Title: Thanks Lilly

Chapters: OneShot

Rating: T

Reasons for rating: nothing too major

Characters: Veronica, Logan, Duncan, Keith, Lianne, Sheriff Lamb and Lilly

Summary: This is what happened to Veronica after Lilly died. These are the events leading up to Season One.

Word Count: 2501

Disclaimer: I do not own Veronica Mars or any of the characters. And thanks to Twiz TV for the transcript.

Author's Note: I re-vamped this story and made it much better. Plus I made it from the Author's point of view, instead of Veronica's. I think it flows better, so let me know if you still like this OneShot.

XOX

When Veronica decided to join the pep squad, she was pleased to learn that it included working out in the sun. Today they were washing cars on a perfect day. Not a cloud in sight. Luckily the water helped them stay cool enough.

Veronica looks over and see her best friend Lilly bouncing around as she's washing the car there working on. Lilly's full of energy and needs a way to release it, and that's why she joined. Veronica's reason was just for the gym credit. That and the friends she's made.

"God Lilly, I see the Prozac's working." Veronica tease as she continues washing the car.

"High on life, Veronica Mars. I've got a secret, a good one." Lilly couldn't contain her happiness. Veronica could tell Lilly was just bursting to tell her. Veronica tries not to roll her eyes as she thinks about the possibilities. Lilly was always doing something wild and crazy. Especially if it included a guy.

"Girls, less talk, more scrub." Their head pep squad leader scolds them. She's still curious to know what Lilly's secret is, so she turns to her.

"Later." She bounces away as Veronica continues to clean the car. She shakes her head and laughs. That was Lilly in a nutshell. Though if Veronica knew that was the last time she was going to talk to her, she would have done things differently. But that's not how it happened.

Later that night as Veronica was driving home from picking up dinner with her Dad, a call came in over the radio. She wasn't really paying much attention until she heard the Kane's name mentioned. She looks over at her dad and sees him shaking his head as he answers the call and turns his lights and sirens on. That's right, her father is the town Sheriff. She was in the squad car with him when the call came, which causes her to tense up as she thinks about what could have happened. Lilly Kane is her best friend. Her brother Duncan is the love of her life. He used to be her boyfriend. One day he decided to just end things between the two of them. Even though he just ended things, the thought of something happening to either of them, is almost too much to bear as she waits anxiously to arrive at the Kane residence.

"Wait here." Her dad tells her as he gets out of the car to investigate. Veronica looks around anxiously hoping to see anything, and she happens to see Duncan sitting down on a bench looking tense as he rocks back and forth. Oh thank god he's OK. Without thinking, she takes her seatbelt off and hops out of the car and runs over to Duncan where she kneels in front of him.

"What happened? Duncan, what happened?" She asks hoping for some type of answer. But he's unresponsive as he just continues to rock back and forth. she looks around trying to find some answers, but she doesn't see any. So she turns back to Duncan.

"Where's Lilly?" Duncan's only reaction is by furrowing his eyebrow. Veronica tries not to panic. It's Lilly isn't it? It has to be.

"Duncan, talk to me, please." She begs, but after getting no response from him, she gives up and heads in the direction her father went.

Veronica stops suddenly when she notices Lilly, still in her pep squad outfit, lying on the ground at such an awful angle. There's no words to describe how she felt as her hands involuntarily drifts up to cover her mouth. "Oh my god," manages to slip past her lips as her dad wraps his arms around her. The blood. There was so much of it. All over Lilly's face, and all around her on the cement. She tries to look away, but the image is burned into her brain that refuses to believe what it's seeing. That's when the tears start coming. Seeing her wide open unblinking eyes, that's what will haunt Veronica the most.

Her dad picks her up and carries her to the car where she waits numbly for her mother to come and pick her up.

