Fifty First Dates

Veronica swung the door open and she was right. Duncan was exactly on time and that was something that did not shock her at all. From what she had gathered he was a prompt individual, someone who needed a schedule and would follow it to a T. She wondered how someone like that could have a kid. Kids didn't normally follow the schedule that they were provided with. The slightest change in something would keep the kids off of a routine and crying for hours. Well, okay maybe she was over exaggerating, it wasn't like Duncan had autism.

"Hey Duncan," she said as she gave him a friendly hug and a big smile. She was going to make the best of this. They had plans, they had lunch plans and she was going to enjoy her time out of the house.

"Hi Veronica, you ready to go," he said standing at the door looking a little bit nervous. At least he was having some kind of reaction.

"Sure, just let me get my bag and I'm good to go," she said as she took a few steps into the house and grabbed her purse off of the couch. "I'll see you later Backup," she said as she bent down and tapped the pooch's head.

"How have you been," Duncan asked as soon as Veronica stepped out of the house and locked the door?

"I've actually been really good," she started. They got to Duncan's car and he opened her door for her and she got in and waiting until he was seated in the drivers seat to continue. "I'm trying to keep busy so that I'm not dying of boredom overdose," she joked.

He put the car in reverse and drove down the driveway not saying anything. He got to the end and put the car into drive and looked straight ahead. Veronica could already tell that this was going to be a very long lunch date. She looked in the back seat and saw a car chair and saw an opportunity for a conversation. "How is Lily doing," she asked slightly intrigued about the little girl that she helped Duncan kidnap.

"She's okay. My mom helps out with her a lot," he said not really giving her much to work with. Veronica just looked out the window in silence the rest of the drive over to where they were having lunch.

Duncan pulled into a parking spot by the beach and she saw that they were going to eat on the boardwalk. "Do you still like tacos," he asked he shifted into park. He was nervous and Veronica was going to have to find some way to remedy that otherwise this lunch date could take forever and that's not something she was looking forward to. She had planned on enjoying this.

"Tacos are awesome. Lots of hot sauce though," she said getting a little more excited about Mexican food then usual.

"Good. Some things just never change," he said with a smile on his face. Veronica was actually happy to see him smile. His dimpled showed up and his blue eyes lit up just a bit. Maybe he needed some time to thaw out before he was able to carry on a normal conversation. "We've had all our first dates here," Duncan informed Veronica.

"All of our first dates," she questioned wondering exactly how many first dates one couple could have.

"Yea, the first time we dated in freshman year I brought you here and you loved it. Then after the whole your dad trying to convict my dad thing and we broke up. After you and Logan broke up and we got back together we came here on our date. I figured it'd be nice to come here again, on our first date…again."

Veronica didn't want to crush his feelings so she just went with the flow. "Well that's really sweet Duncan. Maybe the third time is the charm," she said giving him her award winning smile. She had to watch how thick she laid it on because she didn't want to give him the wrong impression, in fact she was counting down the hours until she would see Logan.

They walked into Senor Frogs and were seated by a bubbly hostess. Duncan asked for a table on the terrace looking over the water. They each grabbed one of the menus and emerged themselves in it trying to kill the time that way. Things were awkward.

"The enchiladas look amazing," Veronica said feeling her mouth water while looking at the very enticing picture.

"Oh you don't like those actually. The picture always manages to mislead you," Duncan laughed.

Veronica didn't find it very funny. Maybe she didn't like the enchiladas but maybe this time she would. Maybe the establishment managed to change the way they made the food or maybe post amnesia Veronica likes bad enchildas.

"Well I think I'd like to try it again. I don't mind being misled," she quipped while trying to suppress the fact that Duncan had just annoyed her. Veronica hated being told what she liked and didn't like.

"I'd actually listen to him," someone said who approached their table. Veronica looked up from the menu and saw Weevil standing there. "Honestly, I wouldn't stray to far from tacos or burritos," he said giving Veronica a little smile.

"Weevil," she said slightly unsure. She thought she recognized his mug shot from various cases that were on her computer. Weevil seemed to be implicated in a lot of them but was usually the innocent one in everything. Everything that didn't involve the disappearance of a certain ex gang member friend.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Weevil said not missing a beat, "I know, I haven't been by to see you but I have to make myself an honest living, its part of my probation."

"Well its great to see you. We should catch up I have a lot of questions for you," she said. Wallace had told her that Weevil had been by the hospital pretty often when she was in the coma and when she woke up he was no where to be found. He pulled a disappearing act like Logan had.

