Part 6
Before the reunion
AN: I've discovered why i'm so motivated to make this story as long as possible. It's because they're killing Olicity on Arrow and I love Olicity. I think I'm trying to replace it in my heart with Veronica/ Oliver (what's their ship name?). I get why so many people wants Olicity gone but the tv show isn't the comic book, it's not supposed to be a copy of it or it'll be boring... Anyway, it's not like my opinion matters to the writers, right? I'll keep on hoping for Oliver and Felicity to get back together while working on this story and making it as long as possible.
When she found out that Veronica was going to her high school reunion with Oliver, Thea had been very happy. She knew that even though they were planning on pretending they were together, they would end up getting much closer than they planned. How could they not when it was obvious to everyone around them that they had feelings?
Thea remembered the first time she had noticed that her brother was interested in Veronica. It was a couple of weeks after his return and Veronica was spending the night over because Thea had asked her to. Moira and Walter were there also and they were all having a lot of fun playing games all together.
"See something you like Big Brother?" Thea asked Oliver while Veronica sat on the couch, laughing with Moira and Walter.
"I don't know what you're talking about." he shook his head, forcing his eyes away from Veronica.
"I think you do. She is pretty, very smart and nice." Thea warned him.
"Stop trying to get me with her Thea. She probably has a boyfriend anyway."
"No, she doesn't." Thea smirked.
"Why is that? I mean, you go on and on about how great she is. If she's so great, why doesn't she have a boyfriend?" he asked her.
"She has trust issues. She has a bad dating history, bad boyfriends. Now when she goes on a date she sees all the guy's potential screw ups and secrets. She's had a few one night stand though, I think."
"I didn't need to know that!" he exclaimed.
"Tommy went on a date with her before he got with Laurel. He didn't get tasered at the end of the night so I guess it didn't go that bad. They just didn't click because they didn't go on a second date after that. They're friends though." Thea explained, loving the flicker of jealousy she saw in her brother's eyes.
"He didn't tell me about it."
"I think the two of you would make a good couple. With the way you look at her, I think you do too." She told him before she left and went back to Veronica.
Ever since that day, Thea had decided that her mission was to make them see how great they'd be together. She wanted Veronica to be her sister legally.
.BACK TO THE PRESENT.
"God it's sunny here." Oliver exclaimed when they left the plane before he placed a pair of sunglasses on his nose.
"Well, it is California." John replied as he did the same with his own glasses.
"Don't let it fool you, this town is a thousand times darker than Starling city could ever be." Veronica warned them with a frown, not needing the sunglasses after having grown up in this sunlight.
"Come on my love, be a little optimistic." Oliver said as he passed an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, knowing that they were now in public and that their show was starting now.
He had to admit it to himself, he loved having his arm there, holding her close. He liked the way it made him feel and he was ready to jump on any excuse to make their stay in Neptune longer, just so he could hold her this close more often.
"Are we going straight to the hotel, sir?" John asked him a few minutes later in a very professional tone while someone took their bags to place them in their car, noticing a young woman with a pink and sparkly purse snapping a picture of them with her cell phone.
"No, we're stopping by Veronica's father's office first." Oliver replied.
"Very well, sir."
"Dad won't mind of we stop by the hotel first." Veronica shook her head.
"Don't be silly. We stop by your dad's, have dinner with him and then we'll go to the hotel." Oliver replied.
Veronica had explained the situation to her father, why Oliver was coming with her, but she knew that he didn't believe her. Her father had also questioned her about the Vigilante the last time he came to town. He knew that she was the one who wrote the blog and he knew that she was working with the Vigilante, what he didn't know was what she actually did with him. He hoped that she was safe but knew her enough by now to know that there was no point in trying to tell her to step back.
"I feel like this town has gotten even worst since I left." Veronica stated as she looked out the window of the rental car.
She could see a couple of deputies talking down a kid that was obviously a PCHer. She wondered if he had really done something wrong or if they had arrested him to try and find something wrong and have an excuse to bring him in.
"Do you want us to stop by the cemetery before we go to your dad's office? It's on the way and we have the time." Oliver asked her.
