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

A/N:

Over the past few months, there have been some readers who have gently pestered (which is always welcome here!), asking for a new chapter of Learning (Along the Road – Part 4). See A/N at the end of this fic for an update on that series.

Although I don't have a new chapter of Learning for you right now, I did take the time to dig this out of my "ideas folder." This has been sitting there since 2014.

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You probably remember the following dialogue from #2.13 "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough" (which aired on 8 February 2006). Veronica was waiting in theschool parking lot for Weevil to talk about what happened at Winter Carnival.

Weevil: Is it your undying love for me or just good old-fashioned lust?

Veronica: Que?

Weevil: That kept you from turning me in.

Veronica: [pauses before responding] Love ... of roller coasters. And hatred of anything that requires me to tie a sweater over my shoulders and be at sea with my classmates ... Nothing to do with you.

[

This story picks up the following day, which in the timeline of this fic is Valentine's Day.

Set during Season 2, senior year at Neptune High. Occurs late winter through spring (Valentine's Day through Alterna-Prom … from the end of #2.13 "Ain't No Magic Mountain High Enough" through #2.20 "Look Who's Stalking").


Weevil POV

Valentine's Day

One of my younger cousins gave me a box of candy. Conversation hearts. You know … the candy hearts with words on them. Not the tiny ones. These were larger. And they tasted better.

She told me to give them to "my valentine." But since I didn't have one of those, I decided to eat the candy myself.

Near the bottom of the box, I found one that caught my attention. Not that I'd admit this out loud, but it made my heart skip a beat.

On that piece of candy, it said: "UNDYING LOVE."

When I got to school, I stopped at V's locker. I started with a casual greeting followed by our usual banter. Just before I turned to go, I handed her the candy heart, saying, "This reminded me of our conversation yesterday."

After she read it, I winked at her and walked away.

[

[

[

About a month later … on a Friday …

I had given V the candy heart on Valentine's Day. But nothing happened after that. Nothing between us. Nothing out of the ordinary anyway.

Until the end of one school day when her car wouldn't start.

I told her to have it towed to my uncle's shop. I wasn't on the schedule that day, but I offered to work on it anyway.

During the drive to the shop, I could tell she wasn't feeling well. So, I put her in a room where she could take a nap on a couch while I looked at her car.

A couple hours later, I woke her up. When she tried to stand up, she wobbled a bit and said she felt lightheaded. I offered to get her a snack, but she said she felt nauseous and didn't think she could keep food down. Touching the back of my hand to her forehead, I could tell she had a fever.

She asked, "How's my car? Better than me, I hope."

"Gonna take a couple days to get the part in. Won't take long to fix once it's here."

"Guess that means I'm gonna need a ride home."

"You gonna call your dad? Or Wallace?"

"Dad's out of town, and Wallace has a basketball tournament."

I didn't even hesitate before saying, "Let me get cleaned up. I'll take you."

During the drive, she started to feel worse, and I didn't like the idea of her being at home alone. So, I took her straight to urgent care.

The doctor asked if someone would be at home with her, in case she needed help. Before I could stop the words from coming out of my mouth, I volunteered for that, too.

On the way to her apartment, we stopped at the store—for soup, saltines, ginger ale, Pedialyte, the prescription the doctor gave her, and a few other things.

Also made a quick stop at my house for extra clothes, just in case I needed to stay with her until her dad got back. Even though Veronica stayed in the car, I got a weird look and lots of questions from my grandma. No way was I telling her where I was planning to spend the night.

Once I got V home, I had to hold her up while she washed her face and brushed her teeth. I helped her walk to her bed. She pointed me to the right drawer to find PJs for her to change into. I made her promise not to stand up while changing. I told her I'd stand just outside her door until she was finished.

Then, I got her something to eat and made sure it stayed down before giving her the first dose of her medicine.

I set the alarm on my phone to wake me up every couple hours to check on her.

There aren't many people in the world I would have done this for. A few family members. My guys. But probably not anyone else. Other than her.

I tried not to think about what that meant.

[

[

On Saturday …

When V woke up, she seemed to be feeling a little better. She was actually hungry. I took that as a good sign. But she still didn't have much energy and got lightheaded if she moved too fast.

I helped her move out to the living room couch and then got her something to eat.

We sat there eating while we watched TV—her on the couch, me in the chair.

About an hour after she ate, she was ready for a nap. I left the TV on, but I watched her sleeping more than I watched what was on the screen.

Throughout the day, I woke her every few hours to drink Pedialyte and take her medicine.

I hated that she was sick. But when else would I get the chance to be this close to her? For her to let me take care of her like this?

