A Neptune Christmas Carol

by Mandy1229

Keith is haunted by Ghosts Lilly, Lynn, Meg and Beaver as they try to prevent Logan and Veronica from breaking up after Dick and Mac both refuse to believe that Lilly is real. This is a finished story and will be updated all of this week until posted.

1. Chapter 1

A/N: When writing this, I realized in the Epilogue that I had Keith knowing everything and needed to find a way for him to do so. So I had the Ghosts going through a list of Veronica and Logan's friends trying to fix things and finally ending up needing Keith to do so. This is a six chapter story and is already written so I will be posting for the next several days until it is done.

Chapter One

Keith woke up, looked around his bedroom then frowning glanced at the clock at the clock. Seeing the blue block numbers were flashing midnight, he got out of bed and went to see if it had been Veronica arriving that had woken him up. Once in the small living room/kitchen he looked at the note she had left him the night before stating she would be with Mac and sighed, wondering if she had had another fight with Logan.

Going to her bedroom, he saw that her door was ajar and upon pushing it open he saw that her bed was still made and there was no evidence of his daughter having been there since he had gone to bed.

Checking the lock on the door and then looking around, Keith went to back to bed, deciding that he was overreacting. Once back in bed, half asleep, he thought about his little girl. Veronica and he had unwritten and unspoken rule that he wasn't told when she spent the night with Logan, but he always knew the truth.

"That's rich." He heard the female voice and looked around and saw there was no one there.

Shaking his head, thinking he was beginning to lose his mind, he turned off the light and pulled the comforter up so that it was covering him. Just as he was about to go to sleep, he frowned as he realized that the voice he had heard was vaguely family.

"Whose there?" He asked sitting up and reaching for the gun that was kept in the night stand drawer. "Show yourself."

There was the sound of low feminine laughter then the words "Or what?" A voice floated out at him from behind the small wing back chair in the corner.

Standing, gun in hand, Keith turned on the light only to see no one at all behind the chair. Going to the closet, he checked inside and then under his bed. Ruling out all hiding places; he went to the living room and found the right piece of electronic machinery.

Returning to his bedroom, he pressed the button to check the room only for the machine to show that there were no electronic bugs. "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing much. I just that I need your help." The blond now sitting on his bed wearing the bloody pep squad uniform with the bashed in head, looked at Keith Mars and said "We have to save Veronica from herself. Oh we have to save Logan, too."

Blinking a bit, Keith looked at the foot of his bed again, but nothing had changed. A clearly dead Lilly Kane was seated there. Rubbing his eyes, beginning to convince himself that this was a dream, he ignored the blond and turned the light off.

Tossing back the covers, he was a bit surprised when they suddenly flew back up towards the pillows up at the top of the bed. With that he muttered to himself "This is a dream, Keith."

"No, it's not. Though if it makes you help me, sure believe it is a dream." Lilly offered then looking at Veronica's dad said "At least you didn't yell at me like the last person I visited. The person before that was convinced I was the result of an alcohol induced nightmare. He vowed to give up drinking for the upcoming New Year."

"The new year isn't for three weeks." Keith replied then shook his head as he tried to figure out why he was hallucinating and seeing Lilly Kane. He had dreamed of her for months as she accused him in his dreams of letting her real killer go free but they had ended with Aaron Echolls arrest.

"I know but Dick has never been very practical." Lilly replied. "Then Ghostworld had the nerve to tell me to stop annoying her. When I told her that I was here to help Veronica, she suggested that then I should be annoying Veronica and maybe I should have thought about helping her while I was still alive."

"Okay, I will play." Keith said now convinced that somehow he had been slipped some kind of illegal drug. "Why are you here, Lilly?"

"I told you, I need your help to fix things. It would have been easier if Dick or Cindy had agreed because you will need their help later but for now, I guess the best way to fix this is to let the Ghosts haunt you."

"Dick and this Cindy; who I don't know?" He asked with a smirk.

"Oh." Lilly deflated a bit then frowned "Wait, I saw you talking to her in one of the past events. You must know her. Short like Veronica, dark hair that curls a bit, she used to date Beaver that psycho."

"You mean Mac?" Keith asked as he pieced together that part of the puzzle.

"Yes, Mac. Cindy. Ghostworld according to Dick; when we were in school. Anyhow, she is going to be needed at point and Dick as well, so we thought that we would just haunt them, but she had the nerve to yell at me and like I said, Dick thought I was the result of a nightmare."

"I believe you mentioned that already." Keith replied. "So, just what is it you need from me?"

"First of you, you have to tear off your blinders about Veronica and we are going to take care of that. Veronica hasn't always told you the truth and unfortunately that has caused a lot of problems for the two of you. Which is odd because I always thought she trusted you with everything; but then with how my parents and so called friends overreacted to my death and well..."

With a shrug, Lilly looked at Keith and said "My mother really only cared that I embarrassed her by dying and my dad, well he was upset but not so much that he changed his behavior. My friends thought that they were rallying around Donut but he was an ass who caused most of the troubles."

"What do you mean?" Keith thought back to the past and tried to figure out what Lilly was talking about.

"See, Donut broke up with Veronica and instead of telling Logan why, made it seem like it was Veronica's fault. So when she refused to go against you, he thought he was standing up for my parents and Donut who made things worse. Anyhow, shit happened and Logan was keeping his secrets... Logan was an ass, but he was an ass for a reason." Lilly said with an annoyed sigh.

"Either way, you will be seeing the real truth and are going to be really, really angry with Logan but you shouldn't be. You should be mad at Duncan and me and my parents. Not idiotic Logan. And Vee too, she did some pretty stupid shit herself."

Shaking his head, Keith was swearing off Mexican food as he looked at Lilly and said "So, what is this about."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Tomorrow night you will be visited by three ghosts. The Ghost of the past, the Ghost of Now and the near future and the Ghost of Veronica's future if these things don't change. Anyhow-"

"Lilly, I have read A Christmas Carol, seen several different versions including my personal favorite the Bill Murray Scrooged version." He replied dryly.

"Good, great, then you know how this goes.:" She said beaming a thousand watt smile at him.

"Lilly it is two weeks before Christmas, shouldn't this be happening on Christmas eve." He asked with a slight chuckle then frowned as he realized this was all a dream and that he was talking to himself.

"No and I can prove that you are wrong about this being a dream." She replied with her own smirk. "Tomorrow you should be at Cho's pizza parlor around noon. I will be setting up for my plan. At a little after twelve, Logan Echolls is going to offer to let Cindy Mackenzie stay at his penthouse suite while he is off skiing in Aspen with Dick. Oh, and Veronica and he broke up last night."

"I could have predicted that one all by myself." Keith said a bit relieved to hear that the volatile on and off again relationship between his daughter and Logan Echolls was once again off.

"You shouldn't be." Lilly replied quietly. "Trust me, on this. I get why you believe what you do, and you are going to hate him even more at some point tomorrow night, but sir, Logan has had horrible things happen to him that no one but Veronica knows about. They are each others soul mates and simply put the only ones that can help each other."

Sensing his rejection of that idea, Lilly smiled sadly then said "You will soon see the truth."

Keith entered Cho's for his takeout order trying to convince himself that he wasn't here because of his late night nightmare. However, Veronica had come home this morning before her last winter final and had quietly told him that Logan and she had broken up. Seated in an out of the way corner, he saw Mac entering the pizza shop and was about to wave at her when he saw her join a tall blond girl two booths away.

Hearing the blond talking about how she didn't understand why Veronica would dump Logan when all he had been attempting was to protect her and Keith frowned curious as to what was going on.

When Mac protested and said Veronica didn't need a body guard and that Logan should have at least warned Veronica, Keith was now very unhappy at the idea of his daughter being in enough danger that Logan had felt it was necessary to go that far.

The blond stood and hugged Mac, stating she would be back at the end of winter break then left to get into the now arriving taxi. Keith was about to walk over when he saw Logan entering the pizza parlor with Dick Casablancas. The blond walked to the counter and he watched as Logan stopped over to see Mac.

"How angry is she?" He was asking.

"Angry, Logan. What do you expect? Your bodyguard made her freak out." Mac stated. "We spent most of the night talking and she just feels like you don't get that she is trying to do her job."

"When did it become her job to track down the Hearst rapist?" Logan asked a bit caustically.

"Logan, you know why she is doing this." Mac admonished. "You off all people know that she can't let someone like this walk around free, as long as she can do something about it. I understand it from both sides. Wanting to protect her and her not wanting to be protected."

Watching as Logan ran his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated; Keith listened as he admitted that loving Veronica was very difficult. "I hate the way she puts herself in danger all the time. That she doesn't trust me to help..."

"Logan, trust is a very big problem for Veronica." Mac reminded him. Hearing her phone ringing, she answered it and stated. "Yes, thanks for calling me back. Our dorm door is having problems with closing and we really need it looked at immediately. Its not locking and with everything going on campus..."

Mac protested when the person told her it would be done after the new semester had started "But I was staying in the dorms over the holidays..."

When she hung up, she was counting to ten as she tried to figure out what to do.

"What's going on?" Logan asked.

