Who: Leon and Veronica What: V takes care of teenage!Leon When: September 18 - first day of deaging plot Where: Leon's childhood home to Leon's apartment Ratings/Warnings: Pretty low! Status: Complete
After picking up two sausage and egg sandwiches and a large iced coffee Veronica made her way to the home Leon grew up in. One sandwich for Leon and the rest for her. She needed it if she was going to be dealing with a head-injury Leon who didn’t seem to remember where he lived.
When Veronica pulled up to Leon’s old place she was even more shocked. There was a very young version of Leon sitting on the curb. Not as young as when she babysat him, but a hell of a lot younger than twenty-six. Veronica parked the car on the side of the street before walking up to him, breakfast sandwich in hand. “Hey,” she said tossing him the sandwich. She wasn’t exactly sure what to say or do after that. Which was a first for Veronica. This was a lot more than she bargained for.
Leon wasn't really sure what was going on. He had woken up on a bench in the back of some bar, which was bad; his dad would kill him if he found out. His mom was no doubt sick with worry too if he’d been out all night. He didn't know what he had been thinking - as much as he had tried to think of what it was he couldn't remember anything about the night.
He’d tried calling the house phone on the fancyass cellphone he’d found in his pocket, but reached a Chinese restaurant instead. Then he’d tried his dad’s dad’s cell, but the number was disconnected. Finally, he’d taken the bus home, only to be greeted by a couple of strangers who claimed they didn't know his parents. He’d forced his way in the front door but didn't get far before he realized nothing there was his.
Finally, he’d gone outside, sat on the sidewalk, and scrolled through all the strange names until he’d found one he recognized.
He let out a sigh of relief when Veronica pulled up, but was brought up short when she got out of the car. The sandwich hit him in the face before he scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground. “Wow, V, college has not been good to you.” She was so old.
Veronica would have taken offense to that, but it was obvious Leon clearly thought she was still in college. Something weird was going on. Not only did he have no idea about the past like ten years of his life, he was literally back to being a teeanager. What the hell was happening in Orange County now?
“You know,” Veronica said as she opened the passenger door for him. “You really should be nicer to the person who is picking you up and brought you food. I could very well leave you stranded here.” Not that she would. Especially not in his condition. But that wasn’t the point.
Leon glanced at the car, his eyebrows furrowing together. He might not be old enough to drive yet, but he’d be getting his learners license in no time at all and he’d always enjoyed checking out and fixing cars with his dad, when his dad had time away from work. But he didn’t recognize whatever it was that Veronica was driving.
He shook his head. He was obviously losing his mind. Nothing seemed right, and he didn’t know why. He hopped into the passenger seat, buckled up his seatbelt, and then unwrapped and took a bite out of his sandwich. “Hey, you don’t know where my folks are, do you?” he asked suddenly. “I think they’re pulling some kinda prank on me because I stayed out all night. Though, it’s kind of overkill.” Not that his parents had ever been the ‘pranking’ sort. The explanation didn’t sit right in his gut, but then again, nothing did right now. He wasn’t even particularly hungry, the sandwich tasting like cardboard in his mouth, and he lowered it to his lap and stared out the window.
Shit. His parents. How was she going to explain that one. Veronica paused for a moment as she contemplated how to respond. After a moment she decided it was best not to tell Leon in the car. Maybe later once he was… where should she take him? His place? She couldn’t exactly leave him there. Shit! Where was Chris?! Guess she was going to have to go by his apartment to check and see if he was there.
But right, answering Leon’s question. “I don’t think they’d do that,” Veronica said as she continued the drive to Leon’s apartment. “That’s more like something my dad would do.”
