Twelve
Inside Veronica's LeBaron, they could hear the steady rain pelting the windows and the top. Both the passenger and driver seats were reclined back as far as possible, and the occupants of those seats, were doing a little roaming, a little kissing, and a little moaning. Sometimes all at once, if they were feeling adventurous. This went on for a solid, ten minutes, until Veronica remembered there was something she had to be doing.
"I'm on the clock," she told herself, and reluctantly put the seat up. "Be vigilant, Veronica."
She slapped herself in the face, and then told Buffy, "No more stakeouts for you. Irresponsible things tend to happen. 'Irresponsible' being obvious code for 'Thank you, Jebus,' but still. I'm a professional."
Buffy sat up as well, smiling. "Are you really on the clock if it's pro bono?"
"In this case? Yes. 'Cause it pays to stay chummy with lawyers. Even if the title just *barely* manages to apply when talking about Cliff," her girlfriend answered, grabbing her camera and pointing it out the window once she lowered the glass. "But he's helped me out before, so, this'll make us square."
"Helped you...not your dad." Buffy noticed the word choice. "So if you're returning a favor...then you're gonna P.I. again? Does your dad know this yet?"
"He only has himself to blame; when he put us to work in the office last month, my addiction was rekindled. Mama liked her taste," grinned Veronica, watching the house and waiting for the target's car to show. "And *you're* the one who said we each have our calling. Nobody's attracted to a flip-flopper."
"I'm not flopping," Buffy swore. "I'm just finding out if I need to have an elsewhere once you tell, or you wait too long, and he catches you."
"Uh-uh. If I go down, you go down. When in a relationship, gotta take the good, and ya gotta take the bad." Veronica then reddened considerably. "Question. Did that first sentence come across as...‘charged' as it sounded, or is it just the heat?"
The slayer thought it better to agree wordlessly, then she promptly changed the subject.
"Uh...whaddaya wanna do for your birthday tomorrow?"
"Know me as well as you boast, then you already know the answer," Veronica offered, not at all helpfully.
Buffy shook her head. "You so suck."
"Didn't seem to bother mere minutes ago...curious," smiled the suck-er wryly.
"Unless you want me caving to my irresponsibleness, pick words less charged. Be ‘kid friendly,'" warned Buffy, reddening herself. "And thanks for the extra pressure. It's gonna be really motivating. I mean, now there's no chance of me going crazed, trying to come up with something not sad, pathetic, and crap."
"You're welcome." Veronica's expression hadn't changed.
The car was pulling into the driveway.
She quickly slouched. "Ixnay...make like a ninja."
Buffy reclined out of sight. Veronica got some shots of the license plate just so she could confirm a match later, and then some as the car door opened. The driver's umbrella poked out first, but it wouldn't open. The teen grinned at her good fortune. There'd be nothing obstructing the face.
A frustrated woman appeared. Shot. The neck brace was on. Shot. She ran to her front door. Shot. And yanked off the brace. Money shot. Massaged her neck. Bonus.
"Piece'a cake," Veronica declared, rolling up her window.
"That, you're definitely getting," Buffy said as her girlfriend reclined and joined her, placing the camera on the backseat. "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's tomorrow. Now is now. And the meaning of life is 42," the now-detective-again stated.
The slayer looked at her strangely. "I *knew* jumping off the couch when we were four would lead to damage. 'Specially for you, 'cause I think you landed on your hea--"
"Don't make me podcast it." Veronica shut her up, and then melodramatically demanded, "Kiss me already, you slow-witted fool."
"*Slow-witted*?"
Veronica groaned. "Buffy, I swear..."
"Not a huge order-taker," responded Buffy with a harrumph. "And I don't take orders at *all* from insulting people."
"I'm not a people; I'm a person. Uno," Veronica pointed out, showing how her girlfriend's personal code wouldn't technically be violated in this instance.
"You win this round, McFartsy," Buffy grumpily conceded, getting in a dig.
Then they resumed from where they'd left off previously.
________
After dropping off the photos to Cliff the following morning, they had work. During a break, Buffy got Krista to stick a candle in one of the Hut's fine slices of cake, and then all of Veronica's co-workers sang "Happy Birthday." Once the attention was off, the birthday girl sat at a table with Buffy and ate her cake.
"I hate public bursts of a cappella," said Veronica to her girlfriend. "*Especially* when they're directed at me."
"Know you do," Buffy grinned.
"I know you know." Veronica roughly gathered some cake onto her plastic fork, and held it in front of Buffy's face. "Comin' outta the gate a little weak."
The slayer shied away from the food.
But Veronica demanded, "Eat it. Eat it and choke on your amusement."
"Veronica?"
She turned around, and who was standing there?
"Duncan?"
"Is that Buffy?" He asked with surprise.
"Hi, Duncan," Buffy waved rather weakly.
"Uh, hi," he said back. "How've you been?"
"Fighting evil. You?"
Okay, awkward.
Veronica interjected, getting up from the table. "Um, did you wanna...talk?"
"Kind of," he nodded.
Veronica turned to Buffy with a look that said she really didn't want to do this, but her words were, reassuringly, "I'll be right back."
She led him to a quiet corner. "I haven't seen you around this summer."
He took a deep breath. "Yeah, it's been kind of complicated. You know, parents on trial--Mom and Dad finally had enough. They've moved up to the Napa house for the duration...at least till this blows over."