"Parker and I noticed our dorm room door isn't catching when we lock it. Maintenance says it will be taken care of after the New Years." She answered

"And you aren't going home, are you?" Logan stated. Seeing her surprise, he said "Unlike what you may think, I do pay attention. So that you know, what I am about to suggest isn't because I want you use you to fix things with Veronica."

"As if I would let you." She replied thinking on how broken the blond had been the night before and how she had taken Veronica back to her empty family home to let her get all of her pain and anger out.

"Listen, why don't you crash at my suite? I have a spare room and I promise my best friend won't be around to annoy you. I promise to keep him out until we leave on Thursday. Dick and I are heading to Aspen for a few days before Christmas; there is an empty suite at the Grand. All paid for until the end of the spring semester.

Mac considered turning him down, but she hated the idea of crashing with Veronica and her family had left on holiday two days before. Looking at Logan, seeing his brown eyes staring at her., she said "Are you sure?"

"Yes, like I said, we will be gone and it is already paid for. Someone might as well be staying there." He replied trying to avoid making it look like he was being a good person. "Seriously, why not just stay until they get your door fixed?"

"Fine, but I-" Before Mac could finish that statement, Dick walked back and saw Mac sitting in the booth that Logan was near. Grunting at Logan, he pointed at the pizza box then at the door before heading straight out.

"Here." Logan gave her the key from his wallet, then said "Dick and I are heading to San Diego to pick up our new ski equipment. I won't let him up into the suite. Just promise me that Veronica won't go all tasering away on my ass for letting you stay, okay?"

"Its a deal." Mac said then seeing her own vegan pizza arriving, thanked him once again but before Logan could reply she heard the impatient sound of a horn. "That horn screams I am Dick and I have the patience level of a sugared up five year old promised an ice cream cone."

With a chuckle, Logan nodded at her and walked towards the door never seeing Keith Mars and never noticing the blond smacking him upside the head as he walked through the exit door. Blaming the slight pain on the door hitting him, Logan hoped up into the driver seat and turned to glare at Dick who looked at him with a scowl and said "What?"

"She is right, a sugared up five year old." Was all he replied as he drove to the beach so that they could eat their lunch.

Keith didn't move, his mind on all he had seen and heard, then realized everything had happened exactly like Lilly had predicted in his dream. Watching as Mac asked for her own pizza to be boxed up, he waited until she left, paid for his own food and went back to his office, his mind whirling.

Seeing Veronica sitting at her desk, with dark circles and a fake smile on her face had Keith curious as to what she would tell him when he asked if everything was okay. "Yes, its fine. Logan and I just had another argument, nothing new. I will be over it by tomorrow, I promise."

"Whose fault was it this time?" He asked as Logan's words from the pizza joint reverberated in his brain. "Yours or his?"

"Moi?" She asked fluttering her eye lashes at him. "It's never my fault, don't you know that as my dad you are supposed to want to tar and feather him?"

"I am always on your side." He replied as he pulled her into a hug. His mind still hadn't settled down as he offered her some pizza then went into his office. Making a few checks on the computer, he sent out an e-mail and got a very quick reply an hour later.

Shutting down his computer, he looked out at reception and hid his worry as he realized that Logan HAD in fact hired a bodyguard for his daughter. Reading what Logan had told the firm, he sighed as he realized that this passive parenting he had been doing for the last few years might need to be changed, because clearly Alicia was right, he had let Veronica get too involved in his work and now he was paying for that.

At the time he had thought it was what she needed to deal with everything going on in her life, but clearly he should have been monitoring her better. Now, she would be harder to reign in but he was beginning to realize if he didn't, he might lose his daughter to one of the monsters that she still didn't realize were out there. Monsters that made Aaron Echolls and Cassidy Casablanca look like garden variety snakes in the grass.

LoVe

Earlier that morning:

Mac woke up alone, startled to realize she had fallen back to sleep asleep in her room. She had reluctantly been planning on heading to work in the college's IT department for some overtime but it was noon and there was no way she would make it to the campus on time. Groaning when she realized she had forgotten to call Parker, she quickly dialed the blond.

"Its fine, just meet me at that pizza parlor you like so much." Parker said with a slightly lower mutter about Veronica stealing Mac away the night before. Mac frowned, Parker and she were friends, yes but Veronica and she were closer than she ever would be with Parker. Yet Parker had been acting possessive of Mac's time for a couple of months now. Maybe looking for a new roommate would be a good idea this spring.

When Parker said no one had shown up to fix this door room door, Mac scowled, she wasn't thrilled with being alone in the dorm with a faulty lock and couldn't believe the school wouldn't do anything to fix it today.

Looking around her bedroom, she considered staying at home but she had promised her parents not to do that. She could always spend the week with the Mars family but she knew that Veronica was licking her wounds as a result of her latest separation from Logan and Mac felt like she would be intruding on their family time.

With a sigh, Mac stood, grimaced when she saw how wrinkled her clothes were and went to change. Returning to her room, after her shower, she was standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself and frowning at what she saw.

"You spend way too much time navel gazing for a hottie like you what you should be."

Shocked to realize she wasn't alone, Mac quickly turned and gasped at the blond wearing a Neptune Pirates Prep Squad uniform standing at the foot of her bed, braiding her long straight blond hair. "You're dead, you need to stop annoying me!"

"Duh, it was all over the news. If I hadn't been dead, I would have made sure they used a different pic of myself, I always hated that photo." The blond said as she walked over and peered into the closet door that was slightly ajar then began to flip through the clothes handing on the bar. "You have got to get Veronica to take you shopping. Seriously, I mean, I got it when you were in high school, you just wanted to disappear, but common Mac, at some point you have to stop hiding."

"I tried that it didn't go over too well. Did you forget my boyfriend turned out to be a multiple murderer and rapist who jumped off the Neptune Grand?" She dryly tossed out there. "Though, I guess since you were already dead, you might have missed that fact."

"Nah, I saw. I don't get what you saw in that loser, still don't. What on earth did you see in that sad sack? Cassidy Casablancas was the only person at Neptune High even more depressing than my brother, Duncan." The blond girl said as she flipped through the clothes hanging there. "Okay this will be perfect, you need to wear this tonight."

"Perfect for what?" Mac asked as she saw the thin silk shell in the salmon color her mom had bought her a year before. She still didn't know she still had it in her closet.

The ghost replied as she looked through the pants sitting on the shelves. "These will do for pants."

"You are insane." Mac said staring in disbelief at the blond. "Wait, no, I am insane, I am arguing with a ghost and I don't even know what you are talking about. Why are you here? I mean, why aren't you visiting Veronica or Logan, or even one of the other 09ers. I wasn't even on your radar when you were alive."

"Just because we weren't friends doesn't mean I wasn't aware of you." Lilly said softly. "I was aware of who you were. I knew a lot about you. I knew that you were smart but shy. When I was alive, it was easier to just trust those closest to me. Lot of good that did me."

Mac frowned then said what she had always wanted to when Veronica felt sad or guilty about Lilly and her death. "Well maybe if you hadn't cheated on Logan with half the guys in school and screwed his dad."

Lilly gave her a sad smile and said "I know that you don't understand. I have watched you since you became close to Veronica. You don't understand why she is so forgiving to me, for my lies and omissions. I don't understand that myself. You see the real me, not the idealized version that Veronica now sees. The tarnished version that Logan remembers and feels guilty about. It's why they are so screwed up and why I am here."

"Like I said, why aren't you visiting Veronica or Logan then?" Mac said as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a white spaghetti strapped shirt then a pale gray button up shirt over it. Kneeling to find her white canvas sneakers, she grabbed a pair of socks from her dresser and finished getting dressed.

"I really wish you would listen to me." Lilly said with a heavy sigh as she watched Mac dress. "What you are wearing is not going to get you any attention."

"I am going to get a vegan pizza pie at Cho's. My family is gone and I am going to spend the night watching old movies. I am also grateful that I am not in the middle of an argumentative and self destructive relationship like my best friend." Mac replied as she tried to run her hair brush through her now tangled hair.

Mac was about to leave when she felt a zing of electricity and fell onto her bed. Hearing herself talking, she saw the events that had happened two days before and screamed in annoyance at Lilly as she repeated her entire last visit for her.

"You are going to be visited by three ghosts." Lilly stated. "You should know, we tried not to involve you, but after two days of arguing since the other possible helper was too resistant to the very sight of me, you are it."

"You should go back to your first choice, I don't believe in ghosts." Mac stated.

"I tried to visit him two nights ago. He actually thought that seeing me was the result of bad tequila, can you believe that?" Lilly said frowning as she recalled the visit to the fraternity toilet where she had watched the blond sticking his finger in his throat to deliberately throw up.

Mac shook her head then looked at Lilly. "Are you losing your mind? I have no reason to be visited by ghosts. Let alone ones directed by yourself. Also, didn't they visit on Christmas Eve?"

"No, I am as sane as I ever was and like I said, we tried but now you are it." Lilly replied ignoring her later statement.

"That isn't saying much." Mac muttered as she tied her hair up in a messy knot on her head to prepare to study for her last exam.

"Hey, I thought you were a nice person." Lilly said with an offended expression on her face. "I offered to be your guide, because I like you."