XOX

Veronica mostly stares down at the green grass under her black high heels. The words drifting by her barely enter her mind that's void of all thoughts. Except for the little things. Like how Lilly would have loved to see her dressed up. She may be dressed up for her, but for all of the wrong reasons. When that thought starts becoming too much, she turns her head and looks at the people around her, trying to distract herself from actually looking at the casket. She sees her father on her left side. His eyes are brimmed red. He looks at his baby girl and his lips trembles as he attempts to smile at her. She turns her head and looks at her mother on her right side. She takes a swig from a bottle. she sneers thinking how could she be drinking at a time like this? She should know better. Then her sneer turns into a half smile as she could just picture Lilly laughing. She would comment on how Veronica's mother has guts. Lilly would be impressed.

Veronica let her eyes wander some more as they land on Lilly's parents. Celeste is sobbing into a handkerchief. She went full out in the proper funeral outfit. Hat with the veil and gloves included. Lilly would comment on typical Celeste. Always showing off. Jake was standing their in his tuxedo with his arm around his wife. He was trying not to cry, but was failing miserably. She doesn't even look at Duncan. The thought of just seeing him is too much to bear. She wants to stay numb. Because if she's numb, it doesn't hurt as much. And Duncan, well Duncan hurts.

That's when her eyes land on Logan Echolls. He was Lilly's boyfriend. That is until they broke up for the last time. He was staring back at her intensely. She assumes he has been watching her the whole time. Trying to figure out what's going on in her head. He seems to be doing the same thing she is. Anything to avoid what was really going on.

Her father nudges her as he steps forward and throws the flower he was holding down onto the casket. Not surprisingly, the Kane's had us all hold a Lilly that is supposed to be buried with her.

The casket. Lilly's casket. Veronica's eyes blur as she stares at it. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and steps forward. She opens her eyes in time to see Logan do the same thing. They make eye contact again just before they each throw there Lilly into the hole. How ironic is that? Throwing Lilly into a hole. Because that's what was really happening. Veronica sniffs as she turns back around and takes her place between her parents once again as she wait until they all make there way to the Kane's house afterwards.

XOX

Not much longer after Lilly's death, her story was all over the news and magazines. It even made the cover of People magazine, and was on Entertainment Tonight. The whole town was flooded with journalists. They would harass and stalk anyone who knew Lilly, or who just wanted there fifteen minutes of fame. Not to mention what Veronica's father was going through. He accused Jake Kane of murdering his own daughter. The town became furious with her father. Her parent's started arguing a lot more than usual.

The town got together for an emergency recall election, and her father was removed from office. Her mom didn't like the idea of that and wanted to move out of Neptune. With her dad no longer with a job, they couldn't afford there house and had to move out. As her mom is packing, she start's another argument with her husband as Veronica sits in front of the television.

"He did it, Lianne. The man is a liar, nothing changes. Nothing adds up. Not his alibi. Not the sequence of events. Nothing."

"I don't care. It doesn't matter.…" Veronica drowns them out by tuning into the television where a man is being led in handcuffs by the newly promoted Sheriff Lamb.

Interested, she calls out to her dad.

"Hey, I'm sorry honey. Me and your mom, we're going to work this out, okay." Dad says as he walks up to his daughter and joins her on the couch.

…has apprehended Abel Koontz, a disgruntled former Kane Software employee. Koontz, a software designer, was fired during the development stage of Kane Software's streaming video project. Shoes and a backpack belonging to the deceased were discovered on Koontz's houseboat by Sheriff Don Lamb, who said-

Dad turns the television off, and continues to help pack. He refuses to be forced out of town, and so does his daughter. Though she didn't realize that supporting her dad with his decision would cause such a backlash.

XOX

One day as Veronica's in the Library using the computer, she notices two guys next to her staring in fascination at the computer screen in front of them. Interested, she decides to ask them what's so fascinating.

"What? You guys found a way to unlock the porn?" She jokes trying to figure out what there looking at.

"It's the Lilly Kane video. How do you think that family feels?" One of the guys says. Surprised, She moves closer to the screen to get a look. What she sees shocks and appalls her. It's Lilly sprawled out on the ground. Not being able to look anymore, she quickly leaves the room, and runs into Logan. She looks up and notices how upset he is.

