A/N: This plot bunny sprouted in my head and basically grew into this fic. Lots of changes have happened because of the swap, clearly, but the specifics won't be revealed til later on. I did try to keep everything and everyone "in character", but obviously, thanks to the changed circumstances, personalities and the dynamics between everyone have changed a lot too.
For the Veronica becoming an actress thing, Logan has talked about how his father's agent has sent him scripts before, implying it's happened quite a lot before. Obviously, because of his issues with his father, he's never gone down that road. Veronica doesn't have the same baggage with Aaron, though that's not to say their relationship is all that great, or that she doesn't have a ton of issues of her own too, but it means that she's never been biased against acting and Hollywood, and so she decided to join the family business, as it were, after she's urged by those around her. Veronica being Veronica, who's pretty great at faking characters even in canon, she does a great job at it.
It was just past midnight when Veronica Echolls finally arrived in Neptune.
The cover of the darkness, along with the private plane and car she'd taken to get here, was perfect for an incognito operation like this, but she still had little doubt that her arrival would be leaked to pretty much everyone by tomorrow.
Few things could travel faster than gossip, after all, especially when you were a rising starlet with a celebrity father currently embroiled in a fairly salacious Hollywood scandal.
In any case, she'd have tonight, at least, to enjoy her childhood home in relative anonymity. Relative, because there were a select few she would like to actually know about her arrival.
Speak of the devil, Veronica thought, as right on cue, her cell phone started to ring. Giving a small smile at the name flashing on her screen, she answered, not bothering with pleasantries as she stated simply, "I'm here."
The answering squeal made her laugh even as she pulled the phone away from her ear. After a few moments, the voice on the other end managed a slightly more coherent reply, "We'll be at there ASAP, so, do not go anywhere, Echolls!"
"Relax, Kane, I won't—scout's honour," she promised, with a wry twist of her lips, as part of her thought just a little bitterly that it wasn't like she actually had a choice, anyway.
This reunion with her childhood friends was the one part of this whole debacle that wasn't completely horrible, and she didn't want to ruin it. Silver linings and all that. It should've been easy. You could hardly pay attention to anything else once Lilly was in your orbit, even when it was just over the phone.
Not for the first time, Veronica wondered if maybe they ought to have switched places.
The other blonde would definitely excel in the Hollywood game and most certainly relish every scandal thrown her way. Probably, if it was her, she'd be perfectly happy standing in the middle of this shitstorm, because she'd have stirred it all up herself, for her own amusement. Maybe she'd even have figured out a way to evade the consequences of the fallout too, in typical Lilly Kane fashion, she thought, with a hint of bitterness and jealousy she tried to push down.
For some reason or another, the other girl had been strangely unwilling about joining her as a fellow actress. Though, upon further reflection, maybe it wasn't so strange.
Because while Lilly was great at all the bits of the business that involved the fame game, she wasn't quite so stellar at the actual job. She could certainly be quite the actress—as many a memory could attest—but the actual work was a different matter.
It wasn't all movie premieres and academy awards, after all, as she well knew. A lot of it was working really long hours in often far away places, doing takes at least a dozen times each until you got the right shot, and just generally toiling away in a professional capacity every day. All of which was about as un-Lilly Kane as you could get.
In any case, a dose of concentrated Lilly was always a good distraction, which was probably just what she needed after everything that had happened. Not exactly what the doctor ordered, but who cared if it worked.
As expected, Lilly Kane's scoffing rebuttal quickly drew her out of her thoughts. "Like you were ever in the girl scouts, Little Miss Child Star."
Forcing a lightness she didn't quite entirely feel but sure as hell hoped to soon—with copious amounts of alcohol if nothing else—Veronica replied teasingly, "Ah, but as Little Miss Child Star, I have actually played a girl scout. Or, a former one, anyway. Now, hurry up already, Lils, before I go through all the liquor myself."
They parted ways with some hurried goodbyes after that, with the distant sound of Lilly shouting for her brother just making it in before the call cut off.
Shaking her head and giving a small smirk at the chaos no doubt soon to follow, the newly returned blonde made her way inside the house, unlocking the doors with the keys she'd received from her parents the other day since her old ones didn't work with the new locks.
Updated security aside, the Echolls family mansion in Neptune hadn't changed too much since the last time she'd been here, which had been a little over a year ago. It had only been a short visit, a mini-holiday lasting less than a week while she was between film projects. She'd spent more time at the Kane mansion, in all honesty.
The lights were already open but there was no one inside. No one who greeted her when she walked into the foyer, anyway. Seeing as a quick look revealed that the place was clean and clearly ready for use, with many of her things already in place, so plenty of people had clearly been by at some point. Maybe they were even still around, in the servants' wing somewhere, but Veronica had no desire to check, when she had a better destination in mind.
Like the well-stocked liquor cabinet, because she wasn't kidding when she told Lilly she was planning a head start. Her parents hadn't moved the cabinet, so it was easy enough to locate. Picking the lock on it was just slightly more effort, considering her great experience with it.