“Keith’s not that big a jerk,” Leon said, frowning. Neither were his parents. Maybe Henry would have a better idea what was going on. And, if nothing else, Leon just wanted to talk to him. He dialed Henry’s number, one of the few outside of his parents’ numbers that he had memorized, and got an ice cream parlour. He let out a frustrated cry, and slammed the big red hang-up button - not nearly as satisfying as slamming shut his old flipphone. “This doesn’t make any damn sense! Why doesn’t anyone’s phone number work? Who the hell was in my house? Where did all these weird cars come from?” Because, he’d realized, as he was staring out the window, that he recognized maybe one in ten cars driving by.
Oh man. Leon had so many questions. While Veronica had the answers she wasn’t sure how much to tell him. There was a chance that in a few days this would all be over, just like every other strange thing that happened in Orange County and he would have his memories back… and be the right age. Then Veronica wouldn’t have to have this conversation. But at the same time she knew he deserved to know. Who knew how long this would last. It could be longer than a few days. And Veronica couldn’t avoid his questions forever. Leon deserved the truth.
“Alright, Orcot,” Veronica said slipping up and accidentally calling him her usual name for him. One that didn’t start until he was a cop. “This is going to sound beyond strange. But you’re not actually a teenager. I’m not in college. You’re a detective. Twenty-six years old. And somehow you have turned back into a teenager.” Well, no one ever called her subtle.
Leon stared at Veronica for a moment, mouth agape. For a minute, he was she that she was screwing with him, but the cars, the phone… everything. That, and looking at her, she didn't look like the haggard, run-down appearance of someone who had prematurely aged because they’d decided to go to university. No, she just looked… well, old. If he was apparently 26, then, well… she has to have been in her 30s.
“Oh,” he said, slowly. “Guess that explains why no one kicked me out of the bar I woke up in.” He frowned a little to himself. “Do I do that a lot?”
Veronica was slightly surprised with how well Leon was taking the whole thing. Especially given how long it took him to come around to the strangeness that was Orange County. Maybe his little teenage brain was more susceptible to things out of the ordinary.
“Fall asleep in bars? Not so much.” At least that Veronica knew of. He had a little brother to take care of after all. Which again, where the hell was Chris? She was really hoping to find him safe and sound at Leon’s apartment. But it didn’t sit well with her that Leon would leave him alone all night. “Drink? Yes.”
Well, it was kind of a relief that sleeping in bars wasn’t a terribly regular occurrence with Leon. “Oh good,” Leon said, grinning widely. “We should swing by the liquor store and you can buy me a case of beer in that case then!” Leon had only been drunk a couple of times, which he hoped his dad would never find out about, but it always been fun if you didn’t count the throwing up that tended to happen afterward. But if he was twenty-six, that meant that he could totally drink and his dad couldn’t say anything about it.
“I don’t think so, Orcot,” Veronica replied though there was a smirk on her face. “Right now you are clearly a teenager. I can’t be a part of underage drinking.” Even if she had done it herself in high school. “We are going to stop by your apartment and then you’re staying with me.”
“No way,” Leon burst out. “If I have my own apartment, I’m gonna live in my own apartment!” How freeing would that be? He’d been looking forward to finally living on his own. Not that he didn’t love his parents, but what kind of teenager would pass up a free apartment? “You can’t tell me what to do either. I’m twenty-six,” he added proudly.
“Not right now you aren’t,” Veronica replied as she pulled into the parking lot for Leon’s apartment complex. “And if you think I am going to leave you unsupervised…” she didn’t finish that thought. Because there was something she needed to warn Leon about before they went into the apartment. “Listen… before we go in there, there’s something you should know.”
“Why not? I can definitely take care of myself. I cook a lot at home already when dad’s working and mom’s too sick to. And you know, since I’m an adult I bet I have a bank account so I could just order pizza anyway. I’m fifteen, not a baby.” He frowned a little bit though, because he didn’t really like or trust Veronica’s tone. “What is it?” he asked.
Veronica wasn’t going to keep arguing with Leon about where he was going to stay. In her mind it was already settled. She’d have that argument with him when it was time to head to her place if necessary. For now there were more pressing matters. “You have a younger brother,” Veronica said. “He lives with you.”
