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He took one look at her and the denial rushed to his lips before he even thought the word: “No.
“Just, no.” John shook his head. “I’m sorry, Miss – “ there’s an awkward pause: he realized he didn’t know her name. “But this ain’t going to fly.”
She smiled up at him, all blonde hair and cornflower eyes, five-foot nothing and not a hundred pounds soaking wet of her. She looked for the world the type of girl he used to sweat over until he met Aeryn and she crashed into him and took him heart, mind, body and soul forever. Exactly like, except for her smile, which was hard and thin and friable where something sweet and open should’ve been.
“Mars,” she said, filling in the gap, “Special Agent Veronica Mars, FBI.”
She held out her hand. She’d a slim strong hand and a firm grip – confident and maybe a little bit arrogant, the same way she gave her name. He noted the roughness of her palms, the familiar scrape of calluses.
“I thought Secret Service was handling our protection.”
“I was seconded to the Service for this detail at the Director’s request.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Seconded from where? Jump Street?”
He shook his head. “No offence, Agent, but we’re talking about my kids’ safety and you don’t look old enough to buy beer let alone carry a gun.”
“Are you carding me, Commander? Trust me, I’m more than qualified.”
“That’s the question, ain’t it?”
“Agent Mars would be assigned specifically to protect your children, in addition to the Secret Service detail assigned to your family,” Agent Craig explained and it wasn’t the worst idea John’s ever heard. Still…
He looked back at Aeryn and walked casually to her side.
“What do you think,” he asked and glanced back over his shoulder at Mars who was speaking to Craig in an urgent undertone.
Aeryn studied her. “She is rather short–“
John chuckled. “Yeah, she’s barely taller than D’Argo. I’m not sure I want some fresh-faced rookie in charge of our kids.”
Aeryn cocked her head to the side and considered. John looked over his shoulder again. The kid held a manila folder in her left hand and tapped it against the side of her thigh like she was out of patience with the whole deal. This probably wasn’t the first time she had to prove her bona fides to some old chauvinist fart who can’t see past the blonde hair and size-four suit. Any other time he’d sympathize, but…
He turned his attention back to Aeryn. Her expression was neutral in a way that he found scary. She reached to the table next to her and picked up an apple and hurled it at the kid’s head.
“Aeryn, wha-“ the apple thudded into the wall behind where Mars’ head had been a moment before and paper from the dropped file fluttered to the floor. He watched the kid take her finger off the trigger and lower the barrel of the automatic pistol that she held in her hands.
“Agent Mars.” Craig said.
She straightened up and holstered her weapon, staring straight at Aeryn the whole time. “Sorry, sir. Officer Sun caught me by surprise. It won’t happen again.”
She picked up the file without breaking eye contact and John wondered if that was a threat or a promise he’d heard. He looked at Aeryn who was smirking. “So… satisfied?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want to try throwing an actual knife or anything?” he asked, sounding bitchy and knowing it but having guns pointed at them made him cranky, especially when his wife was provoking people and very especially when he had already given in to the nice men in the dark suits and left his own gun on the damned transport pod.
She shook her head, “No, John. The apple will suffice.”
“Y’know, it’s not nice to scare people carrying guns.”
Aeryn smiled like a bloodthirsty seraphim, all inscrutable violence and heartbreaking beauty. There was probably, probably, no chance the kid could have gotten a shot off on Aeryn but it was the kind of behaviour that did his nerves no favours.
He turned to the two feds. Mars was watching them with hard, wary eyes, anger and embarrassment riding her. Her boss, Agent Craig merely wore the pinched and pained expression John had come to associate with the government staff assigned to his family.
Mars tossed the file at Aeryn, who caught it neatly. “You could have just asked to see my service record.
“I held the range records for my academy class in both target and combat shooting and I’ve fired my weapon in the line of duty on two occasions. This isn’t my first time to the dance.”
Aeryn flipped through the pages, nodding. “And the men you shot at, did you kill them?”
John looked between the two women. Mars’ chin jerked up another notch, stung, but her eyes didn’t waver. “One of them, yes.”
“Would you do it again?”
“If I had to.”
“To protect yourself?”
“If that was my only option.”
“And to protect my children?”
“Without hesitation.”
She spoke clearly, firmly, didn’t hesitate, which John liked. He looked at Aeryn who inclined her head towards him - his decision: wonderful.
“Dren,” he sighed and turned his eyes back to the girl. He rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip. He brought the kids to show them his home, meet their human family. More than that, he wanted to show Earth living breathing proof of humanity’s connection to the stars, open people’s eyes, make them see the wonders as well as the dangers waiting in the skies.
It was a good idea in theory. Why he’d thought it would work out any better than any of his other plans was another question. Then the death threats started.
“It’s your decision, Commander Crichton,” Craig told him, his long face serious, “But I strongly recommend that you add Agent Mars to your security detail.”
The kid, Mars, looked bored on the surface but underneath he thought he felt her seethe. The waves of pissed of emanating in his direction were so familiar it was damn close to reassuring. It tipped the balance: he sighed: “All right, fine. Welcome to the team, Agent.”
“Call me Veronica, Commander.”
This time he held out his hand. “John and my wife, Aeryn…”.
