When we arrived at the cinemas; JD directed us straight to the movie board. He gave me a small nudge as we looked at the choice of screenings.

'Come on, Mars. Ladies choice,' he said with a grin.

'Are you sure you feel safe using those words, JD? I mean, you could be in for one long, sappy chick flick if you're not careful,' I joked.

Half an hour later; we were walking into the cinema with popcorn, beverages and other edible things to keep us occupied.

'Are you sure you don't want me to pay for half of this stuff?' I asked.

'No! I already told you; it's part of my birthday present to you, and anyway, it's my parent's money. They gave me a whole wad of cash for this "date" as they called it. You should have heard my mom…' he said. I giggled; I could imagine what his mom would have had to say.

Suddenly, the popcorn that I was holding went falling to the floor as someone knocked into me.

'Oops,' said Michelle cruelly. Both JD and I glared at her. 'Oh my gosh! You guys aren't on a date, are you? I've totally ruined it now, haven't I?'

Michelle's friend Indiana began to pick the popcorn up. 'What are you doing?' Michelle hissed at her.

'Don't worry about it,' I said to her, ignoring Michelle.

'What was that for?' JD asked. 'What exactly did Lila do to you?'

'Oh! That's so cute! You wanting to stick up for Lila here. But I'm sure you could do much better, Jack.'

'It's JD,' he stated, his jaw set. I grabbed him by the elbow.

'Come on, let's get seats,' I said softly to him as we walked away.

He opened his mouth to speak as we walked up the steps, but I cut him off. 'I know; she's a bitch…and you thought Cassie was bad! She's got nothing on Michelle,' I joked, trying to lighten the mood. 'Let's just have a good night, okay?'

He smiled and nodded his head.

When we were about halfway through the movie; I turned to JD, realizing that there was something that I needed to tell him. The movie was about the ties between a woman and her family, in particular, her father. I had been squirming uncomfortably in my chair all night; and JD had noticed it. He had even asked me if I was all right a couple of times.

'Hey, can I tell you something?' I asked. He turned to me immediately, concern masking his face. 'Of course.'

I chucked a little at the look on his face. 'Chill, it's not anything life-changing!' I said. I could hear him give a fake sigh of relief and I nudged him a little.

'You know that day when you found that list of names, and it had your dad's name on it?' I asked.

'Yeah.' He was interested now.

'I'm trying to find out who my real father is,' I said. 'The list was a list of the names of all of my mom's old friends and boyfriends.'

There was a pause for a moment, 'your mom and my…?'

'Your dad, yep, they dated. And don't be shocked; I've recently discovered that pretty much all of my friend's parents have some tie with my mother.'

'So…is my dad?' JD looked uncertain, and a little bit scared to a degree. I understood what he wanted to ask.

'Oh! No! No, I don't think your dad is even in contention of…you know,' I shrugged. Eww, just eww. 'They dated for like, five seconds, from what my Pop tells me.'

He nodded his head slowly. 'So, do you know who he is then?'

I shook my head. 'No idea. Until recently, I thought that it was Logan Echolls. It still might be, but…'

JD cut me off, 'Alex's dad?'

'That's the one.'

'So you two could be brother and sister?'

'Theoretically. But, if you look at it that way; I still have no idea who my real dad is; so anyone could be my brother or sister,' I paused, 'In a sad, cruel twist, Michelle might even be my real sister,' I joked.

JD let out a noise between a sigh and a laugh.

When the movie was finished, JD dropped me off at the porch outside our apartment. He even insisted that he walk me to the door.

'I'm a big girl, JD, I'm pretty sure I can walk myself,' I joked.

'But aren't you scared of the boogie monster?'

'Oh! You're right. I almost forgot about him. Well, it's just lucky that you were here.'

'I had fun tonight,' JD said, as he buried his hands in his jacket pockets. It was cold outside.

'Me too. We should do it again sometime,' I said.

'We definitely will,' he agreed. He paused for a couple of seconds. 'I don't know what is it, but I always seem to have fun when you're around,' he said with a grin. I returned it.

'Yeah, me too,' I replied.

I can't remember what happened next, or who initiated it, but the next thing I knew was that we were moving in closer, and his mouth was on my own and we were kissing passionately.

The kiss ended abruptly and awkwardly.

'I…ah…have to go,' JD stuttered, as he walked away.

