Disclaimer: Veronica Mars and all recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Rob Thomas.
Nine:
Veronica Mars is sitting at her desk, sifting through the pictures she took last night for a client. She smiles as she comes across the money shots. A very demurely dressed young secretary answering the door to a very eager Edward Parnell. The next shot is the pretty redheaded secretary planting a lip locking, suffocate until I let you go kiss on the forty-something year old man who could almost pass for George Clooney's slightly less handsome twin brother. Mrs. Parnell will be very happy; the prenup will be thrown out in two seconds during the court proceedings.
She prints several of the photos, and as they come out of her printer she adds them to the Parnell file, paper clipping them neatly in with the paperwork and the bill. Mrs. Parnell is expected in an hour. She sighs as she closes the folder and looks up at the sound of a door opening. Her eyes widen and a wide grin spreads across her face as the somewhat short, shaved headed, former PCH biker gang leader steps into Mars Investigations.
He's got a flirtatious smirk on his face and his dark eyes are bright as he looks at her, and says, "So, V, who I got to thank for my freedom? Damn girl, you work fast. I was expecting it to be like six months before I got an appeal, and here you go and get me off the hook before the court appointed charity lawyer even begins filing the papers. What's your secret? Still hot for me, cause you know, if you're up for a little something, Weevil love you long time."
She shakes her head and a small laugh escapes. "I remember, but I'm kind of taken. I'll let you know if I'm ever available again, but he's kind of possessive."
"Ah," Weevil replies, "So still with Echolls. I'd heard you hooked back up with him from Lamb of all people. Guess I'm not the only one crushin' on you Blondie, he seemed a little crestfallen too. I don't know what hurt him more, talking about you or takin' the handcuffs off me. Man's got some serious kink issues."
"Maybe I'll have to pay the wizard a visit, then," Veronica replies, sarcasm dripping in her voice.
Weevil shrugs. "Hey, I only call em like I see em, and since I'm down here I'll give you a little heads up. I've been hearing some things that kinda got me worried. I'm not warning the boys, cause hell, I ain't one of them anymore, but you. You always had my back."
"Okay, so what's up?"
"While I was in the pen I heard some things about the Sharks, not the baseball team, but this hard ass gang in L.A., there into shit like the Fitzpatricks, drugs, hits, weapons running. You name it they're into it. Word is there's some kid that scrapped out after he got a narc in with them. They thought they killed the kid and the narc, but the kid's body goes missing from the morgue before he's fully toe-tagged, and now they hear that he's hiding in Neptune. They got a cousin at Pan High, Epsy, and Epsy swears he's seen the guy. This will be all kinds of bad when these guys come down here lookin' for him," Weevil answers.
Veronica's eyes widen, and her breathing quickens as she remembers what she heard from her dad and then she asks, "The guy, the one that got away, was his name Casey Banks?"
He nods. "Yeah, why? You heard of him?"
"Oh, God, Mac," Veronica says.
"V, you okay, and what about Mac? Something up with my ol' buddy the genius?" he asks.
"You know Mac?"
"She taught me math when her hopped up boyfriend wasn't making any sense and pissing me off."
"That boyfriend, Cassidy Casablancas, jumped off the Neptune Grand, or so everyone thinks, and now Mac is stuck with a baby and this is going to have a huge affect on her and everything!"
"Woah, slow down, the Beav was the kid that blew up the bus and swan dived off the tallest building in Neptune?" He lets out a low whistle as Veronica nods. "Shit, rich kids got some issues. And wait, Mac's got a kid? When did this happen, and how is she connected to the Sharks?"
"She's pregnant. It happened on graduation night, before Cassidy supposedly jumped off the roof. Now I know that Casey Banks is dead, even though Kendall fed my dad that crap story about him going into witness protection, and I know because Cassidy Casablancas is now Cassidy Banks and Mac is living with him and hanging out with Dick. Oh, God I knew this would blow up in my face."
"Woah, back up, I thought you said Cassidy jumped off a roof, that usually results in death."
"Somehow he managed to fake his death, I know it, and Mac knows it and I think Dick might even know it. I just can't prove it without getting the coroner to reexamine the body in Cassidy's grave. If that happens though, Mac is going to be destroyed, and I've seen Cassidy and I have more reasons to hate him than anyone else, but I saw how he looked when he took that step off of the roof, and I've seen how he looks at Mac, and he cares for her and that baby, and he's not the same boy that blew up that bus and the plane. He's not the same boy that raped me," she says quietly.
"Come again," Weevil says. "He raped you? I'll kill the little shit and save the Sharks the trouble."
"No. He's not that boy anymore. I don't know who he is, and I can't bring myself to do that to Mac. I've just got to figure this out so that she doesn't get hurt, and I doubt he knew all this baggage would be coming with his new identity."
"V, it's true what they say. You are a fuckin' marshmallow," he says, and sits down in one of the chairs across from her desk, and then he leans forward and asks, "And really, who do I have to thank for my freedom. I kinda owe them a huge ass favor."
