THE RETURN 39-Three 2/3 [Ensemble] R
Title: The Return 39-Three [Pt II]
Rating: R
Word Count: 20,797 (Pt II: 7,055)
Characters/Pairings: Mac, Veronica, Logan, Lilly I, Duncan, Dick, Wallace, Piz, Parker, Casey Gant, Lilly II, Alicia Fennel, Trina Echolls, Mrs. Lee, Celeste Kane, Jake Kane, OFCs, Carrie Bishop, Susan Knight (mentions: Darrel Fennel, OFC, Weevil, Aaron Echolls and Keith Mars)
Spoilers: All episodes (from 1.01: Pilot to 3.20: The Bitch Is Back. Just to be sure) Although this is obviously AU and there are obviously going to be some alterations to events and especially some in the last couple of episodes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally, nothing. So don’t sue me over this, because you won’t get anything. It all belongs to Rob Thomas and if I had owned it when it was still on the last season would have been way different.
1: Awake/ 2: Homecoming/ 3: Forgive/ 4: Arrival/ 5: Reconnect/ 6: Belong/ 7: Bets/ 8: Fight/ 9: Battle/ 10: Retreat/ 11: Push/ 12: Sound/ 13: Potential/ 14: More/ 15: Storytime/ 16: Understanding/ 17: Piggyback/ 18: Sinners/ 19: Drama/ 20: Dinner/ 21: Armor/ 22:Mingle/ 23:Bubbly/ 24:Awkward/ 25:Closing/ 26: Drunks/ 27: Logan/ 28: Wallace/ 29: Mac/ 30: Parker/ 31: Duncan/ 32: Lilly/33: Piz/ 34: Weevil/ 35: Dick/ 36: Veronica/ 37: One/38: Two
The Return
39
Three
December 2008
~Mac~
“So, what is he getting me?” Mac asked, forgoing the any kind of segue. It’s was easier to just come out and ask these questions when you were dealing with a world class avoider like Veronica Mars.
“Nope. Sorry, we all promised it’d be a surprise.” Veronica was a little too chipper as she shot her down, crunching down on carrot sticks. Way too perky for Mac’s liking, wasn’t she supposed to be a loyal friend? “But, you’ll be happy to know that I double checked all of his plans and it should all work out just fine, so don’t you worry.”
“Just tell me.” Mac tried again, attempting the Veronica patented head tilt that always seemed to yield results.
“I like that you think that’ll work on me.” Veronica grinned at her, annoyingly, as she popped a sliver of red pepper into her mouth. “I can give you hints on wardrobe choices though.”
“I don’t want hints on wardrobe choices, I want a full on confession about how I will be spending the evening of my twenty-first birthday since I’ve made the grave mistake of spending the afternoon of it with you.” There, that ought to do the trick, she thought as she watched Veronica’s face closely.
“Wow, you’re going to be a great mom. Already have the whole guilt trip thing down and everything.” Veronica smiled serenely.
“I know what he’s got planned.”
“Parker!” Veronica scolded, scowling at the tallest of the three blondes currently seated at the table.
“How come I don’t know?” Lilly asked, obviously insulted by this slight.
“Because you have big mouth and both Dick and I agreed that you’re more likely to announce it on the radio than actually keep it a secret.” Veronica told the older girl before turning back to Parker. “Although it seems that we should have been more wary about sharing the information with Miss Lee over there.”
“I said I knew, not that I was willing to divulge any information.” Parker clarified, obviously enjoying her moment of teasing Veronica and Mac. “Geeze, Veronica, I thought you were all about the details.”
“You know, it’s not nice to tease a pregnant woman.” Mac informed them both, crossing her arms in front of her chest and scowling at all three of her friends, just in case.
“Okay, it’s a classy casual kind of evening.” Veronica told her, finally returning her attention to the real subject.
“Classy casual?” Mac asked, a little more confused that informed but her plans for the evening. “All I got out of that is that I should not be donning my booty shorts and tube top.”
“You shouldn’t do that anyway.” Lilly informed her, shaking her head in mock disgust as she brought her bottle of lemonade up to take a drink. Or real disgust, sometimes Mac just couldn’t tell when Lilly was serious and when she wasn’t. Especially lately.
“I was kidding.” Mac told her, just in case.
“I know. I’ve been through your closet many times, I know that you don’t even own a tube top.” Lilly replied, her brow furrowing as she shook her head and laughing a little.
“Mac isn’t really getting the jokes these days.” Parker informed the table, giving her a pitying look as if she’d just told everyone Mac was terminally ill. Of course, in this group, not getting the jokes was just as bad. None of her friends ever really took things seriously, they had a joke and comment for everything.
“It means that you shouldn’t wear jeans but a dress or skirt isn’t really necessary. Actually, sartorially speaking, Parker should really be telling you because she’s the one that Dick sent shopping to pick up an outfit for you.” Veronica gestured to Parker. “Miss Lee, take it away.”
“I got you two options. There’s a red wrap dress, just in case you’re feeling a bit girlier but there’s also some black linen pants and red scoop-neck top in there too. Silk. It’s gorgeous. There’s a pair of red patent leather heels and a matching purse, all in the guest bedroom closet.” Parker informed her.
“Someone had a theme.” Lilly commented.
“I think she looks really pretty in red, and I was trying to match it to the streaks in her hair which are currently deep red.” Parker said, defending her choices.
“Okay, so where will I be wearing these potentially fabulous outfits?” Mac asked, hoping to catch at least one of them off-guard enough to let something slip.
“Uh-uh.” Veronica was shaking her head and giving Parker a look that could only be described as menacing.
“Come on, Veronica. She should have a little hint about where he’s taking her.
“Okay. It’s nice dinner so you have to dress classy but there’s post-dinner activities where you’re not going to want to be completely formal. You know, more casual, but I’ve seen the dress and it’s casual enough for the second part but nice enough for the first part. So is the other outfit.” Veronica explained and Mac could tell that that was all she was going to get out of blonde number one. Blonde number two didn’t know anything but blonde number three was weak, easier to crack. “You did really great with the clothes, Parker.”
“Thank you, Veronica.” Parker replied and they were both so smug about it that Mac felt the sudden urge to smack them both.
“Why didn’t you get to pick out the clothes?” Lilly asked.
Veronica shrugged nonchalantly, as if she didn’t know nor care about the answer.
“Dick said that Veronica’s style was a bit too sassy.” Parker said, causing everyone to dissolve into giggles.
Mac joined in because the idea of Dick telling her best friend that her style was too sassy was just too funny not to laugh with her friends about, even if they were disloyal brats who were keeping Dick’s secrets.
~*~
She sat across from Dick in the red wrap dress and wished that she’d gone with the pants outfit. When she’d gotten home and Dick told her to change into whatever Parker had picked out she’d thought, for just a second, that the dress was too pretty to pass up. A moment of girly weakness that she was now regretting. She felt more exposed than she cared to admit and just a little cold on this December evening.
“You want my jacket?” Dick asked, already sliding his arms out of his sleeves. She saw him empty out the pockets before he passed the suit jacket across the table to her. She eyed him suspiciously, wondering what it was that he didn’t want her to see.
“Thank you.” She congratulated herself on not letting her suspicion creep into her voice. She slid her arms into his still warm jacket and was grateful for it’s warmth and Dick’s thoughtfulness. She thought about how the last significant birthday she’d had was her eighteenth and she’d spent that birthday mostly annoyed with Dick for interrupting her and Cassidy’s date. Nineteen had been depressing and last year’s birthday hadn’t been all that memorable. She hadn’t been planning a big party this year, but she had expected to do the cliché bar crawl with all her friends. Then she’d found out she was pregnant and, while it didn’t seem like such a tragedy as it would have if it happened last year, she’d been a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to drink on her birthday.
“I know it sucks that you can’t have wine or something on your twenty-first birthday, so I thought maybe we’d stop by a convenience store and you can take your new ID out for a test drive.” Dick offered, smiling a little at her and she remembered just how excited he’d been to walk into a liquor store and pull out his actual driver’s license rather than the fake one he’d been using since he was seventeen. “I’m sorry I kind of ruined your twenty-first birthday for you.”
“You didn’t ruin it.” Mac told him, smiling at him and she didn’t feel so disappointed anymore. “It’s not like I’m that big of drinker, you know?” And she really wasn’t. If she wasn’t pregnant she probably wouldn’t be partying it up anyway. They’d probably be doing exactly this but instead of the ginger ale in her wine glass she’d have a little champagne and then maybe a beer later, at whatever this mysterious post-dinner activity, but no more than that.
