Back to Neptune High
Veronica quickly went back to work once she had her memory back, though she took a couple of days to enjoy remembering Oliver, and things went back to normal for the Queen family. She even visited her father, taking Little Lilly and Hunter with her so they could have fun with Raz and the members of the league. Nyssa had joked that Nanda Parbat was slowly turning into a playground for children, making her father laugh. It was obvious that he couldn't wait to see more children running around the antic fortified castle. After having lived so long, it was understandable that he'd want to be a grandfather. Nyssa had told Veronica that her presence in their lives had given their father his humanity back. He was more human, more in touch with human emotions ever since she had joined their family. Veronica didn't know if her presence really had such an influence but if she had, then she was happy. She, too, loved being a part of their family, though she'd always miss Keith and she sometimes wondered how things would be if he was still alive.
Sometimes she imagined Keith and Raz ganging up on her, or she imagined what they'd talk about, wondering if they'd get along or not.
For this visit to Nanda Parbat, they had even brought Pony with them and the dog had lots of fun, running all around. She was exhausted at the end of each day but had obviously had lots of fun.
Veronica had had a little bit of work to catch up on when she came back after she had gotten her memories back but not as much as she expected, thanks to Oliver's good management of the company, and, let's be honest, to Mac's help and the good work of her assistant. She had found her office full of flowers and chocolates, all to welcome her back. She even had several cards from employees she had never met before. Everyone had missed her and this showed her just how loved she was in Queen Consolidated.
It had been a few months of relative quiet. Oliver was in Veronica's office, discussing a potential partnership with someone she had doubts about. Pony, their dog, was munching on a bone, left over from their lunch that they always kept for her. Actually, even the couple's assistants had taken to keeping their big bones for Pony, who had grown on them.
Suddenly, Veronica's assistant came in, an appologizing look on her face.
"Excuse me Misses Queen, but there's someone on the phone who insists that he needs to speak with you and that it's important. I told them you didn't want to be disturbed but they said it was important and that you'd talk to them..." She explained nervously.
"They did? Who is it?" Veronica asked, curious.
They could take a little pause in their discussion anyway, she knew that Oliver would listen to her instinct, even if she didn't have any hard evidence to back it up. He'd rather listen to her, be wrong and miss on a good deal than not listening to her and end up losing money and possibly employees.
"He said he was a Principal Clemmons."
"Clemmons?" Veronica asked, wide eyed.
"Yes, from Neptune High. I know this is in your old town, so I figured I'd ask you..." The assistant nodded.
"How did he get this number?" Veronica asked.
"A Wallace Fennel is with him. I remember seeing the name in your personal cellphone when I last updated it, and I know that Mister fennel is on the list of close friends allowed to interrupt, that's why I thought it might be important."
"Alright, I'll take it." Veronica nodded while Oliver sat down, curious to know why her old principal was calling here.
"Veronica Queen speaking." Veronica said as soon as the call was patched through to her phone.
"Veronica, it's Principal Clemmons, I know that it's been a while and that you weren't expecting this call but it's important, I need your help." The older man declared.
"Is this a joke? I don't do this sort of things anymore." She chuckled.
"V, it's not a joke. It's important and only you can help." Wallace's voice intervened.
"Alright, what is it that only I can do for you, then? I know it must be serious if you called here." Veronica agreed.
"I did try your cell but it was off, probably because you're at work, but it couldn't wait any longer, we've been waiting long enough as it is, looking for another option but we found none." Wallace replied.
"I was in a meeting with Oliver and I turned off my phone so it would charge faster. What's going on?" She asked him.
"We have a kid in the hospital. A sophomore. I know it's not that unusual in Neptune but it's the latest of a lot of small incidents. He was injured while investigating a rumor of drug trafficking between students." Clemmons explained.
"For the school's newspaper?" Veronica asked, doubtful.
"Not exactly. You see, we found a few press articles about and from you in his locker, old ones and newer ones. He also had a recent picture of you inside his locker. A little investigating informed us that he's not the only one. There's a rumor going around the school about a secret club in school that wants to take over after you, do what it was that you did in school." Clemmons added.
"I'm guessing we're not talking of being adorable and cheerful?" She joked.
"Not at all. They want to solve crimes. He also had a file about different cold cases in Neptune or around Neptune. We think he's not alone and that the others will eventually put themselves in danger too. We believe it started some time after your high school reunion, when your old articles resurfaced. They helped organize it and ended up finding a few things about you they seemed interested in. They think you're the savior this town needs, the words 'chosen one' were written under your picture in his locker." Clemmons added.
"Chosen one? Really? That's going a bit far!" Veronica chuckled, not sure if she should really believe this or not.
"V, you had training, knowledge and Back-up, they have very little of that and don't know how to protect themselves. We were thinking that if you came here, as an old student, you'll easily be able to identify your fans of sorts and stop them, or at the very least teach them enough to be careful and not get in trouble." Wallace told her.
"Is it really that bad?" She asked.
"In this file filled with cold cases... They was at least two about people like the Fitzpatrick's... Some about worst people." Wallace replied very seriously.
"Maybe your husband could come too, we'd make it look like you're here to present Queen Consolidated, the kind of jobs you offer, the internships... You could be here officially to be some sort of success story, someone who isn't an 09er who ended up successful. Show them that hard work can change their lives." Clemmons suggested.