"Ask me anything," Weevil said.

"What are the specials," Duncan interrupted sounding rather annoyed with Weevil. He didn't like the interruption and that was clearly expressed in the tone that he took with Weevil.

It took all of Weevil's self restraint not to make a smart ass comment to Duncan but he had to control himself. He couldn't lose this job too or he'd end up back behind bars.

"Oh yes, I forgot let me restart. My name is Eli and I'll be your server this afternoon. Today's special is a taco salad with a side of nachos or rice and a soft drink for $6.99. But seriously, fuck that. How come they want to lock me up if I lose this stupid job but you can kidnap a baby and come back to Neptune without even the slightest slap on the wrist. Is it because you are rich or something," Weevil said obviously not able to restrain himself for longer than 23 seconds.

Duncan stood up angrily. "What the fuck did you just say to me," he said his face getting all red. Veronica had never seen Duncan like that, not even the day he had found out that she and Logan were dating and that day he got really pissed off.

"You know damn well what I said to you preppy boy but if you need me to repeat myself I will." Weevil had gotten dangerously close to Duncan's face at this point.

"Is there a problem here," said a stern looking man as he walked towards their table not looking very happy.

"Oh no everything is fine," Veronica jumped up to say hoping the two boys would put their testosterone back into their pants. "My friend here is an actor and he asked Eli to help him run some lines for an audition he is going to later on today. Eli was being rather helpful," Veronica said quickly trying to cover for the boys. She didn't know Weevil very well anymore but she knew that he was always helping her out of jams.

"Very well then," the stern man said and walked away.

"Veronica you didn't have to," Weevil said.

"Yeah Veronica you really shouldn't have." Duncan said showing how pissed he still was.

"Weevil, I don't think the system is up for giving you a bunch of chances. You have a job here so just keep it and don't let Duncan get on your nerves. Duncan, take it easy. He wouldn't have been an ass to him if you didn't just talk to him like some kind of second class citizen and I think I lost my appetite." Veronica stood up from her chair, reached into her pocket and threw twenty dollars down on the table top. "You deserve at least a tip for putting up with that," she said as she started to walk through the restaurant and out the front.

"Veronica, wait…hold on….Veronica stop," Duncan pleaded with her as she walked away.

"What do you want from me Duncan," she asked as she spun around on her heels to meet him face to face.

"I just wanted to take you out for lunch and catch up with you. Talk to you, just, you know, spend time with you to let you know I'm not some kind of kidnapping monster that Logan has probably painted me to be."

"God, why is everyone so hard up on what Logan does or says," she said throwing her hands up in the air. "For your information and everyone else's information who cares, when Logan and I talk he doesn't waste him time talking about how good or bad someone is. Not everyone is perfect Duncan. You kidnapped baby Lily, Logan went to jail and was accused of killing one of Weevil's friends, Weevil has been in the system countless number of times for christ's sake even I've been arrested. I'm not going to pass judgement on someone based on what someone else said. Am I really that type of person," she asked.

"No you aren't. You are the type of person who gives everyone a chance."

"And I gave you one Duncan and you totally screwed it up."

"He is the one who started in on me about Lily."

"No Duncan, you started in on him by interrupting a friendly reunion and treating him like some kind of lowly servant."

"He's a waiter Veronica. It's just job to be treated like that."

"Wrong again Duncan. He's a waiter but he's still a human and someone I consider a friend. I don't like it when people treat my friends like crap…and that's why I'm going home."

"Let me take you home," he pleaded with her.

"It's okay I'll walk its not that far from here anyway."

"C'mon Veronica just let me take you home."

"I said I'll walk but let me just leave you with this tidbit Duncan. Even if anyone tried to tell me that you are some kind of kidnapping monster, I wouldn't have believed them. I know I was involved in that and I believe in myself more than that. I don't think I would have helped someone who was just looking to take a kid away. I know you were trying to protect Lily from Megan's parents. It's an honourable thing and someone would bean idiot to try to tell me otherwise," she said as she began her walk home.

"Mars, old habits die hard huh," Weevil said leaning over the terrace. Veronica didn't know how long he'd be there.

"Fuck off Weevil," she said flipping him the bird.

"Now that's my girl," he said flipping it back and walking away.

Veronica watched Duncan walk to his car and get in and she laughed a bit to herself. This would probably be their last first date.