The waiter came and took their nearly empty plates, asking if they’d like any dessert. They ordered cake and Mac was eternally grateful that Dick didn’t insist on having the wait staff sing an embarrassing version of Happy Birthday while they brought her slice to her with a sparkler sticking out of it. Logan had pulled that crap on Veronica last August and Mac was still a little surprised that he’d lived through the experience.
As soon as the waiter left Dick slid two neatly wrapped boxes across the table towards her. They were wrapped in shiny blue paper with a silver bows on top and Mac smiled at the sight of them. It reminded her of birthday parties when she was little, how presents always came before cake but after whatever her mother was serving for lunch.
She unwrapped the long thin one first, revealing a black velvet jewelers box, opening that to find a thin silver chain with a glittering snowflake charm. She removed it from the box and put it on before moving on to the second box. She could see that she had the attention of the woman at the table next to them, craning her neck so she could see what was in the beautifully wrapped presents. Nosy bitch, Mac thought as she reached for her second gift.
This box was more cube-like and Mac had a momentary panic as she held it in her hands, hoping that Dick didn’t feel the need to propose now that he’d knocked her up. She held her breath and fought the urge to close her eyes as she opened the box and revealed… a very beautiful pair of earrings. Diamonds, not too small to seem like he’d had to save up for them but not too large to be deemed ostentatious. They were perfect, and Mac let out the breath she’d been holding, felt herself relax.
“They’re perfect.” Mac told him as she set the box down in order remove the earrings so she could wear them. The nosy woman next to them slumped back into her chair in disappointment, like she had some personal stake in Dick’s proposal.
“I’m glad. I was going to get you your birthstone but Veronica said these would go with a lot more.” Dick explained. “Honestly, I was going to ignore her but when I got to the jewelry store and saw what the turquoise stuff looked like, I realized she was right. These were more your style anyway.”
“I love them.” Mac assured as she put the earrings on, first the right and then the left. She turned her head from side to side, letting them sparkle a little. “How do they look?”
“Perfect.”
~Lilly~
“What, mother?” Lilly asked, lounging on the couch with the newest issue of Vogue as her mother bustled about, asking inane questions.
“Lillian, I specifically asked you to go entertain your niece until your father and brother get back.” To say that Celeste wasn’t particularly maternal was an understatement, to say she’s not grandmotherly is stating something so obvious it was akin to smacking oneself in the head with a hammer and then saying it hurt. Duncan had had to kidnap and avoid the law for almost two years in order for her to come to terms with being a grandmother but, when the opportunity arose, she pawned even that off on someone else.
“Mother, didn’t you volunteer to watch the munchkin while they went out golfing?” Golfing, hah, they just wanted to get out of the house and away from you.
“Lillian, what have I told you about calling her that dreadful nickname that those delinquent friends of yours gave her?” Celeste continued to move through the room, probably looking for the crystal crap she’d forced on Duncan when they’d moved back up to Napa and left him in charge of the house. It’d taken Duncan about point two seconds to have it all boxed up and placed in the basement.
Lilly continued to flip through her magazine for a few more seconds before realization dawned on her. “Mother, where is Little Lilly?”
“I don’t know, with Elsa.” Celeste waved her hand in the direction of the back half of the house, which included the kitchen, a bedroom and the door leading to the patio and pool area.
“You can’t just abandon her, she could fall in the pool and die.” Lilly got to her feet quickly and took a few steps before Elsa emerged from the kitchen carrying her niece. “Thank you Elsa, where did you find her?”
“She want to swim, but she already in pretty dress so we decide to find you instead.” Elsa explained in her broken English, her Norwegian accent still pretty thick. Duncan had hired Elsa pretty quickly after he got out of prison, she had moved in late last month so she’d already be settled by time Duncan started his classes at Hearst in January. She was tall, blonde and blue eyed and was about as fair skinned as you could get. She was sweet and Munchkin loved her. Lilly was also pretty sure that Duncan was fucking her.
“I leave now, Miss Kane. I go spend Christmas with friends.” Elsa handed the little girl over to Lilly.
“Aunt Lilly, can we go swimming later?” Munchkin asked, her voice sweet and timid as she eyed her grandmother. Good girl, Lilly thought. The kid was smart as a whip, beautiful and sweet. If it weren’t for that last part Lilly would say that the little girl took completely after her, but that sweetness was all Duncan. Or, according to Veronica, all Meg Manning. Meg Manning wasn’t a girl that she’d given a lot of thought to before, but she was glad that Meg had given up the goods to her little brother. Otherwise they’d be completely sans the Munchkin and Lilly didn’t think that their lives would be any better for it, despite what Celeste preached when she had a little too much Pinot.
“We’ll see, Munchkin.” Lilly told her niece before looking back up at the nanny. Time to ferret out some facts. “You have friends here? Stateside? I thought you’d be spending Christmas with my brother…” Lilly paused a moment, studying the other woman’s non-reaction before continuing, “and my niece.”
“I give Mr. Duncan his present later.” I’ll bet. “I already give Miss Lilly hers.”
“Well, he’ll miss you I’m sure.” Lilly told the girl, satisfied when Elsa’s head snapped up and Lilly could see the faint beginnings of a blush. They’re totally screwing. “After all, no he’s going to have to depend on our mother to help him watch her.”
“Lillian!” Celeste gasped, but Lilly went on as if she hadn’t spoke.
“Not that she’s all that much trouble. Munchkin here is so well behaved I sometimes wonder if she’s actually a Kane girl. We tend to be a bit wild. Kane men though, they seem pretty tame but they have a wild streak. Right mother?” Another gasp of horror from her mother. “At least, that’s what my friend Veronica’s mother told her.”
“Lillian Katherine Kane!” Usage of the full name, Celeste was really pissed. Elsa just looked confused and Lilly felt a little guilty about falling back on bad habits, but her mother just brought out the worst in her.
“I leave now Miss Kane. I be back Saturday to help with birthday party.” Elsa nodded at them again before making her way out the front door, only stopping briefly to get her coat out of the foyer closet. Lilly watched out the huge front windows as the girl got in her compact car and drove off.
“Lilly, how dare you say those things. And in front of the help and Duncan’s daughter.” Celeste was gearing up for a full on fit and Lilly wasn’t in the mood for it. Thankfully Duncan and her father chose that moment to return.
“Grampa!” Munchkin shouted leaning out with open arms to embrace Jake. He hadn’t been the best father but Lilly hadn’t ever really held it against him the way she held it against Celeste. Since she was young Lilly had known that her father was extremely busy, that he had a lot to do and couldn’t devote as much time to her as she might want and that was okay because he loved her. Celeste, however, had been a ‘stay at home mom’ without ever actually being at home or giving any of her time to her daughter. Duncan was pampered, the precious prince that got all the attention she could afford to give when she wasn’t off working on one of her committees.
“Hey, Munchkin.” Duncan greet his daughter with a kiss on her forehead as he passed through the living room. Lilly chose to follow him instead of dealing with her mother and the fight they were sure to have at some point today.
“So, what did you and dad do? I know you didn’t go golfing so save that lie for mom.” Lilly followed him down the hall to the kitchen.
“Strip club. Smoked a couple of cigars, dad bought me a lap dance.” Duncan joked as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and a bottle of pills out of the cupboard.
“Gross, Donut. What’d you really do?” She leaned against the counter as she watched him shake out a pill and pop it in his mouth, chasing it with half the bottle of water.
“We went in to the office and talked for a bit without mom around.” Duncan stuck his head out into the hallway and checked for their parents or his daughter. Lilly could hear her mother yelling and Jake asking her not to speak like this in front of their granddaughter.
“Your fuck buddy already left.” Lilly said, hopping up to sit on island counter as she waited for her brother to tell her whatever it was that nobody else was supposed to hear.
“What?” Duncan looked back at her, his brows pulled together in confusion. Almost convincing, not quite.
“Elsa? She left to spend Christmas with friends. You’re sleeping with her, yes?” Lilly didn’t need her brother to confirm it, all the signs were there, she just wanted to see how far he’d go to keep from admitting it.
“No, but I need to talk to you about something else.” He checked outside the door again before coming to stand in front of Lilly, almost disturbingly close. “Dad and I were at the office because he wanted to talk to me about something first.” Duncan’s voice was lowered to a whisper and Lilly felt the thrill travel up her spine at the thought of a secret. A good one, by the look on Duncan’s face.
“Cool, spy voice.” Lilly’s voice was low and conspiratorial as she leaned a little closer to her brother. “What was it? Corporate espionage?”
“No,” Duncan spared a brief ‘you’re insane’ look for her before he went on. “Dad’s leaving mom.”
