Chapter 19: Halloween Fun
*****A Few Days Later*****
Veronica was feeling good about the world in general as her lunch date with Logan went well. They kept it light, speaking about innocuous things. It was good to just be with him without any tension or anger. He seemed to be healing well. They hadn't kissed or done anything lover like, but it was good just to feel connected to him again.
When she got home, Keith looked distracted.
"Hey, Dad. What's going on?" Veronica asked.
"Hi, sweetie. I'm just waiting to hear back from Joyce," he said. "The doctor was going to schedule her brain surgery for the tumor they found."
"Oh, no! Is it cancerous?" Veronica inquired.
"No—thank God. However, it's still brain surgery," Keith said.
"It's scary. Did she find a good surgeon?" Veronica asked.
"Yes, I made sure she had the best around," Keith said.
"You really like Joyce, don't you?" Veronica said. She knew the woman was important to her dad since the fight she'd caused between them. However, his real worry and concern showed her it went deeper than a new romance.
"Honey, I love Joyce," Keith said. "She is everything I have ever wanted to find in a partner. She is kind and intelligent, fun to be around. There's a strength in her that I rarely see in women I date. She makes me feel so good."
"Wow, Dad. I've never seen you like this before," Veronica said.
"That's because I've not ever felt like this," he said. "You know I loved your mom very much, but it was no secret that she didn't love me the same way. Love not returned doesn't grow. Joyce, though, loves me."
"She's said it?" Veronica inquired.
Keith smiled. "Yes, Veronica. She loves me, too," he said. "I am thinking that at Christmas, I'm going to propose."
"Seriously? That's super fast, Dad," Veronica said.
"Six months isn't that fast, and it's longer than I knew your mother before we got married," he said. "I want to join my life with hers. Dawn could really use a father around."
"Dawn is very smart," Veronica admitted. The girl was nothing like Buffy as she was all arms and clearly going to be tall like her mother, Joyce. Veronica, though, had liked her instantly.
"We'd probably have to get a bigger place, so there's a room for you," Keith said.
"Dad, that's not necessary. I'm grown. I can live on campus," she said.
"You will always have a room wherever I live," Keith said. "Besides, she has a lease, so I envision a five- or six-month engagement. If we get married at the end of your spring semester, her lease should be up."
"Well, I am happy for you," Veronica said, honestly. She'd spent time with Joyce the past month and did like her. Even Buffy wasn't too bad once she set aside her jealousy.
"Now I just have to control myself for two months," Keith said with a grin.
Veronica laughed in agreement.
*****Neptune Grand*****
Dick was so excited that he was practically bouncing. He and Logan had finalized their plans to buy the hotel.
"Now we get to stay here for free!" he said.
"We paid a quarter of my trust fund and half of yours to buy this place," Logan said. "Now we have to see if we can actually make a profit with it, figure out their books, and manage the people."
"I, for one, can't wait to see the look on Ratner's face!" Dick said.
"I might promote him since he's so resourceful," Logan said.
"Make Buffy head waitress," Dick said. "Oh, we should totally throw a party this weekend."
"Well, it is Halloween," Logan said. "Perfectly, appropriate use of the room's downstairs. In fact, I think renting out the ballroom on the first floor to college students for a price is an easy way to make some money. They can order the liquor straight from the hotel."
"True. But it's free for us, right?" he said.
"We have to advertise the goods," Logan said.
His doorbell rang, and he welcomed Willow and Tara. Dick filled them in on their news.
"That's wonderful, guys!" Willow said, hugging them both. "We are very happy for you."
"And proud," Tara said.
The boys preened under their approval.
"So are you guys ready for your first magic lesson?" Willow asked.
"Not my first," Dick reminded her. "I already know how to call the four corners."
"True," Willow said. Dick didn't have much aptitude for magic, but he could probably learn to work minor spells with another witch.
When she tested Logan, however, she was surprised to find out that he had a natural ability. Not only was he able to call the four elements easily, he showed a particular affinity for the fire element. When he was able to float a pencil, the stunned look on his face said it all.
"I can't believe it," he said.
"Dude, this is so awesome!" Dick said. "You're like a wizard from Harry Potter."
"The correct term is warlock," Willow said.
"Cool," Logan said. He was wondering how he'd someday tell Veronica this new aspect of his personality.
*****Not Too Far Away****
The woman looked at a picture of her son's prom and the familiar rage filled her.
"My son and grandson are gone because of her," she said. The FBI was watching their every move still two years later, and she could do nothing but see her son on video. Her granddaughter would never know her. If Veronica Mars had encouraged her son to seek help from her parents, they could have used their incredible influence to keep Meg's parents away from the baby. No, Veronica had to decide she knew best and helped her son kidnap the baby and flee. She lost her son because of Veronica.