"Or if he can't come, maybe Mac can come with you, since she works for you too. I already have a few suspects, students who were very interested in the fact that I was your best friend back then, students who asked me about you, if we still kept in touch and tried to be in my class when they obviously have no interest in it. I'm sure you'll identify them all very quickly." Wallace added.
Veronica looked at Oliver, silently asking him what he thought of this. He nodded with a smile, always ready to follow her anywhere. He was definitely not ready to let her go without him, not after having almost lost her twice in the past year.
"Alright, Oliver and I will arrange everything. Let's see, we're Wednesday... We can be there Monday." She told them, looking quickly at her agenda to see what could be done to free some time.
"Great, we'll prepare everything, thanks a lot V." Wallace replied.
"Thank you Miss Mars, I mean Misses Queen." Clemmons added before they all hung up.
"So, you've got yourself a few fans, oh Chosen One. I think this will be fun. I wonder if they have a statue of you they make offerings to." Oliver smiled.
"You'll have to play Oliver, CEO, serious business man." She smiled at him, ignoring his remark about a statue.
"I know, but it'll be nice to see you back there." he joked before they went back to the discussion they were having before the phone rang and, right after that, started rearranging everything to have a few days away from the office.
Of course they'd have their cellphones and laptops, they'd be able to work, just not from their offices. Mac would stay in Star city, since they didn't need her there with them. Plus, she was getting much better with her gift and if they did need her, she'd be able to get there as fast as an email, maybe even faster. As a joke she said that went she travelled through connections, she transfered herself, like a file. They knew that everything would be fine.
.
"Where are we staying this time?" She asked Oliver once settled in the private jet on Monday morning.
"Same room as last time, the one where it all started." He smiled at her.
"You big softy." She smiled.
"You know it. Anyway, I think I've got a pretty good speech down." he replied, showing it to her so she could have her say.
"That's good, I however, have no idea how I'm going to handle everything..." She shook her head.
"You'll find out when we get there, I'm not worried." He said before he kissed her.
This time, John didn't come with them. Lyla happened to be home and he wanted to enjoy a few days with his family, she he had selected another bodyguard, that would be staying in another room and would probably be bored, standing or sitting in the back of a classroom, waiting for a potential threat that would never come. They had almost taken Roy with them to play bodyguard, but they didn't want to leave the city too unprotected. Oliver and Veronica had tried to argue with John that they didn't need a bodyguard, but he ended up convincing them, stating that people of their wealth rarely went this far without a bodyguard and showing that they could defend themselves would raise suspicions.
The bodyguard that came with them had been trained by John personnaly and he knew that his bosses could handle themslves, he had been told that they had trained with John Diggle and taken some night classes not to be defenceless, but that he'd still need to keep at least one eye open. He didn't mind, it allowed him to see another town and he'd be able to leave them alone in the school in the afternoons to go surf and enjoy the beach, so he didn't mind.
.
The school had changed a lot over the years, it had been renovated and pretty much rebuilt so it wasn't the same school at all, yet Veronica immediately remembered her high school years when they entered the building, greeted by principle Clemmons and Wallace. She almost felt like a teenage girl again, only Oliver's hand in hers and the wedding ring on her finger reminded her that she was now an adult woman. Classes had started, so no students were around to see them. She almost expected Lamb to come to arrest her on fake and dumb charges, it made her smile in nostalgia.
"Veronica, Oliver, thank you so much for coming!" Wallace said, rushing to hug her and shake hands with Oliver.
"Miss Ma... I mean, Misses Queen, it's good to see you again. Thank you for coming." Clemmons nodded.
"Oh, come on mister C, go on and call me Veronica, make things easier for us all. I know it's been over 10 years since I left school, but things don't have to get weird." She smiled.
"Alright, Veronica." He nodded before shaking Oliver's hand, who told him to call him Oliver as well.
"I've prepared a few files for you, V. Everything I could find on the student who got injured, those who got in toruble in trouble and the ones who interrogated me about you being my friend. I've also added everything we found about the big cases they want to take on. It's not much sadly but I know you enough to knwo that you'll be able to handle things." Wallace informed his best friend.
"Well, I'm sure Veronica will be able to figure it all out in no time. she uncovers any attempt to hurt or ruin our company before it even takes place." Oliver replied with a smile.
"I believe that this is how I became in possession of so many shares, by buying them before that horrible Rochev girl could do it." Veronica remembered.
"And you gained the turst of the board when you completely stopped her, which helped me convince you to become my second." Oliver added, making Wallace smile at their complicity, he wanted this too.
"I've reserved a classroom for the two of you." Clemmons informed them, guiding the couple in the right direction.
"What have you told the students?" Veronica asked curiously.
"That you and your husband were coming to present the jobs you were offering, that you'd discuss the high gender equality in your company and the newer projects, the impact you hope to have on the future... That sort of things." Clemmons replied.
"Though I've let it slip to a few doubting students that it was just an excuse because you were coming to celebrate an anniversary with me." Wallace added.
"That's good, gives the ones who are... well, like I used to be, something else to believe in. We've prepared a few videocalls with the heads of several departments who will happily answer their questions. This is also kind of a trial, if it works, we might do it more often, in other schools. Train someone to do this with video calls from Department heads or even us. Maybe it will help promote math, technology and science if they see everything they can do with this. We're even thinking to finance some sort of traveling conference that will present not only Queen Consolidated but also Wayne Enterprises, Merlyn Global and other big enterprises." Veronica nodded.