“And he thought to warn you but not me? Is that more of a comment on my relationship with or my relationship with mom?” Lilly asked, snapping back into her normal voice. She was more than a little annoyed that their father had shown more consideration for Duncan’s feelings on the matter than hers. It wasn’t like this was going to traumatize her or anything. In the grand scheme of things, this was probably one of the more normal problems she had in her life, but the same could be said for Duncan and he still got the heads up.
“Dad said he was going to try and get you alone at some point but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to. He wanted at least one of us to know beforehand so we’d warn the other, just in case he didn’t get a chance to sit down with both of us. He wanted it to be one-on-one so we could ask questions or whatever. He’s going to try to get you alone, to talk, later on today but, just in case, he told me to fill you in.” Duncan rested his hands on her shoulders in a calming gesture, his voice still low and secretive.
“So, what? Is he leaving mom for Mrs. Mars?” Lilly asked, calmed by the belief that her father wasn’t leaving her out, her mother was just a nosy bitch who would want to know why he wanted to hang out with Lilly. Duncan and him golfing Christmas morning was understandable but she’d want to know why Jake wanted a little daddy-daughter time in the library.
“That’s not why. He has pictures, of mom having an affair with the tennis pro up at the Napa Country Club.” Duncan whispered, looking a little more on edge now that they’ve gotten to the meaty part of the story.
“That’s ironic.” Lilly laughed, a little surprised that her mother, the Ice Queen, was getting off with the help.
“I know, but I guess that, even after all these years, she doesn’t have any definitive proof that dad ever cheated. He says he just wants out, that he can’t take her anymore. It’s been a long time coming but he stayed with her during the your coma and the whole Aaron Echolls stuff. Then he stayed because you were just getting back on your feet and I was in prison and all that. Now that everything is settled and you’re in college and I’m starting in January he feels that the time is right. He’s going to do it right after the new year, something about resolutions.” Duncan’s whispering was so low that she had to strain to hear it, leaning forward until her hear was right next to his mouth.
“Children, I think it’s time we open our Christmas presents now, don’t you?” Celeste’s voice came from the doorway and both Duncan and Lilly jumped away from each other as if they’d been burned. “What are you two doing?” Celeste’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, looking from Duncan’s almost guilty face to Lilly’s answering glare. Lilly kicked out at her brother, the instant her foot made contact he glanced over and then his face went blank.
Celeste gave them both a stern and expectant look before turning and heading back into the living room. Lilly cringed as she heard her mother yell at her namesake “Lillian Meg Kane, you stop that this instant.” Lilly saw her brother’s shoulders set into a defensive posture as he headed out of the kitchen.
“Hey!” Lilly called to her brother. Duncan stopped and turned back to her, his eyebrows raised questioningly. “You are fucking your nanny, right?”
She just barely glimpsed his eye roll before he turned back around and headed towards his daughter.
~Veronica~
Veronica hadn’t really been much of a big drinker before turning twenty-one and that really hadn’t changed once it’d become legal for her to drink. Although she did enjoy the occasional glass of wine or bottle of beer, like now. Logan was off getting his own beer after retrieving her a glass of chardonnay from one of the bars set up around the estate. She didn’t know whether Duncan had willingly agreed to this party or if Lilly had just railroaded right over his protests and done it anyway, but Veronica was glad either way since Lilly’s recent history with parties at Veronica’s house.
“Hi?” A petite girl with light brown hair greeted her, suddenly emerging from the living room where a Christmas tree was still dominating a corner.
“Hey. Anna, right?” Veronica spared her a glance before continuing to scan the crowd of over-eager partiers.
“Yeah. We met earlier this week at that little girl’s birthday party?” Veronica glanced at her again, unsure whether this was an actual question or if the girl had that annoying habit of turning statements into questions. Probably the latter, the girl didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer.
“Munchkin’s birthday party, yeah.” Veronica eyed the girl, trying to imagine Parker being best friends with her. Veronica knew that they all had friends outside their tight-knit group but she rarely ever encountered one of Parker’s. Parker had a tendency to stick close to home, so to speak, too gun shy to get very close to anyone outside of their tight knit group of ten. A side-effect of being raped almost immediately after coming to a new place and meeting a slew of new people. Mercer was gone, behind bars, but the damage he had done was everlasting. So this girl, who represented a point in Parker’s life before rape had changed her, was a mystery. A clue to who Parker was before Veronica had really gotten to know her, before Parker had become a full-fledged member of a group whose one major defining quality was the tragedies they’d survived. Except for Piz, but he’d gotten his stripes in the form of sex tapes and beat downs, not exactly tragic.
“I notice you all call her Munchkin. That’s not her actual name though, right?” Anna asked and Veronica realized that they all did call her Munchkin and never anything else.
“Her name is Lilly. Duncan named her after his sister while she was in the coma. None of us thought she was ever going to wake up, it was almost like she died.” Veronica explained.
“Oh. Parker said something about an attempted murder and stuff, but I had a hard time…” Anna hesitated and Veronica could see the something close to fear behind her eyes. Veronica knew that Anna must know the group’s history, most of it played out in national news and gossip rags, but because they hadn’t personally told her it made it difficult to know how to broach the subject. “I didn’t really think it was all true because, you know, we’re too young to deal with that stuff. Murder and comas and stuff.”
“Nobody is ever too young for anything.” Veronica told her, wishing that Logan would get back with his beer and steer this conversation into safer waters.
“Parker told me a little about what you’re all like. It just seems so… crazy.”
It was crazy and insane and tragic and painful and none of that is something I want to share with you. Veronica stared at the girl and could see that she didn’t realize how much their past was none of her business. She was reminded of that first week at college, how innocent Piz and Parker had been and how much she had both envied and hated them for it. They’d been able to go off to college where they were unknown and have a fresh start, murder and violence and death and danger hadn’t followed them.
“It was.” Her answer simple, succinct, and Anna finally took the hint that this wasn’t a topic up for discussion. Parker knew enough to fill the girl in if she was so curious, but she wouldn’t be getting an insider information from Veronica.
“You know, with how much Parker talked about that Duncan guy I thought I’d get here and she’d be dating him.” Anna was off on another topic and Veronica was grateful even if she was still a little annoyed with her. “I know she mentioned Casey a couple of times, but I really thought she’d be dating the other one.”
“They’re just friends.” She knew that feeling because they’d all thought that Duncan was going to get out of prison and Parker and him would be the new couple in the group. It had come as a surprise when Parker and Duncan had both began insisting that they were just friends and were not dating. Personally she had thought that they really were secretly dating until Parker announced that she was dating Casey. Veronica hoped that Duncan wasn’t pining, that he was really interested in Parker and was just trying not to show it, because a pining Duncan never worked out for anyone.
“But I like Casey and Duncan seems very happy with his girlfriend, at least he was when they snuck off earlier.” Anna look of near-boredom turned to shock as Veronica whipped her head back to stare a the other girl. She hadn’t really been paying attention, scanning the crowd for her boyfriend and trying to think of a way to excuse herself, but this had most certainly gotten her attention.
“Duncan doesn’t have a girlfriend.” Veronica stated, realizing after a moment that Anna had only met Duncan once and she probably saw someone else sneaking into a room with a girl.
“Well, they looked pretty familiar to me. They were getting really physical in the hallway before he opened the door to that bedroom at the end of the hall on the second floor. I was looking for a bathroom and Parker said there was one up there that I could use.” Anna looked a little smug now, having information that Veronica didn’t about Veronica’s friends, people she barely knew.
“Are you sure it was Duncan? You’ve only met him once, maybe you got him mixed up with someone else.”
“No, she called him by his name. Otherwise I wouldn’t have known it was him at all because his back was to me. It was her I recognized. The tall blonde girl that was at the birthday party, she um… she’s foreign, talks with broken English, thick accent. Weird name.” Anna looked positively gleeful with her information and Veronica knew that by the end of the night nearly everyone at this party would know about it.
“Elsa?” Veronica asked even though she was pretty sure that’s who it was. Veronica shook her head a little, holding in the laugh. Duncan was sleeping with the nanny. “Will you excuse me? I’m going to run to the bathroom.”
~*~
“So, you’re sleeping with your nanny?” Veronica asked as Duncan and Elsa emerged from the master bedroom, looking mussed but satisfied. Ew. There was something disturbing about hearing a close friend having sex, and she’d heard their grand finale just as she arrived in the upstairs hallway. She had leaned back and thought of England as she waited for them to emerge from the room.
Duncan blushed bright red and refused to meet her gaze, opting to leaned down and whisper in Elsa’s ear. The girl nodded before walking confidently down the hallway. That’s one cool Swede, Veronica thought as she watched Elsa walk away without a single ounce of embarrassment.
