Veronica bit her lip as she counted the bottles again; she had already given last call for the night and the bar had closed, now all was left was to finish counting and cleaning up, easy work and it gave her a chance to unwind from the day. Happy with the number of beer they had left in the cooler she clicked her pen close and left the tiny space for the warmth of the main part of the bar. Stepping back behind the counter she grabbed a towel and a bottle of cleaner and began spraying down the counter, "I'm going for a walk." Charlie called from across the room, Veronica looked up and gave the old ghost a look, "It's snowing..." she said glancing to the tv where the local news was giving the next weeks weather. It was Charlie's turn to give a look, "And I'm dead." he said before vanishing.

She shook her head and went back to finish cleaning up, Logan was going to be excited about the snow in the morning, then again he was probably still up reading a comic book, when he should be asleep. Veronica leaned down to put away her cleaning supplies when she felt a rather cold gust of wind come thru the room, it couldn't be Charlie, this felt like something from the outside. Everyone in town knew when the bar closed, better yet she had the sign turned off, and the only reason why she hadn't locked the front door was because it was the last thing she did when she left. Moving slowly she stood up again and looked towards the door where whoever had entered was still standing with the door open. It took her a moment to recognize who was standing there, the face had changed a little and he was shorter than she remembered. Her hand tightened around the baseball bat she kept under the bar in case she needed it, "Where the hell have you been?" she called, "And shut the damn door it's cold." 


Tag: Jason Robert Oxford

He stood outside in the snow as it fell on him, around him. For days he had been working up the courage to see her. But he had to know for sure that Noel wasn't around when stepped inside. It had been a long time since he had seen her again. Seeing her from the distance was different. He wasn't sure she would react the same way her brother had, but he was expecting it. Inhaling he took few steps towards the bar.


He heard her talk to someone, took a step back. It hadn't been Noel's voice instead it had been deeper. Yet he hadn't caught the words. With hesitation, he opened the door, letting draft inside the warm room. And watched her work, she had grown. The pigtails he remember were gone. She was no longer a teen he left behind. Her question made him smile, "Around," he replied as he took a step forward after he closed the door, "Been a long time Veronica." He was sure if she would allow him to call her; Ver as he once had.

"Noel isn't around, is he?" He asked, last thing he wanted was to face the end of a shot gun and a angry SEAL.


<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

She practically lived with a ghost, but he was a 150 year old Irishman who liked soap operas, but seeing him was like seeing a ghost, it was weird seeing him after all these years. Veronica watched him approach the bar, she lifted her arm and set the baseball bat she had picked up down on the bar top, just in case any other idiot decided to walk in after hours. "Been a long time Veronica." she just stared at him as he spoke, of course he wondered if her brother was around. "Twenty one years.." she said as she reached for a clean glass, setting it on the counter she turned and grabbed a bottle of her favorite whiskey, pulling the top off she poured herself a rather large portion. She set the bottle down and picked up the glass, looking to Bobby she took a sip before speaking again. "Twenty one years.." she said again as she set her glass down, "You know after about the eighth year I decided it was easier to tell myself that you died rather than up and left your family." she said looking to him, "So where have you been around, since you haven't been here?" she asked.

He cringe at her words, but made no comment as he watched her pour herself a glass to almost full. He didn't have the words for her 'twenty-one years'. Couldn't even start to explain the mess he had gotten himself into. She had been too young when everything had happened. Now he was standing in front of a thirty something year old woman she had become. He took in the changes he saw. But wasn't sure what he had expected.

Shifting where he stood he cringed again as she repeated the length of time they had last seen each other. Since the day his father had disowned him, he had kept his distance given it was easier that way than try to interact with those who that once meant everything to him, swallowed at her comment, "Before or after I left?" he asked, making no move to cover the distance between them. "Might have been easier if I really had been dead."

Inhaling he jammed his hands the pocket of his jacket, as he heard the pain in her voice; or perhaps it was his wishful thinking, "New York," he answered, "Only came here like a month back."  It would be so much easier if she hated him also.


