"Ms. Lodge! Look at all the eggs I found!"
Veronica turned, smiling widely at the young girl tugging on her dress. She knelt down in the grass, dramatically widening her eyes and gasping, brushing through the wildly colored eggs.
"Oh, wow! You found all of these yourself?"
The girl nodded, obviously brimming with pride, watching as Veronica touched the eggs softly.
"All by myself. I think I even found more than my friend Katy," The girl leaned in close, as though about to tell Veronica a secret, "And she's a fae."
"Oh, really?" Veronica didn't know wether to laugh at the young girl's matter-o-fact tone or be concerned Riverdale was at such a point that this was just casual knowledge. Perhaps, all things considered, she should be glad. Glad that people were less likely to kill a different race over stupid, age-old blood feuds, or glad that a human such as this small girl could be friends with a magical wood fairy. It was all subjective, Veronica supposed.
"Yep. She can sorta...feel the grass and the eggs. But I found more." The girl said, pulling the basket back toward her protectively.
"Do you want to open them up?" Veronica asked, settling herself next to the girl.
"Yes!" The girl bounced up and down, "My name is Sarah, okay?"
"Okay, Sarah," Veronica purred with laughter, "Shall we on three?" She asked, placing one of the eggs in the girl's hand and grasping a light blue on in her own palm. The girl nodded with resolve. Then, together, they tapped the egg against the hardest surface around- the girl used the edge of her basket while Veronica used her palm.
Out tumbled candy. The girl looked pleased as punch.
"How'd they get in there?" Sarah asked, squinting into the broken eggshells.
"Magic," Veronica replied. Once, saying 'magic' would have been code for 'I don't want to ruin your childhood by telling you the truth'. Right now, however, it was the truth. Stroke of genius on Betty's part, Veronica mused, enchanting dull plastic eggs to resemble real eggs.
She could see Betty and Jughead across the lawn, helping other small children locate the eggs. Veronica grinned. Sometimes, magic had its pluses.
Sarah took no time at all to crack open the rest of her eggs, having lost interest in showing Veronica. Sarah's friend, Katy, came over and soon the pair were lost in their own world of candy-bartering and giggling.
Veronica opened the bar, going behind the seating area. She unscrewed her water bottle, nodding to Pop who was making pancakes for everyone, sipping slowly. A drop of blood dribbled from the edge of the cap, and Veronica licked around the edges.
Urg, she winced, O+. Not as bad as O-, which was the vampire equivalent of a human eating cardboard, but still nothing to write home about. She had meant to mix it with bit of zesty A+ into it this morning, but alas, she'd been distracted. It was the blood currently at her disposal, so even so, Veronica was in no position to complain.
She plucked a paper straw from the holder, dropping it into her drink. A holdover from her human days, when nothing was more pleasurable than daintily sipping from a straw. She imagined that perhaps the addition of the straw would make her mid-day meal a bit more...enjoyable.
If she could have her pick, AB was the most flavorful. Bold, daring, and had a soft taste that lingered on her tongue. That was what she would chose.
No, she thought with a pause, that wasn't necessarily true.
She could feel Reggie watching her from the other end of the booth. She was pleased she couldn't blush anymore, or else she would be as red as a tomato. Something about Reggie, no matter where they were or how long they'd been seeing each other, still caused her undead heart to flutter away.
"Got something," He said, wiping a smear off the corner of her mouth. Since all the children were pre-occupied outside, and Pop was currently serving up breakfast on the far side, Reggie allowed Veronica to lick it from the pad of his finger instead of wiping it off.
Veronica shivered, resisting the urge to sink her fangs into his palm.
Reggie was the best tasting blood. At one point, Archie had been. Veronica didn't know if it was her desiering her boys that made them taste so sweet or if, a-la-Twilight, she was drawn to them because of their candy-flavored blood.
Either way, if they were alone and not in such a public place…
"I saw you with that girl, you're really good with kids," Reggie said, withdrawing his hand and wiping it on his apron.
"I've always enjoyed bring some family fun, though I'm still not sure if this is a good idea." When Reggie raised his eyebrow in question, Veronica sighed, continuing, "You know, a secret speakeasy throwing an Easter Egg hunt."
"One; it's not really secret anymore. Two; it's located within Pop's, so it's more or less Pop's throwing it. Three...lots of morally questionable places and sites have done good things. Like Pornhub-,"
"Stop, I don't think I want to know what 'good deeds' Pornhub has done," Veronica said, but she was laughing.
"I'm just sayin'," Reggie shrugged, "Lots showed up. I think it's real great of you, Ver."
Veronica chuckled a bit, shrugging.
"I'm glad to be reminded of my humanity sometimes, I suppose. What little there may be left."
"Veronica," Reggie said very carefully, very softly, "Do you regret it?" He asked, rubbing his hand across her cool skin.
"I'm not sure what you mean?" Her voice croaked.
"I see you with those kids. For a guy, it's easy, you know? But for a girl...you gave up a lot."
Veronica yanked her hand away.
"I don't need a reminder," She said frostily.
"Look, arg, I'm sorry," Reggie said, trotting after her as she walked swiftly to the back kitchens, "I just, you're so good with kids and I mean, the thought of not havin' to worry about birth control is great and all, but," Reggie sighed, playing with a loose thread on his shirt, "I never thought much about kids. My dad's a real ass, and I wasn't all too excited in continuin' with shitty traditions. Plus, I'm 17. I'm not at an age where I wanna be thinkin' bout that. But with you? It sucks. I sometimes forget, when we're together, that there's not a chance of that."
"It's not strictly a vampire thing. Plenty of women can't have kids," Veronica said, feeling a little overwhelmed by his confession.
"I know, I know, but," Reggie struggled, "I just I see it, before I remember, and then it's gone."
Veronica took a step toward Reggie, a calculated one.
"I see them too. The biological kids I may never have. I knew that going in to this, however, that for the greater good, I was giving that up. That doesn't mean I'll never be a mom. Adoption is still something I can do. But yes, sometimes, it makes me sad. Until I remember all that I gained."
"Immortality." Reggie said in a shortened breathe.
"Yes, and-," And I'd give it to you too, if you asked.
She stopped herself, though, tilting her head. They weren't there yet. They were such a young new couple, it wasn't right to dump that choice on him either. It was easier to live with an irreversible choice if you never given it at all.
"Reg," She just opted to say in a soft tone, "It's good that you told me. I'm glad."
"Didn't know I'd ever be so emotional over damn kids," Reggie mumbled, wiping his hand over his nose.
"It's all conversations for very far down the line. I'm not ready to be a mother either, biologically or not." Veronica added.
"Good," Reggie laughed, finding his footing in this conversation again, "Yeah."
"We should put more of the eggs out," Veronica decided, finding work as she always did when her mind became most muddled. Work was steady. Work was dependable, "I think that this next batch has some coins in them. Pocket change, but still, kids like shiny things."
She grasped onto the palette, starting out of the room, but Reggie grasped her arm, pulling her toward him.
He leaned down, kissing her briefly.
"I really like you, Veronica," He said quietly, "And I don't know how to be with a vampire. I don't wanna mess this up."
Veronica set the palette down, taking his cheeks in her palms and dragging him down for another kiss.
"I don't know how to really date as a vampire, human or otherwise, so I suppose we're even."