Chapter Seven

Mac woke up and found her eyes going to a sleeping Dick. Sitting up, she couldn't help musing how sweet and innocent he looked. Muttering to herself that his looks was how so many girls were dumb enough to fall for his charms, she went to shower, convinced that she was too strong to be yet another foolish girl.

Dressing and returning to the hotel room, she saw him sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he asked "What time is it?"

"Seven thirty." She said yawning as she went to make coffee in the small individual serving coffee pot in the room.

"Give me twenty minutes." He said then stretching he waited until she had turned back to the coffee put and then vaulted out of bed, towards the bathroom.

Closing the door, he looked down at his morning boner, grimaced and went to shower.

Mac called Veronica as they left the hotel room. "We are getting back on the road after breakfast. I called my mom, my parents are back in town, so I have to spend the day with them, but I will try to get out before seven."

"I will tell you what I learn from dad then. What about Dick, are you going to tell him what is going on?" Veronica asked as she stepped outside onto the balcony.

"Are you insane?" Mac's question had Dick shaking his head up and down and pointing at her phone indicating that he thought Veronica was nuts. "Have you told anyone?"

"No, it's your secret Mac." Veronica promised. Seeing Logan holding up a cup of coffee said "Logan has breakfast waiting for me."

"Far be it for me to get between Veronica Mars and food." Mac said with a giggle as Dick edged her into the small dining room at their hotel for their own breakfast. "I will talk to you later Mars."

Arriving at the edge of Neptune, Dick pulled over to wait for Mac to stop next to him. When she had, he asked "When are you going to stop over at the penthouse?"

"I'm not sure." She said feeling a bit awkward. For the last several days, she had forgotten who Dick was. They had gotten along very well during that time, but that was out of Neptune, what would happen now that they were back home.

"I am going to drop my suitcases off, then stop over to see Logan." He explained not sure what would happen now. He knew that Mac barely tolerated him in Neptune, but he had had a great time with her. He didn't want things to go back to the way they were.

"Well, I have to go see my parents and then I am meeting with Veronica at her place." Mac replied then after a moment said "I guess I will see you on campus when classes start in a couple of days."

"Yeah, I guess I will be pretty busy for a few days, getting stuff taken care of." He said not wanting to drive home, but getting that he had no choice.

"Yeah, me too." Mac said wishing that she knew what to say. Waving at him, she walked back to her car and was soon seated behind the wheel.

Hitting the horn, she reminded herself that Dick would soon be the same old Dick she had known for years, she drove home and was quickly greeting her parents and harassing Ryan for messing with her presents.

A few hours later, she was feeling more like herself as she was talking to her mom in the kitchen as Natalie cooked dinner. "Anyhow, I am meeting Veronica tonight to get her help."

"Are you sure you want to change roommates, I thought that Parker girl was sweet." Natalie replied as she handed Mac the rice and veggie plate.

"Yes, Parker is… well, she is sweet, Mom but we have nothing in common and well, she is a bit too interested in Logan Echolls. I just feel like she is using me to attempt to get to talk to him since he spends time with me in the student union." Mac said.

"Oh dear, are you sure?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, I overheard her during a call to her friends back in Colorado." Mac told her as they called her father and Ryan in for dinner.

Veronica let Mac into her apartment as she said "So, how was your trip?"

"Fine, it was actually okay spending time with Dick." Mac replied. "So, what happened with Logan? Did you clear the air?"

"We did more than that." She said beaming as they went into Veronica's room. "We worked through the past and the lies. Dad and he have developed a truce; we spent the last week just talking about things we have long avoided."

"That's great." Mac said with a happy smile. "I guess that means that Lilly will stop haunting me."

"Hopefully. Though, did you look at the price tags on those clothes she picked out?" Veronica still felt uneasy at the idea of Dick having paid for the tickets to Aspen and the clothes that Lilly had picked out somehow.

