Hi guys, here's the first chapter of what I hope will be a long story! I know the summary on the main page wasn't very good, so here's a better one:

Summary - Four years after the end of season three, everyone has graduated from Hearst and have started their own careers. Mac, a website-developer who has her own company, is good friends with Dick, but both of their lives are thrown for a loop when one of Veronica's cases begins to influence their everyday lives. We all know that Veronica and Logan's story was epic, so why can't Mac and Dick's be? Will eventually be MaDi and LoVe.

Disclaimer - I don't own any of the character or places discussed here. This is Rob Thomases' sandbox, I just play in it.

There were many times in Mac's life that she wished she could press a pause button and hold it forever. There were also many moments that she wished she had a skip button. Her current situation fell more into the later category. A year after her graduation from Hearst she had a good job working with local businesses to help set up secure, fast-working websites. The problem with her job was the amount of time it forced her to spend around people she used to hate passionately. People like Madison Sinclair, who was currently looking at her with disgust as they both waited for a certain Mr. Hodges to get back from lunch. Of course, Mac was there to fix computers, she really didn't want to know what Madison, the town slut, was there for.

"You know, I'm sure Caleb can afford a real computer person. How did you convince him to let you have the job?" Mac looked over at the sound of the annoying voice to see Madison sneering at her.

"Probably not the same way that has you in his office at this moment. Seriously Madison, hasn't anyone told you that being a walking STD ad isn't a good thing?"

The girl whom with Mac shared a strange connection with got up and walked over to her, obviously upset. "What did you say?"

Just as Mac was about to open her mouth to answer a loud cough from the doorway interrupted her. "Now, now ladies."

Mr. Hodges walked straight through to his office. He was one of those middle-aged business men that didn't look as old as he was. They say the best way to stay young is to be with someone way too young for you. He turned back at the last second and shot both girls a smile. "Ms. Mackenzie, I'm glad you could make it. This shouldn't take much of your time. Madison, a moment please."

He gestured for Mac to enter, and she didn't miss the look that passed between Madison and him, or the subtle difference in the way he used her first name instead of last. Seriously, if you're going to sleep with a women 20 years your junior at least be subtle about it! Mac followed him in quietly, eager to get this meeting over with. The best part about her job was that other then the initial meeting to discuss what the website would involve, there was very little contact she had to have with her client. At most, three meetings in the entire course of the project. Of course, three meetings with every businessman she made a website for added up, but at least she wouldn't be spending too much time in this particular man's company.

"You come very highly advertised Ms. Mackenzie. My friend Mr. Casablancas says that the website you made for him has increased clientele tremendously."

Mac grinned internally at the mention of Dick. 4 years after they finally got their shit together and talked through their differences, and 5 years after Cassidy, they were what you could consider good friends. He was her biggest reference in the business world. During his second year at Hearst, with the encouragement of her and Logan he'd reformed his act. He graduated along with them with a B.A in Business Management, and immediately went about fixing his father's company. In under a year he'd made it more successful then it had ever been. Another point and case study in how people can change from high school. Dick had never been the person anyone would have chosen for the superlative 'most successful'.

Pulling her attention back to her current meeting Mac smiled at the businessman across the desk from her. "A good website is a driving mechanism in the business world today Mr. Hodges."

"Well said!" he exclaimed with a laugh. "With that stated let's get down to business shall we?"

An hour later Mac left the office with a relieved smile. One more annoying meeting out of the way. Now she could back to the part of this job she actually liked.

MaDiMaDi--

When Mac arrived at her apartment that evening she didn't expect to see Veronica waiting there for her. Ever since her break up with Piz, the FBI internship after their Freshman year, and the return of Mr. Mars as Sherriff, Veronica had seemed, well, almost happy. She'd even gotten to the friends stage again with Logan. Mac figured they were a few months from the whole dating thing again. She hoped they'd get it right this time. All their break ups were serious headache material. But none of that explained what she was doing there.

