Title: Bugging Out
Author: Melissa
Pairing/Character: LoVe, Veronica/Keith bonding
Word Count: 1,000+
Rating: PG-13, light R for implied sex
Summary: Veronica arrives home from working at the Hut and finds more than she baragined for
Spoilers: Not really any except for who caused the bus crash. We pretty much know all that already...
Notes: This is for my vmhaveaday prompt on LJ. Big hugs to my betas Marianna (chopsticknoodle) and Erika whose encouragement made me smile.
As Veronica laid her head down to rest after a 6-hour shift at The Hut, she felt something crawl across her abdomen. She brushed it off and tried to suppress herself into a deep sleep until she felt another thing crawl across her face and her leg. She bolted from her bed and looked under her covers. Five creepy-crawly bugs that Veronica could not identify were creeping and crawling across her bed. Veronica let out a surprised shriek and Keith came running into her room.
"Honey, what is wrong?" He began to ask. Veronica pointed to her bed and Keith shook his head.
"Damn landlord." He muttered. "He said this would stop."
"What do you mean?"
"Last week I found some of these…" Keith motions to the creatures. "things in the bathroom. I told the landlord and he promised it would stop."
"Like he said the water temperature would get fixed? Or when the washing machine was broken for a week and the complex was totally ready to revolt? Like that?" Veronica states matter-of-factly.
Keith shakes his head once more and heads for the kitchen.
"Dad? What are you doing?" Veronica asks confused.
"Calling an exterminator, we'll probably be out of the house for 2 days. Why don't you go stay at Logan's? I'll just pretend that you are staying in the guestroom, got it? I'll stay at Cliff's." Keith replies exasperated while trying to get an exterminator to come to the apartment only to be put on hold. Veronica smiles slightly and heads to her room to pack a bag of clothes, avoiding her bed.
A half an hour later…
Veronica stood on Logan and Dick's doorstep ready to ring the doorbell. After the incident now widely known as the "Cassidy Caper", Logan and Dick decided to move into a wide spread bungalow overlooking one of Neptune's elite private beaches. Logan needed to get out of the Penthouse and Dick was left alone after Kendall high-tailed back home to Tennessee to, shockingly, care for the aftermath of her mother's death.
"Hi!" Veronica replies perkily, a wide smile gracing her features as Logan opens the door.
"Hey," he replies, somewhat confused. " Not that I'm not happy to see you but why are you here? What's with that?" he points to the duffle bag in her hand.
"Our apartment is getting exterminated. Some weird bug things. My dad told me to come stay here until it is done."
"Your gun-toting father sent his daughter to stay with her widely hormonal and somewhat horny boyfriend? Damn. This must be the first sign of the apocalypse." Logan grins and begins to think. "What about Wallace?"
Veronica shrugs her shoulders. "He's down at some Hearst freshman basketball boot camp down in San Diego. His mom and brother, Darrell are in Indiana visiting her mother." She smiles. "What, you're not happy to see me?" She drops her duffle bag out side the door and aligns herself against Logan's chest.
"Lets make good use of these days while we can." He growls, sweeping down for a kiss.
"What about Dick?"
"What about him? You want a threesome, sweetie?" he teases, "I always knew you were naughty."
Veronica gives him an evil stare and Logan sighs. "He's off to Vegas for the week. He wanted to spend his money he discovered in some offshore accounts in his name. We're all alone, baby." Logan replies huskily. Veronica giggles, obviously turned on, as Logan kisses her again and leads them to his bedroom.
Three days later…
Veronica reluctantly returned home a few days later after a blissful three days with Logan. She was glowing and Keith noticed but didn't say a word.
"Hey, honey. How's Logan?"
"Logan's good." Veronica replied with a smile gracing her features. "I'm gonna go throw my clothes into the hamper then take a shower okay?"
Keith smiled, and then nodded. "Okay sweetie. Just don't use up all the hot water."
Veronica threw her clothes in the full hamper, making a note to go down to the laundry room the next day. She proceeded to the bathroom and stripped down to her underwear and bra before turning on the water in the shower. As she moved the nozzle to WARM, she saw some black object by the shampoo bottle move out of the corner of her eye. Whipping her head in the direction of the shampoo, she saw four more of the strange insect creatures crawling on the tile wall.
"DAD!" Veronica yelled after putting her clothes back on.
Keith rushed to the bathroom to come to Veronica's distress. No words could describe the temperature of his boiling blood as soon as he saw the bugs. Wordlessly, he started towards the door of the apartment and proceeded towards the landlord's apartment, a mere 6 doors down. Veronica followed with immense curiosity until realization dawned on her as they became closer to the apartment.
Keith, with determination written on his face, knocked sharply on the door. Meanwhile, Veronica and Keith could hear circus music playing in the background.
Over the music, a voice cried out, "One minute!" They heard sounds of metal being banged together and finally the music ceased.
Mr. Lunes, the landlord, stuck his head through a crack between the door and the doorway.
"I'm, umm, sorta busy right now. Could you come back another time?" He asks with uncertainty.
Keith leans up against the door, glaring at the landlord.
"I don't think so." He pushes the door open roughly and Keith and Veronica's eyes widen as large as saucers as gape at the scene before them. Set up on what looks to be the kitchen table of Mr. Lunes apartment, is a mini-version of a circus stage. With the exception of circus performers, there are the mysterious bugs in place, all doing little acts, such as walking across a trapeze and trying to fit eight of them into a small clown car.
Mr. Lunes shifts uncomfortably in the doorway, embarrassed.
"I'm guessing you would like to move out then?" He asks, getting 'No shit, Sherlock' looks from both Veronica and Keith.
One week later…
"That's the last of them." Logan says, carrying a cardboard box from the moving van outside into the new Mars' apartment.
"Thanks, Logan." Keith says as Veronica exits from her new bedroom.
"Dad, this apartment is way better than the old one. My room is so much larger than it was before. And the bathroom? Actually has some warm water to spare." She walks up to Logan and gives him a peck on the lips. "See you tonight?"
"You bet." Logan responds, then gives Veronica a deeper kiss.
"Hey! Gun-toting father in the room!"
The prompt was Have An Infested Day