"Really? You've been talking with Bruce Wayne about this?" Wallace asked.
"Yes, your call made us think and while we're here, our assitants are reaching out to other companies, see who would be willing to help finance this and be a part of it." Oliver replied.
"This is a good idea, students will be able to see all the doors that are open to them." Clemmons nodded.
"Yes, and we think we'll insist on town were students are most likely to take low income jobs and to stop their studies before they get a degree. Poorer neighborhood deserve a chance as well, which is why we're also thinking of several more scholarships we could create." Veronica explained.
"As it is, we won't only present Queen Consolidated but also Merlyn Global and Wayne Enterprises because Tommy Merlyn and Bruce Wayne agreed with out idea and are 100% willing to join us in this project." Oliver added.
"Right, the CEO is your best friend, right? Tommy? I met him at the wedding. I remember that Bruce Wayne was there too, but I didn't speak with him." Wallace nodded.
"This is great! In any case, over the past week I've rearranged schedules to allow you to speak to the interested groups of students in small groups. You'll also have free time, to allow your fans to find you. Students will be allowed to miss class in order to come and meet the two of you, but they'll have to justify it by signing the sign up sheet when they enter the room." Clemmons told Veronica with an amused smile, handing her a schedule.
"So, if The Chosen One solves this, do I get a statue of myself in the food court or something?" Veronica asked teasingly, making Wallace chuckle.
"Of course it'd be in the food court, I remember how you eat." He nodded, amused, making Oliver laugh too.
When Veronica playfully glared at him he simply replied:
"What? When we started dating, Keith did warn me to always have enough food around because for such a small woman, you could eat your weight in anything as long as you liked it, and you've proven him wrong over the years." Oliver defended himself.
"Sounds like something Keith would do." Wallace chuckled.
At the end of the first day, Veronica already had a good list of suspects and one of the big case found in the injured student's locker solved.
.
On the second day, Oliver was speaking to a class about their company's internships programs when she saw one of the students she suspected walking in the empty corridor. Motioning the corridor to Oliver, she left and quietly followed the kid, motioning to the bodyguard to stay with Oliver. She could see in his hand a piece of paper, probably to allow him to leave his classroom. The school being so different, Veronica had studied the maps well and she frowned when the teenager went down stairs that were hidden. You had to know this basement door was there to see it, otherwise you wouldn't guess it was there.
Having compared the old high school and this one, she knew that this was a door that led to the old basement. They had decided to leave it because it cost less money, it would have been more expensive to destroy it.
He opened it and started walking down the stairs. He hadn't waited to hear the door close behind him and so Veronica followed after him. As she walked down, she noticed that it wasn't as dusty as if should be. Half of the stairs was dusty, but the other half wasn't, telling her that he wasn't the only one coming down here, and that they must come often.
She had perfected the art of being silent as she walked, being a vigilante helped a lot, so he didn't hear her. He, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind making noise as he walked, he must have known that he was alone. She followed him down a corridor and to a door at the very edge of the basement. He opened the door and she noticed that there was a very heavy stone to block the door, probably because there wasn't a handle on the other side or something like this. She decided to hide behind the wall, just letting her head by and saw that he wasn't alone.
"Did you have any problem leave the classroom? You're a bit late." A girl noticed as Veronica listened curiously.
They were standing in a half circle and she couldn't see what they were facing.
"No, I just wanted to catch a glimpse of the Chosen one before I came down here. I can't believe she's here and I can't get into her husband's presentations!" he complained, making Veronica smile, amused.
"Clemmons left her empty spots so we could find her on our own, you'll get to speak with her." Another girl told him.
"I know, but still. It's good to know she's here." He replied.
"She's just so pretty... Oliver Queen is such a lucky man." Another boy declared.
After that, she listened as they discussed their friend in the hospital, saying they'd visit him that day after class, which was why they met during class. They also discussed the case she had closed the previous day, wondering if she had done it or if the cops had finally come through. They stayed there 10 minutes before they promised to meet the next day for lunch and they separated. Veronica quickly hid behind a large and dusty case that looked like it had been there for over a decade and, once she was sure that they had left, she walked inside the room they had just left.
There was a very large picture of her, her year book picture, on a wall. The other wall had press articles about unsolved cases. On a shelf she found a notebook, several actually, filled with newspaper articles she had written, or that spoke about her. One was about her new life as well. She found, well hidden, another one with articles about Karma, one that showed Karma (played by her sister that day) when Veronica was mentioned being somewhere else. She quickly understood that they suspected her of being Karma and she wondered how she should approach this.
There was an empty table pushed against a wall, and she recognize it as the kind of table that were inside the school back when she was a students. There were a few old chairs as well and she recognized their style as well. She might have sat on those chairs at some point.
Turning to the table they had been facing, she saw a statue of herself there. It was very well done, probably done in art class. She smiled when she saw, on another wall, several pictures of herself, old and recent. One of them made her smile. It was a picture of herself punching Madison Sinclair at the High School reunion. Nobody had sent her this picture but she took a picture of it with her phone, This, her punching Madison, was something she wanted to remember.
There were a few candles around her statue, and her favorite flowers as well. Going back to the shelves, Veronica found a list of their members, a list of rules they all swore to obey along with a special "no 09er allowed" mention that had her smirk.