"Not until I was in Vegas. Dick laughed when I almost passed out at the cost of this pair of jeans she chose for me." Mac admitted. "I reminded him that it was all placed on his credit card and that when I came back home, I was returning all of it, he refused to let me."

"Logan tried to get me to let it go, too." Veronica said with a sigh. "He just doesn't understand why I would not want to keep the clothes. He even offered to pay Dick for them if my issue was with Dick buying them."

"Men." Mac said throwing herself back onto Veronica's bed. Leaning against her pillow, she said "What exactly did your dad find out?"

"It was Mark Sinclair. He wanted to find a way to tell you the truth now that you are an adult. He was upset that at the hospital, you didn't seem to know him. Though…" Veronica gulped knowing how difficult this subject was for her friend.

"Though what?"

"Mrs. Sinclair told him that you did know. Dad said that they seemed sad at not being able to claim you, so I did some research this week." Veronica looked so uneasy that Mac wasn't sure what she was about to hear.

"What is it?" Mac asked.

"Back when the truth came out, the Sinclairs wanted you back, but the Mackenzies fought to keep you. The Sinclairs suggested raising Madison and you together, as sort of sisters." Veronica explained. "Both of you growing up in both households but the judge refused to even consider it."

Shuddering at the idea, Mac said "Madison and I as sisters, just the idea is sickening."

Veronica could only sit there, letting Mac vent. When she had calmed down, the blond asked "What are you going to do, because I don't think that this is going to go away, Mac."

"I get that; I just need to find a way to tell my parents that I know the truth and that I have for a while. First though, I have to deal with getting a new roommate, finding out how I did on my tests and then figuring out what classes to take next semester. After that, I will deal with my parents and the Sinclairs."

"Well on to another subject, are you up to helping me on a small case?" Veronica asked with a smirk. Holding up a check, she said "I was leaving the hotel today and was stopped by a woman. She was at the hotel with her husband and a ring he had just given her went missing."

"Veronica that check is for five thousand dollars. Just how much did this ring cost?" Mac said as she moved over to the computer Veronica had opened.

"You don't want to know, I don't want to know. She offered a matching check when I found the ring." Veronica replied as she moved out of the way as Mac went to work pulling up the hotel security cameras.

"When did she last see it?" Mac asked as she went to work.

"Oh, we know when it went missing and who took it, I just need photographic proof." Veronica gave her the time and the place as Mac went into the Neptune Grande spa records.

"Mrs. Wentworth went into the spa at twelve, took off her jewelry and there was only one more client all day who used that locker room. She signed in as Mrs. Kamensky."

"Okay, so why do you think that she took the ring." Mac asked as she looked at the woman who was avoiding the camera.

"She used a fake name, a fake credit card and avoided the known cameras but the security staff didn't know that Jeff Ratner that sleaze ball had a secret camera piggy backed off the hotel security to his own laptop in the locker room."

"What happened to Jeff?" Mac asked.

"Nothing yet, he doesn't know that I know. First we get the evidence then we turn both the thief and Jeff in." Veronica said with a chuckle.

Mac found it and showed Veronica the face view of the woman they were looking for and asked "Who is she?"

"I don't know her name but I saw her at the jewelry store when I went to look at the drawing of Mrs. Wentworth's one of a kind ring." Veronica said then added "Lamb was very solicitous to her but sort of suggested that her best bet was to file an insurance claim."

"Ah, Neptune's finest." Mac drawled.

"So, where are you spending the night?" Veronica asked. "Logan said that you could use the spare room at the penthouse if you wanted."

"Its fine, Parker is due back today and I should go and at least let her know that I am going to be looking to move out." Mac replied with a sigh.

Dick was pulling up in front of the fraternity when he saw Chip getting out of his car. "Hey dude, how was Aspen?"

"Ended up in Vegas." Dick answered then said "Have to go see Logan, but wanted to let someone know, I am heading over to my family's place to stay for a while."

