Casey 2.0 (3/?)
Chapter title: 5 weeks
Rating: R for this part, up to NC-17 in later chapters.
Summary: Casey always had feelings for her. But he realizes that he needs to become someone he himself can be proud of before he is worthy of her. So after he leaves high school he does just that and returns Neptune at the beginning of her sophmore year at Hearst ready for the chance he's always wanted.(Casey and Veronica CaVe)
Characters/Pairing: Veronica/Casey (mentions all VM characters at some point)
Spoilers: entire series
Word Count: 7592
Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars, The San Diego Chargers and Padres, Sea World or Disneyland, HP, Photoshop, nor do I own anything to do with them or any of the organizations or nonprofits that might be mentioned here.
A/N: this chapter is a collection of dates during the first 5 weeks of casey and veronica's relationship. It basically shows the progression of their relationship.
A/N 2: Also, I don't think that life time passes to Sea World and Disneyland really exist, but they are multi millionaires…so just go with it.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted and/or favorited this fic!
Week 1
Date #4
I could tell it was bugging her.
From the minute we left the city limits I knew she wanted to ask and sure I could have made it easier on her. But honestly, she's so damn cute when she's frustrated and curious, so I kept my mouth shut and her hand in mine.
The conversation flowed like normal for the entire drive despite both of our refusal to broach the topic of destination and I have to admit I was surprised she lasted as long as she did. She made it all the way to 15 minutes out of San Diego before she couldn't contain her curiosity anymore.
She turned to me with a vicious little smile. "Ok, that's it, I have to know. "
I smirked and kept my eyes on the road. "Know what?"
Veronica rolled her eyes and turned in her seat tucking her legs under her and staring right at me. "Why the sky is blue? What do you think Case? I want to know where we are going."
I laughed loving her sarcasm, and looked at her briefly. "Don't you want it to be a surprise?"
She gave me the head tilt and shifted in her seat belt anxiously. "Caaaaassssseeeeey. Come on. I made it the whole way to San Diego without asking. Please."
Well she had a point and she definitely deserved some kind of reward, I knew for a fact that patience was not one of her strong suits, plus she looked so fucking good I was having a hard time denying her anything. Note to self, when Veronica wears miniskirts just give in immediately. "How about I make you a deal?"
Her smile turned in to a smirk and she unhooked her seat belt, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "And this deal would be?"
I groaned as her lips found my earlobe and I had to actively remind myself that not only was I driving, but we were waiting. "If you can guess I'll tell you."
As she pulled my earlobe between her teeth she moved back and took her seat again. "So, like 20 questions style?"
I nodded.
She re-buckled her seat belt and took my hand again. "Ok, I'll play. So question #1. Is it somewhere big?"
"Yes."
She clapped her hands exaggeratedly from guessing correctly and then continued. "Will there be lots of people there?"
Well it was off season, but most likely yes. "Probably."
She curled her legs under herself Indian style and leaned back in the seat. "Is there a gift store?"
"Yes."
I'd barely gotten the yes out before she fired again. "Is it a large corporate establishment?"
I nodded again and she began to laugh. "Are there animals?"
She knew, she'd probably known the whole time actually and had just let me think I was keeping it from her, but then she could be thinking of the other place with animals in San Diego, but that one was being saved for another day. "Yes."
She brought her free hand up and tapped her finger against her lips a few times pretending to think before blurting it out. "Could it be…?" She gasped dramatically and jokingly. "Sea World?"
I nodded and brought her hand to my lips laying a sweet kiss on it. "You would be correct."
I expected a squeal of triumph or some comment, but got nothing and turned to her concerned. She was smiling but looked slightly apprehensive. "Veronica what's wrong?"
She shook her head and moved up stretching the belt to kiss me. "Nothing, it's just, well, isn't that going to be expensive, you know, food, admission, shows, souvenirs, I mean if we go the souvenir route." I laughed a little and put my arm around her pulling her close.
"Well souvenirs are a must if you want them. But really, it won't be expensive I promise."
She didn't look convinced. "How is that possible? Wait, you don't own Sea World do you?"
