Part 5

How Veronica and Thea met

Flashback, happens before Oliver comes back alive.

Little AN: I said earlier that I considered killing Keith off, not because I don't like him, I love his character, but because it fitted the way I wanted the story to go and it would have explained why Veronica refused to go back to Neptune for 9 years. I chose to go a different way but I'm tempted to make him NOT Veronica's father. To have it that Leanne knew someone who faked Keith's paternity test in Season 1 (or have it that he didn't take it at all). I want to make someone else (I already know who, someone from ARROW) Veronica's father to make things interesting and go longer, but I'm not sure... What do you think?


Ending up in Starling city when she finished college hadn't been in Veronica's initials projects. She had offers to join the FBI, Homeland Security, the CIA or even some organisation called ARGUS that usually hired ex military but were willing to make an exception for her. And several more offers from large companies or organisations.

She went to Starling City right after her graduation as a favor for an art major friend who needed help proving that her brother in law was stealing money from the family company and that he was cheating on her elder sister with his accomplice, a sexy assistant. Veronica solved it in a couple of weeks and ended up deciding to stay a few more days in town when someone else, a family friend of her friend, had asked for her help on another case.

That's when Veronica realized that she liked Starling city and that it was a town that needed to be healed and that was willing to heal, unlike Neptune who seemed more than happy to let villains win at every turn and to knock good guys down over and over again. Although, unlike Neptune she didn't have the feeling that it seated on a hell mouth. There was hope for this town and she wanted to help.

It wouldn't be as glorious as what she could do and her father would be disappointed but she didn't care, she felt like this was the best thing to do for herself and that's what she did. She made a decision and stuck to it. Her father had been not only disappointed in her but also a bit angry. He didn't understand why she didn't work to her full potential and why, if she wanted to be a PI so much, she didn't come back to work with him. They hadn't spoken for an entire month before he caved in and agreed that she needed to live her life the way she chose to and to make her own mistakes.

Veronica then took a loan and rented a small office and a 1 bedroom apartment. Quickly, small cases came in and, once in a while a big case dropped by. Slowly, her reputation was built and she had enough work to keep her busy and pay off all of her bills.

.

When she first arrived in town, it had been one year since The Queen's Gambit had gone missing and, at the time, Veronica didn't care much. To her, Oliver Queen was just another rich kid that had gotten everything he ever wanted without having to work for it. His going missing hadn't affected her in any way. Sure, he was hot looking but she was sure that he had been just as bad as the likes of Logan Echolls. Had he grown up in Neptune, she had no doubt that he would have been one of the worst 09er there. He was the perfect type for this.

One day, Veronica was watching one of the Queen's security guards, because his wife believed that he was cheating on her during his working hours, when she spotted Thea Queen.

It had been like a slap in the face to Veronica because even though the youngest Queen didn't look anything like Lilly, she reminded her strongly of her long lost friend. Veronica couldn't help but to keep a distant eye on Thea for the next few months and it killed her to see the 14 year old Queen slowly fall into the worst habits possible. Underage drinking, staying out way past her bedtime, drugs, shoplifting, sex...

It looked like her mother didn't pay much attention to her, busy between coping with her own pain and keeping the family company running, and one day, Veronica couldn't help herself, she decided to do her best to help. She didn't want Thea to die young and she felt like by helping her, she'd be making it up for not being there for Lilly in her last hour.

One night, Thea's friends had abandoned her at a club and Veronica was there, watching and ready to jump in. She had been there on a job but had quickly gotten the shot she needed to get paid. She saw Thea, looking out of it, being led outside by an older looking guy so she followed and when it was obvious what the guy was planning on doing, Veronica intervened.

"You should step away and leave now. She doesn't look very conscious and she's underage." Veronica warned.

As if to agree with her, Thea protested faintly, telling the guy to let her go and to move away.

"Mind your own business, bitch." The guy replied.

"Now, it's not the first time I hear that. Unfortunately for you, I'm not in the mood to hear it tonight." She replied as she got her taser out and used it on the guy, who fell to the ground.

"Karma's a bitch, buddy, you should keep that in mind." She added once he was rolling with pain on the ground.

Quickly, Veronica snapped a picture of the man in case Thea's mother wanted to press charges or something and she helped the young woman up.

"Who are you? What's going on?" Thea muttered, her voice a bit slippery.

"My name is Veronica, I think you've been drugged or something. I'm going to take you home. What's your address?" She asked her.

