Part 4

Invitation


That evening, about a week after the Count had been stopped, Veronica was below Verdant, with John and Oliver, looking for some information on Oliver's mother (some of them dating back to before Thea's birth, so it was a lot of hard work, taking up a lot of Veronica's free time) to try and find out what she was hiding with Malcolm Merlyn when her cell phone rang. Answering it, she put it on speaker so she could keep on using the computer. She didn't have anything to hide from Oliver and John, she didn't mind if they heard her conversation. She trusted them. In just a couple of weeks they had already been through a lot together and she knew that she could trust them with anything.

John was cleaning his guns while sitting on a chair somewhere behind her while Oliver made making and sharpening his arrows, standing in front of the table he was using.

"Hey Wallace." She greeted, getting a curious look from Oliver.

Was this Wallace an old boyfriend? He remembered vaguely hearing the name during one of Veronica and Thea's discussion and he remembered that he was important but he couldn't remember who the guy was to Veronica. Definitely someone that was in her high school stories though. A friend, a foe or an old boyfriend?

"Hey Veronica, how are you doing?" he asked her cheerfully.

"I'm good. What about you?" She asked him back.

"You know, yelling at teenagers every day and wondering if we really were this way when we were that age. And if we were, then I feel truly sorry for our teachers, some of whom i now work with on a daily basis." Wallace replied.

"You're the one that chose to be a high school coach, Wallace. You did have other options." She chuckled.

"Maybe, but teaching sex ed was definitely not in my plans when I signed up. Have you tried speaking to a bunch of teenagers about sex without them giggling every 3 seconds? Some of them thinking I'm making up name of STD's just to confuse them and others believing that you can get pregnant if you're in a hottub with a guy who ejaculates while in it. Girl, even you couldn't do it." He replied, making her chuckled.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure you're great at it. Who better than you to teach them about it?" she chuckled.

"Is that a keyboard I'm hearing? You're still working at this hour? Girl, you have to start learning the meaning of rest."

"A PI's work is never done, you should know this. You've seen me and my father work often enough, plus, I like it, it's my idea of fun."

"I know. Speaking of your father, are you going to come back to Neptune anytime soon?"

"Why would I come back? Dad came to see me a couple of months ago and we talk regularly, we're fine."

"I think he misses you. So do I, and Mac does too." Wallace replied.

"Do you really think that I'm this clueless Wallace? I know why you're calling, I know what day is coming and the answer is no. I didn't come back to Neptune for the anniversary of Lilly's death for the past 9 years, I'm definitely not coming back for this." Veronica told him.

"Come on, aren't you the one who told me that even Dante went back to hell after leaving it?"

"I managed to leave that town 9 years ago Wallace, I refuse to go back. I'd rather go to actual hell, it'd be safer. Actually, I'd rather beg the Vigilante to shoot me with an arrow than to go back to Neptune for this stupid reunion." She replied, while Oliver and John still looked at her and listened to her conversation.

"Oh, come on V, now you're exaggerating. It's our high school reunion! Surely you're not going to let Madison Sinclair and her lackeys speak behind your back and think that you failed at life. You know that if you don't show up they'll just think that you're ashamed of your life. Come on, don't you want to show them that you're still standing and kicking?"

"Now you're just trying to sweet talk me. It's not going to work."

"Weevil got married and has a daughter, you know he wants to introduce you to them and I know that you want to see them."

"I know... I... I can't go Wallace." her voice sounded almost pleading now and Oliver didn't like seeing this side of Veronica.

He didn't like seeing her about to break, he wanted her to be strong, always. he had to hold himself back from walking over to her and hugging her.

"Why? Honestly Veronica, why don't you want to go back?" He asked her.

"Because... I... Fine, I don't want to go back because Logan will be there with Madison and I hate the fact that he won in the break up game and I don't want to show up alone. It's not like I still have feelings for him or anything, but I just hate the fact that after everything I've been through because of him, he still won. If I was to go, it would have to be with someone awesome that would leave that 09 bitch with her jaw hanging with envy and jealousy to the point that she turns green." Veronica replied honestly.

"What about Oliver Queen?" Wallace asked her and Veronica turned to look at Oliver, confused.

"What about him?" She hadn't told Wallace that she was working with Oliver surely he couldn't have guessed it.

"Well, he's hot or whatever you girls say now. And you're super close to his sister, right? According to celebrity gossip he's currently single and you've been seen with him a few times, at his club, at his house and he's even been seen at your office. Can't you ask him to come with you or blackmail him to do it or something?"

