Chapter 2: Veronica Mars

After hanging out at the Expresso Pump and talking about personal things for WAY to long Buffy decided to head over to Mars Investigations to see if Veronica and Keith could use any help.

On her walk over to Mars Investigations, Buffy began to think about weather or not living with her mom would be so bad after all and maybe, just MAYBE she could meet this Ben guy just to make Willow happy. Buffy kicked a rock on the sidewalk. "Maybe I should think about getting a car…" she thought as she entered the building where Mars Investigations was based and started slowly up the stairs towards the office. She let out a sign as she opened the main door going into the room that was the waiting area. Buffy shut the door, tossed her bag on the orange couch and peeked her head into Keith's office. No one was there. She walked over to the desk that she and Veronica shared to see if there were any messages written down on the note pad. None. "Well, today is eventful." Then Buffy saw the light flashing on the phone indicating there was a unheard message. She pushed the play button and waited. 3 messages.

The first message was from a public defense lawyer, Cliff McCormack, who Buffy and Veronica often helped prove his clients innocent, or sometimes guilty. Its not like the people in this town are saints. "Must be the case V is working on, last I knew Keith was working on a bail jumper."

The second message was from Eli "Weevil" Navarro. He used to be a bad ass biker back when he went to high school with them, but the more he hung out with Buffy and her gang the softer he became and learned he wanted to steer clear of the crime life and left his biker gang to his cousin who has since let the gang go down hill to way worse crimes then they ever would have with Weevil in charge. Veronica got her dad to offer Weevil a job with Mars Investigation as security detail only- the muscle so to speak since he had helped Buffy and Veronica out of plenty of jams, why not get paid for it.

The third message was Keith calling for himself. "Hey, Keith. Its Keith. Just a reminder pick up some toilet paper on the way back to the house. You know what? I will leave a message at the house too just incase I forget to check the messages. I'm going to do that now. Have a great day handsome." Buffy chuckled at the weird antics that were Keith Mars, she wished her dad was more like Keith. You would think Hank Summers would have something in common with Keith Mars since they were best friends. Hank is a hot shot lawyer, one of the best when he lived in Sunnydale and Keith was the Sheriff of the Sunnydale police department. They worked closely together to make sure Sunnydale was safer. It turned out Keith and Hank didn't have anything in common because when things got tough Hank split and Joyce stayed. Well, when things got tough for the Mars family Keith stayed and Veronica's mom, Leann is the one who skipped town. Joyce and Keith both tried to convince their daughters that their parent who left did it for their own reasons and it had nothing to do with the girls. Buffy and Veronica then came up with their saying "The Hero stays and the Villain is the one who splits."

Buffy hit the SAVE button on the answering machine so that Veronica and Keith could hear the messages when they got back- mostly just so the man could remember his toilet paper.

Buffy heard the door open and Veronica walked in throwing her bag on the couch next to Buffy's.

"Hey V, you have a message on the machine from Cliff. Something about new evidence in a case…"

"Hello to you to Ms. All Work." Veronica replied in her normal sarcastic way.

"Just wanted to let you know before it slipped my mind. Saved the message." Buffy replied.

"Thanks. We are trying to get evidence together for a case. We are working with one person while that persons lover has hooked up with "Vinny Van Lowe- Private Dick". Any other messages?" Asked Veronica. Veronica was referring to another Private Investigator Vinny Van Lowe, he was a seedy one. No one who was in their right mind would do to him for help. He was lying, conniving , low life who's secretary was his mother. He always wanted to go up against Mars Investigations and always wanted to get into their business. He often tried to jeopardize their cases. 'Vinny should take a little less of his time worrying what we are doing and find a new hair style, that greased back look wasn't even hot in the 50's.' Buffy thought.

"Just Weevil- he is going to be pulling an all nighter and call him on his cell if he is needed, then your dad. The man doesn't want to forget his toilet paper." Buffy joked.

"Of course. He HAS to leave himself a message. Did you see all the sticky notes around his office? He has them at home too! All over the place." Veronica said while opening the filing cabinet in the corner of the room behind Buffy's desk and pulled out a folder.