"'Kay man. Yah know this isn't a prison or like your parent's house. We don't have to check in and stuff. We are planning on having a hell of a back to school party tomorrow. We need you there." Chip replied as he hit the hood of Dick's car then watched as his frat brother backed out of the parking lot.

Dick drove over to the Grande and parking in the garage went up to see his best friend. When he was let in, he said "So, how are things between you and Mars?"

"Great, better than great." Logan said beaming at Dick then when they were inside on the sofa asked "Want a beer?"

"Want yes, going to have, no." Dick said then explained about his resolution. "I want to prove that I can go at least a month without drinking then I may drink once in a while, but I don't want to be my dad all over again."

Logan of all people understood that as he sat there next to Dick then asked "What about living in the frat house?"

"Moving out. For now, I am going to stay at the hell house, until I find a place." He replied grimly. "I need to make some changes, man."

Logan sat there hesitating then said "You know, you can't be making these changes in hopes of making a connection with Mac. You have to do it for you, not anyone else."

"I am not doing this to win Mac, Logan. I was already planning on cutting down on the drinking after your murdered ex girlfriend decided to haunt me." Dick said with a weak smile. "Learning about Beaver, just pushed me to make more changes. Yes, I would love to fix things with Mac, but we both know that at most we will only ever be friends whose friends are together. I am not the type of guy that Mac goes for."

"She dumped the Greenpeace guy, Dick." Logan replied. "Before the end of the year."

"I know, she mentioned it when we were talking about Beaver in Aspen. Before I found out what a bastard my brother was." Dick said with a twist of his lips. "I still can't deal with that truth. I never meant for Beaver to rape Veronica, but I set it in motion."

Logan wished he could tell his best friend that Veronica didn't blame him, but he knew that she did, that she blamed Dick for taunting Beaver, that she blamed Madison for the tainted glass of soda, even if she had gotten over his part in the mess.

"Hey, Parker, need a hand?" Piz asked as he crossed the entrance way from where he had just left the studio.

The blond trying to maneuver her heavy suitcases stopped, turned and with a large grin called over "More like five or six hands. I drove here, my parents got me a car for Christmas and I guess I sort of just packed up my entire room to bring back."

The affable freshmen helped Parker schlep her stuff to her room as they made two trips and when everything had been dumped in the middle of the dorm room, she offered him a beer.

Taking the bottle, Piz looked around and couldn't believe how much stuff the blond had. "There is barely going to be room for all of your stuff and Mac."

"Mac won't mind." Parker said with a shrug. "I just realized that my clothes were all wrong for Neptune and well my parents gave me a credit card to buy whatever I needed before I left Boulder. "So how was spending your holiday on campus?"

"Fine, there weren't too many students here. I barely saw anyone I knew. Wallace was in Chicago so I pretty much had the entire dorm to myself."

"I am surprised Wallace didn't cancel his trip. After all isn't it his job to be Veronica's Mars sympathetic shoulder." Parker asked as she opened her first suitcase to begin hanging up her clothes.

"Why would Veronica need Wallace?" Piz asked as he stood and went to help her.

"Right before our final day here, she dumped her boyfriend. I can't believe the way she treats Logan. I mean if I had a boyfriend like that, I would never treat him the way Veronica does."

Parker stated then added "I mean I heard them talking and it sounds like they are over for good this time. Good for Logan, why should he put up with a girlfriend who chases after everyone else's problems and doesn't pay any attention to him?"

Piz kept silent, not pointing out that the reason Veronica was currently so single minded was that she was trying to catch Parker's rapist, instead he concentrated on her first statement. "So, they are over?"

"Yes, I heard Mac and her talking before Mac deserted me to go rush off to rescue her." She said rolling her eyes. "I mean why people can't see that Veronica Mars is such a drama queen, I really don't know. I just hope that Mac gets over this need to run when Veronica snaps her fingers, I mean, I can't let my best friend get taken advantage of that way."

Piz left twenty minute later, his mind already on finding a way to ask Veronica out if Parker was correct about Logan and her being over.