'Uh…yeah,' I said. I think that we were both a bit lost for words. 'See ya.'

'Bye,' he said, before he was gone.

I stood on the porch for a few more moments before I opened the front door, sighing massively. I spotted my mother, on the couch watching TV. She gave me a small smile as I walked in. 'So how did your "non date" go?'

I didn't know what to say. As much as I had told everyone that it wasn't a date; the evening had turned out much like a date. Dinner, movie, kiss. Check your dictionary, because I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a date.

I crossed to the fridge and took out a bottle of water, taking a sip. 'Fine,' I said half-heartedly. 'You didn't have to wait up for me, you know?'

'No, I know. But, in case you've forgotten, I kind of live on the couch now that my daughter has stolen my bedroom,' she joked.

'Speaking of the devil…I'm going to bed.'

'Okay…night sweetie.'

'Night.'

Bed? Check. Sleep? Probably not. Sleep, when you're thinking about a kiss that you just shared with your best friend, and thinking about the feelings that you may, or may not have for him, almost impossible. What was this? And what was going to happen now?

VERONICA

It was Sunday morning. He would be home now, right? He wouldn't be busy? A small part of me hoped that he was though. A very small part of me hoped that he wouldn't be home.

Wait. You're Veronica Mars. You're not scared or anxious. Yeah, but I'm also not desperate, or at least, I don't appear to be. Will Logan think I'm desperate, dropping by to see him? Maybe I should have called first.

I was just about at his house, before I turned around and started to walk back to the car. I stopped walking when I saw a very familiar head in the yard next door to Logan's house.

'Dick?' I asked. The person turned around and walked towards me.

Perhaps I should just stop yelling out people's names anymore, because that wasn't Dick. That was Richie, his son, if I had remembered correctly. I had embarrassed myself once again.

'I prefer Richie,' he chuckled. 'Wait, you're Lila's mom, right?'

'Yeah,' I said.

'Hey, Richie, where's the-?' came a voice from above us. Both Richie and I looked up at the source of the voice. Now that was someone that I definitely recognized, and it seems as if he recognized me too as he stopped mid-sentence and said, 'Ronnie?'

Before I could give him an answer, he was gone from the balcony. I gave his son a questioning look. 'I never could figure him out,' I joked.

The front door opened within the next few seconds, and Dick came striding out towards us, opening his arms out wide.

'Ronnie, it's good to see you again,' he said, as he enveloped me in a hug.

'Um…yeah…it's good to see you too,' I mumbled. Since when had Dick cared? We hadn't even been good friends. We hadn't even been friends. Dick stepped back and looked down at me. 'Wow! You look really good.'

'You don't look too bad yourself,' I commented, being polite.

'So what are you doing here? Back in Neptune?' He asked.

'I came for my daughter's birthday,' I said. A confused look came over Dick's face.

'I didn't know you had a daughter,' he stated.

'Lila,' Richie supplied.

His eyes widened. 'Really? I mean…she looks like you, but…'

'Except taller, with brown hair and less pesky?' I asked. Dick nodded, temporarily stunned. 'I get that all the time.'

'Well, it's really good to see you. Maybe we could get a coffee sometime?' Dick asked.

I gave a non-committal nod. Was I in an alternate universe, or had Dick actually matured? I mean, no jokes or quips about Lila, no questions whatsoever about her father? Dick Casablancas, have we met?

'I'd better be going,' I said, as I motioned towards where my car was sitting close by. Dick waved goodbye, as his son continued to look at him weirdly.

Another question; had I got the wrong address or were Dick and Logan living next door to each other? Perhaps they were living in the same house, for old times sake. It was comforting to know that they had finally moved out of the Grand at least.

LILA

I was awoken by my Sunday-morning sleep-in by the shrill ring tone of my cell phone.

'Hello?' I answered sleepily.

'Lila, it's Cassie.'

'Cassie. Tell me you have a good reason for waking me up?'

I could hear her giggling on the other end. 'I was just calling to see how your date with Jack went,' she said. I sat up in bed.

'Fine...Wait, how do you know about that?' I asked. I could hear her sigh.

'Michelle practically rang me right after she saw you guys to spread the news.'

'Great! Now practically the whole student body will know!' I said sarcastically.

'Don't worry about it. Nobody thinks its even that big a deal,' she said. My mood got better, but only marginally.