<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

"No it wouldn't have been easier if you were dead because the same time I was thinking you were dead I was also hoping you'd magically show up again." Veronica Snapped Back after his comment on him being better off dead. She shook her head and took another sip of her drink, enjoying the warmth as it spread thru her chest. She set the glass down again, "Sit. Take your jacket off, you're not leaving anytime soon." She told him, if he even thought about vanishing into the night she was going to get Noel's shotgun and shoot him herself. Veronica reached for another clean glass, and set it in front of Bobby, "We can start with what do you drink." She said, "Figuring I never got to find out." She added.

As she spoke he stared at the floor, as a lot of emotions slammed inside him. Here was someone who was genuinely happy to see him. Something he was hoping for but wasn't expecting. Her words of 'magically appearing' cracked him a little, gulping he looked at her, trying to assert her for a second. He wasn't sure what her snapping meant. If anything at all. He knew what her tantrums had sounded like and meant. So much had changed from then and now. So many years had passed, so much to catch up on, if anyone allowed it

He didn't want to stick around longer than he had to so he moved his mouth to tell her that he would see her later, but she was ordering him to take a seat. He could only look at her in shock, but did as he was asked, taking his jacket off, he placed it next to him on the stool and sat, then placed the cane on the bar table, "I'm not even suppose to step inside this place. Your brother will my head once he hears it." He was sure that the word would spread like a wildfire and Noel would know before he took the first sip of his coffee if anyone had seen him walk in.

As she sat the glass down, he placed his hand over hers, "You are the first person in this damn town who doesn't want to shoot me," He reckoned she would if she knew the whole truth. On the other hand he had not idea if she knew everything or just bits, "or beat me up with a baseball bat." He looked at the bat and found it to be familiar. For the life of him, he could not say why it was familiar.

Removing his hand from hers, he picked up the empty glass and studied it, "I'll have whatever you are having. But otherwise I'm a JD man."


<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

Of course he was worried about her loving former Navy Seal brother who didn't have a problem throwing (not kicking...literally throwing) people out of the bar on occasion. Who wouldn't be? Then again she also sometimes disagreed with her brother on things worth getting mad over, but that was something that came with having a sibling. Veronica looked at his hand when he touched hers, she was mad at him, then again at the same time she was glad he was there. "Noel is home sick, and he won't be shooting you here. We already have enough ghosts." she muttered after the fact. 

Turning she grabbed a half full bottle of Jack Daniels and poured him his own glass, "Tennessee's Finest." she said as she set the bottle down near him in case he wanted more later. "I prefer Southern Comfort myself, but it all ended up tasting the same after a while." she said as she picked up her glass again and took a sip, due to her job she knew more about alcohol than most and thanks to whatever lovely gene she was able to drink most people under the table. It was a trait she was both proud and ashamed on...mostly because now she was a parent and parents weren't supposed to do that. "Also beating someone with their own baseball bat is not a nice thing to do. By the way that is your bat...and no you can't have it back." Veronica said as she gave him a smirk. 

He gave her look at said it all. He wasn't sure who she was fooling. Herself or him. Jason wasn't going to be quick to dismiss the ideas that his own cousin won't take a shot at him. His own mother had. He had stepped into the bar with his kids by mistake only to be have his own ass hurled outside with a warning; should he step anywhere near Sailor House, he was going to see the barrel end of the gun. After that he had taken the girls back home on an empty stomcah and had pizza instead; and never looked at the bar again. Till he had recognised Ver, "I won't be too fast to dismiss that. He would shoot me dead where I sit without remose."

Jason twisted his face at the one she preferred, "Tastes like crap, that one," he picked his own and sipped, "after a few shots. You can't tell the difference." Hell after few shots it was hard to walk straight. At least that had been the case for him.

He picked it up as she reminded him to whom it belonged to, "You kept it?" He was sure that everything that he had here was thrown out by his father. He tucked the emotions back that came out after seeing the engraving on it. With a slight tremble he placed it back, "Should have thrown it out. Like everything else the old man threw away." He drank half a glass in a go, "Wasn't worth keeping it."

