"Oh, my God Veronica – you are too cute sometimes." She threw a sly grin across the room, absentmindedly fingering the shirts in Veronica's closet.

The younger girl looked up from her place perched on the bed. "I am?"

Bounding across the room, Lilly came to land next to Veronica, a hand grasping at her lap. "We're not going to Logan's – I organized us a road trip!"

There was clear hesitance in Veronica's face. "Oh, Lilly, do you think that's a good idea?"

"No." She started, Veronica's face clearing slightly at the agreement. "No, I don't think, I know. And I know this is not just a good idea but possibly my best yet. Everyone will be there, and that includes you!" Lilly pointed a definite finger at Veronica's face, giving a little giggle.

A small sigh escaped her. "What about my dad?" She asked anxiously. "He knows like every cop, everywhere."

Lilly lowered her head towards Veronica in a gesture of stealth – her stage whisper filling the room. "Well then we'll just have to make sure we don't get caught." Jumping up off the bed she was a bright flare of color and energy. "Come on! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Hidden behind my desire to not get grounded till graduation." She pouted, curling up on her ivory sheets.

"Like your dad could make a punishment stick. He's a pussycat when it comes to you, just pout a little and say you've learned your lesson – instant 'get out of jail free' card." Lilly coaxed.

Veronica gave a little dramatic sigh of frustration. "I am going to get so crushed for this."

"But I promise you, Veronica Mars, it will be so very worth it."

*

Stretching away from Logan, Lilly took up the rest of her side of the sofa. "Black is so cliché. When I die I want all you guys in like pink or something. Whatever Celeste is opposed to most."

"Hey, Lil. What about the flowers?" Logan grinned, mouthing 'lily' to Veronica – who was sat firmly against Duncan's chest on the opposite couch.

"Oh, you're so funny, Logan."

He gestured at her mockingly. "Well, I've been listening to you, V."

"Dude, that's my girlfriend." A pillow came hurtling from Duncan's side, completely missing Logan who watched its trajectory with mild amusement before looking back up at his friend.

"She's not funny, DK, face the truth – you're going to marry Jojo the Sad Clown."

Duncan scowled half-heartedly. "You're such an ass."

"Yeah, whatever. Lilly loves me." He smirked, pulling her towards him.

"You wish." She giggled, leaning in to Logan despite herself.

Veronica covered her eyes in mock-horror. Gasping. "Gosh, guys we don't need to see you make out like every five seconds. There needs to be some mystery in the world."

Logan glanced up long enough to address her with a flick of his gaze towards Duncan. "Well if you were keeping Duncan here occupied you wouldn't be so worried about Lilly and me."

Rolling her eyes Lilly pushed at Logan's chest, wrenching herself back up into a sitting position. "I side with Veronica. Get off me."

"What?" He sulked.

"Nothing, I just wanna breeze with the vees." She teased.

Duncan groaned at the two girls. "You're so far removed from the ghetto."

"Shut up, Duncan!" A swift hand reached across from one sofa to the next, leaving a dent in his skin.

"Ow!"

*

Veronica stretched towards her diet Coke under the warm afternoon sun. "So when does Logan get back from Mexico?"

"I don't know, why?" The question was tossed aside as Lilly mumbled into her pool lounger.

Pulling down her sunglasses, Veronica squinted over at Lilly who was still lying face down – soaking the sun through her bikini. "I thought he was your boyfriend, Lilly."

Rolling over she smirked up at Veronica. "Was. Strictly past tense. I, Veronica, am moving onto greener grass."

Veronica shook her head, eyes rolling. "Yeah, right. You two always get back together. Breaking up is like the only staple of your relationship." She stated, taking a sip of her drink.

"Not this time. Me and Logan are so over. New challenges await!"

Veronica humored her, pulling the sunglasses back down over her eyes to contain her smirk. "Whatever you say."

*

Logan slumped down onto the bleachers. "Man, your sister is crazy – what have I done this time?"

Duncan shrugged, replying idly. "I don't know, like you said she's crazy – there's no reasoning there."

"Well, you were a lot of help. Thanks, man." Sarcasm colored his tone evenly.

"Whatever, just come over today – she'll probably have forgotten she's mad at you in the first place." He invited.

Smirking Logan nodded. "I can be quite persuasive."

"Dude, that's my sister. I don't need to know." His eyes went wide, appalled.

Logan just laughed off the comment, tapping Duncan on the shoulder. "Sure you do, Duncan. Someone has to teach you about the birds and the bees."

"Not my sister's boyfriend." He sniped.

After a moment he responded. "So I'm the boyfriend today, not the best friend?"

"Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"When did you actually turn into a girl?" Duncan chuckled.

*

Lilly was balanced on the edge of a low wall. "Yawn. When did Neptune officially become the most boring place in the world?"

"When Wisconsin fell in a hole." Logan offered?

"We have to do something." She demanded, her frustration and boredom clear.

"Anything in mind?"

She grinned wickedly. "Well, now that you mention it…"

"Oh, God, don't listen to her." Duncan pleaded with Veronica as Logan matched Lilly's Cheshire cat grin.

Veronica looked up, upset to have missed out on something. "What, no, I want to know."

"Well, I don't know V – I think this might be a little too PG-13 for you." Logan warned.

"That is so mean, tell me!" She turned to Lilly.

She just shrugged half-heartedly, no real ideas forming in her mind. "I don't know… I thought we could go knock over a liquor store, get tattoos."

"Why do we need a liquor store when we have Logan's pool house?" Veronica sighed in amusement.