For a moment, Leon almost believed Veronica. Then, he burst out laughing. That was obviously impossible. If he had a brother, he would obviously know about it. Who the hell had a kid more than fifteen years after their first one? No one, obviously. And besides, why would his brother live with him instead of with his parents?
“Oh man, you had me going there for a minute,” he said. “Good one.”
“I’m not lying,” Veronica replied seriously as she got out of the car. “I’m preparing you. Try not to freak him out.” The poor kid was already traumatised enough.
That made Leon stop laughing, and frown instead at Veronica. How the hell could he have a little brother? That was pretty much impossible. For one, his parents were like, super old. They’d been old even when Leon had been born.
He sat there for a few more minutes, then got out of the car and followed Veronica. “Dad didn’t have an affair or something, did he?” he asked. It was the only answer he could think of. Which, wow, how super embarrassing. He wondered if everyone at school knew about it.
“No,” Veronica replied as she lead Leon into the building and up to his floor. “Your mom gave birth to him.” And then died, but she left that part out. Though part of her knew she was going to have to tell him sooner or later. Hopefully later. Once both he and Chris were both settled at her house.
“But she’s so old,” he complained. “And also, super embarassing to suddenly get a little brother when you’re my age. Or older.” Super embarrassing.
He couldn’t help but stare in awe at the hallway as he Veronica led him to his apartment. It wasn’t especially fancy, but on the other hand, it wasn’t really run down either. And it was all his. His very own place. He was probably the only sophomore in school who had their own apartment.
Though, he had to remind himself, he wasn’t in school anymore. Even better.
“Is this it?” Leon asked when Veronica stopped in front of a door. He pulled his keys out from his pocket and opened the door, grinning as he swung it open.
Before Veronica could even answer Leon’s question he was already opening the door. “Chris?” she called out tentatively as she walked inside. She hoped to God he was there. If he wasn’t she had no idea where he could be. “I brought your brother. He somehow got younger. But he’s still Leon.”
When the boy stepped out from one of the bedrooms, Leon couldn’t help but stare; the boy stared back. There was a part of Leon that was sure this was still some sort of weird prank, but if it was, then Veronica had done a hell of a job finding someone that could convincingly play his brother. With the age gap closed a little, it was even more obvious that Chris was Leon’s spitting image.
“Uh,” Leon said, and looked to Veronica as if for help. Then he looked back at Chris. “I’m Leon.” Obviously. He probably already knew that. He waited for a response, but Chris didn’t say anything.
“Chris doesn’t like to talk,” Veronica explained to Chris. The poor kid was already so traumatized.
She bent down so she was more on Chris’s level. “Now,” she began softly. “Why don’t you come with me. We can all stay at my place. Backup and Liam will love it.”
Leon frowned at the kid. Bad enough his parents had decided to go off and have another kid so late in life, but they had to go off and have one that didn’t even speak? Leon had been happy as an only child.
“You can take him,” Leon said, jerking a thumb at Chris and trying to ignore the hurt look his brother was giving him. “I’m just fine on my own,” as an only child, thank you very much.
“Sorry, Orcot,” Veronica replied not skipping a beat. “You’re coming with me.” If he thought she was going to leave him alone as a teenager, he had another thing coming.
Leon scowled and turned toward Veronica, prepared to tell her that she couldn’t make him, this was his apartment and she couldn’t force him out of it, but his words died on his lips when saw Chris’s face, filled with hurt and confusion. Leon didn’t know this kid and he didn’t even want a stupid little brother anyway, but there was something about the look that made him feel guilty just for thinking that. And a whisper of a voice in the back of his head. He couldn’t quite hear what it was saying, but he frowned.
“Fine, but you owe me one,” he said.
More like he owed her, big time. But she wasn’t going to argue with teenage Leon. Right now she just wanted to keep him safe. “Yeah, yeah,” Veronica replied suppressing an eyeroll. “Let’s go.”