"Okay, you say I am the Scrooge character in this little drama so, tell me Lilly, what am I going to change by embracing the holidays." She asked with a scowl on her face. "Lets just short cut this mess, tell me what to do to change and I will do it, maybe."

"If I told you why, it wouldn't be necessary for the ghosts to visit you. Anyhow, once you change your attitude, you are going to help fix Logan and Veronica which is what makes me happy." Lilly replied not explaining that just because this was happening during the holidays, didn't mean it had anything to do with her attitude towards Christmas.

"Lilly if you are supposed to be Marley, shouldn't you be wrapped in chains and visiting me at midnight in say about two weeks." Mac sarcastically asked. "Aren't the ghosts supposed to be visiting me at one, two and three as the bell tolls, also during the night?"

"Yes, but there is a great New Years eve party beginning upstairs and I will be busy starting at midnight tonight, so I am finishing my assignment early for once. So Cindy MacKenzie, you will be visited by the ghosts of the past, present and future."

Mac watched herself arguing with the blond who insisted that if it wasn't her it would be someone else who might not want to help save Logan after seeing the past. When she had suggested that maybe just maybe Lilly should be annoying Logan and Veronica then, the blond threw up her hands and said "Well I guess that means we go with plan C, though you should know, it doesn't let you off the hook from helping."

"I warned you. Well guess what, now we had to get Mr. Mars involved." Lilly was saying as she seemed to be taking Mac's pulse. "You know for a smart girl, you should know better than to let your hair dryer cord end up in water."

Mac stood, glared at the blond, who shrugged her shoulders then rolled her eyes back at Mac. Grabbing her keys, Mac walked out of her childhood room and down the hallway reminding herself that she needed to come back and grab her stuff since the house would be without water for the next two weeks.

In the driveway, she sat in her car and tried to wrap her mind around her hallucination. Grabbing her phone, she debated calling Veronica but decided that she would keep this to herself, because she had no idea why she was seeing Lilly Kane while wide awake.

Arriving at Cho's, she joined Parker and after a talk that had her wondering about a new roommate again, she watched the blond leave, ordered and paid for her pizza and drank her drink as she waited for it to be brought to her when she heard the sound of Dick's voice. Mac frowned and hoped he didn't see her; she quickly picked up the menu when she felt someone bump into her table.

"Mac?" She could almost hear the unspoken words that she was sure he wanted to ask her.

Wincing as she saw Logan's blood shot eyes, she found herself defending Veronica in spite of agreeing in no small part with him about the dangers her friend took. A phone call later, she was furious and wondering if she dared impose on Veronica over the holidays.

Listening to Logan's offer, she felt a small sense of envy when he said he was going to Aspen. She had always wanted to celebrate the holidays with real snow. Seeing his sad expression and then the almost desperate emptiness in Dick's eyes when he sauntered over to where they were standing and found that she was glad that she wasn't an 09er.

Finding herself taking him up on his offer in spite of it being at the Grand and Mac watched him leave. Picking up the key card, she put in her back pocket, hoping Veronica wouldn't be upset at her taking Logan up on his offer.

LoVe

Keith sat down in his office, Veronica had left for the day and he leaned back in his chair, trying to rationalize all that had happened the night before and that day.

"Stop thinking so much." He heard. Looking up and seeing Lilly seated in his client's chair, he frowned only for her to add. "I spent the day setting up everything that needs fixed. Now you need to do your part. You heard what Logan said about the danger Veronica is in. Do you really think she went home like she said? No, she didn't. Instead she in on campus doing research to track down this pervert."

Keith sighed then said "I know and I am listening but Lilly what exactly do you want from me?"

"Just for you to open your eyes and really, really look at your daughter. Yes, Veronica caught my killer, but the cost was more than you have any idea."

"Are you talking about her rape? Cassidy is dead, she got to confront him but there can be no real closure in regards to that." Keith replied as he tried to stay calm. When he thought about what that sick bastard did to his daughter, it made him want to go and revive the little bastard and kill him again.

"No, and yes." Lilly admitted. "You need to face that it was more than her rape, it was her mother leaving, her friends turning on her, it destroyed her ability to trust. The lies and the secrets that were revealed did more damage than you know. Plus her working for you, the cheating spouses and back street deals she sees. Veronica has closed out so many people or buried her head in the sand as she desperately reaches for normal. Its why she hooked up with Donut her senior year, but there was nothing normal about it."

"I agree, especially with his keeping secrets about Meg being pregnant." Keith said fuming when he thought about how Veronica had helped him escape town.

"I wish that was what I was talking about." Lilly said with a guilty expression on her face. "There are things you don't know that are even worse. Mr. Mars, I wish I could say more but I am not allowed to tell you, you need to see it for yourself."

Keith felt a sick feeling in his stomach as he listened to what Lilly was saying and began to wonder if this was his subconscious way of making him face that his daughter was broken.

"No, this isn't a dream or your subconscious." Lilly said slightly frustrated with his insistence on believing it to be so. Her mind went to what was about to happen and Lilly knew she had to leave and get Keith to head towards his own place.

When she faded out, she saw Keith grabbing a file from his cabinet and put it in his briefcase before heading towards the exit. Watching as he locked the door and walked down to where his Crown Victoria was waiting, she kept a close eye on him as he drove home.

She saw Mr. Mars entering his apartment complex and went to track down Veronica who sure enough was at the college library doing research on the rapist.

LoVe

An hour after Veronica arrived home, Keith hung up the phone and went to check on his daughter who was in her room studying. "Veronica, I have to head over to the Camelot."

Nodding that she heard, she looked up and saw he was carrying his camera and asked "Cheating spouse."

"No, insurance fraud." He replied then when she had gone back to studying, he stated "I thought you were finished with your exams."

"This is the book for my PI's license." She said lifting the book to show him the cover. When he had left, Veronica closed her book, lifted the picture she had hidden inside. It was a picture of Logan and her earlier that semester. Running her fingertip down his face, she wished she could find a way to make things work but Logan refused to realize that he had to accept her as she was.

LoVe

Keith got his pictures and was on his way home when it happened. A car accident in the other lane. Stopping to help, he called for the medics and got the first driver out from behind the steering wheel of his luxury SUV. Seeing it was Theodore Sinclair, he asked if the man was okay.

"I'm fine. What about the woman that hit me?" He asked leaning against Sheriff Mars car. Watching as the man checked on her, he called out if she was okay again.

Keith looked at the woman and said "She's fine, just drunk."

Coughing, Mr. Sinclair walked over and saw what Keith had seen. An empty bottle of vodka was seated next to her and she had one between her thighs.

Feeling a bit dizzy, he walked back to the Crown Vic and leaned against it watching as Keith grabbed his camera and began to document the accident.

Just as he went to take a photo of the inside of the car, they heard a siren in the distance. The driver's head came up off the steering wheel, looked around panicked and heard the sirens herself.

Starting to call out a warning, Mr. Sinclair could only watch as she put her car in reverse and then pulled out, pushing the gas pedal the floor as she hit Keith and drove off leaving only Theo there to tell the arriving medics and CHP officers who arrived what had happened.

Giving them his information watching as Keith was taken to the hospital; he heard the question and looked at the investigating officer. "He has a daughter, Veronica. I am not sure where they are living but he is the former Sheriff here in Neptune County."

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" He rejected their offer stating he felt fine only to almost fall over. Agreeing to go to the hospital, he added. "The woman, she was pretty drunk. Mars was taking photos with his camera. I think he might have gotten a picture of her license plate."

LoVe

Veronica and Mac rushed into the hospital up to the information desk. "My father he was brought in, it was a car accident on Route 119."

"Ms. Mars, I'm Officer Wilson of the California Highway Patrol. I was the one who called you." Stated the man standing behind her holding a police incident book. "Your father is in the process of being checked out. He was helping with a car accident when the female driver came to. She hit your father with her car and drove off. We rushed him here but I haven't heard anything yet."

"Thank you." She said then hearing her name being called, looked at the nurse who was approaching. "I am Veronica Mars."

"Please come with me, Ms. Mars." When Mac was beginning to follow the nurse said that she only could bring Veronica at this time.

The officer looked at the brunette and after getting her name and information asked "Would you know why Mr. Mars would have been on this road at this time of night?"

"He is a private investigator; it was probably for a case." Mac replied not telling him anymore, not that she knew anything more than what Lilly and Veronica had told her. Veronica had called her, terrified for her father and upset when her car was blocked in and needing a ride. Mac had quickly driven over to get her and they had rushed straight to the hospital.

"Excuse me, Officer Wilson, how is Mr. Mars?" Mac turned and saw the oddly familiar looking man who was inquiring about Veronica's dad. Seeing the bandage, she realized this was the person in the second car.

"I haven't heard yet, Mr. Sinclair. His daughter was just taken back to by a nurse. Ms. Mackenzie, when Veronica has a moment, please have her contact us." Mac saw the way that the man with the salt and pepper hair was looking at her, half stricken and half eager to talk to her and mumbled something about checking on Veronica.

Thankfully the nurse came back and said "Your friend would like you to join her."