I laughed loudly and she giggled a little. "No, but my parents bought me two life time passes for my 9th birthday, which cost them a fortune, but costs me, nothing now. So we get in for free, can go to the shows for free and the only thing we have to pay for is food and fun stuff to bring home."
I turned to her and she looked a little more at ease. "Wow, that's actually kinda cool."
I nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"
She sat back down and a few seconds later she turned to me her eyes sparkling. "Please tell me you have lifetime passes to Disneyland and the zoo as well."
I laughed whole heartedly and pulled her to me again. "Well I guess you'll have to wait and see won't you."
"That means yes, doesn't it?"
I smirked, she already knew me too well. "Yes."
She waited a second before grinning widely and kissing my cheek again. "You know, I could get use to this, fun without the exorbitant price tag."
"Good. I'm glad; because I'm gonna make sure that we keep everything in your comfort zone no matter what."
She smiled again and grabbed my hand giving it a good squeeze. "Thanks Casey, I really appreciate that."
The rest of the drive was silent until we got to the parking lot and as we got out of the car I figured I should ask now before we got to the window. "Veronica?"
She stopped and turned to me, reaching for my hand. "Yeah?"
I took it gratefully and kissed the top of her head. "There is one thing we might need to pay extra for."
She looked up at me curiously but happily. "And this mysterious expense would be?"
"Well if you want to get in the orca pool and meet the whales, it costs extra."
She let out a loud laugh and started pulling me faster. "Um yeah, that's not gonna be an issue."
Interesting. "Why not?"
She turned to me again, tilted her head and I tried really hard not to laugh as she explained. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm about a 1/16 of the size of Shamu. Orcas are predators and I know that they are trained and all; but seriously, I can never get myself to believe that they look at us humans as anything more that food. And I don't know about you, but I have no aspirations to follow in Jonah's footsteps. Whale free, is the way to be."
Now how do you argue with that?
I just smiled, pulled her in for a kiss and then continued to the entrance as I replied. "Got it, snack time at the orca pool is out. How about a feast at Flamingo Cove?"
Veronica just smiled and kissed me again. "Well I have heard that they taste like chicken."
Week 2
Date #8
I have seen nervous men before; practically all of my exes have been near coronary before the impending dinner date with my father.
So you'll understand why I was shocked when Casey wasn't in the least bit worried.
And even more surprised when my dad wasn't in the least bit put off by; A. the fact that I was dating him and B. the fact that he was coming over.
"When you say Casey Gant, are you talking about the Casey Gant. As in Casey Gant of Gant Publishing, former cult member and brainwashing patient?"
I laughed a little at my dad's description before correcting him. "Yes, but it wasn't a cult, it was a collective, remember?"
He rolled his eyes as he took a seat at the counter. "Right, right. Hippie commune, not cult. Just promise me you won't name my grandchildren Moonbeam or Moonunit."
"Frank Zappa I am not. And we've already chosen a name, we were thinking, Karma. " He looked up at me suspiciously with a raised eyebrow and I smirked. "Kidding, totally kidding. We just started dating, kids are not in the picture yet, hell they aren't even on the horizon. Or the horizon of the horizon for that matter."
He just gave me the look; you know the one that says 'I'll remove his reproductive organs in the most painful of ways if he touches you,' before getting up from the stool and walking over to me to give me a kiss on the top of my head. "Good to hear. So when is he gonna be here?"
I just stopped dead in my tracks. "Wait, you mean that you're ok with this? No comment or complaint, just when is he gonna be here? Are you feeling ok? "
I walked over to him and rested my hand on his forehead and he brushed it off. "I'm fine. From what I've heard he's a stand up guy. He doesn't have any homicidal relatives or tendencies, no affairs with married women, he didn't impregnate his high school girlfriend and flee the country, he doesn't live in a hotel and his name doesn't sound like a 50's novelty candy. I approve."
Whoa….I mean whoa. I stood there slack jawed as he smirked at me over his beer and when the doorbell rand I was so distracted it took me a few minutes to get to the door.
When I finally did I was greeted by my amazing boyfriend's smiling face and immediately began to freak out. Oh god, this wasn't going to go well, I just knew it. I pushed Casey away from the door and back outside, an insane feeling of dejavu encompassing me, and he laughed as he leaned down to kiss me. "Nervous V?"