A self-deprecating little smile twisted his face. "Ah, yes, my parents and their subliminal alcoholism."

"Your mom's not an alcoholic, she just knows how to have fun." Lilly cut in.

"Botox before you're thirty!" Grinned Duncan.

"Ew, Donut. I am so going to grow old gracefully – my fabulousness transcends Botox. Right, V?" She moved towards her best friend, hand outstretched.

Linking their little fingers Veronica swore happily. "Pinky promise!"

"Great, so now I don't get a trophy wife?"

Lilly swatted a hand across his chest. "Like you could get one anyway."

He raised an eyebrow in return. "I got you."

"Oh, Logan, I'm never going to marry you. We have to grow old together scandalously, give everyone something to talk about." She lifted her face to the sun.

*

"This is so cool." Veronica giggled into her glass.

"Isn't it!" Lilly kicked back, sprawling over Logan's couch. "We throw the best parties."

"It isn't even your party, Lilly." Duncan pointed out, wrapping an arm around Veronica's shoulders as she smiled happily into his chest.

Logan gestured with his glass. "Duncan has a point, which part of the planning did you do?"

Pulling a face Lilly swiftly stuck out her tongue, adding. "Like there's any organization needed for kegs and vodka shots."

*

Veronica sat down at the side of the pool, next to Duncan. "Is Logan okay?"

He looked up uncomfortably. "Uh, I think so – why?"

Sighing edgily Veronica wavered. "Cause it kinda looked like someone had beaten him up."

"I don't know, he didn't say anything." He closed off, shrugging away her question.

Rolling her eyes Veronica turned to Lilly who was fighting with a bikini strap. "Boys are so useless. Lilly?"

"I don't know, V." She stumbled a little uncharacteristically over her words. A slight sheen in her eyes. "I think he just had another argument with his dad…"

"Oh." It took a moment for the meaning to sink in.

"Yeah…" Lilly nodded tightly.

*

"Do you ever worry about graduation?" Veronica asked across the lunch table.

Lilly didn't bother to look up from the latest issue of Vogue she was flicking through. "I worry about wearing that much green."

"Yeah…" She hesitated. "Lilly, I still don't know what I want to be." Veronica finally confronted.

She looked up with a glimmer in her eyes. "What about a supermodel?"

"Yeah, right." Veronica went back to her fruit salad.

"I'm telling you, Veronica Mars, you're hot property." Lilly insisted vehemently.

"Really?" There was a trace of disbelief in her voice.

A dramatic sigh greeted her, as if it was an obvious matter. "Are you kidding, people will want to like buy your babies."

"Oh my God, weird much?" Veronica gasped, letting the little plastic fork drop into her now empty salad dish.

"What? You've got your gene pool and you've got my gene pool through Duncan. And look how we turned out!" She demonstrated with a big gesture between them.

Pulling off a crust of bread Veronica chewed thoughtfully. "But if I'm the supermodel what will you do?"

Without a moment of hesitation Lilly replied, reaching out for the bread Veronica was picking from. "I think I'm going to be an actress." Pointing at Veronica with a piece of the bread she mused. "You know the world really needs to get ready for the Kane revolution. The four of us are gonna rock so hard."

"Four?" Veronica's eyebrows quirked in confusion.

Counting on her fingers Lilly explained. "Me. Duncan. You – cause that wedding is so already planned. And I'm not changing my name so Logan will just have to change his."

Veronica grinned knowingly. "I thought you said you'd never marry Logan."

"I don't know, maybe a Vegas wedding at the height of my career. Add some drama!"

"God, Lilly, you're so disturbed." She admonished.

Lilly winked at her across the table. "Don't sound so scandalized, Veronica. You love it really."

*

Veronica's feet dangled over the edge of the pool, toes playing lightly with the surface. "Do you love Logan?"

"I don't know, why?" Lilly questioned from her sun lounger, dark glasses covering her eyes.

"I just wondered…" She shrugged.

Lilly sat up with sigh, berating Veronica. "I guess. But that kind of talk's way too serious for sunbathing."

"Hmm." She let her fingers swirl through the water as Lilly jumped off the lounger and let her feet fall into the warm water.

Her tone was bright and inquisitive as opposed to Veronica's quixotism. "Do you love Duncan?"

"I don't know – I think so." She settled on happily.

Lilly grabbed the other girl's hand between two of her own, pulling her round until they were facing. "We are so going to make the best sisters."

"Totally." She grinned her agreement. "We can live next door to each other!"

"And have crazy pool parties all the time!" Lilly finished. "Yes, Veronica Mars, we will be so very awesome."

*

"We're gonna be like this forever!" Lilly sighed happily, leaning back again the plush interior of their limousine.

"I hope so." Veronica smiled back, tightening her slight hold on Duncan's free hand.

"No hoping, Veronica, we will be – I demand it."

Duncan rolled his eyes, scoffing into his drink. "Oh, well if you demand it."

"Oh my God, Duncan, I'm like trying to be serious here." She shot back.

He received an elbow to the side. "Yeah, man, let your sister say her piece so I can get my drink back."

Duncan tipped a new bottle of champagne into their used glasses as Lilly spoke. "Okay!" She took a deep, giddy breath. "I propose a toast – to staying like this!"

"Just like this." Veronica added, dreamily.

Lilly giggled widely, lifting her glass. "To being young and fabulous!"

Logan thrust his drink toward the roof of the limo. "To being us!"

Glasses clinked against each other awkwardly, the sound of drunken laughter ricocheting off the interior. Champagne foamed and two weeks later Lilly Kane was dead.