Looking back at her biological father, she said "I will let Veronica and Mr. Mars know that you were checking on him, sir."

With that, she quickly rushed off, unable to face the man raising Madison any longer. Arriving at the hospital room, she saw Veronica seated near her father and asked "How is he?"

"They said bruised ribs, and a head injury that bled a lot. He has no contusions or permanent damage. That he should be waking up some time tomorrow morning." Veronica said wiping tears away.

Seating herself near Veronica, she asked hesitatingly "Do you want me to call Logan for you?"

"No, please don't." Veronica said her mind on how unsettling it would be to have her ex boyfriend there. Looking at Mac, she saw the uneasy expression and asked "What is it?"

"The second car, it was Theodore Sinclair." Mac whispered.

"Oh." Veronica said now getting why Mac was so unsettled. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. This is about your dad." Mac said firmly.

LoVe

"Keith, time to wake up."

Yawning, Keith woke up not sure who he was expecting to see, but the woman sitting there was a shock. Rubbing his eyes, he saw the dark haired woman sitting there wearing a somber dark red robe lined with ermine.

"I thought you were dead." He replied then shook his head at the inane comment.

"Yes, well no. I have to do some good deeds to make up for committing suicide." The dark haired woman said with a sigh as she stood and moved towards Keith was saw he was laying in a hospital bed with Veronica asleep on a nearby chair.

"Wait, the car accident. This is a dream, isn't it?"

"No, it's real. Now I have been keeping up on all that has been happening since I died and sadly I was hoping that with Aaron's arrest my son would grow closer to you, but clearly that has happened."

"He isn't exactly who I want as the future of husband of my daughter." Keith said wearing a scowl a bit uncomfortable to realize that yet again he was having a conversation with a dead person. "Then again, that boy never had particularly good role models."

"I made a series of mistakes, starting with who I chose to be my son's father." Lynn said wiping a tear from her eye. She seemed to regain her equilibrium. "Now, let's go."

"I am going no where." Keith answered stubbornly.

"Mr. Mars, you have no choice." The dark haired woman retorted and reaching out to touch Keith said "I am going to skip the usual nonsense of telling you I am the ghost of Christmas past. I think we both know that we are going to be visiting the past."

With that there was a slight tingling to his skin as they faded out of the hospital room. Keith had expected to be shown some moment from Logan or Veronica's past and wasn't a bit surprised when that was what he was shown.

"She was such a beautiful little girl."

With that, they watched Veronica's early holiday seasons. Watching as a nine year old Veronica told her dad she wanted to be just like him when she grew up, Keith laughed at the memory of when she had used her fake handcuffs to arrest him.

There was another tingling then Keith and Lynn were watching the Echolls family holidays. The moment the press left, they saw the real way the family was. Aaron left after a sneering comment directed at a crying and drunk Lynn as a five year old Logan looked on confused.

The next holiday had Keith gasping on Logan's behalf as his father backhanded him and ordered him to his bedroom. Watching as Lynn poured herself a glass of vodka and didn't go to take care of her son, he turned on the woman and said "How could you? You are his parent, you should have protected him."

"That is a question I ask myself even now." Lynn sadly replied as she reached out for Keith's arm and they faded away. Arriving at a large unknown house, he watched as Cassidy and Dick Casablancas celebrated the holidays then went to visit their friends. The Mackenzie family holidays, the Kane holidays as well the Navarro family holiday. Oddly enough the ones that seemed the happiest were also the poorest family they had visited.

Duncan, Lilly, Veronica and Logan were all at a party during the next visit. It looked to be from just a few years before Lilly had passed away. Keith watched as everyone hugged and talked and bragged about their gifts and what they were doing with their family during this time off from school.

Curious as to why they were there, Keith saw it, the way that Logan looked at Veronica. "He liked her, even then."

"Yes, but my son, thanks to his father felt like a sweet innocent girl like Veronica was not his future. Lilly and her jaded sense of life made more sense. Logan felt like he was broken and in Lilly he recognized a kindred spirit. He did love her, but even then, it was a resigned sort of love." Lynn said.

Keith saw the sad expression on the late actress' face and said "He loves Veronica now. If he loved her then for her innocence why is he with her now?"

"Yes he does, love her, but he is fearful. He knows that she is broken but..."

"He thinks he broke her, doesn't he?" Keith said as he began to understand what part of the problem was between Veronica and Logan. Not that it changed his mind on their relationship. He didn't want Veronica stuck dealing with Logan's problems while trying to fix her own.

"I think so." Lynn said as she watched her son who in spite of standing next to Lilly was watching Veronica and Duncan flirting with pain on his face.

Keith watched Lilly watching Logan watching Veronica and with a frown heard a young woman verbally abusing a tall blond boy he recognized. Hearing the way she was talking to him he didn't get why the blond didn't just walk away; instead he kept trying to defend himself.

Seeing Veronica heading towards the bathroom, Keith followed curious as to why Lilly seemed to be following her as well. Lilly said as she walked up and then stopped. "Veronica, what's going on? Why did Duncan leave?"

"It's nothing." Veronica replied then asked what Logan had given her earlier that day.

"It's nothing, just a Trinket for my new car." Lilly replied then looking back at her boyfriend, realized that he was all she had. That she couldn't do what she should. Looking at Veronica, she said "You know, Duncan does like you. He is just too shy..."

Keith was aghast as he realized that Lilly knew that about Logan's feelings for Veronica and Veronica's for Logan. Lilly had manipulated things for her own reasons.

When he felt Lynn's hand on his arm, he tried to protest, wanting to find out more but before he could, they had faded out of the party and were now at Logan's house as he stared at a Christmas tree.

"It's the year Lilly died." Lynn informed him. "Logan has just told Veronica she has to choose between you and her friends."

Keith watched as Logan destroyed the tree and then his bedroom. The beating from Aaron that followed was particularly vicious and he couldn't understand how the alive version of Lynn could just sit there. The idea that this had gone on in his town, at a time he was still Sheriff had him furious.

"I have added drugs to my routine." Lynn said sadly.

With that, they went to see Veronica who was alone in her room, holding a royal blue and silver wrapped box with the name Logan written on the card. When the blond wiped away her tears, Keith felt sick as Veronica walked to the closet and placing the present in the back of it, closed the door and walked away.

Instead of going to the next holiday, they instead watched as Logan and his minions tore Veronica's trust to shreds. They saw the school year, then the time slowed down and they saw Shelly's end of the year party.

Watching as Madison unknowingly drugged Veronica, Keith wanted to scream no, knowing what would come next. He watched as Logan seemed to walk towards Veronica but something in his eyes changed and he left the party with an unknown blond.

Keith saw Duncan with Shelly, Madison arguing with Dick, he winced as the blonde's insults tore into the surfer yet again. Watching as Veronica got more and more out of hand; he felt a sense of fatalism as he realized he was going to be stuck at this party, unable to save his daughter from her upcoming nightmare.

Lynn and he followed the trio carrying Vee to the room, heard the words out of Dick's mouth and Keith no longer felt sorry for how Madison had treated him, instead he felt rage as he walked out of the room, still making jokes about Cassidy and Veronica.

"Man, are you sure that is a good idea?" She heard someone asking Dick.

"Yeah, it's not like Cassidy has the balls to actually touch her. Trust me; my brother isn't capable of that. 'Sides, this way I get Madison off my case about Ronnie being here." Dick replied with a shrug. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going to try and get some from her."

"Man, she isn't going to let you get close enough to kiss her, let alone have sex with you, not after you kissed Mars."

Keith tried to reach out, tried to get Dick's attention to tell him he was wrong about his brother but he walked right through him, making Keith shiver from the feeling of it. Watching as Dick walked towards Madison, he turned to Lynn and said "You have to stop this, we can't let this happen."

"We can't change the past, Keith." He heard as the sound of Madison slapping Dick echoed through the house. When the blond surfer staggered to the sofa and sank onto it, he heard Shelly ordering him to leave and threatening him if he threw up on her parents' expensive carpet. Keith ran up the stairs, just in time to see Cassidy leaving the bedroom where an unconscious Veronica was passed out.

When he saw Duncan entering the room, he found himself screaming no as he realized what had happened next. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt in his life consumed him as he began to understand what Lilly had been hinting about.

Keith felt the tingling sensation and wanted to protest leaving the party, wanting to help Veronica but before he could say anything they were standing next to a pool and could hear Veronica and Logan speaking to one another.

"So, what you came to accuse me?" Logan's question had Keith recalling what had happened that particular holiday. The missing money from the poker game and how Veronica had told him about tricking Logan into letting her play.

Keith's eyes went wide as she saw the way Logan was looking at Veronica; there was anger and guilt in his eyes as well as attraction.

Veronica either hides things better or she was over her feelings. Keith didn't know, he sometimes wondered if Veronica herself understood her feelings for Logan. As he listened to them bantering back and forth he whispered feeling a sense of doom as he realized "Its still there, they still care for one another."

"Yes, but the trust is gone. My son doesn't trust easily, Veronica choosing you, it's something that Logan doesn't understand because he hates his own father." Lynn said. "Deep down, even if he won't admit it, he hates me."

