Mac was glad when Veronica and Logan decided to take their make out session into the other room. It was getting a bit hot and heavy and she had her fill of that from the tv. All she wanted to do was watch Serenity in, well, serenity. Wallace had passed out a few hours ago, but she appreciated the effort.
Normally she wouldn't be spending her evening at the beach house, but she had been kicked out of her apartment for a few days thanks to some lovely water damage caused by the Hearst guys living upstairs. The plan was to spend time with Veronica, but that had quickly turned into everyone camping out at the much bigger beach house. The last time Logan was in town he and Veronica had barely left her place, but he was making an effort to spend more time with his best bro while he was home and so the couple had moved between places more regularly. Thankfully Dick was out on the town tonight and Mac could enjoy their comfy spare room without dealing with the loud surfer.
Even with Dick gone, however, Mac was not thrilled about spending the next few days with the super happy, adorably in love, oh my god I'm going to vomit if you make kissy sounds at each other one more time couple. She had begged Wallace to come over to make it more of a fun group hangout situation, but not even his snide comments had come between the reunited lovers. Once Wallace had fallen asleep on the couch it was really just beyond rude for them to continue their groping in front of Mac, and it seems they finally figured that out.
Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled when Logan burst out of his room and stumbled in front of the television. She was pretty sure his underwear were on backwards so she made the effort to look him straight in the eyes and to not think about what he was doing before so rudely interrupting her.
"Mac, can you do me like this hugish favor?" Her eyes narrowed. "Well, it's just, well… Dick got pulled over again. Reckless driving – shocking I know. But it's his third pull in I don't know how many days and they took his license, so he needs bail and a ride." Mac stared at him, her eyes narrowing farther before she directed her attention back to the screen, trying to look around Logan's bottom half. "I know it's like a huge favor, and I would owe you big." Mac didn't move. "It's just, well you know Veronica and I haven't had like any quality time lately-" she snorted, "and well, Wallace is totally passed out."
On cue, Wallace let out a thundering snore. Mac would bet money he was hearing this whole conversation. "Seriously, here's some cash to bail him out with, and you totally keep the change. Really. And I still owe you like one huge one." Mac looked at the wad of bills while Logan gave her his biggest puppy dog eyes – usually reserved for her bestie. She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and let it out, imagining what the Captain would do for his friends. Not that Dick was exactly a friend, but if Veronica didn't come out to beg she must really be in the middle of something. Well, at least she could stop pretending she couldn't hear what the loving couple was up to for a little bit.
"Fine, but I don't want your stupid money. You owe me TWO big."
Logan grinned, "Thanks Mac, you're the best!" She was pretty sure she actually heard Wallace's smirk.
It wasn't until she was halfway to the station that she started feeling the bubbling of anxiety in her stomach that she often felt when she was in Dick's company, especially when they were alone, not that it happened often. After Veronica transferred, she would see him and Logan occasionally but she had her own group of friends from the computer department, plus Wallace, Piz and Parker, none of whom made a habit of fraternizing the Pi Sig house. It wasn't that she minded Dick, or even disliked him, she really didn't, even though it was clear Veronica hated him. Mac was pretty sure she knew why, although she didn't really get why it had lasted so long, especially when it was clear he looked after Logan, but Mac also didn't think it was her place to defend Dick.
She hadn't given him much thought since college, honestly. She had on rare occasion spoken to Logan by email but neither he nor Dick was big into social media, for obvious reasons, so she didn't keep up with them like some of the other people she knew from school. Sure, she had googled Dick occasionally, on certain days of the year when she felt the need to check and make sure he was still alive. He always was, as far as she could tell, but she really didn't feel the need to know more than that. What would the internet tell her, that he was happy? Over it? Moved on with life as though Cassidy never happened? Doubtful.
She wasn't surprised to see Dick at the reunion, open bar and all, but she also wasn't prepared for it. Sure, seeing him brought back the bad memories of Cassidy, but also the comfort of a shared secret, a camaraderie of sorts. Hearing Gia break babble like an idiot in front of Veronica she almost felt normal with him there. Not that Dick ever acknowledged anything like that, but something about his presence made her feel the slightest bit lighter, like she wasn't alone in the nightmares she still had. Like it all really happened and he had been there, he knew.
Sure Veronica knew too, but Veronica wasn't fooled. Not like she and Dick were. Veronica didn't still sometimes think about Cassidy, some funny or good memory bringing a smile to her face only to be followed by the shock of the truth revealing itself again. She knew Dick probably did.
The thing about Dick that made her nervous... no, anxious was a better word… was just that she never knew what was going to come out of his mouth. He had said horrible things to her in the past, and she knew logically that those things had way more to do with Cassidy than with her, but they still hurt. She wasn't mad at him for it though. Truthfully, she figured that if him hurting her made him feel better she could handle that, that he had too much pain to bear and if she could take a little weight off him she was strong enough to do it. Maybe it was weird logic, but she just couldn't bring herself to hate the guy no matter what he said to her. He was just too sad without his little brother, too vulnerable. She'd never been one to want to make someone suffer, and Dick seemed to have more than his share, so she just let it go.
Besides, she actually found him kinda funny when he wasn't being cruel, not that she would ever mention that to Veronica. She particularly liked his shirt that proclaimed him as the #1 Star Wars Fan, right above a picture of the Enterprise. It was the closest to nerd he got and she couldn't help but think that all he really was was a fan of lightsabers and gold bikinis.
She saw him more now that Veronica was back, especially since Logan had returned from active duty, but it was never just the two of them. Nothing but general pleasantries had been exchanged, the occasional "Who wants a beer" if they were all hanging out. It wasn't that she disliked talking to Dick, she just really never knew what to say. He was like a time bomb with her, most things would roll off him but at some unforeseen moment he was bound to go off. Sometimes he did. But she didn't hate him like she knew Veronica would think she should.
Well, at least tonight wouldn't be boring.