“I think she’s actually called an au pair.” He was still avoiding her gaze as he tried for nonchalance.
“I think it’s still called a cliché, no matter what you call her.” Veronica smirked at him and he raised his eyes to her face just long enough to catch it.
“Don’t tell Lilly.” He was looked at her right in the eye, his blush fading.
She fought the urge to laugh at him, at the fact that this was what he was concerned about. His sister knowing. “I think she’s aware that you have sex Duncan. I mean, Munchkin came from somewhere, right?”
“No. I mean don’t tell her because she would have way too much fun with this information. She’s been badgering me about it since Christmas and she was just so smug about it that I lied and told her I wasn’t doing anything with Elsa because I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.” Duncan explained as they walked down the hall together.
“You know, Lilly isn’t the only one that can tease you, right?” Veronica bumped into him with her should, throwing him off balance just a little as they reached the stairs.
“And if I could’ve lied and told you nothing was going on with Elsa I would have, but unfortunately I’m pretty sure that if I did after what you just witnessed you’re next mission would be getting proof. Forgive me if I don’t want a ‘money shot’ of me and the nanny circulating amongst our friends.” Duncan let her go ahead of him down the stairs, keeping his voice low so only she could hear.
“I think she’s actually called an au pair.” Veronica said, repeating his earlier words, trying not to shiver at the thought of actually seeing Duncan having sex, it gave her the creeps. It was similar to the feeling she’d gotten when she’d overheard Wallace trying to seduce Tamsin over the phone a couple months ago.
“Then who?” Duncan asked, stopping when he got to the bottom of the stairs. She made it a few more steps before she realized he was directly behind her anymore. She turned and took one large step so she was standing directly in front of him. Logan was making his way over to them, a beer in one hand and a bottle of something in the other. Lilly was following and Veronica could see she was talking a mile a minute. Logan caught her eye and rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.
“Veronica?” Duncan said, calling her attention back to him. She’d have to explain before Logan and Lilly reached them or she’d have to wait until later when it might be too late.
“Oh, just that Parker’s little friend Anna saw you and Elsa practically having sex in the hallway upstairs. You know, before you opened the door and went to actually have sex.” Veronica told him. Duncan closed his eyes and let out a small groan. “She’s actually pretty proud to be able to gossip about something, so if you don’t want it getting out you better go find her.”
Duncan gave her a swift nod and stalked off in search of Anna just as Logan and Lilly arrived.
“That was weird, Lilly didn’t even get a chance to drive him away with her incessant chatter.” Logan commented, watching Duncan’s back disappear into the crowd. “Is DK pissed at me?”
“Yes.” Veronica told him with mock seriousness. Logan looked shocked for a moment when he looked back at her, but he seemed hear the joke in her voice and smiled. “He’s extremely angry and that’s why he took off, because you got here.”
Logan smiled and took a sip of his beer before commenting. “Well then, I think I’m going to go find him, harass him a bit.” Logan handed Veronica his beer before popping the cork on the bottle of champagne he had brought over. “May the bridges I burn light the way.” He handed the champagne bottle to Lilly and took his beer back from Veronica, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “Make sure right back here by midnight.” He whispered and then disappeared into the crowd, following Duncan’s earlier path.
“It figures that Logan would relate to Dylan the most.” Lilly commented, pouring some of the champagne into her glass. Veronica downed her chardonnay and held out her own glass for Lilly to fill.
“What do you mean?” Veronica asked as she took a sip of the champagne. She remembered several parties here at the Kane Estate when they were younger, when Logan and Lilly would sneak bottles of champagne away from the bar and upstairs where she and Duncan were waiting. Their own private parties upstairs drinking champagne out of the colored glasses that Celeste kept in all the bathrooms while the adults drank theirs out of crystal and mingled with the important people of Neptune. It was strange to think that they’d were now giving the fancy parties and, someday, their kids would be sneaking champagne and having their own parties upstairs while they had cocktail parties downstairs.
“I mean, that Logan and Dylan are practically the same person.” Lilly said, referencing Dylan McKay from the original 90210. When they were younger they’d been obsessed with 90210, discovering it only after the show had ended. Last summer Lilly had bought all of the seasons on DVD and they’d been slowly making their way through the ten seasons.
“I knew it was a mistake to let him watch it with us.” Veronica laughed, sitting down on the bottom stair.
Lilly sat down next to her, laughing. “I like how you say that, like he had a choice. If I remember correctly, you basically forced him.”
“Yeah, well…” Veronica shrugged.
“Yeah. Well.” Lilly repeated, grinning at her best friend.
“You know, if Logan is Dylan, that makes Duncan Brandon.” Veronica joked, draining her glass of champagne.
“And who does that make Dick? David?” Lilly asked, filling up both her and Veronica’s glasses with more champagne.
“No. Dick is totally Steve. Piz is David.” Veronica laughed, leaning her head against Lilly’s shoulder for a moment. “We’ve only made it through season two, we’ll have to wait to see if we find anyone cool enough to be Wallace.”
“Did you know that Weevil would be here?” Lilly’s voice is quiet and almost timid, a marked difference from her tone thirty seconds ago.
“I did actually.” And now she feels guilty about it, about knowing he was coming and not warning Lilly first. Mostly though, she feels guilty that she had been the one to invite him and hadn’t cleared it with her best friend first.
“Personally I really can’t believe that he has the nerve to come, to show up here.” Lilly’s voice is edging off timidity and straight into anger. Veronica knows it’s only a short trip to rage and after that comes the public confrontations that Lilly loved so much in high school. “I mean, it’s my brother’s house. My old house! He had to have known I would be here and yet he came even though he slept with me two months ago and never called.”
Veronica felt a weight settle in the pit of her stomach and she wished that Logan hadn’t disappeared into the crowd, chasing after his own best friend. She needed back up and that amazing ability Logan had for diffusing Lilly’s anger. It’s a little ironic that Logan is the one that keep her from causing a scene when not too long ago he was most often the cause of those scenes, but it’s almost as if the experience has somehow made him more adept at navigating her rage. Lilly has never once caused a scene with Veronica, never had reason to publicly confront her in the quad, so Veronica has little to no experience in these matters and - despite being the closest thing either of them have to a sister - she’s incapable of diffusing these type of situations.
“Lil, calm down. Please.” She pleads with her best friend and hopes that she backs off enough to avoid the scene and the humiliation and the fact that she’d be revealing things that Veronica knows that, in the light of day and sobriety, she’d never want revealed.
“I thought he’d call you know? That after years of being apart he’d miss me. After months and months of building a friendship and an actual relationship outside of the sex stuff, he’d see that maybe it was more than just my desperate need to get back at Celeste. That after everything he’d see that I actually care now, even if I pretended like I didn’t then and pushed him and all his buttons on that trip…” She trailed off and Veronica saw the rage taper off and veer into something more maudlin.
“I’m just never going to be able to get it right. I wasn’t the best person back then and it’s always going to color people’s views of me. I screwed up, I know that. I’m not the only teenage girl in the history of the world to screw up and sleep with an older man or a married man or someone so completely inappropriate, but it feels like I am. Most girls that do stuff like this…” She trails off again and Veronica realizes exactly how drunk Lilly is. Her words are starting to slur a bit more noticeably and her sentimentality and self pitying are trademarks of a wasted Lilly.
“I know.” Veronica helps her up off the step, taking both her wine glass and the nearly empty champagne bottle from her and setting them on the floor by their feet, along with her own glass. “I think you need to lie down.”
Veronica glances at the clock as she helps Lilly up the stairs. Nearly midnight. She has enough time to get the older girl to her old bedroom, now decorated in tasteful muted colors and free of clutter, and be back for her kiss. She’d get Lilly to bed and taken care of and be back for a kiss that, superstitiously speaking, guaranteed a love-life for the following year.
“Want to hear something that’ll cheer you up?” Veronica asks as they clumsily make their way down the hall to the bedroom that was once marked with a wooden plaque that said ‘Lilly’ in scrolling letters. She’s about to betray one friend to cheer up another, but in her, admittedly, drunken haze it doesn’t feel so much like a betrayal as a sharing of funny stories. “Duncan is totally fucking his nanny.”
“Seriously? The Donut is such a cliché.” Lilly laughs as they open her old door and she sighs in relief before stumbling across the room to collapse on the bed that replaced hers. She’s asleep before Veronica has her shoes off, snoring loudly, and for a moment Veronica longs to crawl onto the bed with her and fall asleep. She doesn’t though, because drunk Lilly kicks and tosses and turns and is basically a nightmare to share a bed with. Instead she continues to disrobe her friend so she doesn’t tangle in the pretty silver sheath dress that she’s wearing.