The parent in him wanted to protest that statement, but how can you not hate someone who sits around as you were beaten. As you did nothing to stop the repeated abuse. "The way he treated Veronica at school after Lilly's death, it destroyed her trust in him."

The words coming from the pool house were fading along with the house and a few minutes later it came back into view. This time there was a party in full swing up at the main house as down in the pool house, Sean Freidrich was leaving in a hurry.

Keith watched as varied scenes from Veronica's school year glided in and out of his view, but the one that caught his eye next had him feeling like a voyeur as Veronica pressed a kiss to the edge of Logan's lips on the second floor of the sleazy hotel balcony.

The way she began to walk away then Logan's hand reaching out and pulling her back and then kissing her. Keith felt a fatherly anger at the heat they were giving off but the part that really tugged at his heart was the confused expression on both of their faces when the kiss ended. He stood there with Lynn watching the vulnerable expression on Logan's face when Veronica drove away.

Watching them sneak around, he saw the day that Veronica stood Logan up as he waited on the family's boat for her. The way he repeatedly called her, then giving up began to drink. "He doesn't really have any other way of dealing with emotional pain, I never taught him any different."

Looking at Lynn, Keith tended to agree as they saw the twosome making up then sneaking around some more. The unbirthday party and the expression on the 09ers faces as Logan told them that they either accepted Veronica and him together or they were no longer his friends had him unwillingly cheering on the slightly less broken boy.

Watching from the outside as Duncan destroyed his car, Keith was shocked at the rage he saw on his face. He was pulled back towards the pool house and watched as Logan went to get the key to the liquor cabinet and Veronica found the tapes.

Veronica going to the police regarding Logan's false alibi and Logan's face as he was questioned. When Aaron attacked Veronica, Keith found it hard not to shout even though he knew no one but Lynn could hear her.

When they faded out as Jake Kane pulled up to the now ended melee, Keith was about to protest until he saw where they were and what was going on.

Logan on the same bridge his mother had jumped from, the fight with the bikers and how they drove off leaving him bleeding and to deal with the police after Felix was killed.

Keith winced as they watched Logan's ever escalating violent war between the 09ers and the PCHers. The way that Veronica tried to keep the peace and then the shooting that had ended them that summer.

When Keith saw Duncan at the Hut, he was about to take a deep breath as he knew that he was at least emotionally neutral for Veronica even if Keith didn't understand how she had gotten past what he had done to her. He instead saw Logan watching them talking. The pain in his eyes matched the clear lack of self worth evident in his movements. All of which had Keith shocked to once again feeling bad for the brash emotionally tortured boy.

Logan's visit to the Casablancas household after an unwanted but court ordered visit with his father. He could almost feel his worthlessness as he let Kendall seduce him. Inwardly shouting no, he watched the rest of the summer play out then the beginning of the school year.

Duncan and Veronica's public displays of affection that seemed to led to each and every single violent fight or encounter with Kendall. How Veronica seemed to cling to Duncan after each verbal altercation with Logan.

"They are destroying each other because they don't know how to open up to each other. If they would only fight this out, they would find that the hurt is on both sides and that the love, it's there and can over come the pain."

Shocked to hear an unknown voice, Keith turned and asked "Are you speaking to me?"

"Yes." Keith saw the dark haired girl with a familiar looking smile who was wearing a very odd version of the Neptune soccer uniform seemed to be almost in tears.

"Who are you?" Keith asked then "Wait, you can see me?"

"I see you and as to whom I am...well that isn't important." Replied the young girl that he now realized was about eighteen. "Look, this is what you were supposed to see, that they are soul mates, true love but they are destroying one another."

"I KNOW THAT." Keith said frustrated with this odd dream he seemed to be having. The words echoed through his head as he finally began to see what they wanted him to see. "I knew they loved each other that even before you invaded my nightmares. That doesn't mean they belong together."

"Tsk, tsk."

Turning, Keith saw Lilly standing there and let her have it with both barrels. "If you hadn't kept them apart for selfish reasons of your own, none of this would have happened."

"I get that." She cried out as she looked at Veronica's dad. "It's why I am trying to fix my mistakes. I just wanted to be happy and thought..."

"Then why weren't you happy? You weren't happy because of your own selfishness. Seriously, you had Logan in spite of knowing the truth, but you couldn't keep your hands off other men while dating him. You helped destroy his self esteem, even before you slept with his father."

"Look, if anyone has a reason to be mad at Lilly, it's me." Lynn replied. Seeing Keith's surprise, she said "She emotionally fucked with my son and then had sex with my husband. Yet here I am, working with her to fix things. Keith, you are our last hope. If you don't fix things, Fiona won't be born. So please, just let us show you what we have to."

"Who is Fiona?" He asked frustrated with the three of them.

"Me." The youngest of the trio replied. "If we don't fix this, my dad is going to sleep with Madison and my mom won't be able to forgive him for years. If that happens, I don't get a chance to exist."

With that, Keith found himself getting a glimpse of a moment that he knew would stay with him as Logan poured his heart out to Veronica.

Watching as he gave her a speech that would have most girls throwing themselves at him, Keith watched Veronica leaving. Then Logan getting smashed beyond all control then sleeping with the con artist Kendall Casablancas yet again.

When Logan opened the door to Veronica the next morning, Keith felt for both of them. Logan who didn't remember that very epic speech but clearly was still in love with the blond and Veronica who looked like she was heartbroken beyond repair at the sight of Kendall.

As the next few weeks played out and Veronica uncovered the truth about Cassidy, Keith hated watching, knowing what would happen next. When Logan showed up to rescue Veronica, Keith found that he had let go of his anger with the boy as he watched Cassidy just stepping off the roof of the Grand.

When the twosome had gone to rescue Mac; Keith sank onto the bed as his daughter put aside her own pain to help her scared friend.

Looking at Lynn, he said "Logan is already in Aspen according to all of you, how do I prevent this from happening. He won't listen to me, she is too stubborn to go to him."

"That needs to change. Veronica needs to learn to let others in and my son, he needs to learn to deal with problems by doing something other than drinking or fighting."

With that, Keith woke up at home in his own bed. Sitting up, he gasped as he had total recall of his odd dream. "Okay, no more vegan pizza before bed."

Just as he was about to lay back down, he felt a pressure on his feet. Rising up and leaning back onto his elbows, he saw Lilly sitting on them filing her nails. "Go away."

"Nope, you have all the ingredients you need to put a stop to this. I already gave them to you. Now, fix things, Fiona deserves to be born." With that Lilly popped out of the room and Keith sat up again and got out of bed.

Muttering to himself that if he were to tell anyone what was going on, they would lock him up in the state mental institution. Walking into the living room/kitchenette, Keith looked around, trying to decide if it was a dream or if he was losing his mind.

LoVe

Keith went back to sleep, frowning as he noticed he had a bandage on his head. Soon his dreams were full of the past, both good and bad memories. He never realized that he was in his hospital bed or that his doctor had come in to check on him at his daughter's frantic request.

"He keeps tossing and turning. He is moaning from pain." Veronica was telling the man in the scrubs that Mac had pulled into the room.

Checking the chart, the young resident went over each marking thoroughly then went to check the patients vital. Hearing the even breathing and constant normal pulse, he said "He is healthy, if I had to guess I would say he is having nightmares."

Veronica looked on with anguish as her dad seemed to settle down and return to a restful sleep. "Ms. Mars, I would suggest that you get some sleep, your father will wake up tomorrow morning. I promise."

With that, the resident left the room and sent in pillows and blankets for the two girls before making notes on his charts. Veronica relaxed as she saw her dad had settled down and looking at Mac who was cuddled up in the blankets.

Soon resting quietly, Veronica couldn't help thinking about Logan and how they just couldn't seem to get their act together. Wistfully, she looked back on the past and wiping away the now flowing tears as she decided that maybe they just weren't meant to be.

LoVe

Keith was drifting in his dreams and nightmares when he felt someone shaking him awake. Seeing the polite blond girl he used to see with his daughter, he looked at Meg Manning and said "Let me guess, you are the ghost of Christmas present."

"And the near future." She replied then added "If we waited until Christmas it would be too late. So the powers that be agreed we could move the haunting up a week or so."

With that, Meg touched Keith and they were soon inside the small apartment that the Mars family called home. Meg said softly "I have to help her. Veronica did nothing wrong but I blamed her for Duncan's shortcomings in spite of knowing that he only went out with me because he for some reason felt he couldn't date her."

Keith just gave up on getting sleep as they watched Veronica and himself decorating the tree, watching holiday cartoon specials together and singing along with them. Looking at the calendar, Keith realized that it was the upcoming holiday eve.

"There are a few things I need to show you before we get to Veronica. Things that Lilly put in play that you need to know about so that you can fix things."

Watching as Lilly haunted Dick, Keith saw the young man's nightmare and got that while others thought the blond was oblivious, he clearly was punishing himself for what had happened to Veronica and to his brother. When the blond was woken up and saw Lilly, he had to chuckle at the rather stilted and disoriented conversation that had ended with Dick getting up from the sofa where he had fallen asleep in a drunken stupor and went to the bathroom.