While I heated some soup for dinner, I cleaned up the kitchen. Seriously … when had I ever cooked for someone other than my younger cousins? Or voluntarily done someone else's dishes? The answer would be: never.

After we ate, I asked if she was gonna try to sleep again. But she said she wasn't tired. So, we found a movie to watch. And she suggested I sit next to her on the couch … "so you can see the screen better." Her words, not mine. I wondered if that was what she really meant.

I was already having difficulty focusing on the movie. But then she leaned over and put her head on my shoulder. This was gonna kill me. And yet, the thing that would really kill me was when this time with her was over.

[

[

On Sunday …

Before we woke up, the Sheriff left a voicemail to let V know that he'd be home later than expected.

She spent a few hours on homework. Then, after she took a nap, we played cards and talked while we were playing.

After dinner, we sat on the couch watching TV. And again, she put her head on my shoulder.

She fell asleep halfway through the movie. I thought about carrying her back to her bed and then driving myself home. But I liked how it felt … having her lean on me. Plus, I was tired and didn't feel like moving.

[

[

On Monday …

I woke up to V poking me in the side.

After I opened my eyes, I looked at the time. "Shit. I didn't mean to fall asleep here last night."

"Well, you're in luck. My dad's not home yet. Can you imagine his reaction if he found us together on the couch?"

"I'd rather not," I said. "Looks like you're feeling better."

"I think I'm gonna try to get ready for school. If I can manage to do that without needing a nap, then I'll probably go."

"Yeah, okay … Guess I should get going."

"Actually … would you mind hanging around? I'm gonna need a ride to school."

"Right."

"You can use the hall bathroom to get ready." She started to walk back to her bedroom, but then turned around. "I'm sure you had other plans for your weekend. But I, um … well, thanks for staying with me."

"Not a problem." If it was any other girl, I'd say I was detecting a bit of chemistry. But this wasn't any other girl. I mean, yeah, we flirted. But it never went anywhere. Well, not yet, anyway. "I didn't have any plans this weekend. But if I did … you're worth cancelling plans for."

She looked like she had something to say, but she just smiled and walked away.

No surprise, I was finished getting ready before her. So, I started making breakfast.

A few minutes later, I yelled down the hallway, "Hey, V! You mind coming out here and explaining?"

She came out of her bedroom to find her dad standing there with a look of shock in his face.

"Dad … It's not what you think."

"What exactly do you think I'm thinking?"

"Yeah … let's not go there." She glanced over at me and then back at her dad. "Weevil came to my rescue on Friday, and he—"

The Sheriff nearly blew a gasket. "He's been here since Friday?!"

"Dad … just give me a minute to explain."

He paced for a few seconds. Then, in a calm tone of voice, he said, "Okay, honey. I'm listening."

"Friday after school, my car wouldn't start. He was taking a look at it, and … I wasn't feeling well. He was concerned, especially with you out of town." She explained about going to urgent care and what the doctor said about someone needing to keep an eye on her. "I knew if I told you, you'd come home. And we need the money from this case."

"You've been here alone with him all weekend?"

"Yes. He made sure I drank Pedialyte and that I ate. Also kept track of my medicine schedule."

While she finished explaining, I put eggs and toast on three plates.

The Sheriff watched as I set the plates on the placemats at the end of the island. Then, he glanced around the kitchen, his eyes stopping on the empty sink. Turning to V, he said, "Next time, tell me. And give me the option of choosing if I come home early or not."

"Got it," she replied.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but we should probably follow up with our doctor."

Even as we ate, I could tell he was still upset that I had stayed at their apartment. But he seemed happy when I told him that the part would be in soon. And that it wouldn't cost much to fix her car.

"Thanks for that … and for taking care of her." After I nodded in reply, he continued, "You two should hurry up so you can get to school on time."

[

When we got to school, I walked around to open her door and help her out of the car. Despite what she said, I could tell she wasn't quite back to normal.

At lunch, I walked over to her table and sat next to her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

Touching her forehead, I said, "Fever's down."

We talked for a few minutes before it was time to leave for our next class.

The whole time I was sitting there, we had been getting strange looks from several people—including Logan.

[

That afternoon, I saw Logan talking to V at her locker. She looked upset. I waited for her to make eye contact. When she nodded at me, I started to walk over.

As I approached them, I hoped she was okay with what I planned to do.

Putting my arm around her, I whispered in her ear, "Time to go." Then, I nudged her with my arm to lead her away, glaring at him over my shoulder.

"Sorry if I overstepped, V. Just looked like he was hassling you."