39: Three Pt III
Rating: R
Word Count: 20,797 (Pt II: 7,055)
Characters/Pairings: Mac, Veronica, Logan, Lilly I, Duncan, Dick, Wallace, Piz, Parker, Casey Gant, Lilly II, Alicia Fennel, Trina Echolls, Mrs. Lee, Celeste Kane, Jake Kane, OFCs, Carrie Bishop, Susan Knight (mentions: Darrel Fennel, OFC, Weevil, Aaron Echolls and Keith Mars)
Spoilers: All episodes (from 1.01: Pilot to 3.20: The Bitch Is Back. Just to be sure) Although this is obviously AU and there are obviously going to be some alterations to events and especially some in the last couple of episodes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally, nothing. So don’t sue me over this, because you won’t get anything. It all belongs to Rob Thomas and if I had owned it when it was still on the last season would have been way different.
1: Awake/ 2: Homecoming/ 3: Forgive/ 4: Arrival/ 5: Reconnect/ 6: Belong/ 7: Bets/ 8: Fight/ 9: Battle/ 10: Retreat/ 11: Push/ 12: Sound/ 13: Potential/ 14: More/ 15: Storytime/ 16: Understanding/ 17: Piggyback/ 18: Sinners/ 19: Drama/ 20: Dinner/ 21: Armor/ 22:Mingle/ 23:Bubbly/ 24:Awkward/ 25:Closing/ 26: Drunks/ 27: Logan/ 28: Wallace/ 29: Mac/ 30: Parker/ 31: Duncan/ 32: Lilly/33: Piz/ 34: Weevil/ 35: Dick/ 36: Veronica/ 37: One/38: Two
The Return
39
Three
December 2008
~Mac~
“So, what is he getting me?” Mac asked, forgoing the any kind of segue. It’s was easier to just come out and ask these questions when you were dealing with a world class avoider like Veronica Mars.
“Nope. Sorry, we all promised it’d be a surprise.” Veronica was a little too chipper as she shot her down, crunching down on carrot sticks. Way too perky for Mac’s liking, wasn’t she supposed to be a loyal friend? “But, you’ll be happy to know that I double checked all of his plans and it should all work out just fine, so don’t you worry.”
“Just tell me.” Mac tried again, attempting the Veronica patented head tilt that always seemed to yield results.
“I like that you think that’ll work on me.” Veronica grinned at her, annoyingly, as she popped a sliver of red pepper into her mouth. “I can give you hints on wardrobe choices though.”
“I don’t want hints on wardrobe choices, I want a full on confession about how I will be spending the evening of my twenty-first birthday since I’ve made the grave mistake of spending the afternoon of it with you.” There, that ought to do the trick, she thought as she watched Veronica’s face closely.
“Wow, you’re going to be a great mom. Already have the whole guilt trip thing down and everything.” Veronica smiled serenely.
“I know what he’s got planned.”
“Parker!” Veronica scolded, scowling at the tallest of the three blondes currently seated at the table.
“How come I don’t know?” Lilly asked, obviously insulted by this slight.
“Because you have big mouth and both Dick and I agreed that you’re more likely to announce it on the radio than actually keep it a secret.” Veronica told the older girl before turning back to Parker. “Although it seems that we should have been more wary about sharing the information with Miss Lee over there.”
“I said I knew, not that I was willing to divulge any information.” Parker clarified, obviously enjoying her moment of teasing Veronica and Mac. “Geeze, Veronica, I thought you were all about the details.”
“You know, it’s not nice to tease a pregnant woman.” Mac informed them both, crossing her arms in front of her chest and scowling at all three of her friends, just in case.
“Okay, it’s a classy casual kind of evening.” Veronica told her, finally returning her attention to the real subject.
“Classy casual?” Mac asked, a little more confused that informed but her plans for the evening. “All I got out of that is that I should not be donning my booty shorts and tube top.”
“You shouldn’t do that anyway.” Lilly informed her, shaking her head in mock disgust as she brought her bottle of lemonade up to take a drink. Or real disgust, sometimes Mac just couldn’t tell when Lilly was serious and when she wasn’t. Especially lately.
“I was kidding.” Mac told her, just in case.
“I know. I’ve been through your closet many times, I know that you don’t even own a tube top.” Lilly replied, her brow furrowing as she shook her head and laughing a little.
“Mac isn’t really getting the jokes these days.” Parker informed the table, giving her a pitying look as if she’d just told everyone Mac was terminally ill. Of course, in this group, not getting the jokes was just as bad. None of her friends ever really took things seriously, they had a joke and comment for everything.
“It means that you shouldn’t wear jeans but a dress or skirt isn’t really necessary. Actually, sartorially speaking, Parker should really be telling you because she’s the one that Dick sent shopping to pick up an outfit for you.” Veronica gestured to Parker. “Miss Lee, take it away.”
“I got you two options. There’s a red wrap dress, just in case you’re feeling a bit girlier but there’s also some black linen pants and red scoop-neck top in there too. Silk. It’s gorgeous. There’s a pair of red patent leather heels and a matching purse, all in the guest bedroom closet.” Parker informed her.
“Someone had a theme.” Lilly commented.
“I think she looks really pretty in red, and I was trying to match it to the streaks in her hair which are currently deep red.” Parker said, defending her choices.
“Okay, so where will I be wearing these potentially fabulous outfits?” Mac asked, hoping to catch at least one of them off-guard enough to let something slip.
“Uh-uh.” Veronica was shaking her head and giving Parker a look that could only be described as menacing.
“Come on, Veronica. She should have a little hint about where he’s taking her.
“Okay. It’s nice dinner so you have to dress classy but there’s post-dinner activities where you’re not going to want to be completely formal. You know, more casual, but I’ve seen the dress and it’s casual enough for the second part but nice enough for the first part. So is the other outfit.” Veronica explained and Mac could tell that that was all she was going to get out of blonde number one. Blonde number two didn’t know anything but blonde number three was weak, easier to crack. “You did really great with the clothes, Parker.”
“Thank you, Veronica.” Parker replied and they were both so smug about it that Mac felt the sudden urge to smack them both.
“Why didn’t you get to pick out the clothes?” Lilly asked.
Veronica shrugged nonchalantly, as if she didn’t know nor care about the answer.
“Dick said that Veronica’s style was a bit too sassy.” Parker said, causing everyone to dissolve into giggles.
Mac joined in because the idea of Dick telling her best friend that her style was too sassy was just too funny not to laugh with her friends about, even if they were disloyal brats who were keeping Dick’s secrets.
~*~
She sat across from Dick in the red wrap dress and wished that she’d gone with the pants outfit. When she’d gotten home and Dick told her to change into whatever Parker had picked out she’d thought, for just a second, that the dress was too pretty to pass up. A moment of girly weakness that she was now regretting. She felt more exposed than she cared to admit and just a little cold on this December evening.
“You want my jacket?” Dick asked, already sliding his arms out of his sleeves. She saw him empty out the pockets before he passed the suit jacket across the table to her. She eyed him suspiciously, wondering what it was that he didn’t want her to see.
“Thank you.” She congratulated herself on not letting her suspicion creep into her voice. She slid her arms into his still warm jacket and was grateful for it’s warmth and Dick’s thoughtfulness. She thought about how the last significant birthday she’d had was her eighteenth and she’d spent that birthday mostly annoyed with Dick for interrupting her and Cassidy’s date. Nineteen had been depressing and last year’s birthday hadn’t been all that memorable. She hadn’t been planning a big party this year, but she had expected to do the cliché bar crawl with all her friends. Then she’d found out she was pregnant and, while it didn’t seem like such a tragedy as it would have if it happened last year, she’d been a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to drink on her birthday.
“I know it sucks that you can’t have wine or something on your twenty-first birthday, so I thought maybe we’d stop by a convenience store and you can take your new ID out for a test drive.” Dick offered, smiling a little at her and she remembered just how excited he’d been to walk into a liquor store and pull out his actual driver’s license rather than the fake one he’d been using since he was seventeen. “I’m sorry I kind of ruined your twenty-first birthday for you.”
“You didn’t ruin it.” Mac told him, smiling at him and she didn’t feel so disappointed anymore. “It’s not like I’m that big of drinker, you know?” And she really wasn’t. If she wasn’t pregnant she probably wouldn’t be partying it up anyway. They’d probably be doing exactly this but instead of the ginger ale in her wine glass she’d have a little champagne and then maybe a beer later, at whatever this mysterious post-dinner activity, but no more than that.