Veronica takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "That would be Kendall Casablancas, also known as Priscilla Banks. She was Casey's mother, and she helped mastermind Cassidy's supposed death, though I haven't figured out the how of it yet. She came forward with evidence that Thumper was at the River Styx after you left him out cold in front of the church, and I think she might have provided you with an alibi, something about sexual favors, and I don't want to know if it's true or not."
"Well if it is, I can't remember banging some rich white guy's wife, and that's usually somethin' you remember," he says with a grin, and Veronica rolls her eyes.
With a roll of her eyes she gets up from the couch and goes to answer the door, because apparently the hired help has gone deaf or something and can't hear the doorbell. Someone is so getting yelled at if she messes up the fresh polish on her toenails. She pulls open the doors and looks at the person on the other side, with a "who the hell are you and why should I care" look.
He's about her height, with a shaved head, dark eyes and quite a few visible tattoos. He's dressed in blue jeans that are ripped at the knees, a white muscle shirt and a black leather jacket. There's a muscle car in her driveway, and she's wondering who the hell he is, as he looks kind of familiar.
"The help enters the house through the back," she replies curtly.
"I'm not the hired help," he replied, his voice is husky and he's kind of sexy. "I came to thank you for coming up with the evidence that got me released, though I think I would have remembered banging you. Damn. Was it the vodka? Because I can hold my tequila."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm Eli Navarro. I mostly go by Weevil, and I hear you're to thank for gettin' me back on the streets. So you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, and yeah, I'm available for sexual favors. Weevil love you long time, chica."
"So you're Weevil," she replies. "All right, come in, we've got some talking to do."
"Is that what they're callin' it in the hills these days," he replies with a smirk.
She gives him a withering glare as she closes the door behind him and leads him to her bedroom. He looks around, impressed at the lavish look of the room, and the massive bed that is a work of art, clearly not meant to be missed.
"Take a seat," she says and with a wide gesture indicates the bed.
He sits at the foot of it, and watches as she paces for a few minutes, and he knows the wheels are turning in the woman's head, and he wonders what's up. Finally she stops, tosses her hair back over her shoulder, approaches him, puts her hands on his knees and bends forward, and he has a very appetizing view of her cleavage. He swallows thickly.
"I need a favor," she says, and her voice is breathy and doing things to him, and he can feel blood and heat flooding to his groin. She looks down and then back up at him with a smile. "Keep it in your pants for now, barrio boy. I need some help with my kid. He's got trouble with a little gang in L.A., you might have heard of them. He needs protection, the kind that won't involve the Fitzpatricks because they don't want a war with the Sharks. I'm thinking you can help me out. If I'm not enough motivation to sweeten this pot, though I think I am, consider this, his little computer geek girlfriend is knocked up. Think you're up for it?"
Again he swallows thickly, and manages to meet her dark eyes. "Would I be working with the Fitzpatricks? Cause that's kinda against my moral code."
"Hey, they got you off the hook with the murder thing didn't they? Look I'm not asking you to join them. It's not about them, it's about looking after my kid, turns out he's a good investment," she replies.
He snorts. "From what I heard your kid is dead. How bout you tell me the real deal?"
She tilts her head and narrows her eyes at him. "You don't need to know everything. Just that he needs protection, and so does his girlfriend, and yeah I'll throw my stepson into the mix, he's an idiot, but he's got nothing to do with this. You don't have to worry about me. Liam's got me covered."
"And I was really startin' to like you," he replies.
"You owe me, this is how you pay," she snaps.
"Fine," he replies, "But I'm doing this for Mac and the kid. I know about Beaver, but I won't say anything. I can't say I won't try to break his face when I see him, but I'll try to hold back for Mac, I kinda owe her for my diploma."
"How do you know?" she asks.
"You're not the only one with resources," he replies and stands up when she straightens and backs away from him.
She lets out a growl of displeasure. "So the little blonde Nancy Drew knows. I told him to get out of town, but no, does the kid listen to me? He sticks around for his idiot brother and knocked up girlfriend. He's going to get himself killed if he keeps this up! How long before she spills?"
"She's not going to say anything. She can't do that to Mac, because she knows it'll hurt her. And hey, it's a testament to a man's character to stick around and take responsibility for a kid. He can't be all bad if he's willing to stick around, and he probably loves her," Weevil says with a shrug, and he notices when she picks up a vase from her vanity.
He hightails it out of her bedroom as the vase collides with the wall and wonders what's got her silk panties in a knot.
He smiles as she leans closer against him, her nose nuzzling the base of his throat as his arm tightens across her shoulders and they continue to watch the movie. Actually she's watching the movie, he's too busy looking down at her with the silliest grin on his face, because he still can't believe that normal is possible after everything. His fingers are idly playing with the freshly dyed green streaks in her hair, and he likes that she's getting back to the way she used to be, that things are kind of settling down for them.
Not that it's easy, her cravings are disgusting at the best of times, her reaction to the smell of lasagna is scary, and her volatile temperament when it comes to anything related to his brother or his brother's lack of brains is enough to test anyone's patience, even though Dick deserves most of the nagging and short comments.
