DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, the canon events of their storylines, and recognizable dialogue belong to Rob Thomas.

A/N:

Chapter 14 begins the morning after Aaron's arrest.


Chapter 14

After a long and eventful Friday night, Dad had apparently decided to let me sleep in. Even before I had my eyes fully open, I could tell by the brightness of sunlight that it was late morning. But what really started to wake me up was the smell of bacon … and other food, but mostly … mmm, bacon.

I sat up, stretched, and said, "Good morning," as I opened my eyes. Then, reality hit me all at once: I was on the couch and Weevil was in the kitchen with Dad. My brain was running on a slight delay, but it was processing through the events of last evening and the fact that Weevil had spent the night here – apparently, alive to tell the tale.

Momentarily, I had a memory flash of writing a diary entry last night after my shower. The best of times, indeed.

Dad turned around as he put plates of food on the counter at the end of the island. "Good morning, sweetie. Did we wake you?"

"Blame it on the bacon." As I stood up, I said, "I'm just gonna make a pit stop before we sit down to eat." I needed a moment to myself to make sure I was fully awake before getting into whatever discussion might happen over breakfast.

When I came back into the main room, Weevil and I were alone. I leaned toward him to ask, "Did I miss anything you need to share with me before he gets back?"

He gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Nope, we're good here." Seeing my skepticism, he added, "Really. We came to—"

"An understanding," Dad said as he returned from the bathroom.

I made a face and pointed my index finger back and forth between them. "That's so cute! The two of you … finishing each other's sentences." What I really wanted to say was: who would have thought that the leader of the PCH Bike Club and the former Sheriff of Neptune would make such an adorable couple? But I kept that to myself.

While we ate, Dad told me what he had on his schedule for the day – basically doing whatever he could to help make sure that Aaron got what he deserved. It seemed that Lamb wasn't being a complete ass and was actually appreciative of Dad's assistance. There were a few loose ends Dad wanted to tie up, including a few things that we suspected about the timeline of events on the day of the murder. Dad wanted to fill in the gaps and then hand everything over to the Sheriff's Department.

He suggested that I pack a picnic and take Backup to the beach for the day – you know, do normal teenaged girl things. He added that if Weevil wasn't doing anything, Backup would probably like it if he went along too. Dad, the excellent detective that he is, had not missed the fact that Backup had a little thing for Weevil.

Weevil seemed to like the suggestion. I had to wonder if they had worked out this plan while I was sleeping.

"I called my grandma earlier to make sure she didn't worry about me not coming home. She started yelling at me on the phone. Your dad came up behind me, grabbed the phone out of my hand, and—"

"Told Letty that he was fine, not in any trouble … that he had spent the night on our couch after helping us with a case last night," my dad said matter-of-factly.

"You know you completed his thought again, right?" I could hardly believe my eyes and ears.

Weevil shook his head. "Anyway. I've got time to go to the beach … with Backup … if you want." After seeing my smile, he added, "Just let me give Felix a call. Otherwise, they'll come looking for me."

While he stepped outside to make the phone call, Dad and I cleaned up the kitchen. We often talked as we did dishes. Today, he filled me in on his chat with Alicia last night. In short, it had gone well. She was glad to hear that Mom had left and that Dad wanted to continue seeing her. He suggested that I give Wallace a call at some point today.

"Actually, with everything that's in the news today, I'm surprised I haven't heard from him already." Just then, I heard my phone ringing. "And there it is. My BFF is checking up on me. It's nice to feel loved."

"Definitely better than when someone runs you off the road and tries to kill you to get back the incriminating evidence you have." Dad took a look at my face. "What? Too soon?"

As I walked toward my bedroom to answer the call, I said over my shoulder, "Yeah. Little bit."

While I talked to Wallace, I assured him that I was fine and wondered aloud if things might actually start to become normal. We discussed the fact that we were both starting to be okay with our parents dating. Still a bit strange, but considering what a crazy world we live in and the other options out there, we figured that them dating each other was not the worst-case scenario – for each of them or for either of us.

Weevil had come back inside. He was talking with Dad when I returned to the living room.

"Wallace and I had a nice chat." I paused as I looked at their faces. "Are you guys making plans without me?"

"Sort of. I was just letting your Dad know where I plan to take you. I figured we probably don't want to go anywhere local … or we'll run into people we know. And after last night …"

"Good thinking," I said.

"Anyway … I have a plan, which I was just running past your dad."

"Do I get to know the plan?"

He laughed. "Not yet. I'm gonna go home and get changed. I'll be back in about an hour."

