The next morning, Veronica woke late, and headed to Mars Investigations with Sarah's diary. Keith was already there, sitting behind his desk.
"Tell me you aren't spending another Saturday in this office, Veronica."
"I'm not going to spend another Saturday in the office. I'm just here to do a little work while Weevil does some painting." she said.
"Oh? Then you'll be out doing normal teenager things?' he questioned.
"Yes, we are going to the boardwalk, I'm getting a tattoo and under going initiation for PHCers. I'm even going to steal my own motorcycle."
"Well, if that's all." Keith laughed. "I'll be home late; I'm going to chase a few leads on Sarah and a few other cases."
"Go get 'em, Tiger." she called as he walked out of the office.
The second Keith was out the door; Veronica pulled the diary out of her bag and began pouring over its contents. She noted that there was nothing about the rape in her diary, just the aftermath. Fights with her mom, living in her car, meeting Andre, the move to Neptune; among the entries, there were many sketches. One of them was labeled 'Paradise.' At first, Veronica didn't recognize it, but the longer she looked the more familiar it became. She jumped out of her chair, grabbing the diary and her bag and headed out the door. It was Cape Crescent. She'd only been there once, preferring Dog Beach as it was closer to home. She parked and searched for Sarah. She was losing hope of finding her there when she found a car with Ohio plates.
"Sarah?!" she began calling, searching the crowds of people.
"Veronica?" she heard a voice call off to her left.
"Sarah! I found you!" she cried, running over to the redhead.
"I didn't worry you, did I?" she whispered.
"Only a little, but its okay now, I think your parents were more concerned. Andre was the only one who wasn't bothered."
"My parents are here?"
"Yeah, they are staying at some hotel."
"Can I borrow your phone?" she asked.
"Sure." Veronica told her, handing the phone over.
Veronica watched as Sarah called Andre and asked him to entertain her parents while she went home and cleaned up. He agreed, judging by the 'thank you' and the 'I'm sorry' that followed. She hung up and handed the phone back.
"I'm so very sorry I worried you." she told Veronica. "I tripped that night and knocked a chair over, I guess you heard that and freaked, didn't you?"
"Only when I went to pick you up and you weren't there. I guess I'm just hardwired that way." Veronica admitted.
"Well, I guess I've got some stuff to do before I meet my parents. You've been a great friend, Veronica."
She watched Sarah walk away, happy she'd found her, but unsure of her friends current mood. She seemed unhappy and frightened to be going home. Veronica shook it off as her phone began to ring.
"Hey, Weevil." she smiled into the device.
"Hey, chica, you ready?" he asked.
"Almost, I gotta go home and change." she told him. "I found Sarah."
"That's good. Let me know when you're ready and I'll swing by and pick you up." he told her.
"Still won't tell me what we're doing?"
"Nope. Now stop talking and start driving, Mama. And dress nice."
She said goodbye and started walking back to her car when she saw a yellow X-Terra parked next to her LeBaron.
"I don't need this right now." she said to the open air.
"Veronica!" Logan called. "I was driving by and saw your car!"
She was a little thrown off by his friendly attitude, but she wasn't about to let her guard down.
"What do you want, Logan?"
"Does your boyfriend have a little sister?" he asked conversationally, picking at his car.
"Yes… what is this about?" she questioned.
"What's her name." he asked, losing all pretense of friendly conversation.
"Luciana." Veronica responded in kind.
"You should ask to see his heart tattoo on his back. I think you'll find the name intriguing."
"What are you talking about?" she spat.
"I'll give you a hint. It's a girls name, starts with an 'L' and it isn't Luciana." he smirked, climbing back into his obnoxious X-Terra.
Veronica was determined not to over-react. She pushed the information to the back of her mind. It was probably just Logan trying to start something; but it was still nagging at her when she called Weevil to tell him she was ready. He was dressed in a similar style as he had for their first date, trading the black button up for a white one. She had opted for a medium length navy dress and a white sweater. Veronica was indeed surprised by where they ended up, his home.
"Did you forget something?" she asked.
"Nope. This is the surprise." he told her. "You're meeting my family."
"I'm what?!" she cried.
"Abuelita wanted to officially meet you as my girlfriend. She sorta went overboard. Angel and his wife are here, my little sister and my niece Ofelia and…" he trailed, not wanting to tell her the last member of their dinner party. "Chardo's older sister Marisol."
"Oh, is that all?" she snarked. "Oh, I'll have a blast! Maybe there were some other family members you'd like to have over so they can shun me as well?"
Weevil took her face in his hands, kissing her reassuringly.
"Baby, no one here is going to shun you. And if they do, they'll have Abuela to contend with." he laughed.
"I don't get what your Grandmother loves so much about me." she admitted. "I figured she'd hate that you were with a white girl."