I glanced up at him and groaned. "You're not? How are you not? He owns guns, he could kill you and blame it on the dog next door, all boys are afraid of my dad."
He circled his arms around me in a calming move and held me tight as I rested my head against his chest. "It'll be fine; I'll be polite as usual and prove to him that you are in good hands with me. And I promise not to mention all the salacious sex I plan to have with you some day or the 18 children we plan on having when we rejoin the Mooncalf Collective. How does Moonbeam sound to you?"
For the second time that night my jaw dropped and I stood there slack jawed while looking at one of the most important men in my life. "You know what? I rescind. You're perfect for each other. "
Casey laughed and tugged me inside, shaking my dad's hand and being the well-mannered, charming guy I knew he was and my apprehension began to wane.
And 15 minutes after that it was completely gone when Casey mentioned the Padres being his favorite team and my dad lit up like the Times Square Christmas Tree.
It was official, my dad loved my boyfriend, so much in fact that I think he might have adopted him if he could.
I'd have to put a stop to that of course.
Week 3
Date #13
There's this tiny little park on the outskirts of town that not a lot of people know about or even use. Most people stick to the beach and the few that have been lucky enough to discover this tiny oasis have kept it a secret. Its seems to be an unspoken rule, you know like fight club, rule #1 'you don't talk about the park.
Things had been going so well with Veronica that I wanted to do something a little different on our next date. Dinner, movies and going to the beach are all fun, but they are the norm and what everyone in town does. And I wanted to share my little secret with her.
Veronica smiled as we drove through town and leaned over the console curiously. "So where are we going to today? LA? San Diego? Paris?"
I turned to her with an excited and slightly shocked look on my face. "Would that be ok? I will totally take you to Paris if that's ok. "
Veronica rolled her eyes and reached up to kiss my cheek. "Of course that would be…not ok. Way too expensive, maybe someday, but not now. If you feel the need to spend money, spend it on something that matters."
I turned my head and caught her lips. "Well you matter."
She blushed as she pulled away. "You know what I mean Case."
And I did, it was something we'd talked about before. Even before this began I'd always been very generous with charity, even in my younger days believe it or not. It was my grandmother's influence, so even during my jackass 09er years I still made sure that I gave back. And Veronica knew that, but she still felt the need to keep me grounded and that was ok with me. If it was something she cared about, then it was something I cared about too.
When I took a left turn before reaching the PCH Veronica's eyes widened and she looked at me suspiciously. She didn't say a word until we parked, I got out of the car walked around to her side and opened her door.
She stepped out and I put my arm around her as she leaned in to me and looked around.
It was secluded completely, trees and bushes everywhere and all of the paths were lined with flowers. "What is this place?"
I moved us forward my arm still over her shoulder and began walking through the trees. "Well, there used to be a big mansion right here. It burned down about 30 years ago and instead of rebuilding, the owners bought a new home and turned their old one into a park. Since this used to be private property, and most people never set foot on the land, it wasn't common knowledge that they'd done this or that they'd lifted the private property ban. Which I think is kinda cool, makes it more special."
Veronica nodded and reached up holding onto the hand draped over her and curled into me further. "Ok, then how did you find it?"
I smiled and angled us towards the edge of the trees towards a small clearing in the middle of some high bushes. "It was right before I joined the Mooncalf Collective, things weren't good at home and I needed an escape, I started just driving around and one day just ended up here, I started coming here to be alone and think. It's my favorite place in the world I think. Well except being around you that is."
She turned her face to mine and with a cheesy grin said. "Aww and you wanted to share it with me….that so sweet Case. Thank god you're the girl in this relationship, I don't know what we'd do if we both took on the man traits."
I laughed and kissed the top of her head as we walked through an arch formed by two well trimmed bushes. "If it means I get you, than I'll act anyway you want."
We were silent for a few minutes until we reached our destination. It was a circular flower garden edged by large bushes with a water fountain in the middle.
When she saw our surroundings she turned to me with the full on head tilt and raised eyebrow. "Are you trying to seduce me Casey Gant?"
I laughed because the answer to that was no, if I was it would be a lot more elaborate, but I figured I'd play along. "And if I was, would it be working?"
