The Choices We Make
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Part One.

Part Four- Facing Keith

Keith stood in his living room, watching the TV.

The last few days had been painful at best. Lianne had announced that she was leaving, with or without him and he hadn't seen Veronica in days.

He knew where she was, of course, even though part of him couldn't believe it. She was at the Kane's.

Lianne had told him everything.

He didn't think he would recover from that particular conversation.

"Where's Veronica?" Keith asked Friday evening.

"She's not here." Lianne told him. "And she's not coming back, Keith."

"Of course she is, she's 16." Keith reminded his wife. "She just can't leave. Where is she Lianne?"

"She's at the Kane's." Lianne told him quietly. "She went there on her own. To offer them her support. Jake called me and told me that Veronica had come to him for help."

Keith couldn't believe what he was hearing. No, it couldn't be true. Not his little girl.

"Help?" He repeated, disbelievingly. "What kind of help?"

"She knows that I intend to leave Neptune. I'm not staying here, not now." Lianne told him. "And she doesn't want to leave, but she doesn't..."

"She doesn't what?" Keith asked. "She doesn't want to live with me?"

"I think she's confused, Keith." Lianne told him. "All she knows is that her best friend is dead and her father is determined to try and take down Lilly's family. Her friends are making her choose and there's Duncan and she's only 16."

Keith was silent, not sure what to say. He knew in his gut he had been right to go after Jake Kane, but that didn't make it easier.

"Lianne, I know that the Kane's are involved, nothing seem to fit." He told her.

"Is that true?" Lianne asked him. "Or are you just determined to go after Jake because of me?"

For the first time since Keith had discovered his wife's treachery, her affair with Jake Kane was out in the open between them.

"I'm not that petty, Lianne." Keith told her now.

"Maybe you are, but you just don't want to admit it." Lianne told him. "Why can't you face it? You went after Jake Kane in revenge for my imperfections."

"Does Veronica think that?" Keith asked, not bothering to respond.

"No, she doesn't know about Jake and I." Lianne commented. "She made the decision on her own, Keith. This is what she wants."

It was then that Lianne had informed him that Jake had suggested that Veronica live with them for the rest of the school year, at least.

Keith had been adamant against that, but Lianne commented that he didn't have a choice. It had gotten ugly then, with Keith finally voicing years of suspicions and Lianne not denying them.

She admitted that she had no idea who Veronica's father was and it might very well be Jake. There was going to be a DNA test, she told him, because they had to know because of Duncan and Veronica.

But, it didn't change anything, at least not in Jake's eyes. Either way, Veronica was going to live with the Kane's. Either as their guest and Duncan's girlfriend or as Jake Kane's daughter.

Keith didn't know what to say, he knew that if the DNA test was negative, he had a legal right, but what did that matter when his own daughter apparently wanted nothing to do with him? She hadn't talked to him at all since she had gone to the Kane's.

Suddenly, he was distracted by the television and the announcement that Lilly Kane's killer had been arrested.

Keith closed his eyes and gave a bitter laugh.

It really was all over and he had been left in the dust with nothing, while Jake Kane had come up on top again.

Tuesday, November 18th, 2005

Keith watched his daughter, not sure what to say. Veronica had finally returned, with Duncan and Jake Kane in tow, to pick up the rest of her belongings.

She was leaving and Keith couldn't do a damn thing about it. Lianne was there too, just as silent.

No one had said anything since Veronica and the Kane men had shown up.

Lianne was leaving in the next few days as well, Keith didn't know where she was going and didn't care. Their marriage was over, no question. She was just staying long enough to get Veronica settled, or that was what she had informed him, anyway.

He'd be moving soon, himself, since there was no way he'd be able to afford the payments on this house. Besides, without his family, there was no point anyway.

He wasn't leaving Neptune, though, he might be down, but he wasn't beaten and Keith Mars wasn't a quitter, no matter who was against him.

Maybe he had lost everything: His job, his wife, his daughter, his house, but he still had his self-respect and he wasn't going to let them run him out of town. He couldn't leave like that.

"Duncan, do you think you could give me a moment?" Veronica asked suddenly, speaking for the first time. "You and your dad?"

"Of course." Duncan answered, giving Veronica a quick kiss. "We'll be in your room."

Then he and Jake left the room, leaving the Mars family alone.

"I'm sorry." Veronica told him quietly. "I did what I have too. What Lilly would have wanted me to do."

"I understand." Keith said, even though he didn't.

Veronica nodded. "I guess, there's nothing else to say." She said quietly. "I'll visit sometimes."

Keith nodded, not sure whether that was a good thing or not, but knowing he'd need her in his life as much as he could have her.

With that, Veronica turned and walked away, to where the Kane men waited for her. She had made her choice and all Keith could do was watch her walk away.