The waiter came and took their nearly empty plates, asking if they’d like any dessert. They ordered cake and Mac was eternally grateful that Dick didn’t insist on having the wait staff sing an embarrassing version of Happy Birthday while they brought her slice to her with a sparkler sticking out of it. Logan had pulled that crap on Veronica last August and Mac was still a little surprised that he’d lived through the experience.
As soon as the waiter left Dick slid two neatly wrapped boxes across the table towards her. They were wrapped in shiny blue paper with a silver bows on top and Mac smiled at the sight of them. It reminded her of birthday parties when she was little, how presents always came before cake but after whatever her mother was serving for lunch.
She unwrapped the long thin one first, revealing a black velvet jewelers box, opening that to find a thin silver chain with a glittering snowflake charm. She removed it from the box and put it on before moving on to the second box. She could see that she had the attention of the woman at the table next to them, craning her neck so she could see what was in the beautifully wrapped presents. Nosy bitch, Mac thought as she reached for her second gift.
This box was more cube-like and Mac had a momentary panic as she held it in her hands, hoping that Dick didn’t feel the need to propose now that he’d knocked her up. She held her breath and fought the urge to close her eyes as she opened the box and revealed… a very beautiful pair of earrings. Diamonds, not too small to seem like he’d had to save up for them but not too large to be deemed ostentatious. They were perfect, and Mac let out the breath she’d been holding, felt herself relax.
“They’re perfect.” Mac told him as she set the box down in order remove the earrings so she could wear them. The nosy woman next to them slumped back into her chair in disappointment, like she had some personal stake in Dick’s proposal.
“I’m glad. I was going to get you your birthstone but Veronica said these would go with a lot more.” Dick explained. “Honestly, I was going to ignore her but when I got to the jewelry store and saw what the turquoise stuff looked like, I realized she was right. These were more your style anyway.”
“I love them.” Mac assured as she put the earrings on, first the right and then the left. She turned her head from side to side, letting them sparkle a little. “How do they look?”
“Perfect.”
~Lilly~
“What, mother?” Lilly asked, lounging on the couch with the newest issue of Vogue as her mother bustled about, asking inane questions.
“Lillian, I specifically asked you to go entertain your niece until your father and brother get back.” To say that Celeste wasn’t particularly maternal was an understatement, to say she’s not grandmotherly is stating something so obvious it was akin to smacking oneself in the head with a hammer and then saying it hurt. Duncan had had to kidnap and avoid the law for almost two years in order for her to come to terms with being a grandmother but, when the opportunity arose, she pawned even that off on someone else.
“Mother, didn’t you volunteer to watch the munchkin while they went out golfing?” Golfing, hah, they just wanted to get out of the house and away from you.
“Lillian, what have I told you about calling her that dreadful nickname that those delinquent friends of yours gave her?” Celeste continued to move through the room, probably looking for the crystal crap she’d forced on Duncan when they’d moved back up to Napa and left him in charge of the house. It’d taken Duncan about point two seconds to have it all boxed up and placed in the basement.
Lilly continued to flip through her magazine for a few more seconds before realization dawned on her. “Mother, where is Little Lilly?”
“I don’t know, with Elsa.” Celeste waved her hand in the direction of the back half of the house, which included the kitchen, a bedroom and the door leading to the patio and pool area.
“You can’t just abandon her, she could fall in the pool and die.” Lilly got to her feet quickly and took a few steps before Elsa emerged from the kitchen carrying her niece. “Thank you Elsa, where did you find her?”
“She want to swim, but she already in pretty dress so we decide to find you instead.” Elsa explained in her broken English, her Norwegian accent still pretty thick. Duncan had hired Elsa pretty quickly after he got out of prison, she had moved in late last month so she’d already be settled by time Duncan started his classes at Hearst in January. She was tall, blonde and blue eyed and was about as fair skinned as you could get. She was sweet and Munchkin loved her. Lilly was also pretty sure that Duncan was fucking her.
“I leave now, Miss Kane. I go spend Christmas with friends.” Elsa handed the little girl over to Lilly.
“Aunt Lilly, can we go swimming later?” Munchkin asked, her voice sweet and timid as she eyed her grandmother. Good girl, Lilly thought. The kid was smart as a whip, beautiful and sweet. If it weren’t for that last part Lilly would say that the little girl took completely after her, but that sweetness was all Duncan. Or, according to Veronica, all Meg Manning. Meg Manning wasn’t a girl that she’d given a lot of thought to before, but she was glad that Meg had given up the goods to her little brother. Otherwise they’d be completely sans the Munchkin and Lilly didn’t think that their lives would be any better for it, despite what Celeste preached when she had a little too much Pinot.
“We’ll see, Munchkin.” Lilly told her niece before looking back up at the nanny. Time to ferret out some facts. “You have friends here? Stateside? I thought you’d be spending Christmas with my brother…” Lilly paused a moment, studying the other woman’s non-reaction before continuing, “and my niece.”
“I give Mr. Duncan his present later.” I’ll bet. “I already give Miss Lilly hers.”
“Well, he’ll miss you I’m sure.” Lilly told the girl, satisfied when Elsa’s head snapped up and Lilly could see the faint beginnings of a blush. They’re totally screwing. “After all, no he’s going to have to depend on our mother to help him watch her.”
“Lillian!” Celeste gasped, but Lilly went on as if she hadn’t spoke.
“Not that she’s all that much trouble. Munchkin here is so well behaved I sometimes wonder if she’s actually a Kane girl. We tend to be a bit wild. Kane men though, they seem pretty tame but they have a wild streak. Right mother?” Another gasp of horror from her mother. “At least, that’s what my friend Veronica’s mother told her.”
“Lillian Katherine Kane!” Usage of the full name, Celeste was really pissed. Elsa just looked confused and Lilly felt a little guilty about falling back on bad habits, but her mother just brought out the worst in her.
“I leave now Miss Kane. I be back Saturday to help with birthday party.” Elsa nodded at them again before making her way out the front door, only stopping briefly to get her coat out of the foyer closet. Lilly watched out the huge front windows as the girl got in her compact car and drove off.
“Lilly, how dare you say those things. And in front of the help and Duncan’s daughter.” Celeste was gearing up for a full on fit and Lilly wasn’t in the mood for it. Thankfully Duncan and her father chose that moment to return.
“Grampa!” Munchkin shouted leaning out with open arms to embrace Jake. He hadn’t been the best father but Lilly hadn’t ever really held it against him the way she held it against Celeste. Since she was young Lilly had known that her father was extremely busy, that he had a lot to do and couldn’t devote as much time to her as she might want and that was okay because he loved her. Celeste, however, had been a ‘stay at home mom’ without ever actually being at home or giving any of her time to her daughter. Duncan was pampered, the precious prince that got all the attention she could afford to give when she wasn’t off working on one of her committees.
“Hey, Munchkin.” Duncan greet his daughter with a kiss on her forehead as he passed through the living room. Lilly chose to follow him instead of dealing with her mother and the fight they were sure to have at some point today.
“So, what did you and dad do? I know you didn’t go golfing so save that lie for mom.” Lilly followed him down the hall to the kitchen.
“Strip club. Smoked a couple of cigars, dad bought me a lap dance.” Duncan joked as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and a bottle of pills out of the cupboard.
“Gross, Donut. What’d you really do?” She leaned against the counter as she watched him shake out a pill and pop it in his mouth, chasing it with half the bottle of water.
“We went in to the office and talked for a bit without mom around.” Duncan stuck his head out into the hallway and checked for their parents or his daughter. Lilly could hear her mother yelling and Jake asking her not to speak like this in front of their granddaughter.
“Your fuck buddy already left.” Lilly said, hopping up to sit on island counter as she waited for her brother to tell her whatever it was that nobody else was supposed to hear.
“What?” Duncan looked back at her, his brows pulled together in confusion. Almost convincing, not quite.
“Elsa? She left to spend Christmas with friends. You’re sleeping with her, yes?” Lilly didn’t need her brother to confirm it, all the signs were there, she just wanted to see how far he’d go to keep from admitting it.
“No, but I need to talk to you about something else.” He checked outside the door again before coming to stand in front of Lilly, almost disturbingly close. “Dad and I were at the office because he wanted to talk to me about something first.” Duncan’s voice was lowered to a whisper and Lilly felt the thrill travel up her spine at the thought of a secret. A good one, by the look on Duncan’s face.
“Cool, spy voice.” Lilly’s voice was low and conspiratorial as she leaned a little closer to her brother. “What was it? Corporate espionage?”
“No,” Duncan spared a brief ‘you’re insane’ look for her before he went on. “Dad’s leaving mom.”