She also found a list of people and the crimes they suspected them of, and whether they had been covered by the Sheriff's department or if the suspects were smart enough to hide the evidence.
Still looking at everything on the shelf, she found a red book with "special project" written on it. When she opened it, she frowned. There was a summary of Oliver's colorful past, a picture of the Island he had been stuck on, and a list of everything that changed about him. After that, she found more information on this Island and how they could get there, how long it would take and how much money they'd need.
Turning the page, she frowned some more. They were apparently planning on sending Logan and Dick to that Island for 5 years, or longer, to make them change and force them to grow up like Oliver. There was a list of people, some their age, other hers, that should be send on this island that had changed Oliver Queen. She had to hand it to them, they had done a good preparation job because they had been surveying Logan and Dick a lot, everything about their tastes and habits was written in this book.
Taking pictures of everything, even the notebooks, she placed in her purse the one where they showed they suspected her of being Karma. She didn't want anyone to find it. After that, she walked back outside and into the school. She realized that she had been gone over 2 hours. Oliver had tried to call her but there was no reception in the basement.
She found him talking to a group of seniors. Their bodyguard was also speaking to a few boys, answering questions. Maybe they wanted to know if becoming a bodyguard was worth it. They left as she came closer.
"Veronica, I was so worried, where were you?" He asked her.
"The student I followed led me to their lair. I guess you can call it that. There was no reception and I stayed hidden while they were there, then I looked at everything. I took pictures but you'd have to see it for yourself." She replied.
"Well, class just ended." he informed her.
"Good, let's grab Wallace and Clemmons, I'll show you three what I've found. You won't believe it!" She replied.
Veronica texted Wallace where to meet them and they went to Clemmons, who stood next to the door, making sure the student's exit happened without any incidents. She told him that she had found something and he followed her. They were soon joined by Wallace. On the way, Veronica explained how she had found the lair and she guided them all the way though the basement until they all stood in front of her statue.
"I don't know what to think of this..." Wallace frowned.
"That's not all. Solving cases like I did, finding more about me, being like me, isn't all they want to do... Their plans are actually quite scary, though very well thought out... They have an analysis of you, Oliver. How you were before you got stranded on the Island and how much you've changed to become such a great man, a man that is, in their words, worthy of Veronica Mars. They have a list of people, among them Logan Echolls and Dick Casablancas, that they want to send on this same Island for at least 5 years to make them change into better people as well." Veronica explained as she showed them the book she had found their plans in.
"They did a lot of work on this, I mean, it's crazy, but they calculated how much it would cost, how long it would take how they'd kidnap them... Even ideas on how to raise the money or how to take the money from the people they'd send on the Island..." Wallace declared as he watched the book.
"There's even a page somewhere of how they could try to get Logan and Dick to chaperon a school trip, make sure all the ones they think should change are on this trip and send them to Lian Yu." Veronica shook her head.
"Do you think this planning is just fantasy or are they truly planning on doing this?" Clemmons asked, looking at the book as well.
"I have no idea, but it's always best to assume to worst." Veronica shrugged her shoulders.
"I can't believe this, they have extensive research on Lian Yu. Its history, the meaning of the name, everything... But what do they think will happen? It's not like it's a magical Island..." Oliver shook his head.
"I have no idea but we need to speak to them, this isn't a healthy behavior. I get wanting to solve cases, or to investigate a big mystery, but this... They take cases that they believe I would have taken, they... They seem to collect absolutely everything that is about me..." Veronica shook her head.
"What do you want to do, Veronica? Do you want me to get to cops in on this?" Clemmons asked her and she was happy that he didn't just call the cops, he was giving her a chance to change these kids.
"I think I'd like to talk to them tomorrow, surprise them when they meet during lunch, speak with them. If I can't change their minds, put them back on the right path, then we should get them professional help but I'd like to give it a try first." Veronica replied.
Clemmons nodded and, after one last look at the shrine, he left the room. Wallace reminded Veronica and Oliver that they were coming to dinner at his place that night before he left too, thinking of grading a few copies before dinner.
"Wait Oliver, there's something I haven't showed you." Veronica said before he left.
She opened her purse and showed him the notebook she had hidden.
"They don't have any hard evidence, and there's plenty of footage of us in public places while Arrow and Karma are somewhere else." Oliver reassured her.
"I know, but this is mainly why I want to try and speak to them first. And, maybe, tell them that if they train enough, in a few years, I could help them get a job in the crime fighting department. I know Argus is thinking of opening some sort of secret school to train future agents..." Veronica explained.
"You're right. Do you want me there when you speak to them?" He asked her.
"Didn't you plan to meet with a few students tomorrow at lunch? You said you were looking forward to this, you even have a couple of department heads planning on doing a visio conference to answer their questions." She asked him back and he nodded.
"Then you shouldn't cancel. I know the ones you want to meet tomorrow at lunch are promising students that could get a scholarship, or even an internship. Don't worry, I'll be fine." She smiled.
"Alright. I love you, you know."
"Me too, now let's shower and change before we have dinner with Wallace. I think Weevil, his wife and daughter are planning on coming as well." Veronica replied and he nodded.
.
When they arrived at the arranged time at Wallace's he was alone and told them that he asked Weevil and his family to arrive a bit later.
