AN/ Hey, y'all. Here's the first part of a new story I'm working on. I only have one and a half chapters done so far, but I have notes and plans for literally every episode plus summer fillers and going all the way through to the movie. This is mostly a test to see who's out there and whether this is something people are interested in. I very much enjoy daydreaming about Neptune, and will happily write it all down if people are interested. I can't guarantee a certain time period for when updates will happen as I'm in college and just can't set aside a predetermined amount of time every week for this, as much as I'd like to. That being said, I will keep working on this as it will now be my dedicated procrastination work for when I don't want to do actual work.

Anyways, I promise that ANs will be much shorter in the future, dedicated to responding to people's reviews so leave me a question/comment/concern if you have any. Let me know what y'all think, if my characterization of those people we know and love is good or not, who you want to see with who (also, sidenote but this will more or less follow Veronica's usual conflicts and relationships only with my OC along for the ride. Still ultimately a LoVe fic but going through the whole series).

And with that, I'm done rambling. Thanks for reading! Sarah

"Excuse me?"

Deputy Sachs looked up from the desk. The annoyed response he was planning to give died in his throat as he took a long look at the young woman standing in front of him. Her auburn hair was pulled up into a ponytail, clearly showing off her warm brown eyes and full pink lips. His eyes slowly scanned down her body, noting the pink push up bra slightly showing above the thin purple tank top and the incredibly short jean shorts that left little to the imagination. Once they reached her red converse, Sachs trailed his eyes back up to meet hers. The deputy couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face as he replied, "How can I help you?"

Kara rolled her eyes in annoyance. She was having a really crappy day and had no time for the wandering eyes of the man with the 70's pornstache standing in front of her. "I need to report a crime."

"Of course. What kind of crime," Sachs asked.

"Robbery."

"Ok, if you could follow me, we'll start on the official report." Just as Deputy Sachs was about to lead Kara off to who-knows-where, Sheriff Lamb stepped out of his office to yell for him. He froze when he saw Kara standing next to the deputy before putting on a smug smile that was supposed to be charming and walked towards the pair.

Kara audibly huffed at the second man to undress her with his eyes in this precinct. "What seems to be the problem," Sheriff asked without taking his eyes off of Kara.

Deputy Sachs replied, "This woman came in to report a robbery."

"I'll take it from here, Sachs. Why don't you go finish the paperwork you were supposed to turn in yesterday." Sheriff Lamb indicated his hand towards the door that he had stepped out of. "If you would follow me, I'll take your statement in here."

Kara followed the sheriff into his office and sat down. He shut the door before sitting in the chair behind the desk.

"Now, you wanted to report a robbery."

"Yeah, pretty much all of my stuff was stolen."

Sheriff Lamb smiled again. Kara was really starting to hate this guy. "What kind of stuff," he asked.

"I just moved here from Tucson and the moving van with my things was supposed to arrive a little after I did. It didn't show up at all. After an hour of waiting for it, I called the company who said it had gotten there earlier than it should have, was unloaded and signed for, and was already off to another job. Considering that I wasn't the one who signed for my things, it seemed pretty safe to assume that someone stole them."

"That does sound suspicious. I'll fill out a report but I'm not sure what more we can do except keep an eye out and wait to see if anything turns up. Now, what's your name?"

"Kara Nevan."

"Alright," Lamb said after he typed it in to the report. "And your phone number?"

"(520) 555 – 7928." Lamb typed it up into the computer before smirking.

"Now, can you repeat that again, just to confirm I got it right?"

Kara snorted. "Why don't you read it back to me?"

Lamb's smirk grew wider as he said, "Fair enough. Let's move on."

"Your birthday?"

"September 9, 1987."

Lamb met her eyes, "You're 17?"

Kara rolled her eyes and said, "Yup."

Sheriff Lamb ran his eyes over her body yet again before asking, "You don't look 17."

"I'm pretty sure I know how old I am." Kara was asked to give a detailed list of everything that was stolen, which took about an hour, much to her chagrin and Lamb's seeming enjoyment. Once she was done, Sheriff Lamb escorted Kara back out to the front with a flirty smirk and said, "We'll let you know if we find anything," before turning on his heel and sauntering back to his office.