"Do I at least get a clue what I should wear? Are we still going to a beach?"

He simply said, "Yes." Then, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek as he said goodbye and left.

I looked at Dad, hoping for more information, but none was forthcoming. He raised his hands as if to say 'I'm staying out of it' and went back to putting the dishes away.

The radio was tuned to a classic rock station. Dad was humming along and swaying to the music. As the next song began, he stopped in his tracks, threw the towel on the counter, and walked over to turn up the volume.

He pointed at the stereo as he said, "This right here is a great song!" Then, he began to sing along.

Joy at the start
Fear in the journey
Joy in the coming home
A part of the heart gets lost in the learning
Somewhere along the road

Before I could escape to take a shower and get ready, he launched into a soapbox speech about the timeless truth in the lyrics and what he considered to be the downward spiral of popular music in recent years. I nodded, told him I could see his point, and left the room while he was singing the last lines of the song.

In the shower, the song continued to play in my head. I'd heard it many times over the years. I hadn't previously given much thought to the words – the description of life as a journey that includes both good and bad. The best of times, the worst of times. Surviving it all and learning the lessons it has to offer. Maybe now I will have a moment of rest to ponder what I can learn from the past year and a half.

[

When Weevil returned, he was in a black t-shirt and dark gray cargo shorts. The only time I ever saw him in shorts was gym class. He must have read that thought on my face.

"What? You knew I had legs, right?" He quipped as he reached out for the bag in my hand. "Let me help you with that."

I put on Backup's leash and locked the door behind me. He carried my beach tote and towel as we walked to the parking area. He had borrowed a car from a cousin of his, because his grandmother sent a cooler full of food for us. The earlier phone conversation with my dad had made Letty curious and she asked Weevil if I was the girl he'd been seeing. He said that she seemed concerned about it, thinking my dad would be upset if he knew. But he told her that he did know. She was somewhat relieved by that, but not completely.

After he put Backup in the back seat, he opened the front passenger door for me. Then, he got behind the wheel to take us to the mystery destination. Once we were out on the highway, he picked up my left hand and brought it to his lips.

I leaned my head back against the headrest and turned to look at him. "Are you ever gonna tell me where we're going?"

He looked as if he couldn't decide whether he was going to keep me in suspense or put me out of my misery. Finally, he said, "A cousin of mine has a place about an hour away. Right on the beach. I called her and asked if it was okay if we came up for the afternoon."

"Private beach. I like how you think."

"All this time, I thought you wanted me for my body. Now it turns out, you want me for my brain."

"No reason it can't be both," I said in my breathy 'Betty' voice.

Shortly after that, we pulled up to a cute bed and breakfast, an old house that had been painstakingly restored. After we parked the car, we walked down the sidewalk around to the back deck. His cousin didn't mind that we were bringing Backup, just requested that we not use the front door.

He knocked on the glass door before opening it. I stayed on the deck with Backup, looking out at the sand and surf below. His cousin came running to greet him where he stood just inside the door.

"Oh, Eli! It is so good to see you."

"Thanks for letting us drop by, Bri." Turning to me, he said, "Veronica, this is my cousin Brigida. Bri, this is … Veronica."

"Nice to meet you, Veronica. Wait … are you the one who helped out during that mess with Chardo?"

I figured she meant the time Letty was arrested for credit card fraud, but I hesitated to give an answer.

Weevil jumped in. "Yeah, this is her."

"Well, Aunt Letty said some very nice things about you. What did the two of you have planned?"

Again, he answered her, "Just looking for a stretch of beach where we won't bump into people we know. I guess, use of the restroom. And obviously, we're using one of your parking spaces."

"You hungry? Wait. I'm sure Aunt Letty sent food with you. Am I right?" After he smiled and nodded, she continued, "Well, you know where the kitchen is … if you need to put anything in the fridge or heat anything up. Just wash anything you use." She shook her finger at him.

"Thanks, Bri."

First, he walked back out to the deck to get the cooler of food to put in the kitchen. Then, we took a long walk on the beach, hand-in-hand with Backup leading the way. Dad had told me to do normal teenaged girl things. I had to admit that this felt like how I remembered 'normal.' Yet, it was surreal in contrast to last night.

After we walked back to the stretch of beach in front of his cousin's place, we sat down in the shadow cast by the deck. He spread out a blanket for us. Backup had found a stick and was begging Weevil to play with him. For probably half an hour, he threw the stick down toward the water. Backup retrieved it each time, never tiring of the repetition.