"She has to pay," the woman said as she drove towards a town.
The Welcome to Sunnydale sign greeted her.
******Halloween******
"The last Halloween party we attended, a demon trapped us into the frat house and made us all live out our worst fears," Buffy told Weevil as they approached the hotel where the party was being thrown.
"No shit?" Weevil asked.
Buffy grinned. "Sunnydale was a town full of dark forces. It's why I love Neptune so much," she said.
"Only a Sunnydale native could possibly think this town was wonderful," Weevil said.
Buffy laughed, happy that he had agreed to come even though he hated Logan and Dick. They were dressed as the couple from Grease as Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.
"Thanks for coming with me to this," she said.
"Getting to watch you dance is payback enough," Weevil said. Buffy still hadn't slept with him, but now that she wasn't dating Logan, Weevil wasn't going to rush things. She was a woman that came along once in a lifetime, and he wasn't about to muck it up.
"I'm just glad my mom has her surgery scheduled next week, and Keith found her a very excellent surgeon," Buffy said. "Definitely better than what they'd have in Sunnydale."
"Me, too," Weevil said. He knew how close she was with her mother and was happy that the prognosis was good. Of course, having brain surgery was always a serious thing.
Buffy giggled when she saw that Logan was dressed as Dr. Strange, Supreme Warlock while Dick was dressed as Severus Snape from Harry Potter. "I'm sensing a theme," she said.
"What's with the sudden interest in magic?" Weevil asked the two.
"Oh, well, you know, I recently met some witches and thought it was cool," Dick said, trying to act casual.
"You mean Willow and Tara?" he said as he knew they were Wiccans.
"You know?" Dick asked in surprise. "Isn't it cool?"
"I know they practice Wicca," Weevil asked, giving him a puzzled look.
"That's what he means," Logan said quickly.
"Who cares?" Buffy said easily. "Let's dance!"
Before Weevil could investigate further, he was dragged out to the dance floor.
"Be careful, Dick," Logan warned. "Weevil only knows that Sunnydale is a hellmouth and that the supernatural is real. He knows nothing about the girls."
"I can't believe she hasn't told him," Dick said. "That's like a big part of her life."
"I think it's because she wants to leave it all behind," he said. Then he spotted Veronica and grinned. "My own little witch is here, so I'll catch you later."
Veronica grinned as she checked out his costume. "You look great," she said.
"I can definitely say that about you, my good witch," he said. She had opted to dress as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz.
Veronica was excited to be out with him and impressed that he and Dick had decided to invest into the hotel. He was really trying to be responsible, and it meant a lot to her to see him grow.
"Would you like a drink or dance?" he asked.
"Dance, of course," she said. It had been too long since they'd done such an intimate thing. The song now was a slow dance, so she wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his chest.
For Logan, it was a familiar pose—one he relished.
Nearby, Weevil was grinning as he spotted Xander coming in dressed as Superman. "There's your boy," he said.
"I can't believe he actually asked Parker to the dance," Buffy said, noticing his partner dressed as Wonder Woman.
"You told him that Mac told you she was crushing on him," Weevil said with a shrug. "He'd be an idiot to ignore a cute blonde that likes him."
Buffy grinned. "I love matchmaking," she said. "However, the one that I am most pleased about is coming through the door now." Weevil looked and saw Oz wearing furry claws and a werewolf mask while Mac wore a red cloak with a hood and held a picnic basket.
"You got Oz to ask Mac?" he asked surprised. The guy hardly ever spoke, which was an oddity for Buffy's group of friends as all of them talked a lot except for Tara. He could see, though, how the man fit with Willow. He supposed another computer nerd was clearly his type.
"Of course not," Buffy said, smiling. "I got Mac to ask him. I knew Oz was too nice of a guy to say no and possibly hurt her feelings."
"That's kind of sneaky of you," he said.
"Well, Mac really likes him, and Oz likes smart girls since he loved Willow," Buffy said. "He's the smartest guy I ever have known and the most stoic. He never wastes words—Mac is a thoughtful person. I think they'd gel really well together."
"I can see that," Weevil said.
The couple in question was talking with Parker and Xander.
For some reason, Xander was finding Oz's costume hilarious. "I can't believe you came as a wolf! Talk about irony," he said, snickering.
"It was my idea since I hate dressing up, my mom made me this cloak for Halloween when I was like twelve," Mac said.
"Her brother had the claws and mask," Oz said with a shrug. He did sort of get a perverse pleasure out of the irony. Mac's invite was surprising as he hadn't really thought about dating again after Willow. He still felt as if his heart belonged to her. However, he knew that Willow had moved on, and it would be good for the group dynamics if he did also. Mac was brilliant and very nice. Her shyer personality was appealing as it did remind him of how Willow used to be. Going as her date was no hardship.