The blond began throwing up, muttering about getting sober after the New Year, then when Lilly began to speak again, complained that she was dead and that she should stay there. "After all you are the reason that Logan is so fucked up."

Lilly left in a huff and Meg looked at Veronica's dad and said "He isn't wrong, you know. Lilly knew that she was fucking over Logan, but didn't care, she only wanted to keep her own ghosts away."

"I saw." Keith said with a grimace. "Logan however..."

"Isn't the lost soul you think he is?" Meg said. "He has gotten a lot of help, he just hasn't told Veronica about it. He doesn't want her to think he is weak or to bug his doctor's office."

Chuckling, Keith said "She wouldn't be able to help herself. I am glad he is getting help, but they broke up again."

"Yes because Veronica doesn't know how to trust and Logan believes that he is responsible for everything from his dad's beating him to what happened to Veronica."

"He was and he wasn't. Cassidy made his own choice, even Dick isn't ultimately responsible for what his brother did." Keith admitted reluctantly.

"We have to go, Mr. Mars." Meg said as they floated away and into Mac's dorm room. Lilly woke up the computer geek and ended up getting emotionally singed when Mac said for the blond to go haunt Logan or Veronica if she wanted to help them. That she knew that somehow Lilly was doing this out of guilt.

When Lilly left, Meg and he faded out again and this time ended up standing outside of Cho's Pizza Parlor. Seeing Jack Cho calling out to Mac who was placing her own pizza in his car, they listened in to the conversation.

"I didn't know you were friends with them." Turning, Mac saw Jack Chow standing there holding a wallet.

"I am well not exactly friends with Logan but at least friendly." Mac weakly replied then found a wallet tossed onto the top of her pizza box. "What's that?"

"It's that idiot's wallet. I don't want it here; I don't want him trying to say I stole something or that his credit cards are missing." Jack replied as he turned to walk back to the parlor.

"Why give it to me?" Mac asked as her eyes widened, she would have sworn she had just seen Ghost Lilly ducking out the alley near Cho's.

"You seemed friendly enough with them and I seem to recall that you are friends with the Mars girl. I am sure that you have Casablancas phone number." With that, Jack walked into the door and out of Mac's sight.

Muttering unhealthy comments, she walked to her driver's side before taking her phone out and calling Logan's phone number. Getting his voice mail, she left a message then headed back to her dorm. Meg and Keith took a short cut and were already in the room when she arrived.

Mac hung up the phone, looked at the wallet on her dresser and debated tossing it in the nearest dumpster. Hearing a knock on her dorm room door, she lifted the wallet and tossed it into the top drawer and then opened the door. "Weevil?"

"I heard from a little birdie that you are having problems with a stuck door." The former biker said as he entered carrying a tool box.

"Maintenance said that it would take a week after they returned from the holidays." Mac replied.

"Vee was worried about Parker and yourself being vulnerable if the door got stuck." Weevil said as he pulled out the tools he needed for the job. "So, why are you here instead of going home for the holidays?"

"My family left for Big Sur yesterday morning. I am going to get caught up on school work." She replied.

"Mac, you have never been the sort to get behind, so what is the real story?" Eli replied as he noticed what had gone wrong with the door. "Ah, got it."

Taking out a screw driver, he tightened the loose screws and saw that one of them was stripped. Finding one in his box that fit, he replaced it then said "So, are you going to tell me the real reason you didn't join your family?"

Shrugging, Mac looked at the bald and tattooed man standing in her doorway and said "I just don't feel like I belong. I need to do some thinking, to get my head on straight."

"Clearly." Weevil looked at Mac then said "Mac, family is family. You only get one and trust me; they are always the ones who are there for you."

Keith was curious as to what was going on with Mac and also why he was seeing these scenes. What did Lilly intend that would drag Mac into the middle of this drama.

Mac thanked Weevil and then when he had left, walked to the phone and after a moment's hesitation, called Logan back. "Logan, I am going to take you up on your offer. Are you sure?"

"Go ahead, that way you aren't in the dorms by yourself." Logan replied repeating his earlier offer. Mac could hear the party in the background through the cell phone and hoped that things didn't get out of hand.

"Thanks, Logan. Look, I don't mean to stick my nose in the middle of your relationship with Veronica, but I am going to anyhow. I know how things normally go with the two of you. One of you hurts the other one, then that one does something stupid. Just promise me, that you will not do anything stupid."

"Define stupid." Was the retort.

During the conversation at the pizza parlor, Mac had been surprised to hear genuine concern in his voice over the idea of her staying in the dorms, and now she was shocked he was willing to even think of discussing this mess with her.

"Sleeping with another girl." She replied bluntly. "Logan, she loves you, you love her but trust is a problem, even I know that. So be the reason she learns to trust you."

"Thanks for unsolicited advice, Lucy; I will send you your five cents." He replied then a bit less sarcastically, he said "I hear you, I do, Mac. Just promise me, you won't stay in the dorms by yourself."

Keith had to agree with Logan. Mac shouldn't be staying at the dorms while there was a rapist on the loose, but why didn't she stay with Veronica and him. Seeing Lilly arriving, he was about to talk to the annoying blond when Meg said "This has already happened, we are only seeing this, Lilly can't see us right now."

Hanging up, Mac went to pack her bag when she heard a sound. Turning, she scowled at the blond who had returned. "I thought you had a party to go to."

"I do, but you keep ruining my day. Do you really think that running away will keep me from visiting you?" Lilly replied as she watched Mac pack up her suitcase for a stay at the Neptune Grand. "Have you called Veronica?"

"Why would I call Veronica? Should I be telling her about my hallucination of her dead best friend?" Mac asked.

"You can run but you can't hide, Cindy. Veronica needs you to fix this for her." With that, Lilly disappeared. Mac zipped closed her overnight bag, grabbed her messenger bag then opening the top drawer of her dresser, Dick Casablancas' wallet was sitting inside.

At the Grand, she didn't know that she had two extra passengers as she pulled out the key for the penthouse at the Grand. Tossing down her bag just inside the door she was about to place the wallet down on the console when she saw the amount of cash inside.

Taking a quick count, she shook her head in disbelief when she saw that the blond surfer had almost three thousand dollars in cash as well as several different credit cards. Keith was muttering about the blond deserving to be robbed when he saw the amount of money he was carrying around.

She was about to close it when she saw the photo. Unable to help herself, she pulled it out and gasped when she saw that it was a picture of Cassidy and herself, taken the previous year at the Carnival from the looks of things.

Quickly returning it, not wanting to think about what it meant or the boy in it, she placed it in Logan's bedroom night stand then went back to the main room.

Setting up her computer, she was about to finally get to eat her pizza when her phone rang. "Mac, what's up? I just got a call from Weevil, he said you didn't go with your family to Big Sur." Keith listened as his daughter spoke to Mac.

"Hey, Veronica." She said wishing she hadn't been so honest with Weevil. "I overslept and decided to just stay in town. I had already spend time with them on Christmas and my mom left me a message that she and my dad understood.."

"Come over and join us this weekend or even now if you want." Veronica ordered.

"No, that's fine. Enjoy your free time with your dad." Mac said. "I have made other plans, so don't worry about me. I am also not staying at the dorms."

"If you change your mind, just come over." Veronica said while Keith wondered why Mac didn't tell his daughter where she was staying.

"I will be fine, Veronica." Mac said then thought about it before adding. "Veronica, I know that Logan went a bit over board, but he loves you. Just something to think about."

Keith watched as daytime faded into night, then saw Mac standing all the sudden. As she followed the sound and found a phone in Logan's bedroom. Answering it, she said "Logan's phone."

"Whoa, I thought I was calling my own phone." Hearing the sound of a drunk Dick on speaker phone, Mac muttered that her night only needed this.

"The phone is in Logan's penthouse, so I just thought it was his." She replied.

"Who is this?"

"No one important." Mac replied not wanting to get into anything with an intoxicated Dick Casablancas.

"Well obviously you are someone, since you have my phone." He replied.

"If I have your phone, what are you calling me on?" Mac decided to use logic to confuse the drunk.

"Logan's phone. I took it because I wanted to prevent the tragic disaster of Logan drunk dialing that kryptonite girlfriend of his." Dick said sounding proud of himself and Keith wanted to both thank and smack him at the same time. "So, once again, who is this?"

"Its Mac." She finally answered knowing that she was going to have to deal with the blond if she wanted to get back to sleep.

"What are you doing in Logan's suite?" He asked now sounding bewildered and slightly suspicious.

"Logan knows I am here and that is all you need to know." She retorted annoyed with herself for sounding like a five year old.

"Oh god, now he is taking in Veronica's orphans. Man, he is really beyond help." Dick muttered something about science and an egg drop.

"Dick, just give Logan back his phone, like a good little boy." She coaxed. "Otherwise, who knows what I just might do with your phone."

"As if..." Was the childish reply.

"Dick, one question, where is your wallet." Mac smugly asked deciding to remind the surfer she was the one with brains in this argument. Keith and Meg both chuckled at the sounds they heard next.

Hearing some rustling of clothing, she was chuckling when she heard him muttering about not being able to find it. "Dick, you left it at the pizza place. Now, be a good boy, give Logan back his phone and when you return, you will get your wallet and phone back. Don't return it and you will come home to a huge bill and your credit cards maxed out."