She angled up on her toes again and kissed me lightly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and as she pulled back she smirked again. "Nope."
I laughed out loud and held her to me before taking a seat on the edge of the fountain. "Well I guess it's a good thing that wasn't my grand master plan then, huh?"
Veronica took a seat next to me, threw her legs over my lap and leaned in to me. "Yeah, I'd say so. Of course if you really wanted to seduce me I'd hope you wouldn't give up so easily."
I cupped her face with my hands and barely grazed my lips with hers. "Believe me V, if I wanted to seduce you, giving up would not be an option."
As my lips fully met hers she let out a long sigh and her arms clamped around my neck as I pulled her fully into my lap. She pressed her body to mine as my hand ran up her thigh and grasped her ass eliciting a gasp from her that made me nearly lose my balance.
Opting for a non waterlogged date I lifted her from me, set her on the grass and lowered myself onto her tiny, willing, body. She welcomed me with open arms and as our lips met again her hands found the hem of my shirt and she lifted it up and off quickly, our lips only separating long enough for the material to pass. I was trying so hard to control my body and it was working so far, but every move she made, made it harder.
When my own hands lifted her shirt up and off of her she angled her body against me and I seized her lips in an even fiercer kiss as I crushed her body to mine. Her bra went quickly after that, and while it wasn't the first time I'd seen them in all their naked glory, I couldn't help but stare for a second. She looked on with an impish smile as I perused the porcelain skin and cupped her left breast massaging it pulling another sigh from her. I met her lips again briefly before moving down and taking the taut nipple of her right breast into my mouth as my hand continued its ministrations on the other.
We were lost in each other, the outside world merely a spectator and were aware of nothing until we heard the slight giggling. I shot up clamping both hands over her breasts and her eyes shot open as we both took in the sight of 6 Girl Scouts in full uniform at the edge of the garden pointing and giggling like it was going out of style.
Veronica's face turned beet red and I covered her body with mine as I scrambled for her shirt. The moment was obviously ruined and since the girls seemed to have no intention of leaving us, I moved in front of her letting her redress and had barely gotten my shirt back on when their troop leader walked up behind them with 6 more girls.
The older woman gave me a knowing look as I grabbed Veronica's hand and we hurried from the garden and to the car, the girl scouts still giggling in the wake of our departure.
When we got back to the car I looked over at her, a little afraid what she would say, and a huge smile stretched across my face when I saw an identical one on her. "Oh my god, did that really just happen?"
I smiled as my head fell back against the head rest. "Yes, yes it did. I can't believe it, but it did. I'm sorry, it's a Thursday afternoon, I really didn't expect that. "
She slid into my lap between me and the steering wheel and kissed me quickly. "Not your fault. And honestly, as much as I wish I hadn't just been caught topless with my boyfriends sucking on my breast, I can't lie and say it wasn't funny. I mean talk about cliché. I thought that kind of stuff only happened in the movies."
I laughed and pulled her close. "Well we do live in Neptune. Which is pretty damn close to living in one."
She nodded her head and smiled. "You have a point. Now how about we go and get me some food and then later we can go back to your house, you know since its Girl Scout free, and we can reenact the scene."
I let out a long groan and kissed her hard. "And fast food it is."
Week 4
Date #17
So it's obvious that for the first month Casey was the tour director for this relationship and that was fine with me. It was kinda cute to watch him look for ways for us to spend time together, have fun and still spend as little as possible. It made me so proud of him that he was so hell bent on being a good person and doing something helpful with his money.
So I decided that since he had done so much for me and for others…I wanted to do something for him.
He always took me to the places that I wanted to go to, places that I'd enjoy, and on dates that were cheap to satisfy my need to stay thrifty. So for this date, I wanted to not only do something that he'd like, but give him a chance to be a little frivolous.
I'd gotten together with Luke and we'd set it all up so that Casey wouldn't even know. Casey was under the impression that he was going to see the Chargers play with Luke, had paid a pretty penny for seats in the sky box and had even made reservations at one of the new trendy restaurants in San Diego.