Buffy laughed.

"Oh, I got a laugh! Things aren't so bad anymore?" Veronica asked,

"They are better then yesterday but the hills are not alive." Buffy semi joked

"Sorry to hear that. Oh! That reminds me." Veronica said walking over to her bag on the couch and pulling out today's News Paper. "Here is the paper, I thought with you apartment hunting and all it would help… or you could always live with me and Dad. I have a big room. We could get bunk beds!"

"Gee, thanks Giles. In this day and age people use a thing called Computers to look things up."

"Ha-ha, Very funny. It was there, I got it. If you want to use the computer go for it. Are you avoiding my offer for a place to live. I know dad wont mind. We could car pool to work everyday!"

Buffy sighed and looked down at the paper, Veronica had just tossed onto the desk in front of her "I'm not avoiding. As much fun as bunk bed and car pooling sounds I just don't want to live with someone I think of as a parent. Plus you are at Logan's most of the time… when you guys aren't fighting. Willow and Oz offered too and I turned them down. I would be getting in the way of their lives. I would be doing the same thing if I would at your house. You and your dad have a certain way of doing things and its so cute." Buffy explained as she opened the News Paper to the Classified section. "And you know Xander offered too which is just an ick factor with the whole Anya obsessed with sex thing."

"Ewww. I don't blame you for not wanting to live with Anya. Living with Willow and Oz might just be horrible for you since they are pretty much the cutest couple ever and you are alone and miserable." Buffy let out a breath and shook her head as Veronica was talking. "You could totally be apart of me and dads quote on quote "Cuteness"! but since you insist on being a pain in my ass there are only the options of living with your mom and sister or getting your own place. And we don't fight all the time, we bicker, we disagree, we get over it."

Buffy nodded her head as she looked at the ads in the paper. "People are so weird. Look at this: Wanted- sexy live in female with foot fetish must like elderly people." Buffy read.

"Translation" Veronica laughed as she and Buffy said at the same time "A slut who gets hot over feet and doesn't mind I live with my Grandparents."

Buffy continued looking at the paper with a small smile on her face. She loved all of her friends but it seemed like she and Veronica just got each other, sometimes they could tell the other what they were thinking just by a look. 'It must come from being best friends all our lives and working together all the time.' Buffy thought.

"OK. 2 bedroom home, one bathroom, kitchen, large living area, Only $400! Oh…. it's a mobile home. Do I want to live in a mobile home?" Buffy said looking over at Veronica who was now going threw the folder she got out of the filing cabinet a few minutes ago.

"Keep looking." Veronica said not even glancing up from the file. "Is there anything in your price range?"

"I don't know… what's my price range?" Buffy hadn't even thought about looking at how much she could actually afford to pay for rent.

"You didn't already figure it out? Well… with what you make here, plus living expenses and other bills… maybe $400 a month. Forget what I said about keep looking, go with the mobile home. it's a steal." Veronica said making a face.

"Oooo, you know what! Maybe you, me and Tara could get a place together! That would be fun." Buffy suggested.

"Or you could take Dick off Logan's hands for us." Veronica suggested back, finally looking up at Buffy. Dick was one of Logan's best friends that NO ONE liked. Between Logan's two best friends Duncan Kane and Dick Casablancas, Veronica disliked Dick the most. Odd, considering she had a bad break up with Duncan not once but twice.

"Live with Dick? Dick is a dick." Buffy argued.

"You know if Riley wasn't a dick then you wouldn't be dealing with this right now. You would be living in the nice condo you two picked out together and not worry about only being able to pay $400 a month."

Buffy looked at Veronica. She hadn't wanted to talk about Riley with anyone but this was Veronica after all. She trusted her friends, but she knew Veronica would guard her secrets with her life and when she was ready she would talk to Willow about it- soon.

"Your right, Riley is a dick. Just thinking about him makes me want to swear off men forever. Do you have to be a virgin to go into the nunatree?"

"I'm pretty sure its called a convent." V offered.