Hearing his muttering something about her being a gold digging pain in the ass, she softly replied. "You of all people should know what one of those looks like that is all you date. Speaking of your dates. Why don't you try to keep your skanky ex girlfriend from dragging Logan off to bed?"

"Huh?"

Rolling her eyes at the less than intelligent reply, Mac said "Madison, she is going to try to screw Logan this weekend."

"She can try again all she wants. Logan has never hit that and he never would. Bros before hoes, man." Dick replied with what sounded like confidence. Keith was wondering why Mac would think this would happen but looking at Meg got that somehow, Mac was being shown a possible future.

"Maybe that would be true under normal circumstances, but remember, Logan is fucked up right now. What happened the last time they broke up, he slept with your stepmother." Mac winced as she said it but knew that she had to appeal to Dick's inherent selfishness and ego.

Dick muttered okay, okay then said "I am still keeping his phone; god knows what other damage Ronnie can inflict if he were to call her drunk."

"What about the damage that Logan has inflicted on her?" Mac replied then hung up and went back to bed, thinking she had done all she could to fix things for the twosome.

Meg looked at the wall clock and said "Okay, we have to go now."

Arriving at the Mars house, they watched as the other version of Keith had run out, they saw Wallace knocking on the door and being let in.

"Hey, Vee." Wallace said as he entered the apartment and hugged and pressed a kiss to the cheek of his best friend.

"Merry Christmas a day early papa bear." She replied as she returned the hug. "I have a present for you."

"You already gave me a gift." The basketballer replied. "Anything more and I might have to report it to the ethics committee that you are trying to bribe me to win games."

With a chuckle, Veronica brought out the microwave. "A client gave it to me and I heard Piz and you were planning to buy one this spring. So just tell anyone who asks I gave it to your roommate for a present."

"Oh god, no. Not that. You have no idea, do you?" Wallace said as he accepted the small black microwave. "Piz has a crush on you."

"On me?" Keith winced at the flattered tone he heard from Veronica. He had met Piz and while he wasn't sure he wanted Veronica with Logan, he found the boy from Oregon to be too vanilla, too Duncan Kane to be the right guy for his daughter.

"No way, Veronica. Please don't do this, don't rebound with yet another guy you don't care about." Meg was muttering while Keith was stating the same thing.

Before they could hear the next part, Keith felt a tingling on his skin and was not surprised to see that they were watching Logan and Dick exiting the private jet that belonged to Dick Sr. in Aspen.

Logan was unpacking when Keith saw the small box that he tossed down on the dresser with a bit too much force than was necessary. Reading the tag, he felt ambivalent when he saw that the ring box bore Veronica's name.

Even more so when he realized that the wrapping paper was a match to the present he was sure was still hiding in the back of Veronica's closet. "Oh shit, no, not yet, Logan."

"Time to party on, dude." With that the whirlwind that was Dick entered Logan's room and tried to swipe Logan's phone.

"I am not in the mood, Dick." Logan said with a scowl. "I am here, that is all I promised you."

"Fine, sit here, sulk while Ronnie is back home, not even thinking about the way she put you through the ringer. When are you going to realize that I am right and that she is rich dude kryptonite?" With that, Dick left the room, being careful to notice where Logan's phone charger was being placed. Hopefully he could get the phone later.

When Meg followed Dick, Keith protested and said "I thought we were here to stop Logan from doing something stupid."

"We are but Logan will stay in his room getting drunk, we have to see what Madison is up to." Meg replied as they watched the party grow until there was a large contingent of 09ers getting drunk in the condo. Keith wasn't sure who Madison was, but he was beginning to realize that she was somehow important to this mission.

Keith was watching five former Neptune students now identified by Meg as Cole, John Enblom and Casey Gant talking to Shelly and Madison and moved closer. Realizing that Madison was the high maintenance blond who had treated Casablancas like crap, he listened carefully because he had heard her rather nasty comments about his daughter. "So, I hear Mars dumped Logan again."

Madison was about to make a caustic comment when Cole lifted a picture from the bookcase. "I can't believe he still has this out."

"Who and what?" Shelly asked then frowned when she saw the picture of Beaver and some odd looking girl. "Oh, well he was his brother. Maybe Dick hasn't been here since Beaver smartly threw himself off the hotel."

"Nah, my guess is he doesn't care. It wasn't like other than Meg it was anyone we cared about who died." Madison stated. Then scowling when she saw the girl in the picture, she took it away and dropped it into the trash.

"Dick might notice it is gone, Madison." Casey remarked as they all heard the glass breaking as the frame landed face down.

"Why would he that was more than likely Beaver's picture. Did you see that geeky computer girl in it? Do you really think even the Casablancas family would let someone like her be in family pictures."

"Why not, I seem to recall your dad taking a few with me in them. At least Mac has some brains." Dick snarled as he lifted the trash can. "You can all leave if you can't respect my personal property."

Keith cheered on the blond who wasn't letting his friends walk over him for a change.

"C'mon Dick, it's only a picture of Beaver and his pathetic girlfriend. She couldn't get a guy her own age, so she dated an underclassman. How tragic." Shelly said. "And look how that turned out. Beaver turned out to be a murderer and a loser who killed himself."

"Shelly that murderer and loser was my brother." Dick calmly replied after taking another sip of his tequila bottle. "So if you have a problem with him, why don't you get the fuck out of my house since it was also his house. Take your boyfriend with you."

Cole went to protest but Dick moved until he was inches away then said "Get out. Now."

Cole and Shelly left, while Casey and John looked at Dick in disbelief. "What?"

"What has gotten into you man, Cole is your friend. Shelly is Madison's best friend." John said as he grabbed yet another beer.

"Thankfully, I stopped giving a shit a long time ago about what made Madison happy, then I stopped fucking her last year so I would really like to know why she is at my party." Meg winced at the blunt discussion of Dick and Madison having sex.

"We are all still your friends, Dick." Casey answered.

"More likely you guys are all here for the free booze. Madison is here because she heard about Logan and Ronnie and wants to see if she can slide in and take advantage of his weakness. It won't be happening, Madi, Logan doesn't roll that way."

With that, Dick looked at the three of them and said "So that we understand each other, if you have an issue with my still having pictures of my brother around, get the fuck out of my party, dude."

Meg was quietly clapping and even Keith was impressed until he saw Dick drain the bottle of tequila and go get another one. When he saw Madison angrily speaking to the boys and then leaving, Meg said "She is enraged now."

Keith knew that look, he often saw that look on people's faces as they self righteously explained why they had committed some criminal act of vengeance.

"We have to go see others, now." Meg replied just as the familiar pull and tingling happened.

Soon they were in a different part of Colorado as Parker Lee celebrated the holiday with her friends and family. When the blond started to talk about meeting the Logan Echolls, Keith groaned as he heard the blond telling her friends that she was going to try and hook up with him now that he had broken up with his girlfriend.

"She will you know, if we don't fix this. This after all that Veronica has done to track down her rapist. Parker however has no loyalty except to herself. She feels that Veronica doesn't appreciate Logan, that she uses Mac. Parker hates that Veronica gets that much attention from her classmates." Meg said in a quiet aside to Mr. Mars as they went to observe the Sinclairs talking to each other as they set presents under the tree.

Keith frowned as he realized the man he had saved earlier that day was the father of the caustic blond in Aspen. "Why isn't Madison at home?"

"Listen and learn." Meg suggested as they heard the Sinclairs talking about how Madison had decided to spend the holidays with her friends instead of her parents.

Keith saw that they seemed to be slowing down on their trips and asked Meg if she wanted to go see her daughter and Duncan. "Maybe visit your family?"

"No, Lizzie saved our little sister; she is living with our aunt in Seattle. Lilly doesn't know me and little kids can sometimes see us. I don't want to mess her up." Meg said sadly.

"I'm sorry, Meg." He replied.

"It's fine. I have accepted that it was my time. Its why I agreed to help with this. Plus, if this works out, Duncan will have to let his dream of a future with Veronica go. Its better for it to happen now, then ten years from now. Which is what happens if we screw this up."

"So they would still get together but it would mean no grandchild named Fiona." Keith said as he began to realize that so much would be messed up if Veronica and Logan didn't get their act together.

"We have one more visit." Meg said as they were tugged away from Hearst College and returned to Aspen. Seeing Logan sitting up on his bed, a bottle of beer in his hands as Dick entered the room and on unsteady feet sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Fuckers."

"Are you talking about our nearest and dearest friends?" Logan mocked. Seeing Dick nod yes, he said "You were the one who wanted to come here."

"Didn't."

"Then why are we here?" Logan asked confused. "You fought with me to come skiing instead of being home."

Dick took the half full bottle in his hands and tossed it at the wall then said "Can't stand being at home, can't stand being here. Just figured it would be easier to not be there. I fucking hate the holidays."

"Yeah, I get that." Logan replied as he leaned back against the head board.

Keith saw the empty expressions in both of their faces.

"Why did they do it?" Dick asked suddenly out of the blue.

"Who?"

"My brother, your mother. Why kill yourself? Why don't they get it." He said as he desperately wanted another drink.