"I wanted to speak to you, Veronica. it's been a while since I wanted to tell you this, but the right time never came. But when the right time doesn't come up, you have to make it." Wallace started to say.
"What's going on?" Oliver asked, worried that maybe Wallace was about to declare his love for Veronica.
"I know that I haven't know you for long Oliver, but Veronica, you know I do. I know you. Now don't get me wrong, I get why you kept the secret, and I won't tell anyone. I've known for over a year..." Wallace started to say.
"Known what?" Veronica aksed, confused.
"I know that you're Karma, and I suspect Oliver of being the Green Arrow. now don't worry, I won't tell anyone, I haven't so far. I just wanted to let you know that I know, so things don't become weird if you have to leave unexpectedly for some vigilente-ing." Wallace declared and the couple sitting in front of him stayed silent for a while.
"What makes you think she's Karma?" Oliver asked, serious.
"Like I said, I know V." He replied with a small smile.
"Wallace..." Veronica started to say but he cut her off.
"Don't worry Veronica, you don't need to say anything. Just know that I know, and I won't say anything. When Keith said that you were working with the Vigilante, the Arrow, I knew you'd end up dressing up and joining him. Then oever time it all made sense, but I didn't really formulate it, not even in my head, until one day you two were on TV, as Arrow and karma, stopping... I don't really remember who but definitley stopping someone and I thought 'V's always getting her criminals, never stops solving cases'. Then I had to face it... I didn't want to bring it up over the phone or in a message but since you're here, I just thought it was important to let you knwo that I know." Wallace explained.
"And you're fine with it?" Oliver asked.
"Of course, I'm just glad Veronica has back-up and is safe. I know her enough to know she'll never be able to just get a desk job and stop stopping bad guys and solving mysteries. I think she was always destined to be a hero. and like I said, don't worry, nobody will know. Well, not from me anyway." Wallace assured them.
They spoke some more until Weevil and his wife and daughter arrived. They smiled when his daughter showed up dressed like Karma, claiming to be her biggest fan and that she never missed the news because they might talk about her. Veronica promised herself to send the girl a signed picture of Karma, something personalized.
.
The next day, Veronica and Oliver did their morning the way they had planned, answering questions. Veronica was able to see a few of the students that were in the Secret Club and she had to admit that they were good at pretending that they weren't worshiping her. When the bell rang the time for lunch, Veronica took the time to take a few bites of her sandwich before she joined the students in the basement, this way she was giving them all the time to gather before she busted them and she had something in her stomach. Always a good thing.
She made her way silently toward their meeting room and the closer she got, the better she could hear them. They had apparently worked on a case, done some surveillance over someone, and they were sharing what they had found and comparing it to what they already had.
She didn't try to hide, she stood tall in the doorway. When they didn't notice her after 2 minutes, she cleared her throat and watched, amused, as they jumped and one of them fell on the floor when they saw her.
"Oh my goddess you're here!" One of the boy exclaimed, a hand over his heart.
"I think we need to talk." Veronica declared, trying to look friendly and not intimidating.
"I... It's not as creepy as it looks Misses Queen, I swear!" The girls who seemed to be in charge exclaimed defensively.
"Really?" Veronica asked, amused.
"It's just that... Your face, seeing you, it inspires us. We're not creeps or anything, otherwise we would have tried to spy on you at the Neptune Grand, but we haven't done that!" A boy replied.
"I found this place yesterday, I've looked through everything and we have a few things to talk about. It will take some time but Principle Clemmons is aware of this and he will excuse your absence of this afternoon. He's the one who asked me to come when one of you got sent to the hospital in a critical state. He was worried. He's agreed not to call the cops, as long as I stay convinced that you can be reasoned with but know that if this conversation turns out to be fruitless, I will call in the law on this, even though I don't want to." Veronica stated.
"We don't want to be in trouble!" One of them exclaimed.
"Then you'll listen to what I have to say." She stated and they nodded.
They pulled a table that was leaning against the wall and gathered some chairs. The chairs were old and Veronica realized that they were from before the renovation. Names were written on it and, under one of them, she found something that made her smile with nostalgia. There was a heart she remember seeing Duncan draw with their initial inside it.
"Misses Queen?" One of the girls asked.
"Duncan Kane drew this a long time ago, to celebrate our 1 month together." Veronica smiled.
"Really? That's so cool! We didn't even know this was there!" She exclaimed.
"Now listen to me. I get wanting to investigate unsolved cases, I get the thrill of being right when everyone else was wrong, but I didn't just jump into things. I trained, and, most of all, I always had backup, either in the form of my father's overprotective pitbull or in the forms of friends, strong friends. Crime solving isn't something you can just jump in without any training. You can't start with big cases either. Ever since Lamb left his job after my father's death, you have a pretty competent sheriff, so know that if the crimes aren't solved, it means they're complicated, or dangerous. If this is really what you want to do, you have to start small, and over time, go bigger." Veronica declared calmly.
"But you solved the Lilly Kane murder case before you where 17!" The leader protested.
"And before that I worked with my father in his PI office. I did stakeouts, busting cheating husbands and other easier things like this. And my father worked with me on solving Lilly's murder. I also had a strong and scary dog and strong friends backing me up." Veronica insisted.
"But we don't have a PI to work for here! I mean, there's Vinny Van Low but you don't like him."