"I... Maybe later. I want to see dad's new office first." Veronica shook her head.
When they arrived, Keith was in his office with a client and the phone was ringing. Unable to resist, Veronica went and answered it, like old times, just as Keith left his office and saw his client out.
"I'm sorry but I'm afraid Mister Mars does not offer this kind of services. No, really, he doesn't. Have a good day." Veronica replied before she hung up and went to hug her father before she reintroduced him to Oliver and John.
They talked for a few minutes before Keith closed his office and followed them to the restaurant where Oliver had made reservations for them, Mac and Wallace, who were going to meet them there.
Keith had met Oliver during his last visit to Veronica, he had been invited to have dinner at the Queen's and Thea absolutely adored him. Back then Keith had felt that there was something building between Veronica and Oliver, he could feel it growing slowly, discreetly, and he knew that even though they were pretending to be dating now, they were only fooling themselves.
.
"Well Oliver, we all owe you a thank you for convincing Veronica to come back in town. We all missed having her here." Mac told Oliver near the end of dinner, when they were starting to eat dessert.
"Don't get used to it, I'm not staying." Veronica warned her friends again.
Mac and Wallace were also in on the Veronica and Oliver pretend dating thing and just like Keith, they saw right through it.
"After all of her hard work in Starling City, she deserved a break." Oliver smiled.
"So did you." Veronica told him with a blush.
"I just manage a club, no big deal." Oliver replied with a wink and a half smile in her direction.
"So, what's new in town that I need to know about?" Veronica asked her father and friends.
"As I already told you over the phone, Lamb's big brother Dan is even worst than Don was. Sacks might be the only trust-worthy officer at the department." Keith stated.
"I wouldn't exactly say that. Remember Norris? Well, he's a deputy now. If I remember correctly, he had a thing for you, Veronica, didn't he?" Mac added, making her friend blush.
"It was back when we were in high school. And it's not like I'm planning on getting arrested anytime soon." Veronica shook his head.
"You never plan on it but it always happens anyway." Wallace joked.
"I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on her then." Oliver added with an amused smile.
"I'll have you know that it's been over a year since the last time I was arrested, and back then they didn't keep me over 2 hours because I proved that I was innocent." Veronica told them.
"Why am I not surprised..." Keith shook his head, amused.
"Something's going on... Why are you bringing this up now? What's going on that makes you think that I'm going to get arrested or even start working a case worth getting arrested for?" Veronica asked after watching their faces closely.
"Told you she'd see through it." Mac smiled.
"So, she's right? Something going on? Something she's going to want to work on?" Oliver asked them.
"I'm sure you heard about Bonnie Deville's murder?" Keith asked her.
"Sure, it was all over the news but I've been so busy I never got around to hearing what had happened to her. Why? Is it still unsolved?"
"That's the one who changed her name, right?" Oliver asked curiously.
"Yes, her real name was Carrie Bishop, she and her friend Susan were real gossip queens back then." Veronica nodded.
"I remember you telling Thea about her a few months ago, when Thea told you she wanted to go to her next concert in town." He nodded back before they both turned back to Keith.
"Logan is the main suspect in her murder. He claims he's innocent and that he only went to see her earlier that day to help her through a crisis but the sheriff's department seems certain he did it." Wallace replied.
"Logan? Oh come on, that's ridiculous! What would his motive be?" Veronica asked, surprised by the answer she had gotten.
She might hate Logan for what he had put her through, for breaking her heart cheating on her and hurting her every chance he got but she had a hard time imagining him as a murderer.
"He was apparently cheating on Madison with her. There's a video of them having sex going around." Keith informed her.
"Well, I'm not surprised he cheated on Madison but Logan isn't a murderer. I mean, maybe if it was a crime of passion or something because he can be impulsive but according to what I've heard, Carrie's death didn't look like a crime of passion..." Veronica shook her head.
"Veronica, honey... Please don't go and look into this. You only have a few days here, don't waste them on investigating and getting in trouble." Keith pleaded with his daughter.
"Don't worry dad, I won't get arrested anytime soon. I've gotten really good at not getting caught whenever I have to get my information illegally." She smiled, not promising not to get involved.