“And he thought to warn you but not me? Is that more of a comment on my relationship with or my relationship with mom?” Lilly asked, snapping back into her normal voice. She was more than a little annoyed that their father had shown more consideration for Duncan’s feelings on the matter than hers. It wasn’t like this was going to traumatize her or anything. In the grand scheme of things, this was probably one of the more normal problems she had in her life, but the same could be said for Duncan and he still got the heads up.
“Dad said he was going to try and get you alone at some point but he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to. He wanted at least one of us to know beforehand so we’d warn the other, just in case he didn’t get a chance to sit down with both of us. He wanted it to be one-on-one so we could ask questions or whatever. He’s going to try to get you alone, to talk, later on today but, just in case, he told me to fill you in.” Duncan rested his hands on her shoulders in a calming gesture, his voice still low and secretive.
“So, what? Is he leaving mom for Mrs. Mars?” Lilly asked, calmed by the belief that her father wasn’t leaving her out, her mother was just a nosy bitch who would want to know why he wanted to hang out with Lilly. Duncan and him golfing Christmas morning was understandable but she’d want to know why Jake wanted a little daddy-daughter time in the library.
“That’s not why. He has pictures, of mom having an affair with the tennis pro up at the Napa Country Club.” Duncan whispered, looking a little more on edge now that they’ve gotten to the meaty part of the story.
“That’s ironic.” Lilly laughed, a little surprised that her mother, the Ice Queen, was getting off with the help.
“I know, but I guess that, even after all these years, she doesn’t have any definitive proof that dad ever cheated. He says he just wants out, that he can’t take her anymore. It’s been a long time coming but he stayed with her during the your coma and the whole Aaron Echolls stuff. Then he stayed because you were just getting back on your feet and I was in prison and all that. Now that everything is settled and you’re in college and I’m starting in January he feels that the time is right. He’s going to do it right after the new year, something about resolutions.” Duncan’s whispering was so low that she had to strain to hear it, leaning forward until her hear was right next to his mouth.
“Children, I think it’s time we open our Christmas presents now, don’t you?” Celeste’s voice came from the doorway and both Duncan and Lilly jumped away from each other as if they’d been burned. “What are you two doing?” Celeste’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, looking from Duncan’s almost guilty face to Lilly’s answering glare. Lilly kicked out at her brother, the instant her foot made contact he glanced over and then his face went blank.
Celeste gave them both a stern and expectant look before turning and heading back into the living room. Lilly cringed as she heard her mother yell at her namesake “Lillian Meg Kane, you stop that this instant.” Lilly saw her brother’s shoulders set into a defensive posture as he headed out of the kitchen.
“Hey!” Lilly called to her brother. Duncan stopped and turned back to her, his eyebrows raised questioningly. “You are fucking your nanny, right?”
She just barely glimpsed his eye roll before he turned back around and headed towards his daughter.
~Veronica~
Veronica hadn’t really been much of a big drinker before turning twenty-one and that really hadn’t changed once it’d become legal for her to drink. Although she did enjoy the occasional glass of wine or bottle of beer, like now. Logan was off getting his own beer after retrieving her a glass of chardonnay from one of the bars set up around the estate. She didn’t know whether Duncan had willingly agreed to this party or if Lilly had just railroaded right over his protests and done it anyway, but Veronica was glad either way since Lilly’s recent history with parties at Veronica’s house.
“Hi?” A petite girl with light brown hair greeted her, suddenly emerging from the living room where a Christmas tree was still dominating a corner.
“Hey. Anna, right?” Veronica spared her a glance before continuing to scan the crowd of over-eager partiers.
“Yeah. We met earlier this week at that little girl’s birthday party?” Veronica glanced at her again, unsure whether this was an actual question or if the girl had that annoying habit of turning statements into questions. Probably the latter, the girl didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer.
“Munchkin’s birthday party, yeah.” Veronica eyed the girl, trying to imagine Parker being best friends with her. Veronica knew that they all had friends outside their tight-knit group but she rarely ever encountered one of Parker’s. Parker had a tendency to stick close to home, so to speak, too gun shy to get very close to anyone outside of their tight knit group of ten. A side-effect of being raped almost immediately after coming to a new place and meeting a slew of new people. Mercer was gone, behind bars, but the damage he had done was everlasting. So this girl, who represented a point in Parker’s life before rape had changed her, was a mystery. A clue to who Parker was before Veronica had really gotten to know her, before Parker had become a full-fledged member of a group whose one major defining quality was the tragedies they’d survived. Except for Piz, but he’d gotten his stripes in the form of sex tapes and beat downs, not exactly tragic.
“I notice you all call her Munchkin. That’s not her actual name though, right?” Anna asked and Veronica realized that they all did call her Munchkin and never anything else.
“Her name is Lilly. Duncan named her after his sister while she was in the coma. None of us thought she was ever going to wake up, it was almost like she died.” Veronica explained.
“Oh. Parker said something about an attempted murder and stuff, but I had a hard time…” Anna hesitated and Veronica could see the something close to fear behind her eyes. Veronica knew that Anna must know the group’s history, most of it played out in national news and gossip rags, but because they hadn’t personally told her it made it difficult to know how to broach the subject. “I didn’t really think it was all true because, you know, we’re too young to deal with that stuff. Murder and comas and stuff.”
“Nobody is ever too young for anything.” Veronica told her, wishing that Logan would get back with his beer and steer this conversation into safer waters.
“Parker told me a little about what you’re all like. It just seems so… crazy.”
It was crazy and insane and tragic and painful and none of that is something I want to share with you. Veronica stared at the girl and could see that she didn’t realize how much their past was none of her business. She was reminded of that first week at college, how innocent Piz and Parker had been and how much she had both envied and hated them for it. They’d been able to go off to college where they were unknown and have a fresh start, murder and violence and death and danger hadn’t followed them.
“It was.” Her answer simple, succinct, and Anna finally took the hint that this wasn’t a topic up for discussion. Parker knew enough to fill the girl in if she was so curious, but she wouldn’t be getting an insider information from Veronica.
“You know, with how much Parker talked about that Duncan guy I thought I’d get here and she’d be dating him.” Anna was off on another topic and Veronica was grateful even if she was still a little annoyed with her. “I know she mentioned Casey a couple of times, but I really thought she’d be dating the other one.”
“They’re just friends.” She knew that feeling because they’d all thought that Duncan was going to get out of prison and Parker and him would be the new couple in the group. It had come as a surprise when Parker and Duncan had both began insisting that they were just friends and were not dating. Personally she had thought that they really were secretly dating until Parker announced that she was dating Casey. Veronica hoped that Duncan wasn’t pining, that he was really interested in Parker and was just trying not to show it, because a pining Duncan never worked out for anyone.
“But I like Casey and Duncan seems very happy with his girlfriend, at least he was when they snuck off earlier.” Anna look of near-boredom turned to shock as Veronica whipped her head back to stare a the other girl. She hadn’t really been paying attention, scanning the crowd for her boyfriend and trying to think of a way to excuse herself, but this had most certainly gotten her attention.
“Duncan doesn’t have a girlfriend.” Veronica stated, realizing after a moment that Anna had only met Duncan once and she probably saw someone else sneaking into a room with a girl.
“Well, they looked pretty familiar to me. They were getting really physical in the hallway before he opened the door to that bedroom at the end of the hall on the second floor. I was looking for a bathroom and Parker said there was one up there that I could use.” Anna looked a little smug now, having information that Veronica didn’t about Veronica’s friends, people she barely knew.
“Are you sure it was Duncan? You’ve only met him once, maybe you got him mixed up with someone else.”
“No, she called him by his name. Otherwise I wouldn’t have known it was him at all because his back was to me. It was her I recognized. The tall blonde girl that was at the birthday party, she um… she’s foreign, talks with broken English, thick accent. Weird name.” Anna looked positively gleeful with her information and Veronica knew that by the end of the night nearly everyone at this party would know about it.
“Elsa?” Veronica asked even though she was pretty sure that’s who it was. Veronica shook her head a little, holding in the laugh. Duncan was sleeping with the nanny. “Will you excuse me? I’m going to run to the bathroom.”
~*~
“So, you’re sleeping with your nanny?” Veronica asked as Duncan and Elsa emerged from the master bedroom, looking mussed but satisfied. Ew. There was something disturbing about hearing a close friend having sex, and she’d heard their grand finale just as she arrived in the upstairs hallway. She had leaned back and thought of England as she waited for them to emerge from the room.
Duncan blushed bright red and refused to meet her gaze, opting to leaned down and whisper in Elsa’s ear. The girl nodded before walking confidently down the hallway. That’s one cool Swede, Veronica thought as she watched Elsa walk away without a single ounce of embarrassment.
“I think she’s actually called an au pair.” He was still avoiding her gaze as he tried for nonchalance.