When Weevil had had enough of that particular fun, he tried to get Backup to sit next to us. Everything was fine while we were just sitting there, but when Weevil started kissing me, Backup decided he didn't like missing out on the affection and wriggled himself in between us.

Giggling, I rubbed Backup's belly and said, "He's not used to sharing me with anyone but Dad."

"Well, he's gonna have to get used to it."

Weevil took Backup about ten feet away and tied his leash to one of the deck posts. There was a patch of grass in the shaded area where Backup finally settled down to take a nap.

It was a perfect day – sunny, but not too warm. A light breeze moved the air around us. In the shade, it was actually a little cool.

Returning to the blanket, he sat down cross-legged and quickly pulled me into his lap, much like he had done at the club last Saturday. It was surprising, but not unwelcome. When he resumed kissing me, my brain queued up the song "Under the Boardwalk." It made me giggle again.

"Not exactly the reaction I was looking for, V."

"Sorry, the jukebox in my mind was singing, 'Under the boardwalk, out of the sun. Under the boardwalk, we'll be having some fun.' I promise I wasn't laughing at you."

"Better not be. Or else I'll have to start tickling you."

His eyes were pure mischief as his fingers found every inch of exposed skin with a whisper-soft touch. It didn't matter how he touched me or if he just gave me one of his many looks – all my nerve endings lit up when I was around him. I thought I understood what people meant when they talked about chemistry, but I was only beginning to understand. Truthfully, it felt more electrical than chemical.

Minutes passed as he continued to kiss and caress me. His light touches had become firm, possessive holds. I more than understood how he was feeling. After the week we'd had, we were both glad to be alive. And this was one of the few times we had been alone together since the night at the club, which was one week ago tonight. It had been one crazy week of danger and heightened emotions.

One of his meandering hands settled on the back of my shorts, causing a visceral reaction. Although his hands had not sought out areas of skin covered by clothing, my body was reacting as if they had. Snapshots accompanied by sense memory flooded my mind. I was reacting not to his current actions, but to the actions of his hands when we were in the bathroom stall. It had been seven days, yet it felt like I was there right now. I was startled by the longing I felt. It was as if my senses had been on pause all week and had been allowed to resume.

My body was two steps ahead of my ability to choose my actions. My mouth released moans and mumbled words. My legs tightened their hold around his waist. My pelvis tilted and rolled in his lap. Every part of me wanted every part of him.

I pulled away from his lips to look in his eyes, wondering if he was feeling it too. For a long moment, we gazed at one another, breathless. In his eyes, I saw the same desire.

His physical response was unmistakable, but his verbal response was unexpected. "I'm in no rush. We have all the time in the world. Besides …"

"Besides what?"

He studied my face as he said, "Your father and I have an understanding."

I waited for him to continue.

"Basically … I don't corrupt you and he lets me see you."

A smile played at the corner of my lips. "What if I want to be … corrupted?"

Kissing me after each statement, he said, "No hurry. I'm not going anywhere. Plenty of time for that later."

Although I'm fairly certain his intent was to slow things down, his words made me want him even more. My lips found his and then moved down his throat. I must have found a sensitive spot, because he groaned and began to shift. He lifted me off his lap and laid me down in front of him. He started at my ankles – teasing my skin with his tongue, teeth, and lips, exploring each leg inch by inch. When he finally arrived at the hem of my shorts, he moved his head a few inches to the side where my hand was. Finding my fingertips with his lips, he began his tender assault on my arm, careful not to rest his weight on me. As he made his way up the length of my arm, he moved one of his knees between mine. By the time his kisses were trailing up my neck, his thigh was pressing against me.

When his lips at last met mine, I realized that I wanted to stay like this – kissing him, embraced by him – for as long as possible. It was the first coherent thought I'd had in a while.

The intensity leveled out and we hovered in this blissful buildup, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being together. He was taking his time. Giving us time. Time to process. Time to figure out what things could be like now. Is this what normal feels like?

With the sound of crashing waves and a sleeping dog in the background, we lost at least an hour in each other's arms. At one point, my growling stomach could clearly be heard over our moaning.

"Sounds like I need to feed you." He kissed my forehead. "I'll go in and get the food. Backup can have you to himself until I get back."

Before he could get up, I grabbed ahold of him and pulled him on top of me. After I had given him a long, slow kiss, I said, "His kisses don't taste as good as yours. And he needs his nails trimmed."

"I hope those aren't the only differences."

"You're in luck – I prefer the look and feel of a clean-shaven head," I said as I watched him walk toward the steps that led up to the deck.