'Hey, who're you talking to?' I heard a soft voice on the other end, it sounded like Richie in the background.

'None of your business, Richard,' I heard Cassie say.

'Seriously, Cassidy, who is it?'

I heard her audible sigh. 'It's Lila, happy now?'

'Give me the phone,' he said sternly. I heard the phone being moved around amidst Cassie's protests.

'Hey, Lila, it's Richie,' he said.

'Yeah, it was a bit obvious,' I replied.

'Hey, you didn't tell me your mom was the infamous "Ronnie"' he said. I could hear Cassie in the background gasp and ask, 'what?' interestedly.

'"Ronnie"? What are you talking about?'

'She was just around here. Your mom is Ronnie,' he stated.

'Put me on speaker,' said Cassie in the background. Richie must have complied, because the next moment I could hear Cassie loud and clear.

'Dad and Logan have these huge conversations about "Ronnie" they talk about her like she was some kind of hero. All of the cool things that she did…'

'Yeah, and today my dad saw your mom and he was calling her "Ronnie." It has to be her,' said Richie, cutting Cassie off.

'What? I don't understand; my mom hates being called "Ronnie" in the first place. Are you…are you sure?' I asked.

'Positive,' said Richie soundly.

So my mom was some kind of legend in the Echolls/Casablancas households? What was that all about? Okay, so I was intrigued.

'Hey, can I meet you guys at your place later on?' I asked. I was interested to hear some of these tales for myself.

'Sure,' said Richie.

MEANWHILE, AT THE ECHOLLS HOUSE

Mac stood at the front door; she had been knocking for almost five minutes, before she decided to just go in.

'Hello? Hello? Does no one at all want to greet me? Obviously nobody wants their awesome presents that I brought back,' she said to the empty house.

'Mac!' Said Logan, as he walked down the stairs and saw her. He hugged her.

'I knew you'd come at the mention of presents,' she joked.

'I thought you weren't getting here 'til next week.'

'I decided to surprise everyone…but it looks like I'm the one who's surprised. Where's the rest of the "gang"?'

'Alex went for a surf,' said Logan, who looked down at the suitcases that Mac had. 'Are you staying?'

'I was hoping so. I was supposed to be at Ryan's for a few weeks; until I get an apartment, but I can't stay there because Katie has some sort of bug. I can stay here, right? If it's a problem, I'll just go and see whether Dick has room.'

'Don't even think about it, Mackenzie. You know you're welcome here anytime,' said Logan, as he grabbed her big suitcase and started to take it up the stairs. 'I'll get your usual room all sorted. Maybe you should go next door and surprise those Casablancas kids?'

'I think I will,' she said, as she left.

Mac stood outside the Casablancas house and knocked on the door, adding in a few furious ringing's of the doorbell.

'Alright, alright, hold your horses!' She could hear Dick yell, and Mac couldn't help but suppress a grin. When the door finally opened, Mac was met with a Dick who had a huge grin on his face and who bear hugged her immediately. 'Cindy!'

'Hello Dick,' she said, when they broke loose.

'I thought that you weren't getting here until next week?'

'Change of plan. Are you not happy to see me?' she joked.

Dick shook his head. 'I'm extremely happy.'

'Well, I'm glad that someone is; now where are the juniors?' she asked.

'Cassie! Richie! Can you come down here please?' Dick yelled.

'Sorry, Lila. We kind of have to go…dad wants us,' said Cassie.

'Okay, bye,' Lila said.

'You're coming around later, right?' asked Richie.

'Yeah, I'll see you then.'

Cassie got up slowly from the bed and dawdled out of the bedroom, Richie following her.

'What do you want?' she yelled down the stairs at her father. She looked down, but all she saw was a very familiar looking woman smiling at her.

'Mac!' Cassie almost squealed, before running down the stairs and giving her a hug.

'Hey Cass,' she said with her trademark grin. 'Richie, get your cute, college boy ass over here, now,' she said, and Richie complied, giving her a hug. 'Wow. Haven't you just buffed up?' she joked, seizing up his arms, because the last time she had seen him, he certainly hadn't looked like he did today. Richie began to flex his muscles jokingly.

'Don't encourage him,' Dick joked.

'Tell me about Japan!' Cassie insisted, as she led Mac by her arm to the kitchen table. The boys followed after them.

'Okay, I'll tell you about Tokyo; but only if you guys spill all the gossip about what's been going on back here after,' said Mac. Richie and Dick took seats at the table.