Of course she knew the address but she couldn't just admit it, it would sound creepy.

"In my purse. I... I don't feel so good." Thea replied as Veronica struggled to help her to her car.

About half an hour later, Veronica was parking her car in front of the large Queen's mansion and, knowing how late it was, decided it would be best to ring the doorbell and show Moira Queen that her daughter needed her. She could have used Thea's set of keys but she wanted Moira Queen to see just how dangerous the situation was and how close Thea had been from a terrible fate.

Veronica rang a few times until someone finally came to open the door. It was one of the security guards that she had seen before. Without knowing much about him, she knew that the Queen family trusted him.

"What? It's late." He told her as soon as he opened the door.

"I know, I'm sorry but I need to see Misses Queen. It's about Thea." Veronica said, pointing to a pale looking Thea whose face was pressed against the window of her car as she slept.

Nodding, the man closed the door once more and came back a few minutes later with Moira Queen who looked like she was just torn out of bed. While two security guards took Thea out of Veronica's car and into her bedroom, Moira invited Veronica to follow her so she could explain everything.

"I'm a Private Investigator and I was at this club hoping to get a money shot for a client when I saw your daughter. She had been partying hard earlier, it was hard to miss her and when I spotted her next, she seemed out of it and this guy, obviously much older than she was was pulling her out back and I don't know why, I had to follow and make sure that she was okay. I, I've been through something terrible when I was just a bit older than she was and I had to stop it. She was definitely not herself and she faintly protested but the guy brushed it off. I snapped a picture of him if you want to press charges or something. I recognized her from a newspaper picture about your husband and son and I knew that she was underage. I warned him, he laughed it off so I tasered him and took Thea to my car while he was on the ground, then I found your address in her purse." Veronica explained while someone called the family doctor.

"Why didn't you call the police or take her to the hospital?" Moira asked Veronica, looking grateful.

"I figured you'd want to keep it out of the tabloids and since it didn't look bad enough to deserve a trip to the ER... I... I have to tell you though, according to the bouncer who helped me put her in my car, it's not the first time she was in this club and in a state close to this one. Only this time her friends left her early... She got in with a fake ID. It's still in her wallet. I used the fact that the bouncer owed me a favor to get him to make sure nobody warned the press."

"Thank you, I really appreciate what you did for her tonight." Moira told Veronica.

"Don't mention it. I just wanted to make sure she got home safe and that she was fine. She... She reminds me of my best friend who died when I was 16. I don't know why, I... I just felt the urge to help her, to make sure that she didn't end up like Lilly." Veronica replied honestly.

"Lilly?" Moira asked her.

"You probably heard about it back when it happened, Lilly Kane?"

"Oh yes. I did. I'll never be able to repay you for getting Thea home safely. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing. I might be a PI but as I said, I did this for Thea. Don't let her continue this spiraling or you'll lose her. I understand that these are hard times for your family, trust me, I do. But she needs you to be strong for her, with her. She needs someone to talk to." Veronica advised.

"Thea really reminded you of your friend?"

"Yes, I don't know why because they are nothing alike physically but she did. Maybe it's just Lilly's way of asking me to help Thea, I don't know."

"Well, I'm glad you were there." Moira smiled as one of the security guards came back with the doctor.

Moira asked Veronica to follow her and the doctor, understanding that she'd want to know what's going on. Once the doctor had left with his instructions, Moira offered for Veronica to stay until the next day. It didn't feel right letting Veronica drive all the way back to the Glades after what she had done for them and the young PI was thankful for the offer. She'd welcome the opportunity to speak with Thea the next morning.

.

The next morning, a still pale Thea came down for breakfast, obviously trying to hide a hangover and was met with Veronica and her mother.

"Oh... So it really happened... You helped me." Thea exclaimed in a small voice when she saw Veronica.

"She didn't help you Thea, she saved you and you're grounded. I've taken your fake ID and you won't be leaving this house anytime soon. For the next few weeks it's going to be school, work and home." Moira replied before Veronica could say anything.

"What? Work? I don't have a job!" Thea complained.

"I know that. Veronica here took time off of her job to help you and so you'll repay her. You're going to go to her office every day after school and help her anyway you can until I decide that you're not grounded anymore. You'll spend at least 2 hours there, three if I have to work late. You'll only go home once I come and pick you up after my work day." Moira decided.