She shrugged and said, "He asked why you were playing with my hair at lunch … uh, when you were checking my temperature." Then, she kissed my cheek. "Thanks for rescuing me again."

I felt myself start to blush. I turned my face away from her, rubbing the back of my neck. Then, I looked back at her and said, "Got a call from my uncle. The part came in."

"That was fast."

"Yeah … anyway, I should be able to take care of that after school."

"Do you mind dropping me at Dad's office on your way?"

"No. You want me to bring your car over when I'm done?"

"That'd be great. I probably have stakeout duty later."

[

When I dropped her car off, I asked if she wanted any company during her stakeout. I was pleasantly surprised by her answer.

"Yeah … that would be nice. And then, once I get the money shot, I can take you back to get your car."

After some meaningless small talk, I finally asked, "So … you and Logan … you finished or—"

"We were over … a long time ago."

I wanted to believe her. "You sure? He seemed jealous today."

She shrugged but didn't say anything.

"Anyone else in the picture?"

She laughed at that. "I'm flying solo for the foreseeable future." She turned to look at me, studying me for a moment. "I just realized that I never see you with any special lady on your arm."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "You volunteering for the job, V?"

She tilted her head and looked at me, but she didn't answer my question.

I didn't have to respond to what she had said about never seeing me with anyone, but I decided I would. "There hasn't really been anyone … for more than two years now. Thought she and I had something. Maybe I was wrong."

She turned her attention back to the subject of her stakeout.

We sat in silence for several minutes.

"So, who's taking you to prom?" I tried to ask the question casually.

Her tone was even and cool as she said, "Haven't been asked. As I said, flying solo." After a brief pause, she asked, "What about you … anyone on your radar?"

"Not really my scene, V."

"I don't know … I think you'd look pretty sharp in a tux."

"Are you flirting with me? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were asking me to be your escort."

"You caught me," she said in a mocking tone.

"Well, be sure to let me know the color of your dress … so I can coordinate and get your flowers."

"Wow, you should have auditioned for the spring musical. That was some great acting. Almost had me convinced that was real."

I took a deep breath as I debated how to respond to that. Before I had completely thought it through, these words fell out of my mouth: "How 'bout it, V? I think you'd look pretty good on my arm."

"Wait … You're serious?!"

Still trying to sound casual, I shrugged and said, "Could be fun, right? Look … In addition to promising my grandma I'd graduate, she would really like to see me all dressed up for prom. I told her to give up on that, but … I've enjoyed hanging out with you the past few days. Prom might not be so terrible … I mean, if I had someone to share the pain."

She was quiet for a moment before saying, "Can I think about it? It's just that … I'm just not sure I want to go at all, but if I decide to go … I guess I wouldn't mind sharing the pain with you."

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[

About seven weeks later … on a Saturday …

While we were still making plans for prom, it had gotten canceled—since there were several alcohol violations during the senior trip. Not long after the announcement was made, Logan had decided to drop a bunch of cash to throw his own "Alterna-Prom." No way I would have made the invite list. But he had mentioned it to V and told her she could bring whoever she wanted.

The night of Alterna-Prom, I drove over to pick her up. The Sheriff wasn't around. So, thankfully, I wasn't subjected to an interrogation, and we didn't have to pose for pictures.

It had been almost two months since I suggested we go to prom together. V had made me wait almost two weeks for her answer. As soon as she said yes, I had started working extra hours and saving up for my tux rental, her flowers, and a nice dinner.

We ate in the restaurant at The Neptune Grand. After dinner, we went up to Logan's suite. We danced to a couple songs and talked to a few of her friends. But I was glad when I finally got her alone out on his balcony.

I really enjoyed talking to her—it reminded me of the weekend I spent at her apartment. During dinner, we had talked around the topic of Lilly, but not many details. Once we were on the balcony, she started asking questions—not exactly an interrogation, but I ended up telling her more than I'd told anyone else. Even more than I had told Felix.

[

After we'd been talking for a while, I had excused myself to use the facilities. When I got back, I could see that Logan was out on the balcony with V. I watched through the glass as Logan leaned in to kiss her. I was just about to walk away when I saw her pull back. Immediately, I reached for the door handle.

V turned when she heard the door open. She looked at me and said, "I'd like to leave now … if that's alright with you, Weevil."

Glaring at Logan, I said, "Perfectly fine with me."

She said a quick goodbye to a couple people, and then we left.

Once we were in the elevator, I asked, "You okay, V?"

"I am now."

"Where to?"

"Anywhere," she said as she linked one of her arms with mine.

