A/N: I just want to say that I am not a fan of Veronica/Duncan or even Duncan the character. That is all.

She waits at a trendy café in the city and watches the busy people getting along with their lives.

Those poor corporate yuppies with their coffee from Starbucks and nine-to-five hours. Oh how I envy their lives of normalcy.

Normal is the watchword indeed.

She sits there, and looks at her watch, Clearly she is waiting for someone. She stays for ten minutes longer. Fifteen. Twenty. At half an hour, she sighs impatiently and stands to leave after paying for her double espresso. Just as she begins to gather her belongings, a man in his early thirties approaches her.

"Veronica Mars?" a voice drawls out behind her.

She whips her head around and studies a short, rather nondescript individual in business attire, looking no different to the other workers in the city.

"That I am." She offers him a tight smile before sizing him up. He is not much taller than her, but his size is made rather trivial by the confidence he carries that Veronica finds somewhat sleazy.

He smiles and Veronica instantly takes a disliking to him after he looks her up and down. She is glad that today she chose to ignore the hot Australian weather and went with her usual shirt, jeans and jacket.

"So very nice to meet you." He offers his hand to shake which Veronica accepts.

"You have something for me?" she asks guardedly as they both sit down at her table. She already doesn't trust him and is unsure whether he is a plant.

"You get right to the point. I like that."

He is rewarded with a humourless stare.

He clears his throat and Veronica almost sneers inwardly at how easy it was to unsettle him.

"I have a letter here from Mr. Kane. He told me to meet a young blonde woman here named Veronica, and so here you are. I must say that I am rather impressed at how you found me. I thought I had hidden Mr. Kane and my working relationship pretty well."

Although obviously not good enough you moron.

"Is this all?" she asks brusquely, taking the letter from him and placing it into her bag.

"Well seeing as I have a free lunch hour, I was hoping to get something to eat as well as to know how exactly you are associated with my client."

Why don't you just ask me straight out? Are you his dirty mistress with a secret love-child locked away somewhere?

"If Duncan hasn't told you that himself. I don't think I'm in a position to divulge any information myself."

This guy is way too persistent. Lucky I've done my homework on this Mr Weathers and brought backup. No, not my dog. This backup takes another form, but is just as effective.

"I don't believe that that's an issue here Veronica. And in any case I now know what you look like and given the secrecy of this meeting –"

"Secrecy? There are nearly fifty people here alone in this café. Fifty people equals fifty witnesses. And that's not even mentioning the three security cameras in the place. If this were to be a 'secret meeting' I sure as hell wouldn't have planned it being taken place in such a public place as this."

Her tone is curt and she never breaks eye contact with him. It is rather unlike Veronica, to be so blunt and straightforward, but after weeks of investigation, most of which proved to be fruitless save this one lead, she is tired, frustrated and lonely. A lethal combination in an already irate individual.

She has had enough of this conversation already. She gets up to leave once more.

He places his hand around her arm, stopping her from going any further past his chair.

"Veronica. I must warn you. I have done my research and know a little about Duncan's past in Neptune. I also know that his girlfriend was heavily involved in a case concerning the kidnap of a baby - a very serious crime that could land that certain girlfriend into a lot of trouble if the authorities were made aware of this conversation."

She freezes as he whispers this to her in a tone which can be best described as 'menacing.' Veronica waits until he has finished his 'threat.'

"True but of little consequence. I'd be careful too Mr Weathers, unless you want your darling wife to know about that little brunette anorexic you've been seeing on the side."

She drops a folder in front of him and walks away.

Oh yes, I've done my research too. God it pays to have insurance in these times.

………………..

Once she is a fair distance away, Veronica takes out the letter and scans it quickly. There is a single address.

……………..

Veronica takes the most circuitous route she can to the coastal town four hours from the city. She thanks the deeply instilled sense of suspicion within her, which brings back a sharp and painful memory of her dad. She chokes a little at this sudden and small reminder, but sets her jaw against the emotion. She looks out at the sweeping east coast Australian landscape and is amazed at how far she has come from Neptune in such a small space of time.

She misses home.

………………

She finds the quiet street easily enough. It seems to be part of a rather laid back community, heavily associated with the beach. A surfboard or some other beach paraphernalia litters every driveway and Veronica finds this rather quaint. She gets to number 16. The house is rather shabby and therefore, exactly the same as every other house she has passed in the last hour. Perfect. She steels herself and walks up the few steps to the porch.

She has no idea what to expect.

She opens the flyscreen door to knock on the door proper.

The door opens and Duncan is there with Lilly in his arms. His face breaks into a genuine smile at the sight of her. Veronica's face crumbles with a radiant smile as she leaps into his arms.

I need help. Where can I possibly go next with this?

Author Thanks -

motylik - Yeah I'd like to know where I'm going with this too!

arianna -No I'm pretty sure James comes back into the story at some point. I mean, that was what i set out to do, to somehow have these two characters interact. The details for that are just a bit hazy at the moment! Hmm, I think The chapter of Veronica's life in Neptune is indeed over.

Alex - Do you really see Logan and Wallace being part of the story? If so, how? I'm not being mean or anything here, just kinda stuck for ideas!