"Mac!" Veronica cried when she saw her. The grin on her face made Mac groan. It was her I-have-a-favor-to-ask-that-might-be-dangerous face. Even though she was heading to the FBI academy in 6 months (the break had come after Mr. Mars was shot in the shoulder and Veronica decided to stay with him this year instead of leaving right away), she couldn't give up the vigilante lifestyle. Mac was beginning to think it was more of a compulsion then anything.

Mac opened the door and let them both inside before heading to start the coffee. Judging by the look on Veronica's face they were both going to need it. "What's up Veronica? Need me to hack into a secret governmental organizations database and extract all their files on aliens?"

Even without looking at her she could tell Veronica was grinning. "Nope Mac-attack. Not a secret organization, just the actual government. CIA to be exact."

Mac paused for a moment. For once she wasn't sure whether or not Veronica was serious. They'd done crazier things before. Like the time last year when she'd hacked into the Department of Homeland Security to get some info on a potential terrorist. This would really only be one step up. Veronica must of seen her pause because she started laughing .

"Relax, I'm just kidding. Actually all I need you to do is break onto one guys laptop. He's not at all related to the government. In fact, I'm not sure if he even owns a gun."

"Someone cheating on the wife again?"

Grinning as she grabbed a couple of coffee mugs, she was over enough to know where everything was, Veronica answered. "Actually yes. Ever since I took over Mars, P.I. it's been nothing but cheating husbands and possible fraud. I kind of miss our life of big mysteries and excitement."

"I don't. I've spent way too much time already in the Sheriff's office." Mac poured them both some coffee and they sat down at the table. "Okay, it'll be a quick job, all I need is a name and address."

"You're the best Mac. Okay, it's Caleb Hodges…"

Before she could continue with the address Mac stopped her. "I'm working on a website for him right now, he's cheating all right. If you want proof just keep tabs on Madison Sinclair."

"Of all the people in the world he had to cheat with the one I would love to nail to the wall." Veronica smiled the feral grin that shot fear into practically every male in her life. "Easy enough. Guess computer work won't be necessary."

They continued sitting there in comfortable silence. The last three years had made their friendship even closer then it'd been before. Mac considered Veronica her best girl friend. Dick would have to be her other best friend, and Veronica also had Wallace. Though he'd been in Uganda for several months already helping run a new project there to teach basic mechanical engineering to the nearby cities. The program he'd gone on after their freshman year had changed the course of his life forever. Not only did it give him a job, but it introduced him to his wife, Sidney, who was also working in Uganda. Through it all though, he'd been part of the inseparable group that included Mac, Veronica, Dick, Logan, and Parker, who unlike Piz had managed to stay a part of their lives.

As she made small talk with Veronica to catch up on the last week, Mac thought about how each of them had ended up in a place they hadn't completely expected. Veronica heading off to the FBI, but not right away, Dick running his own business, Wallace in Uganda, and Logan had started his own non-profit organization to help children who had abusive parents. And Mac, running her own computer business while having a solid group of friends around her, complete with Dick Casablancas. Life really threw some curveballs.

After a while a knock came at the door. Mac got up to answer it, though she was fairly sure she knew who it was. When the door opened to reveal Dick her suspicions were confirmed. He came over several evenings a week, usually bringing dinner, just to hang out with Mac. They usually talked and had a Halo marathon, a tradition that always included their favorite death by chocolate ice cream. Which Dick swore the government actually used to kill people. No matter how much he grew up some things about him would never change.

"Hey Mac-attack." He greeted her, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "I brought your favorite."

He held up a bag of food from the nearby china restaurant.

"Have I mentioned that you're my hero?" She said grabbing the bag out of his hands.

"Not in the last 24 hours."

Veronica came into the hallway to see who it was and smiled at Dick. They'd let go of their grudges a few years back. Though Dick was still scared shitless of Veronica, even if he wouldn't admit it. "Hey Dick."

"What's up Veronica? Still kicking ass and taking names?"

Mac grinned at Veronica's raised eyebrows. "Why, volunteering?"

The former surfer raised his hands in defense. "I know better then to mess with you."