Parker kept slowly arranging things around the room, hanging up posters, clothes and changing her bedding as she emptied out her suitcases.

Hearing a key in the door, she turned, a bit worried but that quickly went away when she saw Mac entering carrying her own suitcase. "Hey roomie!"

"Parker, how was your trip?" Mac asked as she went to set down the empty suitcase she had brought with her. She had done a little tip toeing through the room assignments for Hearst College and managed to find a way to have her own room.

Her mom had suggested that she stay at home until she was given her official rooming paperwork and while at first Mac had not wanted to agree, she had come to see that maybe that was for the best.

"Great, it was wonderful seeing my parents and I got everything I asked for for Christmas, including permission to bring my car to school." Parker replied with a sunny smile. "So, I guess you went camping with your family after all. Piz said he hasn't seen you around campus all break."

"No, I uh, went to stay at Logan's penthouse suite since it was empty at his suggestion. They finally fixed the door, my friend Weevil took care of it for us." Mac replied as she went to sit down on the bed, her mind on the poster above Parker's bed, knowing that she had to get out of here and quickly.

"You spent the holidays at Logan's?" Parker asked happily.

"No, actually I only stayed there one night before I ended up flying to Aspen and then on to Vegas. I got home this morning and spent the day with my family." Mac replied.

"You were in Colorado and you didn't let me know?" Parker said pouting a bit. "I would have loved to introduce you to my friends back home. Plus, if you were in Aspen I am sure that you were with Logan, since he is the only one of your friends with that kind of money."

"It wasn't Logan who flew us to Aspen, and I flew to Vegas on the Casablancas jet." Mac admitted.

"That idiotic blond kid has a jet?" Parker had had several run ins with Dick and she couldn't believe that he had that kind of funds. "You have got to be kidding me? Why would you spend a single minute with someone who dislikes you as much as it seems he does? Anyhow, so what did you do in Vegas with Logan?"

"Dick and I are complicated. And Logan and Veronica stayed in Aspen. It was only Dick and I who went to Vegas." Mac wanted to make it clear to the other blond that Logan and Veronica were back together.

She saw that Parker's smile went away for a moment then that the blond seemed to be getting strength from looking at the poster of the Long Haul. "Parker, I don't mean to be rude but would you please remove that poster?"

"What poster?" She asked then seeing where Mac was staring asked "What is wrong with it? I just wanted to let Logan know that I supported his father. There is no way that a family man like Aaron Echolls would have had an affair with a teenage girl let alone killed her. After all he was acquitted; I think a jury would know what was right or wrong."

Mac looked down then said "Parker, he was as guilty as sin and the only reason he was found innocent was that someone stole the tape showing Lilly having sex with Aaron."

"Let me guess, more of the gospel according to Veronica Mars?" Parker said with a huff. "Why do you let yourself be led around by that girl? I mean she obviously isn't that great of a detective or she would have found my rapist by now. Hearst isn't that big of a school."

"Parker, you have no idea what you are talking about. You know nothing about Veronica, nor do you have a clue about Aaron Echolls. That man was a sick, twisted bastard who played to the public and was a creep when they weren't around. So keep your poster up, see if I care but if you think for one minute that Logan will thank you for it, you have another thing coming."

Parker was upset, she didn't want to lose her friendship with Mac, but like her friend Merry back home had always said, honesty was the best policy.

"I am going to get a coffee. Do you want to join me?" She asked Mac who said no, that she had some things to do.

Leaving, Parker saw Chip from the Phi Sig fraternity hitting on some girl and that the girl was about to fall for it. Walking over, she stopped the girl from being another score on the boy's hit list. "Hi, I am Parker."

"Hey Parker, I am Lizzie, Lizzie Manning. I start school this upcoming semester. I just early graduated from Neptune high."

With Parker leaving, Mac went to her closet and began to pack up what was important to her. When she had filled the suitcase she went to ask the dorm monitor if she had any boxes and was told her roommate had brought some down earlier that day.