'What can I say about Japan? Work was boring, but the city…it's just awesome. I'm taking you with me next time we go, Cass; seriously, you and Taylor would absolutely love it,' she said. Cassie didn't even bother to correct her, or start explaining the Taylor situation. Maybe later, when her dad wasn't around.

'You should see the fashions, and I don't even like fashion, but Tokyo…it's like a city that doesn't have a "fashion," everyone wears whatever they like; bright, clashing colours, it's just awesome. No one even gave a second look at my hair, seriously,' she said, as she motioned to her signature light blue streak in-between her dark hair.

Mac opened her handbag and started searching through it; finding what she wanted, it looked like a photo album. 'Check this out,' she said. The Casablancas moved in closer to her, to look at it.

Mac flipped to a photo with her and a group of Japanese guys, smiling at the camera. Half of them looked like they didn't want to be there. 'These are the guys that I worked with…they were pretty boring, actually. But it was fun. They'd never seen anyone like me in there before,' she laughed and flipped to another picture, this one showed Mac with a group of girls, all wearing a bright assortment of clothes. One of the girls had her hair dyed all bubblegum pink.

Cassie started to laugh. 'That is by far, the coolest thing I think I've ever seen,' she said. Mac grinned at her.

'Dick, put that fortune of yours to good use and take your kids on vacation, or I'll just have to do it myself,' Mac joked.

'Can we go on a holiday, dad?' Cassie asked hopefully.

'I guess we can go to Tokyo, if you really want to. But only if Cindy will be our tour guide,' Dick said with a smirk. Cassie and Richie both looked equally excited, as they looked at Mac expectantly.

'Of course!' she replied with a smile. 'Like I'm going to say no to those faces?' she joked, grabbing a hold of Richie's cheeks and giving them a pinch. He pulled away.

'Okay, as much as I love you, Mac attack, you keep that up and I'll have to-.'

Mac cut him off, 'Mac attack? Gee, that's original,' she said sarcastically.

'When did your flight get in?' Dick asked.

Mac shrugged. 'A couple of hours ago…but I had to go through security and all that…I came straight here.'

'You must be tired, and hungry. Are you staying at Logan's?' Dick asked. Mac nodded.

Richie moved towards the fridge and opened the door. 'Dad, we might have a bit of a problem…'

Dick looked at his son confusedly, before working it out, 'right. Well, that's perfect anyway. We're going out for lunch!'

'So, I told you about Japan…are you guys going to come good on our bargain?' Mac asked, as she took a bite of her meal. Dick had driven them all straight to Mac's favourite vegetarian restaurant as soon as they had gotten in the car.

'Well, nothing much…I go to college now,' Richie said.

'I would never have guessed!' Mac said sarcastically.

'Ha ha,' he retorted.

'Cass?' Mac asked.

'Uh…some things…I'll get into detail later,' she said, shooting Mac a look. Dick and Richie looked at Cassie interestedly, but Mac took the hint and didn't press the subject.

'Does anyone have any news? Any at all? Dick?' Mac asked.

Dick paused for a moment; wracking his brain. 'Veronica's back in town,' he said, naming the latest gossip.

Mac nodded her head. 'I already know,' she said with a smile. 'Seriously, nothing?' she joked.

'How did you know that?' Dick asked.

Mac grinned to herself. 'I have my sources in Neptune.'

'Anyway, I'm really happy that you're back,' said Cassie with a genuine smile. Mac nodded.

She was beginning to realize just how good it was to be back, to be missed. She was back home now, back home with her real family. They may not be related; but the Casablancas' and the Echolls' were the closest to a real family that she had ever known.

A/N So, you're probably getting extremely sick of these long A/N's but, meh.

Ideas? Comments? Anything at all? I want to hear whatever it is that you have to say. Reviews are awesome (OMG I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH, REVIEWERS) I only continue to write this because of all of your support. Note that no reviews bug, especially not long ones that tend to ramble on, I live for those. Lol.

Anyway, thanks for reading again. I want to know what you guys want to see happen in the story, between all characters. Ideas are fabulous.

Also, all knowledge on Japan comes from my cousins (who went on exchange there) so don't blame me if that's not correct. lol.

Be patient; the mystery will be solved; I'm just trying to figure out how to occupy the chapters that lead up to it.

Peace.