"Good. Now come in, Mac was just telling me about her meeting with a certain Mr. Hodges this afternoon."

Dick came in and they all settled down at the table for a quiet evening.

MaDiMaDi--

Later that night, after Veronica had gone to stake out Madison's house, Mac turned to Dick who was sitting next to her on the couch. "So how have you been Dick? A little birdy told me that business is getting good."

"That it is." He grinned at her before gaining a more serious expression. "But there have been a few complaints in the company about the lack of socials. Apparently the employees want a Christmas Social, complete with decorations, music, and dancing."

Mac laughed at the terrified look on his face. The prospect of spending hours talking to other business men on the phone didn't scare him, but spending one evening socializing did. She understood though, without him having to say it, that the part that scared him was the return to his childhood. Even though he ran a business in Neptune just like his father did, that was where the comparison ended. He gave up a big mansion in the 09er district for a small beachside home where he could surf. And he avoided all the social mixers and other parts of the old life as much as possible. A Christmas party was something his father would have loved, and was bound to be filled with the same amount of drama that every 09er event had. Someone would be sleeping with someone else's wife, and another set of children would end up in a messed up household. Mac moved so that her arm was around Dick's shoulder.

"How about this. You go ahead and schedule that Christmas party, but invite Veronica, Logan, and Parker too. Then you can spend part of it schmoozing and the rest of it with us."

Dick laughed at her. "I like how you automatically assume you have an invitation."

"Who else is going to go as your date Richard Casablancas Jr.? At least, who else that can participate in intelligent conversation."

She's attended most of the parties he'd been forced to go to as his date, mostly so they could mock the lifestyle she'd almost had, and he'd finally escaped. Veronica swore they were one step away from marriage, but it just felt comfortable to Mac. There were no ulterior motives, just two people enjoying one another's company. She knew how she felt about Dick - he was her second best friend in the entire world. And in some ways the level of intimacy and trust she had with Dick was beyond what she had with Veronica. They'd gotten over Cassidy's death and conviction as a psychotic killer together, and he understood some things about her without words needing to be spoken. Like how after a long, bad day all she needed was some ice cream and Halo, and she knew the same things about him. Like that what he needed right now was a promise that she wouldn't let him go through anything alone.

As she was thinking about that Dick had wrapped his arm around her waist, and at that moment he proceeded to tickle attack her. She laughed hysterically, throwing her weight away from him towards the other side of the couch.

"No. Fair!" she choked out as she escaped. "I attempt to help and this is the thanks I get?"

His further attempts to attack her were evaded as she jumped off the couch and ran towards the kitchen, still laughing. No matter how many tickle fights they had Mac still found them incredibly fun.

She heard the hard stomping that indicated Dick behind her, and ducked behind the table in the kitchen just as he entered. She could hear his quiet chuckle as he approached her, thinking that he had her cornered. But as he reached around the table to finish tickling her he received a quick jab in the stomach as she stabbed him with a nearby pencil.

"Ow!" He cried. "No fair Mackie!"

She darted out from her hiding place sticking her tongue out at him. "All's fair in war my friend. Don't be a sore loser."

"We'll see who's a sore loser after I beat you in Timesplitters."

"Is that a challenge?" Mac struggled to keep the laughter out of her voice. It was just so hard with him, almost everything he did made her want to laugh. It was part of the reason they became friends.

Dick smiled at her, a smile completely different from the sneers he'd directed at her in high school. This smile was gentler, the kind that came from someone who was at peace with themselves, not someone who had something to prove. It was the smile he'd developed years ago after he and Mac had managed to deal with everything involving Cassidy and his father, when they finally accepted what had happened and managed to move on. It was the smile of Dick Casablancas her friend, instead of Dick Casablancas, royal jackass. It was the smile that made her willing to do anything for the man standing in front of her.

"That was more then a challenge, that was a promise."

And with those words Mac remembered the promise she'd made to herself a long time ago. The promise to keep that smile on his face, because it was what made their mostly incredibly screwed up lives worth living.

More on the mystery in the next chapter. Remember, reviews are good stuff!!