<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

"Get rid of a well worn Louisville slugger that the only serious marking is some kids bad attempt at carving his initials?" she laughed, "I am keeping it and if anyone tries to take it away they will get smacked with it." she had only had to use it on someone twice, once was a punk ass kid who thought it would be funny to try and rob the place and the other was on the sleaze bag lawyer her parents sent with a court summons when they tried to win custody over her son. That had been a fun day, almost had the cops called if Noel hadn't stepped in. "My preferred drink does not taste like crap and yes, after a few shots they do taste the same but we are not doing shots tonight. Another time." Lisa was already not going to be thrilled that she decided to have a drink...or two before coming home, and Veronica already knew she'd be heading home later than usual. But tonight she had a reason to be late. Veronica leaned against the bar and rested her arms on top, she took a moment to study her cousins face; like herself he had changed over the years, but it was still Bobby, just a little older. "So New York eh?" she asked, "I went to college up there, thought it was enough to get away from mom and dad....but I ended up back here.." 

Jason smiled at her laugh. He had been ten when his father had brought it for him, had dreams of becoming a baseball player. His eyes looked softly at the bat, "Those were some serious initials," he told her, "I was 10, baseball was my world. Dad -" he cut off as the memories flooded back, more of the disowning ones. His expression changed as he tore his eyes from the one thing had he had loved, he shook his head as he polished off the drink, "The old man brought it. It had been the latest on the market at that time. I don't want it back. Didn't come here for it." Heck he had no idea that she had it. He took the bottle and poured himself a shot amount of the drink, drowning it. Washing away the bitter memories for now.

He hadn't even comment on her 'up and left your family'. That had been enough to tell him that she didn't know. "Actually your preferred drink does taste like crap," he told her nicely, belatedly realised that he was picking on her, as he had when they had been young, "Not really one of the finest on the market. But each to their own." Setting the glass down, "Can't do shot, Doctors will have my ass and chew me out at the same time." He was trying to cut down on the hard stuff. But you only lived once.

He noticed her look at him, "I'm not a ghost, Veronica," he said, when she asked New York, he nodded, "Yea, Queens to be precise. Did you like it? Why did have to get away from Uncl..." he squeezed his face at the slip for the second time, "your parents?"

<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

She realized he did not know about the whole ordeal with her leaving Winterly and basically cutting all ties with her parents, while Bobby might be involved with the Oxfords scandal..Veronica was the cause of the Andersons. Guess the saying is true, birds of a feather flock together. "Back in '93 I came out to the family, but being fifteen everyone but Noel blew it off as a phase...someone even mentioned how it was an attention grab." Veronica chuckled before taking a sip of her drink, setting the glass back down she looked to Bobby. Usually she had no problem telling people her story or how her parents were total bags of crap who still insisted on seeing their only grandson. "I didn't say anything else about it after that. Two years later dad caught me making out with this really pretty cheerleader...who was a girl. Of course he and mom flipped their lids, and wasted no time in telling me what they thought about my life choices, after several arguments they gave me a choice. Either change my ways or move out.." she paused for a moment, "They didn't really give me a choice...but I wasn't going to stick around to listen to them every day, so when it came time for college I got the hell out of dodge. New York was nice, lots of people, very easy to vanish for a while if you wanted." 

As much as she had loved the city, she still had missed the small town where she had grown up, "I worked as a waitress while going to school, managed to get my degree and actually enjoy an unjudged life for once. It was fun, then of course I had to go and get knocked up... I won't go into those details but besides being the only bisexual bartender in town, I also have a son." Veronica stopped talking and smiled, even though he had been possibly the biggest curve ball to ever enter her life, she still was glad she had him, life would be much different if Logan wasn't around. "He's ten now..." she said softly, that kid sure knew how to make her feel old sometimes. 

>>Jason Robert Oxford<<

Jason twirled the empty glass in his hand as she began her tale. The guilt of not being there for her ignited. He though of his own past and almost wanted to slam the glass on the floor; but there would have been hell to pay with Noel and he didn't want that. His own father had never heard his side when the Admiral had decided to disown him. "They never give you much choice," he spoke absently, as his fathers words rang in his ear, "Their way or highway." Feeling defeated, he set the glass down, he deliberately lit his eyes with humor, "Cute with a pretty ass too?" he asked and chuckled. He wasn't making a light of the situation, but trying lighten up the heavy air he could sense.

Running his finger over the rim of the glass, "I know, very easy to blend into that large crowd. A lot easier to loose someone as well. I always like the fact the I could blend in for hiding. I miss it. Small town...well it doesn't has the same hype. Crissy hates it here," he shrugged, "nothing I can do about it. Plus she is all city girl." And fourteen.

