Title: Two Can Keep A Secret (1 of ?)
Author: T.S.A.M
Pairings: All from show - LoVe takes the prize tho (eventually)
Summary: AU Pre-show. New York born Veronica Mars loses her whole family to find she is actually the daughter of Neptune California's billionaire Jake Kane. She comes to town with nothing but the clothes on her back, and a secret in her pocket. But in Neptune, how long can a secret stay a secret?
Spoilers: Whole show, but will be changing details as I go along…So be prepared.
PLEASE REVIEW.
A/N - I am breaking a big rule of mine on this story - I havent actually finished writing it...I usually fully write out a story before posting, to avaoid long long LONG chapter updates, as well as the chance I may get bored and leave the story unfinished. Well, I do have it planned, from beginning to end, which is a step up -
But i just really wanted to post a story...its been SO long. So....REVIEW! ;)
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~*~*~*~*~
Got a secret,
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
~*~*~*~*~
Veronica Mars was one very angry little girl.
That was the very first thing Cliff realized, introducing himself as her fathers old friend, and lawyer. The second thing was that she was very much alone in this world.
A world he was here to drop bombs on. If there was any other way - anything else he could do, he would be doing it.
"Veronica -"
"I'm not leaving New York." The sixteen year old interrupted, not looking up at him. Cliff sighed and tried again.
"With your mother…gone and your father -" This time he stopped himself. He couldn't even say it.
"You mean with my mother being a heartless bitch, and my dad getting killed all in the line of duty?" She spat at him. For a moment, she reminded him of an angry kitten. All hissing, teeth and claws.
"Yes." He cleared his throat.
"Why are you here?" She started in on him again. "I mean, really, who are you? What do you want with me?"
"Your father…Veronica, he was a good friend of mine."
"I've never seen you before."
"You have." He grimaced. "You were a lot…smaller then." He made the motion in the size of a baby. "I knew your parents back when they lived in Neptune."
"Neptune?"
"California?"
"Never heard of it.' She shrugged. Cliff winced inwardly. This was bad news. "So you came all the way out from good ole' Cali to, what? Give your condolences?"
"I was also your parents lawyer."
"You don't look like any lawyer I've ever seen."
"Ah. That's the difference between New York and Neptune."
"Just the lawyers? Because I was lead to believe they were all lying pack of shits, no matter where they came from."
"You don't like me, do you?"
"Why does everybody always ask me that?"
Cliff reached into his bag, and fingered the well worn letter. Slowly, he pulls it out, before sliding it across the table. Veronica looked up at him expectantly.
"This is yours."
She takes it without words, and inspects the envelope. All it says is Veronica. She looks back at him.
"And this is what, exactly?"
"It's a letter."
"Um, duh?"
"From your mother."
Immediately her spitfire attitude dissipated, and she looked so small and alone. Cliff had to resist the urge to pull her in to an embrace…She wouldn't appreciated it, and he knew that.
"My…my mom?" Her finger played with the edges.
"Before you open that…" She looked up at him with bright eyes and he felt a pain in his stomach. He was a horrible person. An awful, awful man. "I just though you should know, I already know what it says….And that the contents of the letter are why I'm here."
He stood, backing out of the room, giving her space.
It was another ten minutes before the door to the office opened again. Her face was pinched as if someone had just punched her in the gut. And in a way, some one just had. She had the letter crumpled up in her fists, and there were still tear tracks on her face.
"This…" She shook the fist that held the letter. "Is bullshit." She ground out. She shook her head and made her way to the door out of the building. "I'm not going with you…Don't try to find me again."
Cliff watched as she left. Chasing her wouldn't do either of them any good. All considered, she had taken it pretty well.
It's not everyday you find out your fathers not your father.
~*~*~*~*~
It only took him three days to track her down again. He had to admit - she was good. Obviously, growing up on the lower east side had taught the girl some street smarts. It had made her tough.
However, she was still young. And she had just lost everyone she cared about, on top of discovering she may actually be the billionaire Jake Kane's illegitimate love child.
Child services had been checking with all of her known friends and friends of friends. Cliff didn't expect them to find her there anyway. She would go into hiding but…
Keith had told him it was her insatiable curiosity that always got the best of her.
And that was how he found her. He left a picture of her at all the local libraries (and a few non-local), telling them to keep an eye out for someone looking through old records or news papers. Sure enough, three days later, she was spotted in The New York City library.
Cliff received the call, but didn't go to her right away. He waited outside, following her once he saw her exit the building on foot. He followed her all the way to an apartment building, and watched as she buzzed her way in.
Room 43C.
Getting in was easier than he had expected. Another girl, likely younger than Veronica, had held the door for him. What kinda place was this?
Simple answer was shithole. It smelled funky, and Cliff was afraid he'd catch a disease if her touched anything. There was screaming coming from at least three rooms he had passed on his way up the stairs. He'd had to step over what he could only imagine was a drugged out young man. There was no way he was leaving her here.