He shifts his gaze to the door at the sound of it opening, and he wonders if he'll have to kick Dick out again for his own sanity as much as his brother's physical well-being, because who knew Mac could throw a punch that would leave Dick with a black eye?
Now that is a conversation that would put a smile on anyone's face to have witnessed, just because it was so damn funny.
"Someone's getting fat," Dick says as he watches Mac devour another bowl of raspberry sherbet ice cream.
"I'm pregnant!" she growls in retaliation.
Dick shrugs. "I know."
Cassidy shakes his head as Mac storms off to their bedroom with her ice cream and then he looks at his brother. "It might be in your best interest if you don't mention her weight."
Dick, of course is oblivious. "Dude, pregnant chicks are like so touchy."
"It's called hormones, Dick."
Dick snorts. "Yeah, whatever. Up for me kicking your ass at some Halo 2?
Cassidy rolls his eyes, and before either of them can pick up a controller Mac storms back into the living room, slaps Cassidy on the shoulder and then nails Dick in the face with a mean right hook.
"What the fuck?" Dick snaps and looks at Mac, who is shaking her fist out.
"I'm not touchy," she grinds out and then retreats to the bedroom again.
He has a grin on his face, which withers quickly once the door is flung open and then slammed shut behind Kendall. Her dark eyes are sparking with anger, her nostrils are flared, and she's wearing her full on bitch face, the kind that strikes terror in Dick.
Cassidy can't help but think, 'Oh shit, what now?' At Mac's gaze shifting up to look at him, he sincerely hopes he didn't say that out loud.
"Turn the damn television down, because you are so not drowning out this bitchy moment of the millennia!" Kendall growls, and Cassidy reaches for the remote, presses the mute button, and asks, "Okay, so what the hell are you doing here? And why are you pissed at me?"
"Because you are a royal idiot! I thought your brother was the dim light bulb in the family, but you've managed to out do him! Do you realize what you've done?! I've got some common street thug barrio boy coming to my door bragging about little miss blondie bear detective knowing who you really are! Do you know how serious this is? Not only can your dumb ass get caught and arrested for all sorts of shit, but I'm a freaking accomplice! I'm not going to jail for you or anyone ever again!"
"Are you saying that Veronica Mars knows?"
"Like it's that much of a stretch to figure out with the way you're parading all over Neptune! Why not take out an add in the paper, dumb ass!" Kendall growls.
Mac finally speaks up. "I know Veronica, and if she hasn't said anything by now, she's not going to."
"Yeah, she has to have some evidence first," Cassidy pipes up bitterly, and then winces as Mac turns on him.
"Excuse me, but I doubt my friend would do something like that without warning me first! She knows how I feel about you and she knows about the baby! She might not trust you, but I think she trusts my judgment!" Mac's voice is loud and sharp, and even Kendall is impressed with the usually docile girl's show of anger.
"Fine, but Veronica Mars is your problem. Don't come crying to me when you get hauled off to jail, and you better not breathe a word about me helping you, kid. I mean it. As for our little problem, since you didn't want the Fitzpatrick's tailing you I have a better solution. Weevil is out on semi-decent behavior and he paid me a visit. He's willing to play bodyguard, but if he charges, that's your slice of the Phoenix Land Trust pie, not mine."
Cassidy is momentarily thrown by Kendall's change in mood, but shakes it off as he replies, "Done. I'll have to find a way of meeting with him to get the details and a fee set."
"If I were you I wouldn't show up to that little date alone. He has a score to settle with you apparently, because he mentioned something about wanting to pound your face in. I'm thinking I'm better off not knowing the details there," Kendall replies and then turns toward the door, her perfectly manicured fingers closing on the door handle.
"Wait," Mac calls out to her. "Where did you get a key?"
Kendall snorts as she looks at them over her shoulder, and she can barely contain the choked feeling in her throat as she realizes just what they mean to each other, and she's almost jealous. "Please, my name is on the lease for this little love nest of yours. Of course I'm going to have a key."
It is with that comment that Kendall leaves. No one could ever accuse her of not knowing how to make a headlining entrance, or exit for that matter.
As Cassidy and Mac settle back on the couch, and he takes the television off mute, the door opens a few minutes later, and this time it's Dick. He walks in with a bewildered expression on his face and a half-gallon of raspberry sherbet as a peace offering to Mac, and a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream for himself. He retreats to the kitchen, sensing the tension in the room, and walks back in a few minutes later with three heaping bowls of ice cream. He gives a bowl of chocolate to Cassidy, the raspberry sherbet to Mac, and keeps the third bowl filled with chocolate and covered with chocolate syrup for himself as he sits in the chair next to the couch and notices the chick flick on the television.
He makes a face, but doesn't complain, as he now fears the wrath of Mac. He looks up at her, hesitation in his voice, as his left eye is still kind of sore, not to mention bruised from her hitting him the other night. "Lookin' good, Mackie, so how's the bun doing?"
Mac turns a fierce glare on him and Cassidy spoons some ice cream in his mouth and hopes for the best as he is the one sitting between them, and he's already managed to piss Mac off with his earlier comments about Veronica Mars.
Dick quickly amends with, "Kid. How's the kid doing?"
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