"Right." Buffy pursed her lips together.

"Buffy, Riley cheated on you. It happens. Not all guys are like that. You cant give up on guys because of one guy."

Buffy looked at Veronica, her face looking like a sad little kid. "I cant?"

"No! You cant!" Veronica yelled a little to loud

"I just never thought Riley would do that. He seemed like a good guy." Buffy defended Riley. The old Riley… or the Riley she thought she knew.

"I think boring is the word you were looking for." Veronica told her

"OK, so he was a little boring." Buffy said.

"B, Riley woke up every morning took his vitamins, did his work out, went for a run, showered, then called his mom. EVERY. MORNING." Veronica exclaimed.

"He is well disciplined. He had to be in the Military." Buffy explained.

"There ya go! Go out, find yourself a military man who isn't as boring as Animal Planet. Marry him and you will have a free place to live! Or I am told by… someone… you didn't date….. that military wives are well taken care of." Veronica gave Buffy a deer-caught-in-the- head-lights look.

"I know Riley is that "someone you didn't date". He always talked about how good the Army was to him. I would never EVER date another soldier though. Not going to happen." Buffy said.

Veronica closed the file she had long forgotten about. "But Riley wasn't active duty, you don't know what it would actually be like to date a soldier who is active duty."

"My guess- stressful." Buffy said as she went back to look at the paper.

"Call "Foot Fetish Guy", He sounds the best so far." Veronica said while she put the file back.

"Thank for your vote of confidence." Buffy said while reading more. "Oh! Here we go! Room mate needed. Large living space. Multi car garage, walk in closet, dish washer, washer-dryer, convenient location, close to shopping. $300 a month!" Buffy read excitedly.

"It cant be that large of a living space for only $300 a month." Veronica replied. "You don't have a car."

"I'm thinking about getting one." Buffy replied.

"You don't have a license." Veronica reminded

"I need to get one of those too…?" Buffy said questioningly. "Are you being a Debbie Downer?"

"Call the number then. Take a look at it."

"I will!" Buffy said as she picked up the phone. "Wait- I don't want to call to soon. I would look desperate."

"Its an apartment, Buffy. Not a date. They don't even know when you saw the ad anyway. They have no way of knowing how desperate you really are."

Buffy began to dial the number, pretending like she didn't hear her best friend call her desperate.

Veronica began going threw her dads office, looking for something in his desk while Buffy waited for someone to pick up the other line. Two rings. Three Rings…. The answering machine started to kick on. A man with a accent came on the machine saying "Hey, we cant get to the phone…" The message cut off and the same man with the accent said "Hello?"

Buffy was feeling a little nervous now that a man had answered the phone. 'I don't know why, Its not like the ad said the person looking was a female.' Buffy thought to herself.

"Hello?" Came the voice again.

"Hi, I am calling about the ad in the paper….. The one about a room mate needed…." She didn't know what to say! She had never done this before.

"Oh yeah! Awesome." The man replied in what Buffy thought was an Irish accent. 'Kinda hot sounding.'

Veronica leaned against the door frame to her fathers office eating a small bag of chips.

"You wanna come by sometime and see the place?" The man asked.

Buffy sat up a little straighter. "Its still available?"

"Sure is. When did you want to come by?" He questioned.

"Anytime that is good for you." Buffy offered.

"Can you do tomorrow around 4PM?" The man wanted to know.

"Yeah, that's fine." Buffy wrote down the address as the man with the Irish accent told her if she needed directions she could just call. She hung up the phone and smiled. Bigger then she had smiled in a while but Veronica had seen her smile bigger before.

"I take it, good news?" She asked Buffy.

"Looking at the place tomorrow at 4. The guy sounded kind of cute too."

"A guy huh? I don't know if your mom and Willow would approve." Veronica said putting the Doritos in her mouth.

"You were looking threw your dads office for chips?" Buffy asked, changing the subject.

"Actually, pictures for the case I am working on with Cliff but I found the chips and though 'what the hey!'"

Buffy laughed.

To Be Continued