Kara thought to herself, So, what now? She figured she might as well head to her apartment even if there would be nothing there to put in it. As she left the building, she felt more eyes wandering over her body and blushed slightly while letting out a soft growl. She really hoped Neptune would only get better from here.

…

Kara started kicking her door in frustration as the key continued to refuse to turn in the lock. She grew embarrassed when she heard the door from the unit next to hers unlock. She looked up to see a small blonde head peer out from the doorway before stepping out. The young woman asked, "Are you alright?"

Kara shook her head as tears pricked at her eyes. "Oh yeah, totally. Sorry if I disturbed you, the key's giving me a lot of trouble and I've had a really long day and I just wanted to be home but nothing is working for me right now."

The other woman smiled. "We all have those days. I'm Veronica, Veronica Mars. My dad and I live next door. Here, let me help. The locks can be kind of tricky sometimes."

"Thanks. I'm Kara Nevan."

Veronica smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Kara smiled as Veronica opened the door. The pair walked into the room then Kara turned on the light. It looked really big and really empty without all of her furniture. Veronica asked, "Where's your stuff?"

Kara replied, "It was stolen. I have no idea where it is right now. And the police didn't seem to be any help at all. Are they always such creeps?"

"Pretty much. That totally sucks though. I'm sorry."

Kara sighed. "It's fine. I was just kind of hoping for my first day in Neptune to go a lot smoother than it has. And it feels like no matter where I am, someone is watching me."

"Yeah, well, Neptune is a pretty small place. New people tend to stand out. Especially if they look like you." Kara looked at Veronica in surprise. Veronica quickly added, "No offense."

"None taken… I think."

Veronica felt the need to explain, "It's just that you're new so you stand out anyway, but because you're wearing, I mean, you're really, uh, sorry. Forget I said anything."

Kara laughed. "No, it's fine. I get it. I was kind of planning on having all my clothes to change into but I only have about a week's worth in my suitcase in the car. I don't know what I'm going to do if they can't find my things soon. I have school tomorrow." The pair lapsed into a somewhat awkward silence as they looked around the nearly empty apartment.

Veronica said suddenly, "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? We'll give you a proper Neptune welcome. Plus, I'm sure my dad would love to meet you, and he might even be able to help. He's a private detective, really good at finding things that don't want to be found."

"Really? I wouldn't want to impose," Kara replied shyly.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine."

"Ok, great. Thanks Veronica."

The two girls left the apartment and walked down the hall to Veronica's home. Kara was accosted by the incredibly intense smell of garlic once she and Veronica entered the room. Veronica called out, "Hey pops! What's cookin'?"

The man dancing behind the counter replied, "Only my super-secret recipe lasagna."

Veronica retorted, "You double the cheese, your secret is out." Keith turned around to argue but stopped when he noticed Kara next to Veronica. "Dad, this is Kara Nevan. Kara, this is my dad Keith Mars."

Keith reached a hand out which Kara took. "Nice to meet you, Kara."

"Likewise, Mr. Mars."

Veronica said, "Kara just moved in next door."

Keith's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh? Well, welcome to the neighborhood. I'm glad someone's finally in there. It's been empty for years."

Kara smiled. "Yeah, I was really happy when I found it. It seemed kind of perfect since I wanted something relatively close to everything but far enough away that it could be my own quiet space when I need it. Plus, there's a pool."

Veronica rolled her eyes, "That rarely gets cleaned. I swear there's fish in there now." Kara laughed lightly, already feeling a bit better about her day. Keith plated the lasagna and they all sat around the island eating.

Veronica said, "You said something about school before. Where're you going?"

Kara replied, "Neptune High. I think that's the school for this area anyway."

"No way! That's where I go, too. I didn't realize you were still in high school."

"I've been getting that a lot today."

Keith asked, "Where're your folks?"

"In Arizona." Prompted by the confused looks on both of the Mars' faces, she explained, "I'm legally emancipated from my parents as of June and decided that a change of scenery was the best thing for everyone. We used to come here some summers to visit my cousins when I was younger, and I figured if I'm going to be on my own, I might as well be somewhere familiar."