Looking at his cousin, "I'm sorry I wasn't there. If I knew you were going to be in NY...." he trailed off as he reached for the bottle and then scowled at himself, "Got coke?" After a moment of silence he picked up where he had trailed off, "My door would have been open for you. Still is." In regards to Veronica, hell with Noel.

He smiled, "Mischievous? At that age everyone tents to be." His had bombed him with questions about his parents and family. He had told them so many lies to keep their questions in a box, being here it would undo all of that. It only matter of them before they grabbed over it. "I got three. Two girls and boy. Fourteen and five respectively. Parenthood...who would have thought."

Veronica laughed at his remark about the cheerleaders ass, "It was cute but Lisa's is cuter...but don't go staring at it." she told him. Lisa was beautiful, least in her eyes she was, and occasionally the unknowing bar patron would sometimes get caught staring.  "I'm sorry I wasn't there. If I knew you were going to be in NY....Got coke?" Veronica nodded and walked a little ways down the bar to the soda fountain they had, "When Noel first bought this place the guy had pepsi..." she cringed, Pepsi and Jack sounded horrible and she didn't know how the man had run a bar and served that crap.  "My door would have been open for you. Still is." she scooped some ice into a glass and then filled it with the soda, "I've always had a feeling it was..." she said giving him a smile as she walked around the bar, setting the glass down beside his other empty one she sat down on the empty stool beside him. She reached for her bottle of whiskey and refilled her own glass, "Parenthood is something else...and Logan is....Logan..." the kid was something else, Ver took a sip of her drink, "You'll be glad to hear that he likes baseball...so that still runs in the family pretty strong." 

He shook his head, as he tried to keep a straight face, "I won't dare," he told her, "Vicki might kick my butt if I did. Besides, staring days have been long over." He had to overhaul his own life to stay alive. It had been hard to predict when it was going to be last day as towards the end Galacio trust him was barely existence.

He listened as she told him about the bar's former owner, "Pepsi ain't that bad," he protested, as his coke was set before him. Turn to look at her, "Always will be. You are lucky that you have his support. Don't lose it. By doing stupid like I did." His only support was his wife, but for years he had been his own solo support, cut of from family; disowned to be precise. His fingers curled around his glass as he stared at it.

"I second to that," he agreed, "When the twins were born, the whole house was upside down. I don't think I remember anything outside of sleep deprivation. Then again I could." Jason smiled as she told him about her son liking baseball, "What can I say, takes after his...." he cut himself off, as he nodded awkwardly, he was not the kid's uncle by any relation, he had to keep that in mind. "it's a family thing I suppose," he settled for that.

"He better have a strong swing if he plans to land in the pro's when he is older." Practice made everything perfect. Picking up his coke, he brought the rim to his lips and sipped.

<<Tag: Veronica Anderson >>

"What can I say, takes after his...." Veronica started laughing, "God knows he does not take after his father, the man was a wimp. I prefer to think that he has a little bit of his cousin, uncle and great great....however many greats, grandfather. That was he gets a little of everything, which is good." Logan had never met his dad and hardly saw his biological grandfather because of Veronica's relationship with her parents. So any decent male role model was good. "It is a family thing, just like a lot of things...so good and bad." she took a sip of her drink. 

She felt eyes on her back, it was an all too familiar feeling and usually was a good sign that Charlie was in the room. Glancing down at her watch she realized that it was about the time that he came back to the bar for the night, just in time for the reruns of his soap operas. The fact that the old ghost had yet to show himself meant that he was watching them, probably wondering who the hell Bobby was and why she was still in the bar this late. Veronica took another sip of her drink, she was curious as to if Charlie was going to appear. The tv in the corner suddenly turned on and the lights in the bar flickered for several seconds before going back to their normal brightness, "Mind telling me why you are still here this late?" Charlie suddenly appeared on the other side of the bar, his gray eyes flashing bright as the lights flickered again, something that usually did not happen unless he was mad (which was a rare occurrence itself). "If you're thinking of robbing the place you best think again." Charlie said shooting a look to Charlie, Veronica let out a laugh, "Charlie he ain't going to rob us. When's the last time a robber stopped to have a drink before stealing from us? Better yet whens the last time we even got robbed?" she asked. 

Tag: Jason Robert Oxford