"But maybe you could convince him to hire you part time. He's probably overworked since my father died, nobody filled his place and being the only PI in this town has got to give him a lot of work. My advice is work well at school, then, if solving crime is what you want, then study for it. There are so many possibilities. Deputy at the sheriff station, police, FBI, CIA, private investigator... And this doesn't even cover it. If crime solving, busting bad guys, is really what you want to do, then there are doors I can help you go through when you're ready, but I won't do it if you continue down this dangerous road." Veronica shook her head.
"You'd do that? Really?" One of them asked.
"Of course, if you still want it once you graduate, after you've studied. You'll need to study a lot of subjects if you want to be an efficient crime solver." She insisted and they nodded.
"Now on to another subject. I did look through this book." She declared, pointing to the book where they had their plans.
"Oh, this wasn't very serious. We started by looking into your husband to see if he really was worthy of you and we realised how much he had changed. I mean, before Lian Yu he was like Logan Echolls and Dick Casablancas, and then afterwards he was a pretty decent good guy."
"I choose to believe Oliver was better than Dick Casablancas, even before his 5 years on Lian Yu." Veronica chuckled, making them smile.
"Then we looked at everything we could find on the Island, to see if it could come from there and we dared ourselves, if we were to send someone there, who would it be? Who would need it?" One of them explained.
"That's when we wrote the list of names. But since our club is about you, we chose Logan and Dick." Another added.
"Then we dared ourselve to find a way to do it. To send them there. But it was all hypothetical. We didn't plan on doing it. We keep this book for when we're bored and need something to keep our minds working." The leader added.
"Alright, I chose to believe you on this one, but know that if something happens to either of them, you'll be my first suspects." She replied.
"Of course." They nodded.
A few times during their conversation, she saw them look on the shelf, and she knew what they were looking for.
"Is this what you've been looking for ever since we've started talking?" She asked them, taking out of her bag the notebook with their suspicion about her link to Karma.
They all paled when they saw it.
"I... We..." They obviously didn't know what to say and for the first time since the beginning of their conversation, she turned very serious.
"I will not be returning this to you, I will burn it and I don't want you to look into this anymore. I'm not saying that I'm Karma, and I'm not saying that I am not her either. All I'm saying, that you need to understand and remember, is that vigilantes have a secret identity for a reason. People who know who they truly are always end up finding themselves in danger. I'm talking life or death danger. You're not ready for this. Don't look into this any further and don't think about it." She said and they nodded.
"We won't say anything to anyone!" One of them exclaimed and the other nodded.
"Good, don't. Don't think about this anymore either." She insisted.
"You husband, Oliver Queen, could he be..." One of them started and Veronica turned to glare at him.
"Drop this subject, or I might reconsider getting the law in on this." She replied and they all nodded.
"We'll listen to you, Misses Queen. I promise." The leader assured and everyone nodded.
"Good, now you should take this shrine off, it's creepy. I'm not dead yet." Veronica advised with a smile.
"We're not in trouble?" They asked her.
"Not yet, but know that I'll keep an eye on all of you. I don't need to be in town to do so. If any of you step over the line once more, you'll be in trouble." She replied.
"Misses Queen, do you think you could give us advises on how to solve cases safely, so that we have more chances of being hired by Mister Van Low?" The leader asked and Veronica nodded.
She had been planning on doing this already and so, for the next two hours, she gave them advises, told them how to proceed, what subjects they needed to study, what to look out for, who was a good friend to have and things like that. At some point, one of them asked her if Duncan Kane had ever been caught by the law, if he was innocent or guilt. Veronica simply smiled and replied that if they stuck on this path, some of them might end up being told the truth eventually.
When she found Oliver again, at the end of the day, he was all ready to fly back to their home. He had enjoyed this little parenthesis in their day to day routine, but he missed it, and, surprisingly, he missed his office as well.
.
Being back home felt good and they jumped right back into their routine, though Veronica kept her promise to keep an eye on the members of her "fan club". She had spoken about them to Duncan who agreed to keep an eye on their future as well. he wrote them down on a special list ARGUS had for potential recruits.
Weeks flew by, and Veronica and Oliver were happy. Hunter was still doing great at school and summer break was coming up. Many of his school friends would go to some summer camps and they offered to send him to one but he refused, stating that he'd rather spend time with them and visit Raz. He said that he'd rather have his summer camp at Nanda Parbat with Lilily and, smiling, Veronica and Oliver agreed to send him there for a few weeks as long as this was what he wanted.
"Constantine called while you were driving Hunter back to school." Veronica told Oliver one day.
"You look serious, what's going on?" He asked her.
"Lilly's ready." She told him.
"Ready? You mean to take down Damian Dark for good?" he asked for confirmation and she nodded.
"They have located him, he's not far from here and he's confident that he's fooled us into thinking he was dead. I've contacting dad and he's coming in 3 days. Nyssa, Sara and Talia will be there as well with a few men. I thin Norris and Masseo will be among them. Barry wants to be there to help us too, even if he won't do much." Veronica replied.
"3 days? Alright, I guess the sooner we're rid of him, the better." Oliver nodded.
"Don't worry, Constantine is confident that things will happen easily. He said that Lilly is even stronger than he thought she'd be. She'll still need a bit of guidance after that, but he'll be able to do it from a distance if she wants to go back to school." Veronica explained.
"Did she tell you where she wants to go to school?" He asked her.