Casey was unbelievably stoked and had been talking about it for a week, Luke and I'd had the hardest time keeping the secret, but it was so worth it. The look on his face when he got into Luke's truck and it was me in the driver's seat was priceless. He leaned over pulling me into his arms and gave me a scorching kiss. "Not that I'm not excited to see you, but what are you doing here?"
I smiled and tugged on his bottom lip lightly. "Surprise! Luke and I set this up. He's not your date today, I am. Hope you're not disappointed by that."
Casey laughed and rested his hand on my knee. "Far from it. You're a much hotter date than Luke, plus, this means I at least get a good night kiss, and you know how big of a fan I am of those."
I leaned in again kissing him sweetly. "Hmm, so a hello and a goodbye kiss. I think I can handle that…" His extremely skilled lips were making me forget the days plans as well as my name so I pulled away and changed the subject. "Hope it's ok if we take Luke's truck, I can't drive a stick, so that leaves your Porsche out and my car is still in the shop."
He smiled again and buckled his seat belt. "It's fine, more than fine. But are you sure you really want to do this? I know football isn't your thing."
I smiled again as I put the truck in gear and turned down the driveway. "Yeah, I am. You've done so much for me Case, and I'm sure that you've taken me to places, like that art exhibit, that you didn't want to go to. So this is me saying thanks. You did what I wanted to do, so I'm gonna tag along on something you like and not say a single word about cost. It's a free Casey day. Anything you want, you get."
He smirked at my comment and his hand moved further up my thigh. "Anything, huh?"
I couldn't help but return the smirk and I brought one of my hands down on top of his. "Well, it has been a month, if you think we're ready… then it fits with the day."
The smile stayed but an air of seriousness came to his tone. "But do you think we're ready? Are you ready Veronica?"
To be honest I didn't really know how to answer that. I knew I wanted him, but I wasn't sure I wanted to take that next step yet. Getting physical with someone was still a huge step for me and I was having a lot of fun just getting to know him and I knew he felt the same way. Plus, I really wanted it to be special and this day was something I wanted to do for him, just for him.
When I didn't answer he squeezed my knee and kissed me on the cheek. "Yeah, me neither, but I promise that when it does happen, I'll make sure it's worth the wait. But since this is a free day for me and I get to spend as much money as I want, on whatever I want, we need to make a detour when we get to San Diego."
I turned to look at him suspiciously. "Detour where?"
He just smiled. "You'll see."
"So which one do you like?"
This was not happening, I was standing there looking down an aisle of top of the line Laptop computers. I should have known he'd pull something like this but what shocked me the most was that I wasn't mad. "Casey, you don't have to do this."
He just shook his head and smiled. "You have at least two and a half years of school left. Correct?"
I nodded.
"And you can't afford a new one and your old one is sorely lacking memory space and takes a freaking year to load a file. Correct?"
"Well yeah, but…"
He put his arm around me and pulled me to him tightly. "Then you need it. It's not a want Veronica, it's a need and there is a big difference, you taught me that. Plus it's for your education which I'm a huge fan of, and for you, which I'm an even bigger fan of. So please let me do this."
Now how the fuck do you argue with that? "Well ok. But I don't want you to think that I came up with this day just for this."
He laughed out loud and gave me a quick kiss. "Did you ask me to bring you here? No, so no worries. But you better pick quick, that 32" inch flat screen over there has your dad's name on it and I gotta go get it."
My jaw dropped and I sputtered. "Case...What...You...?"
He laughed again and grabbed my hand. "You might have a 'what I need' policy but he doesn't, and can you blame me for wanting to bribe my girlfriend's dad a little. The more he likes me, the more willing he'll be to let us spend time together."
I went to argue but he stopped me with a kiss. "If he doesn't like it he can bring it back. But I know he will, he told me this was the one he wanted last week when I mentioned this trip."
And once again my jaw dropped. "My boyfriend and my dad in cahoots. Should have known."
"Yeah probably. But that doesn't make you any less amazing."
I leaned up on my toes and caught his lips. "Suck up."
He just smiled and pointed out a new HP. "Look, this one has Photoshop on it already."
Dinner was amazing and so was the game and by the time we got back to Neptune I was sure we'd both be beat, but we were far from it and decided to make a quick detour to Dog Beach before heading back to his house.