Veronica then remembered Kara's problem. "Actually, dad. Kara needs some help." Keith turned to Kara and asked, "Oh?"

Kara shifted slightly before saying, "The moving truck never showed up. When I called the company, they said someone had signed for it already so it left by the time I got here. Obviously, since my apartment is completely empty, that someone was not me. I already talked to the police but…"

Veronica finished, "They're not exactly the helpful types." She turned to her dad. "Gave her a real 'Neptune Welcome'. So, what do you think, dad?"

"I'll look into it. Just give me the name of the company."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble," Kara said nervously.

"It's no problem at all."

"Well, I have some money if –"

Keith shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Consider it a housewarming gift."

Veronica said, "And you should really stay here for tonight. There's no reason for you to sleep on your floor when we have a perfectly good couch."

"Thanks Veronica. And Mr. Mars. This really means a lot," Kara said with a smile.

…

Kara and Veronica were getting ready for school in the bathroom together. Veronica was doing her makeup while Kara was brushing her hair. Kara said, "Hey, could I ride in to school with you today? I know I have my own car and everything but it would be nice to actually know where I'm going."

Veronica frowned slightly. "That might not be a good idea. I'm not exactly popular and you're new. You shouldn't have to deal with that."

"Come on Veronica. I really don't care about all that. Besides, why would I want to be friends with people that hate you?"

Veronica smiled, but didn't reply. Once the girls were ready, they headed out to the kitchen where they found Keith Mars had already made breakfast for both of them.

"Eat up girls. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

"Thanks dad."

"Thanks Mr. Mars."

…

"Thanks for the ride Veronica," Kara said. "I'll see you at lunch, ok?"

Veronica smiled. "Alright, see you at lunch. And good luck on your first day." Then she walked away, leaving Kara alone in the parking lot. Kara stared at all of the teenagers goofing off around her. They seem normal enough, Kara thought. I wonder why Veronica is such an outcast. She looked down to compare her outfit to the hordes of teens around her. Her bright pink skater dress matched the style of a few people she saw, but her black leather jacket and matching combat boots seemed to set her apart from everyone else. She smiled; no one wanted to be exactly like anybody else anyway.

Kara noticed her cousin walking towards the school with some friends. Surprises are always more fun. She decided to call her cousin as she fought through the crowd to catch up.

Duncan answered his ringing phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Duncan. How are you? It's Kara."

Duncan stopped walking in surprise. "Kara? I haven't seen you in so long. How've you been?"

"Alright for most the part. It's been a bitch of a year."

Duncan snorted. "You're telling me. Why're you just checking in now?"

Kara smiled as she finally caught up. "I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What is it?"

Kara hung up her phone and said, "Turn around."

Duncan turned in surprise, before immediately wrapping his arms around the girl in front of him. "Kara! I can't believe you're here! Why are you in Neptune?"

Kara sheepishly shrugged as she said, "I, uh, live here now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm finally emancipated from my parents, and figured Neptune was as good a place as any. Plus, with you and Uncle Jake, I thought it'd be nice to be near family that actually cares about me, you know?"

Duncan's smile disappeared for a moment before attempting to cheer up his cousin. "My parents would love to see you… Well, my dad at least. You should come by after school."

Kara nodded. "Alright. I've missed him."

The pair turned around when they heard a throat clear behind them. Duncan said, "Oh, sorry Logan. Kara, this is my best friend Logan Echolls. Logan, this is my cousin Kara Nevan."

Kara smiled. "Nice to meet you, Logan."

Logan replied, "Likewise."

"So, are you guys going to show me around school or are you planning on having a good laugh at my lost puppy look," Kara asked.

Logan smirked, "I wouldn't mind the lost puppy look on you." Kara blushed but said nothing. Duncan looked on for a moment. "I think I have time for a quick tour." The trio wandered around toward the back of the school, through the cafeteria area.

Logan pointed out a table, "And this is where the cool people sit."

Kara smirked, "Oh? And where do you sit?"