"But you came back here?"
"I don't want to transfer to a new school for my senior year. I have the Presidential Suite at the Neptune Grand," he smiled slowly.
She smirked. "Of course you do."
Then she made the decision to do this like tearing off a Band-Aid. As she stood there, that spark just wasn't in the air anymore. Lilly was right. Or, her dream facsimile was.
"Listen, Duncan--"
"I broke up with Meg," he cut her off.
Veronica closed her eyes and sighed. "Wish you hadn't said that." She responded to his confused look with, "I'm with Buffy now. We're...together."
"Oh." He was kind of dumbstruck, but then it hit like a Mack truck. "*Oh.*"
"If I'd seen you, I woulda told you, but, I didn't, so..." She shrugged.
Pregnant silence.
"When did you two, uh...?" He finally asked.
"A while ago."
"And you're, y'know...?"
"I am." And her smile supported that. "Beg Meg to take you back, Duncan. Hands and knees if you have to."
"I would, except she'll think the only reason I am, is 'cause I couldn't get you," he smiled sadly. "Which is true."
"I'm sorry," she offered lamely.
"Don't be. I was stupid to think..." He sighed heavily. "Go back to your cake."
She didn't know what else to say, so she just laid her hand comfortingly on his arm for a moment, and then turned to leave.
"Veronica?"
Hearing his voice, she faced him again.
"Happy birthday."
________
Keith wanted a quiet, birthday dinner at home because tomorrow he'd be leaving to begin his book tour. They got takeout from Luigi's, and enjoyed fine helpings of lasagna and manicotti. Then there was a full cake, and more singing. Most of the night was spent watching old videos of past birthdays and poking fun at themselves. Presents were also given.
Her dad's gift was a new camera (perhaps his way of saying he knew she was going to need to use one again more frequently). Buffy's gift was a pink T-shirt that said in garish, glittered letters, "Daintily Butch." It was surrounded by black-petaled flowers.
Veronica's reaction? "It's just like you to get something for yourself on my special day."
The real gift was a photo album of all the pictures they'd taken since they got together. And if that wasn't enough, framed 5x7 versions of "The Look" photos. Keith helped Buffy find the original negatives, and she had them blown up.
Veronica's reaction to that? Watery-eyed smooching, followed by a grinning, "How's redemption feel? 'Cause that's what you've earned."
"Kinda like your lip gloss, actually," grinned Buffy back at her. "The saying's right--it's totally rewarding on its own."
"Sure that isn't 'virtue'?" Keith had asked.
Buffy just got quiet.
When it was getting late, he said his goodbyes and gave his parental speech about safety and taking care of the apartment in his absence. Then he went to Alicia's to sleep, because she was driving him to the airport in the morning. His suitcases were already there. But for Buffy and Veronica, the night was still young.
Following her girlfriend's directions, Veronica drove them to an old movie theater that was hidden in the middle of town, where they met Mac and Wallace. The plan was a midnight, double feature of "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut" and "The Goonies." Veronica very nearly had a joygasm.
"My uncle's the projectionist," Mac said when Veronica wondered how the hell they pulled this off. "You know how they're supposed to send the reels back to the studio? Well, he always conveniently forgot. Should see his collection, really."
It was like the two films that had the biggest impact on her--one from her childhood, and one from her teen years--were finally coming together to send her off into adulthood. And this would be her first time seeing them on the big screen.
"Buffy, this was, is...a good, sixty miles of bad road from sad, pathetic and crap. Gettin' gooseflesh," Veronica said as they took their seats. "Thank you."
Buffy just smiled. "Happy birthday."
Everyone took on roles, and quoted both movies as they were happening. Occasionally, Wallace and Mac would have to do double-duty, because the girlfriends were in a dark theater, and when in a dark theater, it was an unspoken rule that young couples had to make out. They couldn't break it, nor did they want to.
________
It was a little past 3:30 when they got home, and they weren't tired at all. In fact, they could hardly keep their hands off each other. It was unplanned, but not unexpected. They went with it, letting nature take its course, and at 4:17? They'd finished having sex for the first time. Sweaty, exhausted, and sated, they lay in Veronica's bed.
Her voice was rather husky. "Damn. Happy birthday to *me*."
Buffy giggled. "It's been over for like four hours."
"Technicality," Veronica argued, playing with a couple strands of her girlfriend's hair. "For a couple novices we kinda--"
"--knew about doing?" Buffy finished for her. "We really kinda did, didn't we?"
"*And how*." Veronica's craned her neck so she could see her clock. "Made good time."
Buffy said in faux-concern, "What if it was beginner's luck? I'm just thinking."
Veronica sighed as if she was about to undertake a chore. "You know only one thing could erase all doubt."
Buffy sighed as well. "Yeah..."
Beat.
"All right, this time," Veronica said as she rolled on top with a grin, "try not to frighten Backup? Or, hey, if you want him barging in again..."
"You shoulda locked the door," Buffy passed the buck. "And *I* wasn't who was loud."
"Is it nice in your delusion?" Veronica queried. "We'll just see abou...hoo, hey there."
Her girlfriend's hands were moving again.
"Holy flurking schnit, Kodos," she exclaimed.
When all was said and done, they decided they were both pretty loud.
________