She didn't want to end up breaking a promise she made her dad and so she didn't promise him anything, knowing that if she was to decide to look into it, Oliver and John would be behind her and help her as much as they could.
"Maybe, but the Vigilante isn't here to help you out and get you out of trouble, V." Wallace argued, making Veronica, John and Oliver smile.
"And what makes you think that I'm not the one getting him out of trouble most of the time?" She asked him, amused while John swallowed a snort.
"Because I've been your sidekick, I know what it's like. It takes a superhero to keep up with you." Wallace joked.
"Superhero? I don't think the Vigilante has any kind of superpowers that would make him a superhero." Oliver argued, enjoying these moments with Veronica and her friends.
This was what happy felt like.
"If he can keep up with V, then he's a superhero." Wallace argued back, making everyone laugh while the waitress came to ask if they wanted coffee.
.
"Shall I drive to the hotel now? or is there another place you want to see before we go?" John asked them.
"I... Let's go back to the hotel. Tomorrow we have the high school reunion. I... I'll go to the cemetery the day after that, once the reunion is done with." Veronica decided.
"Very well, if you're sure." John replied.
"I'm sure, thanks." Veronica nodded, feeling thankful for what they were both doing for her.
Once they arrived at the Neptune Grand, veronica found out that Oliver had reserved the honeymoon suite, the most expensive one outside of the Presidential suite, which would have brought up too many memories, along with another room, separate from the suite, for John.
"Aren't we staying in the same suite, together?" Veronica asked Oliver once they were in the elevator.
"We're supposed to be a couple in love, most couples don't share their suite with their bodyguard when they want to be alone. Plus, this way it'll make people talk more." Oliver smiled.
"You mean gossip." She chuckled.
"Well, Oliver Queen and Veronica Mars staying together in the honeymoon suite of the Neptune Grand is sure to make a few people talk." Oliver nodded.
"More than a few people. Just on our way to the elevator I spotted 5 people snapping pictures of you two with their phones. Looks like you'll make the gossip column again tomorrow Mister Queen." John replied.
"Well, for once it's not about something that I did wrong, so I don't mind." He smiled.
"What about your mother? Does she know you're only doing this as a favor for me or does she think that we're together?" Veronica asked Oliver as the elevator went up.
"She knows." He replied, hiding that, just like Thea, his mother believed they'd end up together eventually.
Once the elevator's doors opened, the three of them went into the corridor. Oliver and Veronica were carrying their own bags so John went directly to his room, leaving the 'couple' to discover their sleeping quarters.
"One bed." Veronica realized after looking around their suite.
"It's rare that people in this kind of room need more." Oliver chuckled before he added: "I'll take the couch."
"Don't be ridiculous, Oliver. Have you seen the size of that bed? We can easily share it. Hell, Laurel, Tommy, John and Thea could easily join us and we'd still be comfortable." Veronica replied.
"If you're sure, I'll happily accept to share it." Oliver nodded.
Of course he was used to sleeping on the floor but if he had the opportunity to be close to Veronica, he wasn't going to point that out. Maybe during the night she'll move closer to him and they'd end up in each other's arms. He wasn't going to pass up that opportunity.
.
Later, as she got ready for bed, Veronica smiled. She knew that Oliver liked to sleep on the floor and if he agreed to sharing the bed, it meant that Thea was right, he liked her in a way that was more than friendly. Could she risk their friendship and let it become something more? She loved working with him, by his side and she didn't want to Jeopardize it. He was one of the rare guys that she could actually trust with her heart, that she could see herself with for a long time.
Shaking her head, she decided not to think about that for now. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. In case room service came in, she had to look the part and she couldn't very well sleep in an old t-shirt and shorts, so she had gotten, with Thea's insistence, a nightgown that went up to her knees. It wasn't the sexiest one the store had, far from it, but it was one that was midway between sexy and decent.
When she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed that Oliver was in his boxers. She took a minute to look at his chest. She loved looking at it, and usually, she had the opportunity when he was working out while she worked on the computers. He looked even better without the sweat.
"Wow, you look great!" He exclaimed when he looked up from his phone and saw her.
"Thanks, Thea got it for me." She smiled.