The minute the truck was in park I was in his lap and his hands were roaming over my backside. My shirt and bra were gone within 10 minutes, as well as his shirt and it was so hot and heavy that we'd completely fogged up all the windows.
I was moaning loudly as Casey's tongue flicked over my erect nipple when we heard a sharp rap on the window and a flashlight tried to shine through the fog. I yanked my shirt back over me and Casey rolled down the window slowly as the officer began to speak without even looking at us. "Luke, you know there's no loitering here after 9PM I suggest you take your da…. You're not Luke…"
Fuck…. "No dad, I am not."
His eyes surveyed my appearance straddling Casey's lap and as if Casey being without a shirt, my rumpled hair, inside out shirt and our swollen lips weren't enough of a clue as to what had been going on, the fact that my bra was conspicuously hung over the steering wheel definitely was.
I felt Casey tense and I prepared myself for the worst when my dad promptly smiled, gave Casey the 'get her home ASAP or it's your ass' look and smiled at me. "Behave, I'll be home in two hours and I expect to see you there…alone. Casey, it was good to see you as always, hopefully next time I won't see as much."
Casey's vocal chords finally regained function and he choked out a quick. "You too Mr. Mars, I'll see you soon and I'll take Veronica home immediately."
I didn't say anything else, just gave my dad a guilty look as he walked back to his cruiser. Once he was gone and the window was rolled up, Casey pulled me in for another steamy kiss and he helped me take my shirt off again and put my bra back on. "Bet you're happy I bought him the 50" now huh?"
I couldn't help but laugh as I pulled him in for one last kiss before he pushed me into the passenger seat and took over the steering wheel. "Never thought I'd say this, but that extra $200 was definitely well spent."
So I guess there is a first time for everything.
Week 5
Date #21
I'd fully intended to do it earlier but life just got in the way as it often does. I'd had an exam that morning and then a meeting with my advisor that went longer than I'd expected and the next thing I knew it was 4PM and I was supposed to be at Veronica's in 15 minutes to pick her up for a date and I was already going to be late. So I made the decision to go get her and go from there.
When I got to her apartment complex she was outside arguing with the super about the plumbing again. I'd never had to deal with cold showers on a regular basis, but the few times I'd done it purposely, it was not enjoyable and to be honest I was really aggravated for her. in the 5 weeks we'd been together, she'd had her share of cold showers, a bug infestation that carried from one of the upper level apartments into hers and a refrigerator that died and took 3 days to be replaced. I'd only asked her once if I could help them find a better place and her reaction, while not ungrateful or angry, was so firm I didn't bother to ask again. And I knew better then to go over her head on this one so I let it go.
When she saw me pull up she let a small smile peak into her expression and I got out of the car and headed over to her.
If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that her super did not like me. After the fridge had broken and still wasn't replace three days later, I'd stopped by and made it very clear to him that if it wasn't replaced and repairs from then on weren't done in a timely manner, I had numerous family friends that were lawyers and on the town council that would make sure things were difficult for him. Low and behold it was replaced that night and he'd stayed out of her way.
When he saw me coming he just nodded and said fine before hightailing it in the other direction and when I reached her she tilted her head and gave me her interrogation stare. I prepared myself for the worst and almost couldn't contain my surprise when she smiled and kissed me. "I don't know what you said to him, but from now on when I have an issue, I'm sending you."
I smiled slightly and threw my arm around her, pulling her towards the car. "Well I'm on call anytime Mars."
She smiled again and leaned into me on the short trek to the car kissing me one more time before stepping inside and sitting in the passenger seat. When I joined her in the car and pulled out of the drive her hand found mine on the gear shift and I smiled at her touch.
"So what's the plan tonight? Mac invited us over to Dick's new condo for beer pong."
I smirked and looked at her questioningly. "Beer pong? Since when were you into beer pong? And for that matter, since when was Mac?"
She shrugged and slunk back into the seat. "Well I'm not, and neither is she, but apparently Wallace and Dick have become obsessed and just the fact that they are getting along so well worries us, but she's afraid that if they don't get more of a distraction than her incessant complaining she might lose them forever."
