ᴍɪsᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪsᴅᴏᴍ (wisdoms) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-08-06 16:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !partner thread, pete wisdom, veronica mars |
Who: Wisdom & Mars
What: Pete drops off some donated baby supplies, and falls in love
When: Tonight
Where: Veronica's place
Rating/Warnings: Low!
Status: Complete
For such a small creature, a baby just accumulated so much stuff. It was quite amazing, really, and also quite amazing how fast they grew out of clothing. In that instance, sometimes it was easier to accept hand-me-downs or gently used outfits instead of buying new ones all the time - otherwise, going broke might become a reality. That was why Pete had collected a lot of Amelia’s ‘early life’ clothes and boxed them up, planning to bring them to a friend of Lina’s since he knew she just had a baby herself - a baby boy. Ergo, there weren’t any dresses or little patent leather Mary Janes, no; he wouldn’t put Liam in a dress (if he wanted to wear one later, then why not) - but there were some gender neutral selections in colours that weren’t pink or blue. You could recycle other baby items too - playmats, toys, things like that, which he added to the box. He couldn’t say he would be this accommodating to all of Lina’s friends (some of them, he just really could not stand if he were being honest - then again, Wisdom the grump simply did not have a high tolerance for many humans to begin with) but Veronica was rather fine. And he knew that ‘it takes a village’ when it came to living with a newborn, that anecdote was accurate. Arriving at Veronica’s place, he hefted the box under his arm (it wasn’t very heavy anyway), and knocked on the door. Not too loud, and he certainly didn’t ring the bell - disturbing a sleeping baby was perhaps considered impolite. Life was still chaotic. Veronica was working again, but most of her cases could be done from home, which meant she was with Liam. Which was what she wanted, the thought of anyone else watching her little guy terrified her. No one could protect him and take care of him like she could. Except maybe Logan, which was why he was still the only person allowed to be alone with their son. Despite her fierce motherly instinct she was going a bit stir crazy. The knock at the door startled her. Had she forgotten inviting someone over? It was definitely possible. Even though it had startled her she was certainly grateful that it was a knock considering Liam had just fallen asleep, and Backup knew enough to not bark at the door like he used to. He was a quick learner that dog of hers. Hair in a loose pony tail, strands falling out here and there, dressed in jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt Veronica answered the door. She never really gave a shit what she looked like even before she had Liam. Dresses and make-up were never her priority. “Pete,” she greeted a small smile on her face eyes falling on the box. Oh right. Lina had mentioned giving her some of Amelia’s old things. “Come on in,” she stepped back to let him enter. Backup of course ran right up sniffing both Pete and the box. “Can I get you anything? We have ummm, coffee.” Yes, lots of coffee. Oh, thank fuck Veronica didn’t offer tea. Pete might not be able to contain the grimace if she had - that was just him being the antithesis of all things British, despising tea when most of his countrymen injected it into their veins. “Coffee’s the magic word and would be fantastic, thank you. Just let me know where you’d like this,” he added, the box still under his arm. Though he bent to get on level with Backup a bit more, and bestow many pets on the pup. Wisdom did like dogs - so far he and Lina just had that morbidly obese cat, Guess, but they’d talked briefly about also getting a puppy now that Amelia was a bit older. He only hesitated during that conversation because older dogs were fine, but puppies pissed and shat on everything - wouldn’t it just be like having another child? Hell. “How’s everything going with the newest family addition?” Coffee was the least she could do when Pete had gone out of his way to bring things over. Which, right, setting them down. “You can just put it on the counter.” She would put it all away later. She probably should have offered to take it from him, but manners weren’t her priority. It was a miracle she had managed to remember to offer him coffee. There was already a pot brewing, she grabbed two mugs pouring each herself and Pete a cup. She grabbed some creamer from the fridge, in case Pete wanted it. Black was fine for Veronica. Once that was taken care of she led him to the couch motioning for him to take a seat before plopping down herself. Backup of course followed suite jumping in the middle. “It’s going.” That was all Veronica could say without getting all mushy. Because yes, she loved her son more than anything and she would gush about him. But she also had a reputation to protect, had to keep that marshmallow center under wraps. The box was set on the counter, and Pete added a bit of creamer to his coffee