"Let's get something to drink," Mac said. Oz nodded and followed her.
"Well, my Wonder Woman, do you want to dance?" Xander said. "I must warn you that I mostly just spaz to the beat.
Parker smiled, very excited to be at a dance with such a nice and cute guy. "Most definitely," she said.
The party was going strong for about an hour, and all the couples were having a good time. Mac was surprised, though, when Oz left her side to join the band. She had never met a computer major that was also a member of a rock band. Dingoes Ate My Baby was a strange name for the group, but they weren't half bad. Xander, Dick, and Logan all asked her to dance. It was an unusual night for her as she had never felt so popular. Then Wallace arrived, and he, of course, also asked her to dance.
Buffy was having a blast. She danced about twenty minutes with Weevil, and then he was done. When he went to get a beer, several fraternity brothers surrounded her, begging for a dance. Since she knew most from her class, she agreed, knowing Weevil wouldn't actually care. Buffy made a point of only dancing slow dances with Weevil.
Dick came up to Weevil and Wallace, who were getting some food. "Dude, your hot Sandy is dancing with other dudes," he said.
"Yea, I have eyes," he said.
"That don't bother you?" Dick asked.
"Have you seen anything hotter than Buffy dancing?" he said with a grin. "I love to watch her move."
"Okay, you're right," Dick said. Then he saw this brunette in a leather jacket and leather pants come in, and his mouth actually fell open. "The hottest girl I have ever laid eyes on has just walked in. Do you guys know her?"
Xander approached with Parker to get some food as Dick made that comment. He looked and grinned. "I know her. In fact, I lost my virginity to her," he shared without thinking. Then he glanced at Parker and winced. "Sorry. That was tacky. We were never a couple, though. Faith doesn't do that."
"Xan-man," Faith said, holding her hand up for a fist bump. "I am surprised to see you, but not surprised you'd be dressed in a lame superhero costume."
"Well, my request for a Faith costume was denied," he said with a straight face.
Faith laughed. "Where's B?" she asked.
"She's dancing with some guys who aren't her date," Xander said, pointing.
"I have never been prouder," Faith said with a grin.
"Xander, are you going to introduce me to this ravishing beauty?" Dick asked him.
"Faith, this is Dick. This is my date, Parker, and that's Weevil, Buffy's date and my good friend," Xander said.
"It's nice to meet you," Weevil said. The girl walked like she knew exactly how sexy she was. Girls like her annoyed the hell out of him. How could Buffy be friends with a girl like this?
"Oh, my God! Faith!" Buffy exclaimed as she noticed her presence while returning to Weevil's side. She hugged her sister slayer.
"Glad to see you taking some of my advice for once," Faith said, grinning. "Although I gotta say, he doesn't look like your normal type."
"Why are you here? Where's Giles? Is everything okay?" Buffy asked.
"Kennedy's in trouble and her watcher asked us to come," Faith said.
"Why didn't she call me? I'm closer," Buffy said.
Faith shrugged. "I can't say. You know, it's probably because you're in school, and Ohio's been super boring. I could use some action," Faith said.
Weevil wasn't alone wondering what the girl meant about her watcher, but he didn't care enough to ask.
"Why does she have a watcher?" Dick asked.
"Oh, that's just what we call her mentor, who is like her guardian," Buffy answered easily.
Willow and Tara appeared. Tara dressed as a doctor while Willow was the sexy nurse.
"Faith! Is everything okay?" Willow said, sounding anxious.
"Not exactly. Kennedy's got a big problem she needs me for," Faith said.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Last time you saw her, you beat her face pretty good," Willow said.
"Oh, she's violent? That's so hot!" Dick said.
"You would think that," Buffy said with a snicker.
Logan finally noticed the new arrival talking to Buffy and pulled Veronica along to meet her.
"You just want to meet the new hot girl," Veronica said, giving him a knowing look.
"Hey, I'm the host. I have to greet my new guest," Logan said.
"Damn, B. You're just finding all kinds of hotties these days," Faith said as she watched Logan approach.
"It's college, Faith. Hot guys are a given," she said.
"Is that Oz? I didn't know wolf-boy was back in the group," Faith said.
"His grandma lives in San Diego and has had some health problems, so he is taking some part-time classes," Buffy said. "We just kind of ran into him."
"Fate," Faith said. "The Powers want him back with his pack."
"You know he's not actually a wolf," Veronica said, finding the new girl way too much in every way.
"You must not really know Oz," Faith said, giving her a puzzled look.
