apparent suicide" was the initial finding.
But there were a few things that didn't add up.
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It was the week before finals when I had a sudden realization. Since things would be hectic, I should preemptively do something to let Eli know that I was not ignoring or avoiding him again.
Digging in my closet, I found the miniskirt that he loved so much. I spent more than my usual amount of time on my hair and makeup.
When I arrived at the garage, I waved at the kid behind the reception desk as I walked by. Eli was leaning over a car engine, working intently. One of the other guys started to tell him that I was standing there, but I held a finger to my lips as a request that he not say anything.
I just stood there watching Eli work. Several minutes passed, and he still hadn't looked in my direction. He walked around to the workbench to get something and then wheeled himself under the car.
It wasn't until he was rolling back out that he noticed that someone was standing nearby.
As he stood up, he was looking down, wiping his hands. "Ma'am, if you'll have a seat in the waiting room, someone will be with you in a few minutes."
I couldn't help but laugh. I wondered how many women had come in here trying to flirt with him … only to get shutdown so completely that he wouldn't even look at them.
When he heard my laugh, he raised his head.
"What are you doing here, V?"
"Watching you work."
His coworker interjected, "She was staring at your ass."
"How long have you been here?"
"Long enough." I tilted my head and smiled. "Just wanted to drop by to let you know my schedule for the next week and a half."
"Yeah?"
"The short version is … I have no free time. Papers. Finals. Hopefully, adequate sleep. The next ten days are gonna be brutal. There will be no free time to see my boyfriend." I pushed myself off the wall I had been leaning against. "However … I have some free time now." I walked up to him and whispered, "I thought maybe I'd go upstairs and wait … you know, in case you finished work early … and had some free time to spend with me."
"Well, that's an interesting … proposition, Miss Mars." With a crooked smile on his face, he pointed at the car, saying, "I'm almost done here. Just gotta finish up this oil change."
Just then, I heard his coworker clear his throat. "I can take care of that for you, boss. Seems like you're needed elsewhere."
At first, Eli didn't acknowledge the offer. He just stared at me. Finally, he said softly, "Go on up. I'll be there as soon as I can."
I stepped toward him. With my thumb, I wiped some grease off his cheek and kissed the spot I had just cleaned. Then, I turned to go up the stairs to his apartment.
When I got up there, I barely had time to get myself a glass of water before he burst through the door.
He was moving so quickly and with such purpose that at first I thought he was angry. But he was filled with another strong emotion: lust.
Grabbing me, he lifted me up onto the counter of his half-finished kitchen. When he went all caveman like this, it turned me on more than I liked to admit. Turned me on so much that I wouldn't be needing any foreplay.
Gruffly, he asked, "You have a condom with you?"
As I nodded, he reached into my bra and got it himself. In less than a minute, he had inched my skirt up and slid my panties to the side. Somewhere in between there, he managed to put on the condom.
It didn't take much at all to bring me to climax. I screamed loudly – probably loudly enough to be heard by the men downstairs. I really didn't care. I'd worry about being embarrassed some other time.
After he finished, he tried to catch his breath as he said, "Wish I had more time—"
Cutting him off, I said, "Me too."
I needed to get home to have dinner with Dad and then dive into studying. So I hurriedly cleaned up and adjusted my clothing. He gave me a kiss goodbye just as I was leaving.
Running down the stairs, I intended on getting through the lobby as quickly as possible, but just as I exited the stairwell, he was right behind me – wearing only jeans.
He grabbed me and spun me around. His hands were on both sides of my face as he kissed me passionately.
My hands came up to rest on the sides of his torso. "You already kissed me goodbye. You didn't have to run down here to do it again."
"I wanted to. And you forgot your phone." He pulled it out of his back pocket.
My hands moved to his chest as I admired his tatoos and his abs – he'd been working out more this year than he ever had in the past. I sighed as I said, "See you in a week."
"I know you're gonna be busy. But, Mía, do me a favor so I don't have to worry about you … if I text you, please reply. Quickly."
"If you promise to text me yes or no questions so I can reply with a Y or an N, you've got yourself a deal."
He laughed and nodded. "I'll try to remember that."
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For the next week and a half, the only thing on my calendar was studying and resting – and of course, taking exams. Well, there was one other thing on my calendar: another trip to see my doctor.
I had been to the doctor's office two days after Mercer was arrested, which was a few weeks after I had been attacked in the parking garage. Some of TBI symptoms that had previously lessened or disappeared were back again. My primary care physician was mildly concerned about this. Perhaps, I should have been more concerned, but I didn't really have time to be. I had a "To Do List" a mile long.
My doctor said he wanted to see me again in two weeks and hinted at possibly sending me back to see the neurologist. He gave me a written excuse, in case I missed any classes. He even went so far as to recommend that I take an incomplete in a class or two. But I really wanted to finish out the semester.