Still, it might've been faster if she just waited for Lilly and the others to arrive. Out of the all of them, somehow, Logan, despite, or perhaps because of, being the son of the sheriff and thus the conscience of the group, was the best at lockpicking. Duncan was the undisputed worst, while she and Lilly often battled it out for second place.
Even with only second place skills, however, Veronica was soon staring at success. Namely, a collection of fine wines and spirits to help celebrate tonight's reunion of the one and only infamously Fabulous Four.
-o-
Veronica was already a couple of shots of vodka in when the sound of her name echoed in the hallways.
She'd taken a couple of bottles with her to the living room, nicking a few glasses from the kitchen, along with a random assortment of snacks too. Thankfully for her stomach and her inebriation levels, the fridge had been as well stocked as the liquor. Munching on tortilla chip, she turned around just in time to see a blonde blur all but tackle her in a hug.
Even as she found herself nearly choking from the shock and the force of the hug, she managed to return the favor, wrapping her arms tightly around the other girl. It really had been too long since they'd seen each other in person.
But Lilly still smelled like perfume and spice, and it almost felt like they were all just kids again, especially when she heard the familiar sound of laughter coming from her two other childhood companions. Of course, their voices were pitched a lot lower nowadays.
The two girls soon broke their hug, though Veronica was almost immediately swept into another. This time, with the other Kane. "Welcome back," Duncan whispered into her ear, right before he let go.
Last, but definitely not least, the final member of the Fab Four gave her a hug too. It was, perhaps, a little shorter and a little more stiff, than the other two, but she didn't want to read into it too much.
It was just a nice, friendly hug, she reminded herself, as she let go, and found herself staring into a pair of intense eyes that most certainly didn't make her shiver a little.
Veronica tried not to remember the last time she'd been in Logan Mars' arms. Not right then, in front of their two best friends, and probably not ever. Because, really, heart-to-hearts and facing feelings? That was just not the Veronica Echolls way, and if Logan still didn't realize that after a decade of friendship, then he wasn't half as smart as she thought.
"Really, Veronica? Starting without us?" Lilly asked with a pout, as she eyed the nearly half-empty vodka bottle and the shot glass with red lipstick stain-the exact shade she was wearing, what a coinkydink-right beside it.
There was something about her tone, or maybe it was the look in her eyes, that made her shackled rise up just a little, so she only shrugged, completely unapologetic, as she pointed out sharply, "Whatever. I totally warned you on the phone."
Alright, so clearly, despite the hugs, maybe none of them were really quite over what happened the last time she was here. But, as was tradition in their friend group, they covered up all the bad bits with smiles and snark. Maybe a little sentiment too, if they were really wasted.
Veronica poured the other blonde a glass too and held it out like a peace offering, "C'mon Lils, you've got to catch up."
Raising a brow but deciding not to comment on the little speed bump in their interactions, the Kane heiress accepted the glass easily, and down the shot with a quick, "Cheers!"
With a grin at the familiar sight, the actress poured herself another glass and took a shot too. Hey, she never said she'd wait for the other girl to catch up. She may or may not have been a little drunk already.
Logan's voice spoke up, entirely too close, and made her jump a bit in shock. Turning to see him looking at her in amusement, he asked, "And where's my celebratory shot, ladies?"
"Wow, a little eager to partake in such illicit activities, aren't we?" Lilly teased him with a smirk. "Tsk, what would your father think?"
Considering his father was the sheriff, it would probably be reading of the riot act. But he only shrugged, not even attempting to bow out or chide them for the blatant underage drinking as he once might've. Clearly, he'd given up on it all.
It should've been a good thing, not having to put up with his honestly kind of annoying lectures anymore, but it just made her a little sad instead. Much as they all liked to tease him for his good little sheriff son's schtick, it was kind of the best thing too.
Just one of the many reasons why Logan Mars didn't really belong in their world. Sure, technically, he was just a sheriff's son, with a frankly pitiful bank account compared to the rest of them, but it wasn't his family's comparative lack of social status that made him different.
It was because, unlike most of them, including future presidential candidate Duncan Kane (if his parents had anything to do about it), he was actually a good person. A status that was rare enough to be thought of as practically myth.
Veronica tried very hard to ignore the stirring of guilt she felt at the thought. It wasn't her fault, she told herself. Everyone went through a bad boy phase anyway, right? Clearly, this was Logan's.
It was a shitty excuse. But she was a shitty person, so maybe it all worked out.
Either way, she was determined to work through the issue the same way she did with all her other ones.
Denial and distraction. The Double Ds of success, she thought with a mental snort.
Shaking her head at the thought, Veronica pasted a smile on her face, "You'll have to pour those yourselves, gentlemen. As you can see, Lils and I are a little bit busy celebrating."