"Faith, this is Veronica and Logan. Logan and Dick own this hotel. Veronica is the daughter of Keith, my mom's boyfriend," Buffy said.
Faith grinned, flashing her dimple. "Damn. Owning a hotel before you're twenty-one? That's impressive," she said. "Little B emailed me about your mom's new boy-toy. She really likes him."
"Yes, he's pretty great," Buffy said.
"So which one of these guys can I have?" Faith asked with a wink.
"Dick," Buffy said, pointing.
"Yes!" Dick exclaimed, pumping his fist.
"Let's dance," Faith said, pulling him to the dance floor.
"She seems like a barracuda," Veronica said.
"You're not wrong," Xander said.
"She's not going to break my boy, is she?" Logan asked Buffy.
"Most definitely," Buffy said with a laugh. "But he will enjoy every minute of it."
"So who is she exactly?" Veronica asked.
"She's my sister," Buffy said. "She's loyal and tough, and she doesn't take shit from anybody. She's like the darker, more impulsive version of me."
"I didn't know your mom had another child," Veronica said, frowning.
"She didn't," Buffy said. "Blood doesn't make you family all the time. Right, Logan?"
"For sure," Logan said, holding out his fist for a bump.
Veronica pursed her lips, not liking the reminder of how close Buffy and Logan were.
"Weevil, feed me," Buffy said, turning to her date.
"The spread is very good," Weevil said, holding out her hand to lead her to what he knew she would love.
When they were munching on food and alone, Buffy warned Weevil. "Just so you know, Faith will at some point hit on you."
Weevil frowned. "That doesn't sound like a loyal friend to me," he said.
"In Faith's mind, it's her way of watching out for me. If a guy takes what she's offering, then they're not good enough for me," Buffy said with an eye roll.
"She can't hold a candle to you," Weevil said honestly.
Buffy grinned and pulled him close for a kiss.
An hour later, Dick was having a very good time with Faith. The girl was by far the sexiest woman he had ever had on the dance floor. He didn't know how he got so lucky, but he was having the best time.
Then he heard it. The voice that still made his balls shrivel when he heard it.
"God, Dick, can't you show some taste? Leave it to you to hire a prostitute to be your date at your own party," Madison Sinclair said.
"I don't recall inviting you to my party," Dick said.
"Did this bitch just call me a prostitute?" Faith asked.
"Yes, she did. Ignore her. She's bitter and frigid," Dick said.
"I don't let anyone talk to me that way. The bitch is about to get a beating," Faith said. She slapped Madison hard with an open palm, but as she was incredibly strong, it still made Madison's head swing.
When she screamed out, several eyes looked at them.
Buffy and Veronica quickly moved to the scene. "Faith, what's going on?" Buffy asked.
"This bitch called me a prostitute. I don't let anyone talk shit to me but you," Faith said, glaring at Madison.
"She talks that way to everyone," Veronica said.
"Well, she better stick to insulting the hoes she knows, not me," Faith said.
"Dick, are you just going to let her assault me?" Madison demanded angrily.
"I didn't see any assault," Dick said. "I just was dancing with my girl here and you came up and said I hired a prostitute as my date."
"Madison, you need to leave," Logan said.
Giving one final glare, Madison turned and left.
"Damn, girl. I think I want to become your permanent boy-toy," Dick said. "Are you taking applications?"
Faith laughed, finding the big lug adorable. "Maybe. But I live in Ohio, so don't go getting attached."
"Too late," Dick said with a sigh.
"Mac's going to be so sad she missed seeing Madison get bitch slapped," Veronica said, grinning.
"I guess that girl isn't friends of yours?" Faith asked, looking at the group.
"She's Dick's ex," Veronica said. "She's the reason Logan and I broke up last year and my chief female tormentor in high school."
"Who was your male tormentor?" Faith asked, curious.
"That would be Logan and Dick," Veronica said.
"A reformed bad boy? Nice!" Faith said, smiling.
"You wanna dance?" Buffy asked Faith.
"You know it!" Faith said, pulling her further into the dancing bodies.
Logan, Dick, and Weevil were struck mute for several minutes as they watched the two girls dance together.
"I feel hot all over," Dick finally muttered.
"Damn," Logan muttered. Then he saw Veronica bringing him a plate of food and pulled his gaze away from the sight of Buffy and Faith dancing.
"I told you there was nothing hotter than watching Buffy dance," Weevil said, feeling smug.
"You were so right," Dick said with a happy sigh.
He was so going to get laid tonight!
*****Chapter End*****
Remember, in this story, Faith never went bad. Instead, she died and activated Kennedy. Spent her time recovery at the Summers, so she is very close to Buffy. I explained it all in chapter one if you need to refresh. Reviews are very welcome. Thanks!