“I think it’s still called a cliché, no matter what you call her.” Veronica smirked at him and he raised his eyes to her face just long enough to catch it.
“Don’t tell Lilly.” He was looked at her right in the eye, his blush fading.
She fought the urge to laugh at him, at the fact that this was what he was concerned about. His sister knowing. “I think she’s aware that you have sex Duncan. I mean, Munchkin came from somewhere, right?”
“No. I mean don’t tell her because she would have way too much fun with this information. She’s been badgering me about it since Christmas and she was just so smug about it that I lied and told her I wasn’t doing anything with Elsa because I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.” Duncan explained as they walked down the hall together.
“You know, Lilly isn’t the only one that can tease you, right?” Veronica bumped into him with her should, throwing him off balance just a little as they reached the stairs.
“And if I could’ve lied and told you nothing was going on with Elsa I would have, but unfortunately I’m pretty sure that if I did after what you just witnessed you’re next mission would be getting proof. Forgive me if I don’t want a ‘money shot’ of me and the nanny circulating amongst our friends.” Duncan let her go ahead of him down the stairs, keeping his voice low so only she could hear.
“I think she’s actually called an au pair.” Veronica said, repeating his earlier words, trying not to shiver at the thought of actually seeing Duncan having sex, it gave her the creeps. It was similar to the feeling she’d gotten when she’d overheard Wallace trying to seduce Tamsin over the phone a couple months ago.
“Then who?” Duncan asked, stopping when he got to the bottom of the stairs. She made it a few more steps before she realized he was directly behind her anymore. She turned and took one large step so she was standing directly in front of him. Logan was making his way over to them, a beer in one hand and a bottle of something in the other. Lilly was following and Veronica could see she was talking a mile a minute. Logan caught her eye and rolled his eyes in mock annoyance.
“Veronica?” Duncan said, calling her attention back to him. She’d have to explain before Logan and Lilly reached them or she’d have to wait until later when it might be too late.
“Oh, just that Parker’s little friend Anna saw you and Elsa practically having sex in the hallway upstairs. You know, before you opened the door and went to actually have sex.” Veronica told him. Duncan closed his eyes and let out a small groan. “She’s actually pretty proud to be able to gossip about something, so if you don’t want it getting out you better go find her.”
Duncan gave her a swift nod and stalked off in search of Anna just as Logan and Lilly arrived.
“That was weird, Lilly didn’t even get a chance to drive him away with her incessant chatter.” Logan commented, watching Duncan’s back disappear into the crowd. “Is DK pissed at me?”
“Yes.” Veronica told him with mock seriousness. Logan looked shocked for a moment when he looked back at her, but he seemed hear the joke in her voice and smiled. “He’s extremely angry and that’s why he took off, because you got here.”
Logan smiled and took a sip of his beer before commenting. “Well then, I think I’m going to go find him, harass him a bit.” Logan handed Veronica his beer before popping the cork on the bottle of champagne he had brought over. “May the bridges I burn light the way.” He handed the champagne bottle to Lilly and took his beer back from Veronica, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “Make sure right back here by midnight.” He whispered and then disappeared into the crowd, following Duncan’s earlier path.
“It figures that Logan would relate to Dylan the most.” Lilly commented, pouring some of the champagne into her glass. Veronica downed her chardonnay and held out her own glass for Lilly to fill.
“What do you mean?” Veronica asked as she took a sip of the champagne. She remembered several parties here at the Kane Estate when they were younger, when Logan and Lilly would sneak bottles of champagne away from the bar and upstairs where she and Duncan were waiting. Their own private parties upstairs drinking champagne out of the colored glasses that Celeste kept in all the bathrooms while the adults drank theirs out of crystal and mingled with the important people of Neptune. It was strange to think that they’d were now giving the fancy parties and, someday, their kids would be sneaking champagne and having their own parties upstairs while they had cocktail parties downstairs.
“I mean, that Logan and Dylan are practically the same person.” Lilly said, referencing Dylan McKay from the original 90210. When they were younger they’d been obsessed with 90210, discovering it only after the show had ended. Last summer Lilly had bought all of the seasons on DVD and they’d been slowly making their way through the ten seasons.
“I knew it was a mistake to let him watch it with us.” Veronica laughed, sitting down on the bottom stair.
Lilly sat down next to her, laughing. “I like how you say that, like he had a choice. If I remember correctly, you basically forced him.”
“Yeah, well…” Veronica shrugged.
“Yeah. Well.” Lilly repeated, grinning at her best friend.
“You know, if Logan is Dylan, that makes Duncan Brandon.” Veronica joked, draining her glass of champagne.
“And who does that make Dick? David?” Lilly asked, filling up both her and Veronica’s glasses with more champagne.
“No. Dick is totally Steve. Piz is David.” Veronica laughed, leaning her head against Lilly’s shoulder for a moment. “We’ve only made it through season two, we’ll have to wait to see if we find anyone cool enough to be Wallace.”
“Did you know that Weevil would be here?” Lilly’s voice is quiet and almost timid, a marked difference from her tone thirty seconds ago.
“I did actually.” And now she feels guilty about it, about knowing he was coming and not warning Lilly first. Mostly though, she feels guilty that she had been the one to invite him and hadn’t cleared it with her best friend first.
“Personally I really can’t believe that he has the nerve to come, to show up here.” Lilly’s voice is edging off timidity and straight into anger. Veronica knows it’s only a short trip to rage and after that comes the public confrontations that Lilly loved so much in high school. “I mean, it’s my brother’s house. My old house! He had to have known I would be here and yet he came even though he slept with me two months ago and never called.”
Veronica felt a weight settle in the pit of her stomach and she wished that Logan hadn’t disappeared into the crowd, chasing after his own best friend. She needed back up and that amazing ability Logan had for diffusing Lilly’s anger. It’s a little ironic that Logan is the one that keep her from causing a scene when not too long ago he was most often the cause of those scenes, but it’s almost as if the experience has somehow made him more adept at navigating her rage. Lilly has never once caused a scene with Veronica, never had reason to publicly confront her in the quad, so Veronica has little to no experience in these matters and - despite being the closest thing either of them have to a sister - she’s incapable of diffusing these type of situations.
“Lil, calm down. Please.” She pleads with her best friend and hopes that she backs off enough to avoid the scene and the humiliation and the fact that she’d be revealing things that Veronica knows that, in the light of day and sobriety, she’d never want revealed.
“I thought he’d call you know? That after years of being apart he’d miss me. After months and months of building a friendship and an actual relationship outside of the sex stuff, he’d see that maybe it was more than just my desperate need to get back at Celeste. That after everything he’d see that I actually care now, even if I pretended like I didn’t then and pushed him and all his buttons on that trip…” She trailed off and Veronica saw the rage taper off and veer into something more maudlin.
“I’m just never going to be able to get it right. I wasn’t the best person back then and it’s always going to color people’s views of me. I screwed up, I know that. I’m not the only teenage girl in the history of the world to screw up and sleep with an older man or a married man or someone so completely inappropriate, but it feels like I am. Most girls that do stuff like this…” She trails off again and Veronica realizes exactly how drunk Lilly is. Her words are starting to slur a bit more noticeably and her sentimentality and self pitying are trademarks of a wasted Lilly.
“I know.” Veronica helps her up off the step, taking both her wine glass and the nearly empty champagne bottle from her and setting them on the floor by their feet, along with her own glass. “I think you need to lie down.”
Veronica glances at the clock as she helps Lilly up the stairs. Nearly midnight. She has enough time to get the older girl to her old bedroom, now decorated in tasteful muted colors and free of clutter, and be back for her kiss. She’d get Lilly to bed and taken care of and be back for a kiss that, superstitiously speaking, guaranteed a love-life for the following year.
“Want to hear something that’ll cheer you up?” Veronica asks as they clumsily make their way down the hall to the bedroom that was once marked with a wooden plaque that said ‘Lilly’ in scrolling letters. She’s about to betray one friend to cheer up another, but in her, admittedly, drunken haze it doesn’t feel so much like a betrayal as a sharing of funny stories. “Duncan is totally fucking his nanny.”
“Seriously? The Donut is such a cliché.” Lilly laughs as they open her old door and she sighs in relief before stumbling across the room to collapse on the bed that replaced hers. She’s asleep before Veronica has her shoes off, snoring loudly, and for a moment Veronica longs to crawl onto the bed with her and fall asleep. She doesn’t though, because drunk Lilly kicks and tosses and turns and is basically a nightmare to share a bed with. Instead she continues to disrobe her friend so she doesn’t tangle in the pretty silver sheath dress that she’s wearing.
39: Three Pt III