"So, which side of the bed do you usually sleep on?" He asked her.
"Usually I'm alone in it, so I sleep in the middle of it. Any side is good for me." She smiled.
Oliver nodded and took the right side of the bed, leaving her with the left one. She noticed that he was the closest to the front door. Once they were both in bed, they laid on their side and faced each other.
"Thank you for doing this Oliver, really. It means a lot to me." Veronica whispered, noticing how close they were.
Even though the bed was very large, they were both close to the middle, only inches apart.
"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do for you. Anything you need Veronica, if I can give it to you, do it for you, I'll do it." He confessed, deciding that this was the perfect place to open up and be honest.
"Why?" She asked him shyly.
"Because Thea's right, at least when it comes to me and my feelings for you." he whispered back, making her blush.
"I... If we're being honest here, I have to say that she's right about me too but... I'm scared."
"Why?" He asked her, confused.
"Because I don't want to lose you as a friend. I want there to be more between us. The picture of us that Thea paints, I see it and I do love it but I can't risk it not working out and us not being able to stand each other anymore." Veronica confessed honestly in a little voice.
"It could work. We could not break up."
"I know, but what if we do?" She asked him.
"I think we're both mature enough to keep on working together. To adapt with whatever comes. I... I know that in the past, in my past relationships, I've made mistakes but I'm different now. And what I feel for you, I've never felt this strongly before. If you want to wait until you're ready or until you're convinced that we can work out, that's fine Veronica. I can wait as long as necessary. I have faith in us." Oliver told her in a soft voice.
"You're very convincing." She chuckled, touched by what he had just told her.
"Do you trust me? Do you think I would hurt you?" He asked her.
"I do trust you, yes. I don't think you could ever hurt me, not intentionally. And I think that if you did end up hurting me, you'd do anything possible to make up for it." She admitted.
"But you're still scared." he noticed.
"I can't help it. I haven't had the best luck in boyfriends in the past. I didn't think Logan would hurt me either but he still did... I know you're not like him, I trust you more than I ever trusted him but I'm afraid that somehow I'll end up screwing up..." She confessed.
"You need to trust yourself a bit more Veronica." Oliver shook his head, moving even closer to her and softly bringing his hand on her cheek, moving it to her hair.
"You really want to try this?" She asked him.
"I do." He nodded.
"How about a trial then?" She asked him, leaning in to his touch.
"What do you mean by that?"
"During our stay here, we're a couple, not only pretending to be one but for real, even behind closed doors. By the end of our stay, on the plane back to Starling city, we decide of we really want to continue or if we just stay good friends." She explained her idea.
"And if we decide to stay good friends?" He asked her.
"Then we pretend this was only for pretend." He could hear in her voice that this wasn't what she wanted to see happen and that she needed this trial period to be reassured.
"I know what I want and I have faith that we'll work out but if you need this trial period then let's do it." He smiled.
"Really?"
"Yes. I agree to your conditions Miss Mars." he replied with a smile, moving his face close enough that only one inch was left between them.
"Usually, when a decision like this is made, people shake on it." Veronica hinted with a coy smile.
"Too bad that my hands are busy." He smiled.
One of his hand was in her hair and the other on her waist.
"What should we do to mark this agreement then?" She whispered, moving her face slightly closer to his.
"I think we should kiss. Now." he whispered before his lips softly brushed against hers.
The kiss was soft and sweet at first before it turned into more. More passion, more love. Oliver wanted Veronica to feel though this kiss how much he wanted her and how much he loved her and so he put everything he had into it, glad to notice that she was doing the exact same thing.
They didn't make love that night, they only kissed, talked and slept in each other's arms but it was the best night of sleep Oliver had gotten since the Gambit went down.
What did you think? Did they get together too soon? Should they go back to being friends at the end of their stay in Neptune?
Next chapter is the Reunion. Weevil, Madison, a video, a fight...
I'm thinking of bringing Mac to Starling city in a permanent manner, maybe even pair her up with Diggle or with Cisco later... What do you think?
A little review to let me know what you thought of it?
THANK YOU to those of you who take the time to read and review this story, you're the best.
Lorelei Candice Black