After taking a look at my schedule and my list, I pulled back on everything nonessential. The essentials being: study, rest, eat.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
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Those ten days had gone quickly. But still, I did manage to reply to my boyfriend's texts, as requested. Even found time for a phone call or two.
When I walked out of my last final, all I could think about was climbing into bed and going to sleep. But when I got to my car, I found a note that changed my train of thought.
Mia—
In a moment, you will read a question. There is only one appropriate answer to the question: yes. Now that your finals are over, you should have plenty of free time. So the Christmas celebration can begin early!
Would you like to join me at the B&B for a few days (3 days/2 nights)? Pack what you need in a backpack. Wear jeans and the leather jacket I gave you last year. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
—Eli
Sometimes the man could be bossy. But I didn't always mind. This was one of those times. I needed a getaway. Bri's cooking, time alone with Eli, and a private beach sounded marvelous after the intense week I'd just finished.
"Sounds like we're taking his new bike," I said to myself as I started my car.
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I had been doing a decent job of not putting myself in harm's way since the night that Mercer attacked me. As a result of not endangering myself, Eli had chilled out. He didn't have anyone following me. He didn't freak out if I didn't reply to a text within ten seconds. He didn't ask where I was going to be at all hours of the day.
Things had settled down; he had settled down.
Now that finals were over, I could enjoy the fact that things were peaceful. And I couldn't think of a more peaceful place than his cousin's bed and breakfast.
Bri and Ben were booked up from next week through the first week of the new year. She had been working on the menu of the holiday dishes that she would be serving the guests, and she planned to try them out on us.
The food was amazing, as usual. I had the opportunity to cook with her while Eli was helping Ben put up the last of the decorations.
The first evening, Eli and I took a long walk on the beach. We talked some, but mostly we just enjoyed the fact that we were back in a season of being comfortable together in silence. But the highlight of the trip was the second night. Bri and Ben went out, and we had the whole place to ourselves.
While they were getting ready to leave, Eli held me close to him on the couch in the lobby.
He whispered in my ear, telling me what he planned to do to me. And where in the house he planned to do it. Apparently, he had given a lot of thought to what locations would work for what activity.
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In a way, I felt like we had lost each other again during the past several weeks. Recognizing the ebb and flow in our relationship over the past couple years, I could begin to understand why some marriages fall apart: It is hard work to maintain a relationship. It would be lovely to fall in love and just stay there, but life and love are not that simple or easy.
I was thankful that he had planned this time away – away from work and school, away from family and friends. Time to reacquaint ourselves; time to remind ourselves that we communicate really well without words.
We both intentionally set aside everything from the past couple months – all the tension, all the disagreements and strained communication. The emotional wall I kept securely in place was how I justified not telling him that I still intended to do my job the way I always had. However, in every other way, we were intimate and vulnerable with each other.
In our time alone together, it was like the whole world fell away, like it no longer existed. It had always been that way; his touch had always had that effect.
During those hours, I forgot about school, cases, everything. The only thing that mattered was Eli and the pleasure we shared.
A jumble of thoughts and feelings flooded my mind and heart as we gazed into each other's eyes while our bodies and souls reconnected.
Shortly after we collapsed in each other's arms – exhausted and sated – he fell asleep. I stayed awake for a long time, watching him. I felt guilty allowing something to come between us. I knew that he did not want me to put myself in harm's way, but I did not know how to change. This is who I was, who I'd become. I hadn't always been this way. Lilly's death had been the catalyst for that change.
As I gazed at his face – peaceful and content – I thought about the changes he had made, the person he had become. I wondered what it would take to change the person I had become. What kind of catalyst would it take?
I loved him. That I was sure of. Loved him more deeply than I ever thought I could love someone – other than my dad. But at the moment, even that love was not enough for me to change.
For the near future, things would be peaceful. The doctor and Dad had both told me that I needed to take advantage of the holiday break to rest up before spring semester started. It made Eli happy that I wasn't working any cases.
During the holidays, I would have to try to smooth things over – with Eli, Dad, Wallace, Mac – convince them that they didn't need to be concerned.
But after that, if I continued to work cases that put me in danger, then I would end up living separate lives – not allowing my loved ones to know what I was doing. Is that the kind of life I wanted to live – hiding and lying, having to cover up where I was and what I was doing? Was that any better than people who live separate lives while cheating on a spouse?
A while back, Eli had asked me what kind of relationship I wanted to have. Although I did not want him in a tug of war with his old self, I was making no progress winning the war within myself.
A/N:
Next up: holiday celebrations and Mac's birthday party.
Until next time …
~Jen
10 March 2020