"Blackmail him?" Veronica asked, amused.

"You mean you don't have anything on him yet? Well then, surely his baby sister has something on him. Or you can use the whole 'I was there for your sister when you were dead' thing. I mean, managing a club can't possibly take that much work, I'm sure he'd be able to go away for a few days. I'm sure you can convince him."

"I'm sure I could too but he doesn't deserve to take a trip to hell after spending 5 years alone on an hellish island." Veronica chuckled.

"Come on, don't let us go alone." Wallace pleaded.

"Wallace... you don't know how hard it was for me to leave Neptune behind me after everything that happened... If I go, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to leave again." Veronica replied in a small, fragile, voice.

"If you take Oliver Queen with you, he'll be able to force you to leave." Her friend argued, making Oliver and John smile.

"Okay, what is all this with Oliver? Where does it come from? I've barley spoken about him to you, dad or Mac." Veronica snapped gently.

"It's possible that his sister Thea got our numbers from your phone and called us after you'd been seen together in a few gossip column to say that you needed time off work because you worked too much."

"Okay, and where did all of this Oliver thing come from?"

"She might have let it slip that the two of you would make a good couple and that you were both too stubborn to admit it even though you obviously like each other and both wanted to be more than friends." He replied, making John chuckle and Oliver and Veronica blush a little.

"I... I'll see what I can do Wallace but I have a lot of work, I might not be able to make it." She finally said.

"With all you work, you could surely take some time off. See you next week Veronica." He replied.

"I never said that I was coming." She argued but it was too late, Wallace had already hung up.

"So, are we going to your reunion?" Oliver asked her, knowing that if he didn't bring it up, she'd ignore the subject.

"Oh come on, surely you're not serious... You can't possibly want to take time off chasing criminals to go spend a few days in hell on earth." Veronica argued.

"Things have been quiet lately." John added.

"I've spent five years on a hellish island getting tortured on and off. I think I can handle a high school reunion in Neptune." he replied with a smile.

"Do you really want to go with me? You know that you don't have to, right?"

"Of course I do Veronica. If I let you go alone, you might never come back and what would I, I mean, what would we do without you?" Oliver replied, catching himself at the last minute.

They were both ignoring what Thea had told Wallace about their feelings for each other but Oliver was glad to see that Veronica wasn't closed to the idea of him going with her.

"I think you should go. We all deserve a break. Especially you Veronica, you've been working a lot lately between your office and here. It would do you some good to take a break, see your friends and family." John argued gently.

"You're both going to insist until I go, aren't you?" She asked, looking resigned.

"Yes." They both replied with a smile.

"Fine, I'll go and if you want to come with me Oliver, I'd love to have your company." Veronica finally declared.

"Great, we'll take the family's jet and I'll book us a room at the local high class hotel."

"A jet? Book us a room? Is that really necessary?" Veronica asked him.

"If we're going to pretend we're together in front of all of your classmates, we have to be in a room together and according to what you told me and Thea about your home town I'm sure word will travel fast. Arriving in the family's private jet would show that we're really together." Oliver replied.

"Then I guess you want to book a room at the Neptune Grand." Veronica told him.

"You'll also have to pretend you guys are together and have been together for a while. Hold hands, kiss, get in each other's arms and agree on a cute 'how we got together' story that will make them all jealous." John reminded them with a knowing smile, making them both blush and look away, back to what they were doing before Wallace's phone call.

"Maybe John can even come with us and play bodyguard and driver, show them just how important you are." Oliver suggested

"I'd love the change of scenery." John nodded.

"Okay then, I'll go up and make the reservations." Oliver smiled excitedly before he rushed up the stairs.

With a deep breath, Veronica took her phone and left a message to her father:

"Hey dad, it's me. So, I'll be coming to Neptune for the High school reunion after all but I'll stay at the Neptune Grand. It's a long story, I'm not coming alone. I... Call me back whenever and I'll explain everything." Veronica declared before she hung up.

Apparently, she was going back to Neptune.


So, what did you think? I almost killed off Keith and made his death the reason Veronica hadn't gone back to Neptune in 9 years... but went against it.

Next chapter we go back in time to how Veronica went to Starling city and how she got so close to Thea. I included a small part in the end that's all about Veronica and Oliver's first discussion. Then the one after that will be the High school reunion. After that? We'll see if I continue or not.

Review please?

Lorelei Candice Black