"Ha. Ha. Ha," Logan responded sarcastically.

"You seem to be fitting in already," Duncan said. The bell rang before the conversation could continue. "Seems we took a bit too long on the tour. I have to get to class. Think you'll be able to find your way to the office?"

Kara shrugged, "I think I can figure it out. See you later, Duncan. And nice to meet you, Logan. I assume I'll see you around."

"I'm looking forward to it." Kara watched as they both walked away. Deep breath, Kara. Everything will be fine. She squared her shoulders and followed the crowd.

…

Following the crowd proved to be a mistake as the chaos that was the hallway soon threatened to overwhelm Kara. She had no idea where to find the office and no idea who to ask. Suddenly, Kara was knocked over by someone running towards whatever class they were late for. Her bag fell and its contents spilled all over the floor.

"Awesome. Just awesome," she mumbled to herself, hoping that no one else would run her over as she knelt down. A hand entered her field of vision, picking up her calculator. She looked up to see a young black man with slightly puffy hair holding her calculator out to her.

"Are you ok," he asked as he helped her pick up the rest of her school supplies. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's actually kind of comforting."

He looked up at her in surprise. "Getting run over in the hallway is comforting?"

Kara shrugged. "It matches the rest of the interactions I've had with Neptune so at least I know what to expect now."

He laughed and said, "Ok then." He helped her stand up.

She asked, "Do you know where the main office is?"

"Yeah, I'm actually heading there now. I'll show you."

"Oh, thanks."

"I'm Wallace Fennel."

Kara grabbed Wallace's hand and shook it, "Kara Nevan. Nice to meet you, Wallace."

"So, you're new here?"

"Yup. First day."

Wallace nodded. "Great. Me too."

Kara asked, "You're new, too?"

Wallace stopped walking. "Did you not see me before?"

"Where would I have seen you?"

"You didn't go through the front doors?"

Kara shook her head. "I came in through the back. By the lunch tables."

Wallace let out a relieved sigh and smiled. He continued walking. Kara asked, "Why?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

He led her through the hallway before opening a set of double doors. "Here we are."

Kara said, "Thanks, Wallace."

"Us new kids gotta stick together, right?"

Kara agreed. "We sure do."

…

Kara was already exhausted and it was just barely noon. She never wanted to give another interesting fact about herself as long as she lived. She trudged her way over to the lunch tables, walking slowly through the hallways. Suddenly, she felt an arm drape itself around her shoulders. She looked up to see a floppy-haired, blonde white boy with a dopey smirk staring down at her.

"What's up new girl," the boy asked.

As annoyed as this guy already made her, Kara didn't have the energy to completely ignore him. "And you are," she asked him flatly.

"Dick Casablancas."

Kara snorted. "Your name is Dick? Seriously?"

"Yup. And yours is," Dick asked. Kara could tell that he was trying to flirt, emphasis on trying. He was more successful, however, at angling his head to try to steal a glimpse down the front of her dress. Kara just barely held back her shiver of disgust as she replied, "Kara."

"Kara…"

"Nevan."

Dick stepped back from her to meet her eyes. "No way! You're Duncan's cousin? He didn't tell me you were hot."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

Not picking up on her sarcasm, Dick replied with a shrug. "No problem."

The pair had exited the building into the lunch area. Kara took this small lull in the conversation to look around at the spread of tables and figure out where she wanted to sit. She could see Duncan and Logan sitting at the loudest table, filled to the brim with mega blonde cheerleaders and whiter than white rich boys. She looked around and saw the typical groupings: goths, nerds, band geeks, every cliché clique in the book. Until she saw Veronica, alone. It wasn't even a decision for Kara when she started her way over there.

Dick called out, "Where are you going, Kara? The best thing you can do on your first day is sit with us."

Kara called back, "Goodbye, Dick."

Dick, and the rest of the table that heard them call out to each other, watched Kara as she walked over and sat down next to Veronica.

Without looking up from her tray, Veronica asked, "Are you sure you want to sit here?" Kara looked back at the other table. She saw Duncan, who gave her a small smile and nod. Kara smiled back. "Yeah, I'm sure."