Dick laughed sarcastically and said "Did you know the statistics for family members of suicides to kill themselves. One of my fucking professors was talking about in class."

"We are too selfish, man. Don't worry about it." Logan replied.

"See, suicides are selfish. They don't think about those they leave behind." Dick answered. "I fucking hate this, I hate everything. I can't sleep without numbing my brain. I can't fucking sleep half the time. I just want it to go away."

Logan looked at his friend then said "It never does man. It never goes away. It only gets less painful."

"Do you ever wish your dad...?"

"I am glad he died." Logan harshly replied. "I hated him."

"I hate my dad too. He gave Beaver hell. He left us behind. He had a chance to take at least Beaver but he left us behind. Left me to deal with all of this on my own." Dick said as the tears began.

With one more trip, they were at the Grand a week before listening as Dick and Logan seemed to be pretending not to be bothered by the lack of presents under the fake hotel arranged tree as they discussing going to Aspen to get away.

Meg and Keith felt the pull tugging them away and landing them in Neptune. Meg thanked Keith then whispered "We are counting on you."

With that, Keith found himself at the police station. Not sure why he hadn't gone back to his office or to the hospital. "Why am I here?"

"I guess they felt me greeting you at the Grand would be upsetting." Keith stiffened and turned to look at Cassidy standing there looking the same as he had at Veronica's graduation.

Walking away, Keith decided to pretend that he didn't see what was in front of him. Ignoring the ghost wearing board shorts and tee shirt, he walked into Don Lamb's office and found where he hid the hard stuff. Pouring himself a glass, he looked at it then drank the vodka in one straight shot.

"It wasn't my choice." He heard. Cassidy kept speaking. "I am here to show you what happens next if you don't fix things."

Keith poured himself another drink then said "Go away before I get up from behind this desk and attempt to find out if Ghosts feel pain."

"Can't do that, I am sorry. I screwed up so badly." Cassidy said as he implored the Sheriff to listen to him. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear about it. If I can't get you to go away, stay silent as we go look at what we have to. I don't want to hear a word from your lying pathetic mouth. You RAPED Veronica, Cassidy. You KILLED innocents and then tried to kill Veronica after the nightmare you had already put her through. I can't forgive you, anymore than you can find it in you to forgive Woody."

Cassidy sighed and with a nod, agreed to his rules. Within seconds they were at yet another party in Aspen. Dick was smashed beyond consciousness and Logan was staggering about with Madison hanging off of him.

When the two of them went into a bedroom, Cassidy began to speak but Keith hissed "Not a word."

Traveling to the next day, Keith saw Logan's blood shot eyes as he staggered back to the main part of the room. There he saw the small box in his hand and watched as Logan ripped open the wrapping paper and ticked open the jewelry box. "Its too late."

When he tossed the platinum friendship ring in the fire, Keith watched the tears sliding down his face as he pulled a picture of Veronica out of his pocket. "Logan, it's going to be okay."

"No, it won't. Let me show you what happens next."

Cassidy saw the angry expression on his face and went silent as they traveled back to Hearst College. Once again, Keith was a spectator as he watched his worst fears play out.

Logan and Veronica getting back together, Veronica keeping secrets and Logan telling her he slept with someone but not who. Madison taking great pleasure in telling Veronica that she had sex with Logan during the holidays.

The two of them breaking up, Logan dating Parker, Veronica dating Piz. The sex tape and a drunk Dick sending it to his entire e-mail contact list. The Russian involved with some secret society that has connections to Jake Kane. As the fallout continued, Keith was saddened to realize that it would take ten years and another death for the two of them to get their act together.

"That isn't the end." Cassidy showed Dick in a drunk fit marrying some poor girl and then dumping her for what he considered deformed toes. Mac dating a loser; who instead of attending classes, sold his classmates the answers to their tests. "What a loser."

"So said the rapist and murderer." Keith replied coldly as he looked at the teenager standing next to him He wasn't thrilled with all he had seen, but he wasn't sure there was anything he could do about it. Wallace no longer talking to Veronica at the beginning of the next school year.

When Veronica left town after costing him the election, the blond girl losing her dream of being an FBI agent due to Jake Kane, never returning to Neptune. Keith saw the distance grow between the group of friends and was determined to fix this.

"You can fix this." Cassidy said softly. "It will help make up for what I did. I am sorry, really I am. I know saying that I was fucked up from what Woody did to me is no excuse but it is the only excuse I have."

With that, he began to fade. "Cassidy if I stop Logan from sleeping with Madison, does this change things."

Cassidy faded and Keith snapped out loud that he needed to know how to fix this and how.

"You have the answers; you just need to think about it." Lilly said as she showed up. "Send Veronica and Mac to Aspen. Mac has seen what she needs to fix things but Veronica needs you to talk to her before she goes, she needs you to make her face her fears."

With that, Lilly showed Keith what she had already done.

Mac was in the hotel guest bedroom and that there was now a packed bag on her bed. "I took care to pack everything you could possibly need in Aspen. Sort of purchased the rest."

"Lilly, you are a ghost." Mac replied as slowly as she could.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I lost my sense of fashion." Lilly quipped.

"You forgot one minor problem. I can't afford to just go to Aspen." Mac said with an exasperated sigh.

"Yes you can. I lifted Dick's wallet for just this reason." Lilly said.

"I can't steal Dick's money." Mac said aghast at the idea of stealing or even worse owing Dick Casablancas anything.

"Its not exactly stealing, Mac. Its more like he unknowingly donated for a good cause." Lilly replied with a grin.

"Man, no wonder you ended up murdered." Mac muttered as she ignored the cheerful blond who was suggesting she steal money. Turning around, she missed seeing Lilly fading away to talk to Mr. Mars.

Keith found himself agreeing but then asked Lilly. "Wait, she can't see me?"

Lilly faded from Mac's eyesight and said "Of course not, otherwise she would really be convinced she is crazy. She can't see me either right now. Now, I have to go."

"If you have a better idea, why don't you go ahead and do it." Lilly taunted Mac as Keith tried to find a way to help.

Mac suddenly had a great idea and went into Logan's room and found Dick's cell phone. Dialing Logan's phone number, she was happy when Dick answered.

"'ello?"

"Dick, its Mac." Hearing the sound of dial tone, Mac frowned and hit redial. When answered again, she said "Why did you hang up on me?"

"I figured you either called me by mistake or were drunk dialing and I was trying to save you the embarrassment of declaring your horny feelings for my hot self." Listening to those smug words, Mac was ready to gag while Lilly and Keith laughed at the affronted expression on Mac's face.

"I thought you were the one who was drunk." Mac muttered. "I need to talk to Logan, where are you staying."

"You're in Aspen? Tell me you didn't bring the hell hound with you." She heard.

"No, I am not in Aspen and what is the hell hound?" She demanded.

"Your bestie." Dick replied as honestly as he could. "Seriously, the last thing Logan needs is for Ronnie to show up and rip out his heart again. Besides, isn't it Duncan's turn for the Veronica Mars special of chewing you up and spitting you out?"

"Dick...!" Mac wanted to say so much, but right now, she needed the dick's help. "Now a little birdie told me you pissed off Madison, where is she now?"

"How do you know I pissed her off if you aren't here?" Dick asked suspiciously. "Unless, does Veronica have Logan bugged?"

"No, Veronica doesn't have Logan bugged, at least not that I know of." Mac qualified her statement as she realized the blond might have done just that. "That isn't important. Look, you need to deal with Madison, she is pissed at you and now, she is going to try and sleep with Logan. You might not care but if that happens it would destroy any chance of Veronica and him getting back together."

"Maybe I should take one for the team and help her, if it ends things between Veronica and Logan for good." Dick chortled out loud at the idea of ending this nightmare for his best friend.

"I swear Dick; if you do I that I will bankrupt you then cut off your dick and feed it to you." Mac shouted into the phone. Keith winced on the blonde's behalf because he got the feeling she could do that.

"You are such an asshole. Don't you get it, seriously, don't you get that you are a selfish spoiled brat who hates Veronica because she pulls Logan attention away from your friendship."

"You don't know a single fucking thing about my friendship with Logan. That toxic girl you are friends with keeps mind fucking with Logan and has been doing so since we were in school. So don't you tell me that I don't know what I am talking about." He sneered.

"I know more about it than you do asshole." Mac snarled as she looked at the wallet on the dresser glaring at it as if it was actually its owner. "I know that too many people stuck their noses in and instead of letting the two of them argue things out, they interfered to get what they wanted. Including you, you jerk."

"Well I am here and thankfully you can't afford to get here." He replied smugly.

"Don't count on it." Mac muttered as she hung up the phone. Going to the wallet, she counted the funds then looking at the clock realized it was almost one in the morning.

Sure enough when she called the airport, there were flights available. Wondering whose vacation Lilly had ruined, she mentally apologized then made reservations for two. Mac gave them Dick's credit card number and then hanging up started her computer. Finding a hotel suite, she reserved the room with Dick's card yet again.

When Lilly finished cheering, Keith watched as she looked at him and said "Now go get our girl. She is going to need you, Mr. Mars is about to have an accident."

TBC