I laughed and pulled her hand up to my lips kissing it lightly. "So it's not so much beer pong as it is a diversion from it."
Veronica nodded and smiled. "Correct. And I know that Luke is presently on his way there, so does that sound like a plan? Food, then friendly fun with friends?"
"Sure does….but do you mind if we make a stop first?"
She looked at me curiously and stayed quiet for a second in what I assumed was an attempt to figure out if everything was ok, and when she apparently couldn't come to a decision she decided to ask. "Of course I don't mind. Is there something wrong though?"
I smiled and kissed her hand again. "No, nothing is wrong. There is just something I needed to do this morning and I didn't get a chance, but actually I'm kinda glad, I like the idea of you joining me."
I looked over and she had a smile on her face that I swear could make my whole world turn round and round. "Ok. So what is this something?"
I took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, today would have been my grandmother's birthday and the last two years I've come to town just to leave flowers for her and visit her. Her birthday was always a big thing for us. We'd always spend the day together and the last one before she died she barely knew who I was so it was hard. Now that she's gone I still try to spend at least part of the day with her. If you don't want to come with me you can stay in the car, but I'd really like it if you did."
When I looked back at her she was smiling again and I already knew her answer but it was amazing to hear it anyways. "I'd love to go with you Case. But is there any way that we could…"
I stopped her before she could finish. "We'll get flowers for them too. It's been awhile since I've gone to see Lilly and I've never visited Meg I think it's time I did." After all they were my friends too.
When we arrived at the cemetery with lilies for Lilly, yellow zinnias for my grandmother, and daisies for Meg, Veronica got out of the car and didn't leave my side the whole time. She clutched my hand as I left the flowers for my grandmother and told her all about school and Veronica. And then as we made our way over to Lilly her grip increased and I was floored she was allowing me to be with her for this. When she set the flowers down there were tears in her eyes and I just stood back for a second letting her have a minute. She didn't say anything, just stood there for a moment and did the same at Meg's.
I could tell it was still hard for her and came up behind her placing my arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head. "You ok?"
She nodded and let out a small sigh. "Yeah, I just feel bad; I haven't been here in over a year. Just haven't been able to get here and well, I haven't had the strength to do it."
Now that surprised me. The thought of her not having the strength to do something, anything, just seemed impossible and I couldn't help but wonder why.
As we turned from Meg and headed towards the car, a white head stone caught my eye and apparently hers too, because I noticed a hitch in her breath. She froze for a second and just stared, Cassidy Casablancas was buried only a few feet from where we were standing.
When she didn't move I got concerned and pulled her closer. We'd never talked about that night on the roof. She knew I knew about it and that had seemed to be good enough, but there was obviously a lot more to it that I didn't know. He'd killed all those kids, Meg included, and almost killed her and sure, that was reason enough to hate him, but this felt even more personal.
"Veronica?"
She turned to me with a hazy look in her eye. "Yeah?"
I cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly. "What happened that night? I know it's hard and if you don't want to tell me understand, but I'm here for you, whatever you need whenever you need it."
A small smile spread across her face and she leaned into my touch. "You might regret that."
I shook my head and smiled. "Never."
We walked a few feet over to a bench, took a seat and she spent the next 20 minutes giving me a play by play. I hadn't known about her thinking Keith had died and it broke my heart that she had gone through that. But nothing struck me more than one small comment she made in the beginning that stuck with me the whole time, one that she never explained. She said that he was the first one to ruin her.
I didn't understand that and as I listened my brain tried to work through it and though it took awhile I finally figured it out.
I'd always wondered why she had been so curious about that party at Shelley's and why it was so soon after that she changed so drastically. But just like the night on the roof of the Grand ,we'd never approached the subject and it was really bothering me. So after she was done I pulled her around to face me and kissed her before letting the question go. "Veronica, what happened the night of Shelley's party? What happened to you that night? Did someone do something to you?"
I was fairly sure I already knew but I needed, wanted, to hear it from her. And I wanted her to know that I was there for her no matter what, no matter what she'd been through.
When I saw the fear in her eyes my worries were proven substantial and she looked into mine for only a matter of seconds before turning away and not meeting them again. "Casey I…"
I cupped her face again and turned her back to me but she refused to meet my eyes. "Veronica, if it's too much you don't have to tell me. But I'm here and I'm not going anywhere and I want you to know that you can trust me."