It didn't take long for him to get the food. Then, I left him with Backup for a few minutes while I went in to use the restroom. On my way through the lobby to go back outside, Brigida asked if she could talk to me a minute.

"I'm not sure how to say this, Veronica." She took a long look at me as she considered how to proceed. "Since the two of you go to school together and your dad was Sheriff, I have to assume that you are all too aware of … Eli's life." She paused as I nodded. "I don't know you, but based on what Aunt Letty has said," she pointed at the newspaper on the desk as she continued, " and this article in the paper, plus the way Eli is with you, well … you seem to be really good for him. He acts tough, but he's had his heart broken and he's been let down by people who should have been there for him. He's my cousin, so of course I'm protective of him. But girl to girl … go in with your eyes open. There's a lot about his life that I wish were different. If you're willing to deal with those things and dig through the rubble that others have left in their wake, well … you'll never find a more loyal guy."

I had been examining her eyes as she spoke. "I'm guessing that he comes here a lot. When he needs to get away? And he tells you things? Talks things through with you?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Then, you know about Lilly." I continued after her unspoken admission. "Lilly was my best friend, but since her death, I see things a little more clearly. And she did not always take the feelings of others into consideration. She could be selfish and flighty. But I'm not her. He knows that."

"He came here in January … talking about a girl … asking for advice. And then again in March. Was that you?"

"He left me several anonymous notes and flowers leading up to Valentine's Day. So, yeah, he was probably talking about me."

She just nodded and smiled. Without any words, she said quite a bit. Must run in the family – the ability to communicate with the eyes.

Just before I went back outside, I said, "If you normally read the paper and he keeps you informed of events in Neptune, then you probably know that my life has been a bit messed up too. And there's some other … well, things you won't find in the paper." I looked down at the floor as I chose my words. "He gets me in a way most people never will."

She looked at me with sad eyes that seemed to know what Neptune could do to a person. "Well, the two of you are welcome here anytime." She handed me a business card. "Just call ahead so I know to expect you."

When I rejoined Weevil, he had already filled plates for each of us. I had brought some dog food for Backup. So, he ate while we ate.

Much of the time, we ate in relative silence. The repetitive sound of the ocean was exactly what I needed. Crashing waves and Weevil's company were the perfect prescription after the stress of last night.

As we were cleaning up and preparing to go, he told me about how Bri met her husband Benito and that they stayed here on their honeymoon. They fell in love with the place and came back again. The older couple who owned it took a liking to them and hired them to help out at the busy B&B. When the couple was ready to retire, they offered to sell it far below market value. It turned out to be a good deal for both couples. Part of their agreement was that the previous owners get a free room for three weeks each year.

I could tell by the way Weevil told me the story of their success that he was proud of Bri for making a better life for herself. I also detected a bit of jealousy. Then, I thought of what he had told my dad about his future plans. I decided that Bri was likely a source of inspiration for him.

We walked up the stairs to the deck. I sat on a chaise while he went inside. When he returned, Bri and her husband came with him.

She said, "Veronica, this is my husband, Benito."

He reached out to shake my hand. "Ben. Nice to me you, Veronica. Looks like you had nice weather for your picnic today." He squatted down to pet Backup.

"We did. Thank you for your hospitality."

Bri replied, "Oh, we didn't do anything. Some other time, you'll have to have a meal in the dining room."

"Bri is a great cook," Weevil and Ben said at the same time.

She laughed self-consciously. "Not as good as Aunt Letty, but thanks for the compliment, guys."

After we chatted for a few more minutes, Weevil put a hand on my lower back as he said, "We should get going."

We said our goodbyes and headed for the car.

During the drive home, I alternated watching the scenery out the window and watching Weevil's face, which was more relaxed than I normally see it. I found myself wishing that every day could be like today.

"Thank you for a wonderful day, for taking me there."

"Anytime," he said with a crooked smile on his face.

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

"I hope you do."

"Besides, I have an open invite from Bri," I said, waving around the business card she had given me.

A few miles from home, I asked him to pull into a gas station. I came back to the car with a few copies of the newspaper. Seeing the confusion on his face, I shrugged and said, "For my scrapbook."

It wasn't long before he pulled into the parking lot of my apartment building; the magical day was over. Back to life; back to reality.

He got out of the car and walked around to open my door. He put on Backup's leash as I stepped out of the car with my beach tote on my shoulder. He was about to kiss me when he seemed to realize that we were no longer miles away on a private beach.