"So does your, uh, does your dad still think that Lilly's father did this? That's my girlfriend. Your friend. Duncan's sister. Your dad is destroying the Kane family. What's the matter with you people, huh? What's the matter with you?"

Shocked that Logan is even accusing her and her family, she just stands there as he turns around and leaves. She was in too much pain to even think of a reply. She thought Logan of all people would be their for her.

That day in lunch when she went to sit with the 09ers, Madison Sinclair quickly and deliberately moves to block her. She tries to sit further down along the bench, but someone else blocks her. Feeling mortified, she looks to Logan for his help, but he smirks at her and then turns his back while talking to Dick Casablancas. She then turns her attention to Duncan, but he's just staring down at the table. He hasn't said anything in almost two weeks since Lilly's death. Tears form in her eyes as she turns around and makes her way to an empty table where she is forced to eat lunch by herself from now on. She was no longer considered an 09er, One of the rich elite.

Lianne Mars was also feeling the pressure, and when time came to move into an apartment, she split. Veronica thought that would be the last straw that would cause her to crumble but it wasn't. No it wasn't even close. She had heard about a party that was being thrown at Shelly Pomroy's house, so she decides to show up and let everyone know that there whispers and backstabbing doesn't affect her.

As she makes her way through the crowd, she notices Logan doing shots at the bar. He turns and looks at her. Trying to show him she's not affected, she continues on. She then spots Duncan with some hoochie making out with his neck. A look of disgust comes over her as she pushes forward. Finally she stops when she notices there's a cup of soda in her hand. Thinking how could this night get any worse, she brings the cup up to her mouth and takes a huge gulp.

Big mistake. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a strange room with her underwear on the floor feeling like she got ran over by a Mac Truck. The tears begin to fall as she tries to comprehend what happened last night. She can't remember much of it, but she knows that she was raped. The question, is by who? Who would do something like this to her? Do they hate her so much that they would take advantage of her? She guesses there's one good thing about her father not being the sheriff. Now she doesn't have to report this to him. She only hopes Sheriff Lamb will be able to help her.

XOX

Veronica walks into the Sheriff's Department and over to Inga's desk.

"Veronica! What happened to you?" Inga asks Veronica a look of shock on her face.

"I need to report a crime." Veronica chokes out.

"Of course. Let me get the Sheriff for you."

After a few minutes, Inga finally tells sher that Sheriff Lamb is ready to see her. She thanks Inga and makes her way into his office, where she sits down in a chair.

"Well if it isn't Veronica Mars. Tell me, how is you're father these days? Still going after Jake Kane?" He looks her over, and she shivers.

"I need to report a crime."

"So I've heard. And what would that be?" He asks sounding completely bored. But she tells him anyway. Hoping he would help her.

"Is there anyone in particular you'd like me to arrest or should I just round up the sons of the most important families in town?" He says in his most sarcastic voice.

What? she did not expect that. Is he serious? Seeing her expression, he continues.

"I've got not a shred of evidence to work with here but that really doesn't matter to your family, now does it."

She tries holding back her tears, but it's no use. He doesn't believe her. Or maybe he does, but he just doesn't care. And worse, he made a stab at her father.

"Ummm...look at this. She cries." Is he really this heartless? She can't believe him. What is this? The Twilight Zone? Is she in some type of alternate universe where the Sheriff is the bad guy? She thought the Sheriff was supposed to help people. She knows her father would have if he were still in charge.

Lamb leans back in his chair as he continues. "I'll tell you what Veronica Mars, why don't you go see the wizard. Ask for a little back bone."

Is this a joke? She looks at him questioningly. Finally she shakes her head. It's no use. He's obviously not going to do anything to help her. Silently, she stands up and leaves.

Veronica guesses all she can say is, thanks Lilly. Thanks for making her life hell.