since it was there - he liked a wee tad of flavour, but otherwise, not a shit tonne of sugar or glitter or whatever the fuck people put into their coffee was just fine with him. He settled on the couch with his mug and Backup right there next to him, which made him chuckle. The pup got some scritches behind the ears and under his chin - good boooooooy, who’s a good boy??! “It’s quite a lot, I know,” he said, referring to life with a tiny human that only knew how to scream and cry to express itself. “But time goes so quickly. Light’s at the end of the tunnel - soon you’ll be getting regular sleep again, I promise.” Until then, Veronica might want to die a little but that was normal. Raising a child was honestly the most difficult job Pete ever had. “Until then at least I have my coffee to keep me company,” Veronica quipped a smirk on her face. Sleep deprivation or not she hadn’t lost her wit. Backup seemed to really be enjoying the stitches he was getting from Pete. Lately Liam had been getting all the attention. He even placed his head in Pete’s lap. “He likes you,” Veronica commented stating the obvious. But Backup didn’t often take to people he didn’t know. He was too protective of Veronica that way. “You guys ever think about getting a dog?” Although yes she was well aware of Guess. But cats and dogs didn’t have to be enemies. “Coffee is quite a comforting friend to have in times like these.” Pete knew that well - he had considered setting up an IV drip of the stuff, but that probably wouldn’t be the healthiest thing. Still, it remained one of his vices - since he’d cut back on the booze, and given up cigarettes entirely. And what was this? A dog’s head in his lap? Looks like this fellow wanted to bask in the love - and Wisdom couldn’t help but be taken in by sweet, dopey eyes and drooling. “I bet you got all confused when the baby came home, hm?” he laughed a bit, still continuing to pet Backup. He got butt scratches too, lying there. “Oh, Lina and I have talked about a dog - well, she mentioned a puppy specifically. I’m not that keen on the idea, I’d rather an older dog, but we’ll see how it goes. Know anyone with a pup who needs a good home?” he asked. “Backup came from the dreams. Already trained.” Veronica could definitely understand not wanting to train a puppy, especially with a baby to take care of. Even if Amelia was over a year now, Veronica could imagine it was still a good amount of work and energy… and dirty diapers. “I lucked out there.” As far as knowing of other dogs, Veronica wasn’t much help. “I haven’t taken him to the dog park in awhile. But there are flyers there sometimes,” she shrugged giving Backup a few pets herself. He was definitely a good boy. “You’re good with him.” Certainly many dirty nappies to still deal with, since Amelia had awhile to go before she was toilet trained. Pete was looking forward to that milestone, though Lina was in no rush for their little girl to grow up - regardless though, not having to wipe anymore wet baby butt or deal with diaper blowouts was indeed a positive. “Suppose that means if you ever need someone to take this fellow to the dog park, to give you a break, I’d be glad to bring him - and see about any adverts for dogs,” Pete offered. He’d never been to any dog park around here, come to think of it. Just regular ones, when he put Amelia in her pram and they went for an outing. He scratched Backup’s head, looking into his sweet doggo eyes. Awwwwwwww. “Your mum won’t let me adopt you, I bet, but we can still have loads of fun chasing sticks and sniffing things - or that’s you, rather.” He really was the kind of dog Pete was looking for, but no, he already had an owner. Rats. “Well, if you’re going to go around sniffing butts,” okay so Pete actually said things but butts were the main things dogs like to sniff, “I may just have to join you,” she joked. The mental image of Pete going around smelling things was a hilarious image that she wasn’t sure she would get out of her head for at least a day. Baby hand-me-downs and making her laugh? Yeah Pete was officially on Veronica’s good side. “But anytime you want,” she added seriously. “Backup would love some extra attention.” Especially from Pete given how taken he seemed to be with the man. Pete actually cracked a smile - he didn’t often be the cause of giving people a laugh, but he’d take it. Sometimes he had a sense of humour. It was just kind of dry and snarky, was all. Perhaps something else he and Veronica had in common. “Be careful, I might start making him treats and spoiling him,” he warned jokingly. “That’s right, boyo,” now it was his turn to laugh as Backup sort of climbed into his lap and plopped there. Sprawling. With the whole furry body. Wisdom had to recalibrate how he was holding his coffee but that was alright. “Are you heading back to work full time soon? Easing into it?” Veronica couldn’t help but laugh once again as Backup climbed all over Pete. “Well, if he ends up liking you better than me I guess you’ll just have to keep him,” Veronica responded in fake defeat. Even if she was being sarcastic she still knew