She had talked a lot with Veronica the previous night and they had decided that this might help Thea change her behavior a bit. Moira didn't know why she trusted Veronica so quickly but she did, she felt like the young woman was a good thing for her family and she wanted her in Thea's life, at least for a few weeks. She had obviously taken a liking to her daughter and if she truly cared, maybe she'd be able to take Oliver's place in Thea's heart and help her heal. If after her punishment is over Thea still wanted to spend time with Veronica and if it really helped her, then all the better.

"And what kind of work do you do?" Thea asked her in a resigned voice.

"I'm a private investigator. I'll keep the stake outs for the mornings or evenings and while you're in the office, we'll stick to more administrative work." Veronica replied.

"Urgh. What kind of teenage girl spends her free time at a PI's office?" Thea complained, knowing there was no escaping this.

"I did." Veronica replied, making Thea look at her.

"You did? Why?"

"My best friend, Lilly, was murdered when I was 16. My father was the sheriff and he went after the wrong man. Where I'm from, Neptune, there isn't a middle class. You're either a millionaire or you're working for millionaires. My father found out that the Kane's, my best friend's family and one of the richest families in town, were lying and hiding some things and it got him fired. He landed back on his feet and became a PI. I sided with him and stood by his side, even after my mother, who was Jake Kane's lover, left us, and that got my classmates to hate me. All I had left was my father and so I started working with him. Officially I was only a receptionist but I slowly started going on stakeouts and solving the easy cases. As time passed, I proved to be good at it and I kept on taking bigger cases. A little over a year later, I solved my best friend Lilly's murder when nobody else could and thought I was done with the Private investigative work. I was wrong. It was in me and I went right back to it the first chance I got." Veronica explained, having the full attention of both Queen women.

"Like it's in your blood?" Thea asked her.

"Yes, it is."

Eventually, Moira went to work and Thea got dressed and left with Veronica who told her stories of her teenage years.

Over the next few weeks, Thea and Veronica got close. In the office, Thea answered the phone and sorted through the paperwork. Once her mother declared that she wasn't grounded anymore, Thea kept on going to see Veronica, sometimes just to talk, sometimes to help. She still went out on the weekends but she didn't drink or do drugs anymore. She confided in Veronica, talked to her about her brother, her crush on Tommy, the fact that she found it hard to talk with her mother...

Moira was glad of her decision to allow Veronica in their lives because the young woman had become a strong part of their lives. She came to her wedding to Walter, she stayed with Thea during their honeymoon and she stuck by Thea's side through every problem, slowly helping the teenage girl to become a good young woman.

.

When Oliver came back, surprising everyone with the fact that he was alive, Thea wanted to make sure that Veronica knew that she still had her part in her life and she started dreaming of Oliver and Veronica becoming a couple, even though she knew that her brother was the kind of person Veronica had sworn to avoid due to her past mistakes.

However, Veronica had been working on a big case when Oliver came back and she wasn't able to meet him until the Queens held him a welcome back party.

"Hey, Veronica, right?" Oliver asked Veronica as he joined her in the garden during his welcome home party.

"Yes, I am. Welcome back to the land of the living." She smiled.

"Thank you. I've heard a lot about you since I came back, I'm sorry we couldn't meet sooner. And thank you for what you did for my sister." He replied sincerely and charmingly.

"I did nothing."

"My mother, Thea, Tommy and Laurel told me everything you did. You helped my sister away from a dangerous path and for that, I'll always owe you." Oliver told her.

"Well, you're welcome." She nodded with a small blush.

"So, why did you step away from the celebration?"

"I figured you needed some time alone with your family and friends. I didn't want to intrude."

"Don't be silly, Thea thinks of you as a sister. You belong inside with us."

"What about you, why did you come outside?"

"I've spent 5 years on my own. This is a little too much company to take all at once." he explained honestly.

"Understandable. Well, I should get back inside before Thea gets worried and starts inventing things. Tell me if there's anything I can do to help you, alright?" She offered.

"Of course. Thank you." He smiled, watching her as she walked back inside, already planning on looking for more information about her and see what it was about her that was so special.

He already knew a lot from what he had been told by everyone around him but he wanted to know more, he wanted to know who she was, who she had been and who she could be. he needed to find any information he could on her, every article she was mentioned in, if she had a record, anything.


So, what did you think?

I might write in more flashbacks in the future, if you want them? One is already planed in the next chapter.

Right now, I have enough ideas to go to chapter 8, maybe even more if I develop something more. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 will be in Neptune.

Review please

Lorelei Candice Black