As he rounded the hall, one of the doors opened. It's was Veronica. He hid.
"Sorry, Sar. I can't believe I forgot the milk. I'll be back in ten, okay?"
He couldn't make out the response, but Veronica had laughed.
"Aren't I always careful?"
He waited for her to come past him, but after a few moments, he realized that that was not going to happen. He peaked his head back around the corner. She was gone. Probably down the back stairs.
He made his was to room 43C, knocking on the door.
"What did you forget your key…." The woman who opened the door trailed off, once seeing he was not Veronica.
"Sarah Killroy?" She nodded. "I'm Cliff McCormack."
The woman let him into her apartment wordlessly.
~*~*~*~*~*
Veronica Mars shifted the grocery bag from one hand to the other. It was a long walk to the convenience store and back, and the milk seemed to be getting heavier. She hadn't even made it to the door when she stopped dead.
If front of her stood Sarah, looking extremely guilty, beside a car that appeared to be…full of all her belongings.
"Sarah? What's going…"
Then she spotted Cliff. She let out a gasp, before turning a betrayed look on her friend.
"What did you do?!"
"She didn't do anything, Veronica. I followed you." Cliff stopped her from attacking the poor girl.
"Bastard." She spun on her heel.
"Don't run Veronica." His voice caused her to pause. "There's no point. If you run, you'll have every beat cop from here to Brooklyn out looking for you."
"For a run away?" She snorted. "Nice try. You forget, my father was a cop."
"Exactly. The runaway daughter of a fallen officer?" He shook his head. "They'd have you in lock up by the end of the night."
"You underestimate me."
"People do that a lot?"
She just glared at him, pushing past both Cliff and Sarah. She got into the passenger side seat, but not before shooting Sarah another dirty look.
"Can we leave now? I am so done here." she snarled.
Sarah's eyes filled with tears and Cliff patted her shoulder awkwardly. She just nodded at him.
"Can you…just make sure she's okay. Please." At his solemn nod, she made her way back inside, while he got into the car. Veronica didn't look at him, staring out her window. He sighed pulling away.
They were silent for a few minutes.
"You shouldn't be so hard on your friend."
"Friend?" she snorted.
'Yes, friend. What was she supposed to do? She's got a kid…If she was found attributing to the delinquency of a minor she would have been-"
"I know what woulda happened to her. Why do you think I had everything packed? I was gonna be outta there tonight."
"I already knew you had been there Veronica. If she had tried to say different, they would have had to book her."
"Where are we going?" she changed the topic.
"The airport."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not in the mood to drive across the country with an angry teenage girl?"
"You think you're funny?" She arched her brow.
"We're going to Neptune." He broke to her.
"Why?"
"You know why Veronica."
"No, not really I don't. I mean, Lianne leaves me a letter saying this Jake Kane guy is really my father, and what? Everyone just take that at face value?"
His fingers tighten on the steering wheel. "Not quite."
"Start talking Lawyer boy."
"There…There was a paternity test done. Just before your mother…Lianne took off."
"So…My dad?" Tears sprang to her eyes. How could her dad not be her dad? He was her world, her protector…Wasn't it enough he was dead? Did they have to take away her last connection to him? "He knew?"
"He told me." Pause. "I shipped the results to Mr. Kane a week before I found you. He's…They are making a place in their home for you Veronica."
She wiped her eyes violently. "They?"
"Jake is married. Celeste - that's his wife. She might be a tad…cold."
"Finding out your husband had a bastard brat? I really don't blame her." How could she? She had never met these people, and she already hated them. Makes sense that they wouldn't want her anymore than she wanted them.
"They've got two kids, around your age. Lily - she's the oldest. And Duncan - you guys are the same age."
"The same age? They…they were having an affair while they were both married?" She slammed her head against the headrest. "This is so fucked up."
"You probably should curb your language…" She gave him a dirty look. "Neptune isn't New York, Veronica -"
"Call me V."
"Huh?"
"In the past three minute you've said my name a dozen times. My friends…People I like call me V. I like you Cliff."
His eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"My da…God…My dad though highly of you. Or you wouldn't be here. I trust his instincts."
"Oh."
"So…kids, huh? Like siblings? Great. Just what I always wanted." Sarcasm. How did it go? The best defence was a good offence?
~*~*~*~*~
And that's the story of how I came to be standing outside of the Kane estate. Can you imagine? Veronica Mars, heiress. This place was bigger than our entire apartment building. Who needs this much space?
She waited nervously as Cliff knocks at the door. She doesn't know why she's nervous. She certainly doesn't care if these people like her or not.
The door opens to reveal both Jake and Celeste.
Jake looked at her in wonder as Celeste froze her with her glare.
Gulp.
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Word Count: 1884
Story: 1884