"Why do you need boxes?" The senior asked.

"I was sent an email about a room change. I just figured I would get ready now." Mac replied not telling the girl how that had come about.

"Oh, you are the one. I was sent the email too. You are switching to Pandora. Nice rooms over there but too close to the parking lot." With that the monitor helped Mac haul the empty boxes to her room. "Good luck."

Mac was silent as she packed up her remaining items and was a bit surprised when she heard a knock on the door.

Opening it, she was greeted again by the monitor who said "My boyfriend has a U-Haul here, he just graduated this semester. He was spending the night and I was thinking we could take your stuff to your new dorm room for you."

"Are you sure?" Mac asked surprised at the offer.

With a wicked grin the older girl leaned in and said "Yes, he can use that as an excuse to leave the U-haul at Pandora then, so you would be helping us too."

"I don't have my key yet." Mac replied.

"I will call over and speak to your new floor monitor." With a quick phone call, she got what she wanted then grinning at Mac said "Sure."

Hanging up, she said "All set."

An hour and a half later, Mac was in her new dorm room. Calling her mom so she wouldn't be expecting her, she gave her the news and added "It was a good idea. When I got to the room tonight, Parker had a poster of one of Aaron Echolls movies on the wall."

"Clearly that young woman has terrible taste and can't comprehend a newspaper. How anyone could believe that that man didn't kill that Kane girl, I really don't know." Natalie said with an angry sigh. "Do you want me to have your father drive over tomorrow with what you got for Christmas?"

"No, I am going to ask Veronica to help. I need to tell her about Parker so she isn't blindsided."

"Logan as well, dear. You should warn him that this young woman is acting this way." Natalie said then after a moment added "When I remember how I used to think that boy was a spoiled brat who got away with everything, I am so ashamed of myself. Clearly if Aaron was capable of sleeping with his son's girlfriend, lord knows what else he was capable of."

Logan watched as Dick danced around the suite after having kicked his ass again at Halo and said "You know there is an open room here in the suite."

"Nah, I won't crash Mars and your love nest." Dick replied. "Sides, too much availability to alcohol. I meant what I said, Logan."

"So at least spend the night." When Dick began to protest, Logan said "Veronica is going through her closet before a shopping trip with Mac tomorrow. Neither of them are looking forward to it. Mac however lost a bet at the end of the semester and she had to give in. Veronica said that Mac hates shopping and rushes in, gets what she wants and leaves as quickly as possible. That it's like she thinks she will catch something if she is in a store too long."

Chuckling as he recalled their trip to Walmart, he saw Logan looking at him and explained. "I am serious, it was like a military maneuver, we got what we had to, then spent twenty five minutes getting the presents. I have never made decisions about anything in my life that fast, dude."

Logan was taking it all then asked "So what did you get for her?"

"There was this coffee cup that had this saying that was all Mackie and a book cause I figured she would like detective mysteries, being friends with Veronica and all, plus a box with this bright pink hair dye. Also I got her a pair of socks with the Grinch on them and dark green hair thingies that I have seen Mac wearing in her hair. A necklace like one I knew she wore years ago. Oh, and a copy of the latest WoW game."

"What did she get you?" Logan asked.

"A t-shirt, games, a book about expensive race cars. A couple of cool remote control toys that I can't wait to annoy with on campus. A key finder for when I misplace my keys. Oh and this cover for my phone that has this attachment to my pants so that if I am more then ten feet away they both begin to beep."

Logan wanted to ask more about Dick's time in Vegas with Mac but before he could, Dick asked "Did Ronnie tell you who was following us?"

"Yes, it was someone wanting pictures of Mac, but it was nothing illegal, Dick. Also that it was about something she couldn't talk about it." Logan said awkwardly.

"I kind of get that. Mac went silent when Ronnie filled her in that we didn't have to rush back. I figured I will find out eventually." Dick said with a shrug then said "So, spill; how was it spending Christmas with Veronica's dad the ex-sheriff?"

TBC