Backup would always be her dog. They just had that connection, in the dreams as well as here. “Easing into it,” Veronica said with a nod as she took another sip of her coffee. “Mostly only taking cases I can do from home. Just a deep internet search and a few phone calls.” PI work was not all tailing and stake outs. “I’ve only had a few cases that required me to actually be on the ground.” She missed it though, the action. Even when it got dangerous. The only PI that Pete knew (well, besides Veronica, obviously) was the pirate who found his mother’s killer for him - and then they all went to London to take care of that. He always thought it sounded like an interesting job though - likely much more than cheating spouse cases and stalking. “Soon you’ll be back full time, which will be refreshing I’m sure. Daycare is expensive as fuck but have you got family around to help with that?” he asked. Luckily, Lina’s parents had moved to Orange County and so did Pete’s father, Harold Wisdom - they actually all lived together, all three of them, with Mr. and Mrs. Ifraimov housing the cranky old Brit in his age of retirement. There was also daycare at The Agency, but he hadn’t used it. “Where I work has a decent option too, for babies and children.” Her work was full of cheating spouses. It didn’t exactly help with her trust issues but somehow she was actually managing a stable relationship. Other than the cheating cases she did a lot of background checks, on employees, on significant others, on sons and daughters in law. It was hardly a glamorous life but she excelled at it. And honestly she preferred these cases to the ones she had to deal with in her dreams. “Running my own business doesn’t exactly leave me that option,” she shrugged. Logan’s work was a possibility but her dad was also close by. “Papa mars will probably be doing most of the babysitting.” Whenever Veronica was ready to part with her little one. “He’s in Malibu. Retired sheriff.” Because yes she was proud of her father. “Your dad’s around nor, right?” She was pretty sure Lina had mentioned that. “Ah, perfect. Free childcare,” Pete chuckled (and alright, he was still cuddling with Backup on the couch - don’t judge him, it was just that the dog was comfortable there and he should not be moved yet even if Wisdom’s legs would eventually fall asleep). “My father is here, yes. He’s also a retired sheriff - or actually, retired Scotland Yard detective. But very similar.” The job had basically broken him over time - London was chock-full of crime, the dark side of humanity, and the police saw quite a bit. But here, now, after selling the old, familial cottage in the village of Totteridge for a pretty penny and moving to the States, Harold would be a lot happier - especially around his granddaughter. “We’ll see how it goes. Me and him have sometimes butted heads but things are a lot better these days.” They were working on it. Slowly but surely, so Pete would keep at it. Veronica had more in common with Pete than she realized. It was a shame she had never really spent much time with him before. Well other than the times that she was hanging out with Lina and Pete just happened to be around. “I get it. I’m the same way with my mom.” She hadn’t talked to Lianne since she stole Veronica’s money and used it for gambling instead of rehab. Veronica had let go of that though. And yes, she noticed that Pete hadn’t mentioned his own mother. Something the piqued her curiosity but she wouldn’t push. Not right now anyway. “You dad ever watch Amelia? I feel like we should get them together for playdates.” Both the dads and their children. Because really, ex sheriff and ex Scotland Yard detective? Seemed like a match made in heaven. Just like Pete and Backup, apparently. “He does, he watches her quite a bit during the week when Lina and I are at work,” Pete said. Amelia loved her grandparents, all of them, and they spoiled her with love and affection as grandparents do - even the curmudgeonly old Harold always seemed to light up when he was with Amelia. He actually smiled. “Playdates sound grand - socialisation is good for babies, and when you’re ready to take your little fellow out for one we’ll be ready.” Harold would like that, Pete thought - since he’d just moved to the States, he of course didn’t know many people besides family. So to meet another retired person in law enforcement? They’d get along like chocolate and peanut butter. Patting Backup’s rump, he finally got the dog to move so he could stretch his legs. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer - let me know when you’d like for me to steal your pup for a little while or bring my father out into actual sunlight and we’ll arrange for something, hm?” Veronica was slightly amazed that Backup actually moved off of Pete. Part of her was wondering if her dog was going to hold him captive on the couch forever. “Will do,” Veronica said reluctantly standing up from the couch so she could show Pete out. Exhaustion or not she wasn’t going to be completely rude. Especially when he was doing her so many favors. “And thanks for the baby stuff.” |