She pointed to the glasses Lilly had been proactively pouring and then drinking even as they spoke. Clearly, she was indeed determined to catch up quick. She was doing it too. In a fraction of the time, she'd ingested more than half of Veronica's pregame share.
Lilly Kane, party extraordinaire, everybody. Personally, she blamed genetics. It was completely unfair considering the other blonde, and most everyone else she'd ever met, had at least five inches and twenty pounds on her.
"Geez, Lils, slow down a little, why don't you? It's not actually a competition, you know." Duncan scolded his sister, even as he poured himself a glass too. Of whiskey, into the non-shot glass variety, because unlike the rest of them, he had class and taste.
In true Lilly Kane fashion, she completely ignored her brother's advice and proceeded on her own merry way, making Veronica chuckle a little at the play-by-play.
Meanwhile, like a proper best friend, Logan followed suit, wincing a little when the burn hit his throat. Even as he choked on the alcohol, he couldn't help but point out, "You all realize we do have school tomorrow, right?"
Hmm, so maybe some of the old Logan Mars was still in there, after all. The thought made her smile.
Feeling rather playful, in part because of the pleasant vodka haze, Veronica let her mouth drop open in shock, putting on quite a convincing performance of true ingenue-tinged horror as she cried out, "Oh my word, what a disaster! How could we have forgotten such a crucial detail in all our plans?"
Giving a rueful shake of his head, Logan replied sarcastically, "Yeah, I wonder how that could've happened."
"Quit being such a baby, Logie! What happened to celebratory shots?" Lilly cut into the banter with an exasperated sigh. Tossing her hair dramatically, she added dramatically, "Besides, even stick-in-the-mud Donut is drinking, so you've got no excuses."
"Gee, thanks." Duncan noted, shaking his head with an amused smile on his face. He was all too used to his sister's mostly playful insults to actually feel insulted.
Veronica gave him a comforting pat on the back nonetheless. Though it wasn't like Lilly lied. Somehow, Duncan managed to be even more straitlaced than the son of the sheriff. Maybe that was why they were best friends, she reflected.
"Celebratory shot, Lils. Singular. Which I've already had." Logan held up the glass in his hand pointedly. "And I'm driving home, remember?"
"Oh, please! You can sleep here." Lilly shrugged off the issue easily. "Mr. Mars will understand. It's Veronica's big return!"
The words seemed to hit their mark, because Logan quieted his objections, instead, seeking out Veronica like he was looking for permission. He looked a little like a puppy looking for a belly rub, she thought a little dazedly. Those shots might've been hitting her harder than anticipated, she immediately reflected.
Blinking the thought away, she reassured him, "Logan, it's fine. You can stay the night. You all can." With a laugh, she added bluntly, "Let's be real, by the end of this celebration, we'll definitely all be way too drunk to do anything more than move to a bed, if that."
"Why, Veronica Echolls, is that a proposition?" Lilly asked, batting her eyes flirtatiously.
With a saucy wink in the other blonde's direction, she nodded, "Yup. This is basically an invitation for an orgy in my bedroom."
"Um, you all do realize that Lilly and I are related, right?" Duncan interrupted with a shudder. "And I have no desire to see any part of my sister naked."
Veronica laughed, looking almost apologetic as she assessed. "Sorry, buddy, but I think you might be the only one in that position."
"Aww, you and your flattery!" Lilly cooed, before placing a wet smacking kiss to her friend's lips. Taking advantage of said friend's still open mouth, she even slipped in a little tongue too.
Though momentarily shocked, Veronica did not take long to respond, on instinct, if nothing else. It was hardly the first time the two of them had drunkenly kissed each other in front of other people. Really, it was practically a party staple.
By the time they stopped to come up for air, they were both a little messy and breathing hard, Duncan was looking a bit green, and Logan was rather red.
The two blondes shared satisfied smirks, with equally smudged lips, before they dissolved into giggles.
Some things may have changed, but some things definitely stayed the same.
-o-
True to Veronica's word, the night did indeed end with everyone wasted in bed.
Her bed, to be more exact. The oversized mattress was more than enough for all four of them and then some, but they still ended up in a dog pile of tangled limbs anyway.
Contrary to Lilly's insinuations, there was nothing sexual about it. They were really all just tired, and feeling happy and physically affectionate the way drunks often do.
It was nostalgic, really. Minus the alcohol and with slightly more parental attention, they'd ended countless childhood sleepovers in the same positions.
Being like this with everyone again, it was almost too easy to pretend she'd never left, that this was how she spent most of her nights.
She'd missed this, missed Lilly and Duncan and Logan, the Fab Four all together again. Until this moment, she hadn't really realized just how much.
There were phone calls and emails and occasional visits, but it wasn't the same.
There was some bone deep sense of satisfaction, to find herself back here.
"Welcome back to Neptune, Veronica." Someone murmured. In the dark and through a drunken haze, it was hard to tell who it was, exactly.
"Home sweet home," she whispered into the dark, right as she closed her eyes.