“Just, no.” John shook his head. “I’m sorry, Miss – “ there’s an awkward pause: he realized he didn’t know her name. “But this ain’t going to fly.”
She smiled up at him, all blonde hair and cornflower eyes, five-foot nothing and not a hundred pounds soaking wet of her. She looked for the world the type of girl he used to sweat over until he met Aeryn and she crashed into him and took him heart, mind, body and soul forever. Exactly like, except for her smile, which was hard and thin and friable where something sweet and open should’ve been.
“Mars,” she said, filling in the gap, “Special Agent Veronica Mars, FBI.”
She held out her hand. She’d a slim strong hand and a firm grip – confident and maybe a little bit arrogant, the same way she gave her name. He noted the roughness of her palms, the familiar scrape of calluses.
“I thought Secret Service was handling our protection.”
“I was seconded to the Service for this detail at the Director’s request.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Seconded from where? Jump Street?”
He shook his head. “No offence, Agent, but we’re talking about my kids’ safety and you don’t look old enough to buy beer let alone carry a gun.”
“Are you carding me, Commander? Trust me, I’m more than qualified.”
“That’s the question, ain’t it?”
“Agent Mars would be assigned specifically to protect your children, in addition to the Secret Service detail assigned to your family,” Agent Craig explained and it wasn’t the worst idea John’s ever heard. Still…
He looked back at Aeryn and walked casually to her side.
“What do you think,” he asked and glanced back over his shoulder at Mars who was speaking to Craig in an urgent undertone.
Aeryn studied her. “She is rather short–“
John chuckled. “Yeah, she’s barely taller than D’Argo. I’m not sure I want some fresh-faced rookie in charge of our kids.”
Aeryn cocked her head to the side and considered. John looked over his shoulder again. The kid held a manila folder in her left hand and tapped it against the side of her thigh like she was out of patience with the whole deal. This probably wasn’t the first time she had to prove her bona fides to some old chauvinist fart who can’t see past the blonde hair and size-four suit. Any other time he’d sympathize, but…
He turned his attention back to Aeryn. Her expression was neutral in a way that he found scary. She reached to the table next to her and picked up an apple and hurled it at the kid’s head.
“Aeryn, wha-“ the apple thudded into the wall behind where Mars’ head had been a moment before and paper from the dropped file fluttered to the floor. He watched the kid take her finger off the trigger and lower the barrel of the automatic pistol that she held in her hands.
“Agent Mars.” Craig said.
She straightened up and holstered her weapon, staring straight at Aeryn the whole time. “Sorry, sir. Officer Sun caught me by surprise. It won’t happen again.”
She picked up the file without breaking eye contact and John wondered if that was a threat or a promise he’d heard. He looked at Aeryn who was smirking. “So… satisfied?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t want to try throwing an actual knife or anything?” he asked, sounding bitchy and knowing it but having guns pointed at them made him cranky, especially when his wife was provoking people and very especially when he had already given in to the nice men in the dark suits and left his own gun on the damned transport pod.
She shook her head, “No, John. The apple will suffice.”
“Y’know, it’s not nice to scare people carrying guns.”
Aeryn smiled like a bloodthirsty seraphim, all inscrutable violence and heartbreaking beauty. There was probably, probably, no chance the kid could have gotten a shot off on Aeryn but it was the kind of behaviour that did his nerves no favours.
He turned to the two feds. Mars was watching them with hard, wary eyes, anger and embarrassment riding her. Her boss, Agent Craig merely wore the pinched and pained expression John had come to associate with the government staff assigned to his family.
Mars tossed the file at Aeryn, who caught it neatly. “You could have just asked to see my service record.
“I held the range records for my academy class in both target and combat shooting and I’ve fired my weapon in the line of duty on two occasions. This isn’t my first time to the dance.”
Aeryn flipped through the pages, nodding. “And the men you shot at, did you kill them?”
John looked between the two women. Mars’ chin jerked up another notch, stung, but her eyes didn’t waver. “One of them, yes.”
“Would you do it again?”
“If I had to.”
“To protect yourself?”
“If that was my only option.”
“And to protect my children?”
“Without hesitation.”
She spoke clearly, firmly, didn’t hesitate, which John liked. He looked at Aeryn who inclined her head towards him - his decision: wonderful.
“Dren,” he sighed and turned his eyes back to the girl. He rubbed his thumb along his bottom lip. He brought the kids to show them his home, meet their human family. More than that, he wanted to show Earth living breathing proof of humanity’s connection to the stars, open people’s eyes, make them see the wonders as well as the dangers waiting in the skies.
It was a good idea in theory. Why he’d thought it would work out any better than any of his other plans was another question. Then the death threats started.
“It’s your decision, Commander Crichton,” Craig told him, his long face serious, “But I strongly recommend that you add Agent Mars to your security detail.”
The kid, Mars, looked bored on the surface but underneath he thought he felt her seethe. The waves of pissed of emanating in his direction were so familiar it was damn close to reassuring. It tipped the balance: he sighed: “All right, fine. Welcome to the team, Agent.”
“Call me Veronica, Commander.”
This time he held out his hand. “John and my wife, Aeryn…”.
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