"Not really, but I have a feeling that she wants to go to the new Argus training center. Duncan told her that she'd be able to finish high school with a tutor and with her new gift, they can definitely use her." Veronica replied.
"What do you think?"
"As long as she's happy, I'm happy. I still love her, and she'll always be important in my life, but she's 16 and I'm an adult... We're well over 10 years apart now, our relationship isn't one of best friends anymore. I think it'll grow into one similar to the one I have with Thea. Thea has the potential to be her best friend though." She replied sincerely.
"But you were hoping she'd go to a normal high school, lead a normal life, weren't you?" He asked her.
"I did, yes, but she's not normal anymore. She has powers, and she needs to be somewhere she'll be safe and guided. Argus' new program, it'll help. She'll have Duncan and Lyla to watch over her, they won't let anything happen to her. And she'll have her family with her. Everything will be fine." She smiled.
"Good, now, things are pretty calm tonight, how about you and I take the night to ourselves, have a little us time?" Oliver suggested.
"At home?" She asked with a smile.
"Mom is at home with Walter and Thea. I was thinking about that hotel we've been wanting to try. There's a restaurant, a spa, and a very romantic suite in our name." he replied.
"You planned this." She smiled.
"Guilty. I even packed for the two of us." He replied, pointing to a bag in the corner.
"Then I say let's go." She smiled, happy that this was now her life.
.
The next few days passed quickly and soon it was time for them to stop Damian Dark. They quickly planned everything and assembled around his location. Veronica's sister Talia surprised them by being there with Bruce, in his Batman outfit. It seemed like she had been spending a lot of time with him and Veronica hoped they'd both find what they needed to be happy. She was convinced they'd make a good couple, if they wanted to be.
They quickly coordinated. Barry, as the Flash, looked at the place quickly and was able to tell them how many men there was.
All in all, it was easy.
Just like Constantine had predicted.
They had all fought Damian Dark's men while Lilly fought the evil man. It had tired her out a lot, but Dark was dead, and they all stood victorious, with no injury bigger than a broken hand and a few cuts.
They celebrated with a Big Belly Burger before they all went their own way, knowing they'd see each other again soon. Veronica did notice that her sister Talia had left with Bruce once more, and she was sure that her big sister would be staying in Gotham for a while.
Lilly went home with Veronica and Oliver, needing a break from everything before she moved forward with her life. She still had a lot to learn about her powers, and Constantine had given her a few names of people that could and would be willing to help her. The resurrected teenager planned on going to meet them over the summer. She was considering taking online classes to finish High school while she traveled and learned some more. She had even planned to meet up with her parents in a few locations, out of the country, where they'd be safe from being recognized and questioned for spending time with a girl that was supposed to be dead.
.
Of course Lilly and Veronica didn't have the same dynamic as when they went to high school together, they didn't have the same age, they didn't like the same things, but they spent this time working on an outfit for Lilly, because she wanted to use her powers to stop bad guys. Of course, being Lilly, her outfit was flashy, showed her curves and when she entered a room, you couldn't help but see her. Veronica had tried to convince her friend that being stealthy was often best but Lilly was head strong and they let her have her way, though she had agreed to have a large dark cape that would allow her to cover herself up.
Lilly stayed about a month in Starling City, mostly spending time with Thea at Verdant and studying online. After that, Duncan came to pick her up with her niece and they left for a little vacation away from America, where their parents would join them.
Mac now had complete control over her metahuman abilities. It came in handy when she slept in a bit because she could just download herself into work. She was now working with Starlab on expending her powers so she could take people with her.
"You've been spending a lot of time at Starlab recently." Veronica commented as they sat together at a coffee shop, having drinks named after their city's heroes.
"I assure you that my work hasn't suffered from..." Mac started defending herself but Veronica cut her.
"Of course not, I know. I just meant, I mean, at first there seem to be something between you and Barry but now he's with iris... I was just wondering if there was something else going on, you know, with someone else." Veronica asked with a small smile.
"Well, I have been spending a lot of time with Cisco. Caitlin could have helped me work on my power just as well, but there seems to be some sort of connection with him... I do like him a lot." Mac replied with a blush.
"I'm happy for you. Did you go on a date already? Or did something else happen?" She asked him.
"Well, we have gone to get coffees and lunches and dinner just the two of us, and we've talked about pretty much everything people would talk about on dates, but nothing else has happened. We like the same movies, laugh at the same jokes... You know what I mean, we have such a great connection! I get the feeling that he'd like it though, for something more to happen between us. I just don't know how to tell him, how to make it happen." Mac replied.
"Try talking to him, and if you're too shy or nervous to speak to him face to face, write to him, text him." Veronica suggested.
"You may be right... Wow, it's been a while since we've been able to do this!" Mac exclaimed with a smile.
"I know, life has been a bit crazy lately, but we have to make time for these normal quiet moments." Veronica nodded.
"And where's Oliver while you're here?"
"With Tommy. I have no idea what they were planning to do, but I think we can trust them not to get in trouble for a day. Laurel would have joined us but she's visitng her mother." Veronica smiled.
"Here's to small happy moments." Mac toasted with a smile.
They talked a lot as they drank their coffees and ate their pastries when Veronica looked suddenly very serious.
"What's wrong?" Mac asked her, worried.
"I'm not sure, probably nothing, but I got a wave of nausea." Veronica replied.