Apparently, she had decided on a plan while we were in the elevator. Because when we got to the lobby, she started walking away from the main entrance to another set of doors. These led to a garden behind the hotel. We walked around for a while. There were lights along the path and on some of the trees. There was a bench near a fountain. We sat and watched the lights in the water change the fountain different colors.

She started to say something but stopped herself. I turned toward her, about to ask what she was going to say. But the look in her eyes stole the words from my mouth and the breath from my lungs.

Damn, I wanted to kiss her, but I wouldn't make a move until I was sure she wanted to be kissed. Especially after what Logan had just done.

We stayed like that—staring at one another—for close to a minute. Then, she started to lean toward me.

As soon as she did that, I reached a hand up to her jaw. I studied her eyes for a few seconds because I wanted to be sure I didn't misread anything. When I saw the corners of her mouth pull into a hint of a smile, I closed the distance between us.

Even as my lips touched hers, I was still hesitant about kissing her. Although I didn't break contact, I started to lean my body away from hers. But she leaned her weight into me and sighed into my mouth.

The jolt that went through me was so startling that I broke the kiss. I just stared at her for a moment. Her wide eyes looked as shocked as I felt.

Slowly, I moved my hand from her jaw to the back of her head. When I felt her release the weight of her head into my hand, I pulled her toward me.

I traced her lips with the tip of my tongue, and she opened her mouth for me to explore. I had no idea how long that kiss lasted. It could have been a few seconds or several minutes. I had no concept of time. The more she gave me, the more I wanted.

When I felt her slow down the pace of kiss, I pressed a series of deliberately slow, tender kisses to her lips before I leaned back to give her space. I even removed my hand from the back of her head. And I waited for her response.

Her eyes darted back and forth. Her breathing was faster than normal. I braced myself for whatever reaction was coming—and I wasn't sure I was going to like it.

Suddenly, her hands came up and grabbed the lapels of my jacket. And I braced myself again.

But apparently, I was worried about nothing, because she used her grip on my jacket to jerk me toward her. This time, she was controlled every aspect of the kiss. And I didn't mind one bit.

When she nibbled and sucked on my lower lip, it felt like electrical current was running through my body.

I brought both my hands up to the sides of her face. And as she broke the kiss, she leaned her forehead against mine.

All I could think was: What the hell was that? It's like every other time I had kissed a girl … I was doing it wrong. 'Cause this kiss—this series of kisses—made my head feel fuzzy, like I'd been drinking. Kissing had never made me feel that way before.

While I tried to gather my thoughts, my hands slid down her neck, over her shoulders, then down her arms to her elbows.

Eventually, I released my hold on her, and she leaned away from me.

It seemed neither of us knew what to say. We turned away from one another and just sat there on the bench, both of us staring at the fountain.

"V?" I waited for her to respond, but she didn't. So, I asked, "You gonna say anything?"

She reached out to hold my hand, and I watched as she laced her fingers with mine.

"Gonna have to help me out here, V. I don't know what that means."

Still holding my hand, she wrapped her other hand around my arm. Finally, she said, "Just sitting here thinking about that question you asked me a few months ago."

"Qué?" I asked.

"When you showed up at school with your new car."

"When I asked if it was undying love or—"

"Good old-fashioned lust." She paused before continuing. "Yeah … that question."

"And …?"

"Not sure. Still thinking. Gonna need to get back to you on that."

After a few moments, she turned to face me. I couldn't read her expression.

Just as I started to ask what she was thinking, her mouth was on mine. Again.

As long as she kept kissing me … I don't think I'd care if that question stayed unanswered.


A/N:

As I usually do with things that are pulled from my "ideas folder"… I'm posting it as a one-shot and marking it complete, but there's always the possibility that my imagination comes up with a way to continue it.

I borrowed a couple lines from #2.17 "Plan B." When V was sitting at lunch with Wallace and Jane (talking about the Sadie Hawkins dance), she said the following: "I'm flying solo for the foreseeable future." and "What about you? … Anyone on your radar?"

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UPDATE on Learning (Along the Road – Part 4):

Thanks to all those who checked in on me and sent "get well" wishes. I'm feeling better, but not quite back to normal.

In many ways, this has been the worst year of my life. There have been days when it felt like everything and everyone conspired against me – stealing my time and energy. Here's to a better year ahead!

It is my sincere hope and intent that you will be reading Part 5 this time next year. Please send good thoughts and prayers in my direction … as I endeavor to follow through on that intent.

[

Reminder: I posted a holiday themed WeeVer one-shot last December (title = "Under the Mistletoe").

Wishing you days that are filled with the light and love of the season!

Until next time …

~Jen

17 December 2023