She nodded but still wouldn't meet my gaze and when she spoke my heart sunk. "Can you just take me home?"
I pulled her close again and kissed her temple. "Yeah. Whatever you want Veronica."
She nodded again and stood up with me as we headed towards the car. She didn't let go of my hand the whole way home and didn't say a word either and I really began to worry that I'd fucked up royally.
When we got to her building, she leaned over the console and kissed me heatedly, which I hadn't expected, before getting out and leaning back in quickly. "I'll call you later. Ok?"
"Ok, if you need anything…"
"I know Casey, and thank you, but right now I just need some time."
Once she was safely inside I pulled out and headed home opting out of a night with friends and instead choosing a night at home alone. In truth, I probably could have gone and found out from Wallace and Mac, but I felt that would be betraying her and I didn't want to do that.
So as I unlocked my door and went straight to the living room and lounged back on the couch closing my eyes and dwelling on thoughts of Veronica Mars.
About an hour later I heard the sound of a car door and I assumed it was Luke so when the knock on the door came I was surprised. I got up and when I answered it my heart soared and sunk at the same time. Veronica stood there with red rimmed eyes and mussed hair, looking like she'd gone through the emotional ringer and back again.
I went to speak, but the minute my mouth opened she launched herself into my arms and I breathed her in. "Are you sure you want to know?"
I ran my hands through her messy hair and kissed the top of her head. "I want to know everything about you Veronica. Anything you are willing to tell me is accepted here."
She looked up at me then and I led her to the couch where she curled up in my lap, rested her head against my chest and let it all out.
"That night, the night of Shelley's party... I was raped."
My heart stopped beating with that one word. Although I'd wondered, I'd hoped I was wrong and when I went to comfort her she stopped me. "I just need to get this out Casey. Not many people know what happened and it's hard for me to talk about it. But I plan on having you in my life for awhile and it's only fair that you know the truth and I want you to know it, so please just listen."
She planned on having me in her life for a long time….those were some of the greatest words I'd ever heard and I kicked myself for being so excited during such a hard moment for her. "Of course. Go ahead."
She nodded and leaned into me further. When she was done I was enraged, relieved, happy, and devastated all at the same time. How could Beaver do that? How the fuck could Duncan do that? Despite the revelation of the rape I had to admit that what bothered me the most was what Duncan had done. How could she go back to him after that? I didn't know, but I also knew better than to ask and as the tears fell from her eyes I wiped them away with my fingers.
It took her a few minutes to regain her composure and then she turned to me, her eyes dry but pink tear tracks covering her beautiful face. "So that's the whole story. The truth behind Veronica 2.0. If you want out I understand. It's a lot to take, but I want you to know that I've made my peace with it. I know it wasn't my fault and I know that nothing could have stopped Beaver from killing all those kids, but it does still hurt sometimes and I guess that by staying away from the cemetery I was trying to keep from facing it completely. I'm sorry I thrust this all on you."
I smiled and turned her in my arms. "I'm not going anywhere, remember? I'm here to stay. And like I said earlier, I don't care what it is, if you need me I'm here, if you don't, I still am." I cupped her cheek and left small kisses all over her face. "You are so amazing and so strong to have gone through that with no one to comfort you. I'm in awe of the woman you've become despite the horrors you've faced. I can't fix what happened to you. But I can be here for you and help you continue to heal and there is no reason for you to be sorry. Nothing about you will ever make me sorry Veronica."
She gave me a small smile and kissed me before circling her arms around my neck. "Thank you."
My response was muddled as I nuzzled my face in her hair and held her tight. "No thanks needed."
We spent the rest of the night in each other's arms with the TV on in the background but paying it no mind. Tangled together on the couch, we shared soft kisses and caresses and seemed to have reached a new level in our relationship.
Full disclosure had brought us closer together and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Thanks for reading! Review please!
In case you are curious, I picked daisies for meg because they mean innocence and I thought it fit, yellow zinnias for his grandmother because they mean daily remembrance and lilies for Lilly because well that's obvious.