"Do you think it's because you're sick or that you could be... You know?" Her friend asked her.
"I'm not sure... I think I'm a bit late but I haven't been counting the days lately..." Veronica shook her head.
"We could go back to headquarters to test your blood and find out if you want." Mac suggested and Veronica nodded.
"It would be a great surprise for Oliver."
The two young women paid and left, eager to find out the truth. Mac quickly took a blood sample from her friend. Given their night job, she had trained for this and they knew what to do and what to look for. It cames with the perks of being smart, of remembering things easily.
"Looks like you're pregnant! Congratulations!" Mac exclaimed as a smile broke on Veronica's face.
Immediately, Veronica took her phone out and called her doctor, who was able to see her a couple of hours later for a confirmation. There, she was able to hear the heart and get a small video recorded where she could see a small pea sized dot that was her baby and hear a small heartbeat. She was a little over 2 months along and she couldn't wait to get home to tell everyone, though she had to tell Oliver first.
.
Veronica came home soon after Oliver and he was still in putting his jacket up. Thea and his mother were greeting him, with Pony.
"Veronica, I thought you'd be home before me. Everything alright?" he asked her.
"Of course, but there's something I need to tell you. Do you mind stepping this way a minute please?" She asked and he nodded, wondering what was going.
With a gesture, Veronica asked Moira and Thea to wait until they came back.
"What is it?" He asked his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"No need to look so serious Oliver, I assure you it's nothing bad. I just wanted to tell you privately before I told anyone else. I'm pregnant!" She told her husband who's only answer was to take her in his arms and spin her around as he kissed her happily.
"That's great! I'm so happy my love!" Oliver exclaimed, obviously overjoyed.
After a few minutes of private celebrations, they joined a curious Thea and Moira, waiting to find out what was going on.
A few minutes later, they were all around Veronica's computer, looking at her recording of the sonogram.
"How are you going to tell Raz?" Thea asked her sister in law.
"I could either wait until we visit him in three weeks, or I could send him the video and wait for him to understand what it means." Veronica replied.
"You should wait until we visit him. It will be better."
"You're right. Hunter is supposed to come with us, so we'll tell the two of them at the same time." Veronica smiled.
.
Three weeks later, Veronica and Oliver arrived with Hunter and Pony at Nanda Parbat and they were welcomed by Nyssa, Talia, and Raz. Sara was visiting her sister in Starling city.
"Are you alright sister? Rumor has it that Karma has been seen a lot less often in town lately." Talia asked as they sat around dinner.
"This is actually something I wanted to tell all of you. Since we're all here today... Oliver and I decided that for the next few months, I'd keep to the computers for a while, to make sure nothing happens. I'm pregnant!" Veronica declared.
Everyone around Oliver and her exploded in joy and she soon found herself hugged and kissed from all sided.
Hunter was overjoyed at the thought of being a big brother, he was already planning on learning lullabies to play for the baby and his parents found it very touching.
Later, Veronica found herself taking a walk with Talia, alone.
"I'm very happy for you, little sister. Know that if you need anything, I'm here for you." Talia told her.
"Thank you, Talia. Now, how are things between you and Bruce?" Veronica asked her.
"I think it's moving forward... I'm staying with him, when he's Batman, I'm out there with him... He's just taken in some sort of apprentice. Like Roy is to Oliver."
"Robin, right?" She asked.
"Of course you've heard of him. Yes. The kid has potential, he's training him this weekend, but I wanted to be here, so we could be a family without any crisis going on." Talia smiled.
"I'm glad you're here." Veronica nodded.
"I do like it, being with Bruce. It makes me dream of a family of my own with him, and I know he's thinking about it too." Talia replied.
"I hope it will all go like you wish." Veronica smiled.
.
For the next few months, Veronica stayed mostly out of her Vigilante Outfit, though it was worn sometimes by her sisters whenever they visited. The pregnancy advanced well and everyone was happy for her. Lilly was especially excited for it, she had been afraid that, despite what the angel had said, Veronica would have missed her chance to be a mother when they brought her back.
Veronica kept working at Queen Consolidated until the very last minute and it almost didn't surprise anyone when her water broke in the middle of a reunion with all the heads of departments. They had all tried to convince her to take some time of before the due date but she insisted that she needed to do something real and useful to ensure she didn't go crazy.
She arrived in time at the hospital anyway and gave safely birth to a healthy baby boy they decided to name Keith Robert Queen.
Raz, sensing the end of the pregnancy, had been in town and was overjoyed to be a grandfather to this baby. Hunter was also very happy to be a big brother and the first time he visited the baby, he played him a lullaby he had learned just for him.
Tommy and Laurel got married a month after Keith's birth and they were happy to be the kid's uncle and aunt, even if not by blood. They had also been chosen to be his godparents.
The Queen family was happy and Oliver was able to be home with his wife and children even at night. Starling City was a lot safer and their friends were able to help keep it safe efficiently.
I hope you liked this last part. I don't think I will write more for it, but I'm leaving things open in case I get inspired again. After all, this was supposed to be a one shot, then 5 chapters, then 10 and now 27. Maybe one day I will write more, we'll see (I do have a couple of ideas...). But until then, it's complete.
Please leave me a review, I always like knowing what you think of it and who knows, maybe it will inspire me for more chapters.
Lorelei Candice Black