He shut the door and leaned against it, saying, "So tomorrow?"

Sighing, I replied, "I have to catch up on homework."

"And I figure there's some daddy-daughter time on your father's agenda."

"That's a safe bet." Handing him two copies of the paper, I said, "Here. For you and your grandmother. Please thank her for me … for the food today. And tell her I'd love to come for dinner sometime."

"She'll be glad to hear that." He laughed – a happy laugh.

[

[

On Sunday, Dad went to the office for most of the day. We planned to have dinner and watch a movie when he got home later.

After all of the recent stress, I found it almost unbelievable that I was able to focus on homework today. It was amazing how quickly I got through my assignments. When Weevil texted to ask if I had time to talk, I could honestly say that I did.

Putting the phone on speaker, I packed my bag for school Monday and picked up my room.

"Hey there, beautiful. I miss you."

A smile spread across my face. "I miss you too. And it hasn't even been twenty-four hours."

"That's too long."

"If we survived Friday night, we can survive this," I joked.

He laughed. "By the way, thanks for thinking to pick up the paper. She cried and hugged me … then cried some more. One copy is in the wooden chest where she puts keepsakes. The other, she cut out and hung on the fridge."

"She's proud of you … and she should be."

"I bet she never thought she'd see my name anywhere in the paper … well, except the police blotter."

"This time next year, you'll be in the paper again … listed with the Neptune High School graduating class of 2006."

"I love your optimism, V."

With the vocal equivalent of a head tilt, I said, "But I'm a cynic. If Ibelieve it's gonna happen, it's gotta be a sure thing."

We talked about a lot of nothing, filling about an hour of time just to hear each other's voices. I heard the door open when Dad came home and heard his footsteps coming down the hall. So, I wasn't surprised when he stepped into my room.

Weevil was talking at that moment. "I hope you have a nice evening with your dad."

I looked over at my dad and he winked at me as I replied, "I always do. Make sure you review for that quiz you have tomorrow."

He let out a brief laugh. "Yeah, okay. I'll do that. See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," I said and then ended the call.

My dad asked, "Did he know you had him on speaker?"

"Yes. Just didn't know that you came in. I left it on speaker on purpose … for your benefit."

"To prove that he's not just being polite to my face … to influence my opinion of him?"

"Exactly."

"And you are so sure about this, why?"

"Because he doesn't like how others have treated me. Told me I deserve to be treated better … long before our first kiss. Promised to treat me better. And so far, he has treated me much better than any of them. I know it's complicated and I'm not blind to the potential problems of dating the leader of the PCH Bike Club, but he's proven time and time again that I can trust him."

"Well, dear daughter of mine, I'm still 'Team Wait-and-See' for now." Holding up a bag, he said, "I brought Luigi's. Hope you don't mind. I didn't feel like taking the time to cook. Movie pairing suggestions?"

"I don't know. What goes with Italian food?"

He proceeded to list several ideas. "Godfather or another mob movie? The Italian Job – the original or new version? Tea with Mussolini? Only You? In Love and War? Or if you're in the mood for a classic: Roman Holiday, Rome Adventure, Come September, or The Light in the Piazza? Or perhaps, a little Fellini … La Dolce Vita?"

"See, now you're just showing off. Did you rent all of those?"

"No, but I did get a few so you could pick. Only You, In Love and War, and the 2003 Italian Job."

"Tough choice. Robert Downey Jr. … or Chris O'Donnell … or Mark Wahlberg." Pausing to consider, I finally said, "Not sure I'm ready to see car chases yet. And not in the mood to see wounded soldiers."

"Only You it is. I guess you've earned a fluffy romcom since you took down the bad guy."

After filling my belly with pasta and garlic bread, I curled up on the couch next to my dad. I had seen the movie before, so it didn't really matter that I fell asleep before it ended. In the haze between waking and sleeping, I have a vague recollection of him carrying me to my bed, tucking me in, and setting my alarm.

It turned out to be a busy couple of days for Dad, but for me, it had been the most relaxing weekend I could remember in a long time.


A/N:

Song on the radio: "Along the Road" by Dan Fogelberg (1979)

Coming soon … Chapter 15 = Season 1 epilogue continued (Monday at school, etc)

When I wrote out the original idea for this fic, it was going to be two chapters, approx. 7K words. It was intended to be a short diversion before returning to other projects … which are still waiting for my attention.

I've been trying to decide if I'll continue this into Season 2. I'll let you know next update.

Thanks for reading! Until next time …

~Jen

27 May 2017