"It doesn't matter to her." he said, seeing her doubtful glance. "Okay, maybe it does a little, but she likes you because, despite appearances, you didn't stop looking until you proved I didn't take those cards. That and, I've been working harder on my school work since we started spending time together." he smiled. "You keep me happy and on the Graduation track and she'll adopt you."
"Alright." she said, following him inside.
Dinner was being made when they walked in, and Letty invited Veronica to help.
"I'm really pretty useless at cooking." she told her.
"Nonsense!" she smiled. "Here, stuff the peppers while Magdalena gets the pomegranate seeds for the sauce. Mijo? I need you to start the enchiladas."
Veronica fell into an easy rhythm stuffing peppers and getting to know Magdalena. She did not share her husband's distrust of outsiders, being much friendlier than Veronica had originally thought.
"So, I hear you got Eli out of Juvie." Magdalena said.
"Yeah. I mean, it was just a matter of proving he didn't take the pre-approved applications. Not a big deal." she told her.
"Not the way Letty talks about it. She talks as though you walked through fire to prove her grandson innocent." she smiled, scooping more seeds.
Veronica took a break from stuffing the poblano peppers and looked at Magdalena, then across the room to Marisol, who had yet to say a word to her.
"I still don't get it, I got one grandson off, but I sent the other one off to a worse fate. I just, I just needed to know the truth, and I feel like I hurt people in the process."
"Are you talking about Marisol?" she asked. "She'll get over it. She is in denial about the whole thing. She won't believe Chardo was actually taking out a white girl from the 09."
Just then, Luciana and Ofelia came running into the kitchen, laughing and chasing each other. Luciana was older than Ofelia by four years, and quite a bit taller, but they looked like they could be sisters instead of cousins. Veronica had finished stuffing all the peppers, so she offered to take the girls outside to play, so they would stay out of the kitchen.
"That would be wonderful." commended Magdalena. "We are almost done in here, so we will join you soon."
"Alright, girls, who wants to go outside and play tag?" Veronica asked, smile wide on her face.
Weevil watched her go with his sister and his niece and he felt like that was how it was supposed to be for the rest of their lives. That there would be days far off in the future, with different kids, their kids, and they'd be surrounded by family. And for the first time in a long time, he felt complete.
"I can't believe you all." Marisol said as soon as she heard the back door shut. "She got Chardo sent to jail, and you just welcome her here like she's family."
"Marisol." chided Letty Navarro. "Chardo made his own decisions. Veronica got Eli out of Juvie because she knew he didn't do it. And do not forget that he was going to let Eli stay in Juvie while he ran off with that Caitlin girl."
"Yes, Caitlin, who was some rich white girl, and now Eli brings home another well-to-do white girl and no one bats an eye?!"
"Veronica ain't well-to-do, Marisol. You do know where she lives, what her father does for a living?" Weevil snapped.
"I know she lives in the 90907 zip code. Same as all the barely below 09er status live." she spat.
"Try again. She used to live in the 07, after her father lost his office, they lost their house. They are living in an apartment complex in the 03 zip. Three blocks from here." he snapped at her. "Chardo was going to let me take the fall; originally he was going to let Abuela take the fall!"
"Mijo, calm down." Letty told him, putting a hand on his arm. "Maybe you should go outside with Veronica and the girls. We can finish up in here."
As Weevil walked out the door, he heard his Abuela scolding Marisol for her comments, telling her that as long as Veronica was their guest, she needed to keep her opinions to herself. And he smiled, Marisol had always been hard on people outside the family; ever since her mother left them for some white guy who was 'destined to make it big' in Hollywood. The rest of the night went smoothly, if not chilly on Marisol's end, even Angel came around to Veronica, with a bit of a push from Magdalena. Veronica tried to leave without leftovers, but Letty wasn't someone you wanted to argue with; plus, her dad would be impressed that she'd had a hand in making Chiles en Nogada and hadn't ruined it. The high from the successful dinner faded on the ride home, and Logan's voice crept back into her head. She'd resolved herself to just ask him straight out as he parked the bike, but as Veronica climbed off, the sound of a gunshot changed everything.
Veronica was off like a light. Instinct telling her to head up the stairs to the upper level, her heart was racing, mind focused on the worst. But relief washed over her when she saw her dad slowly lowering his side arm in front of the window to Sarah and Andre's apartment. She heard the sirens off in the distance as Weevil came to a stop next to her. As if sensing their eyes on him, Keith turned towards them. Veronica was in silent tears as the Deputy's came running up the stairs behind her.
Weevil stayed with her until the Sheriffs department had wrapped up. Keith had shot Sarah's step father in the shoulder to keep him from hurting Sarah any more than he already had. Veronica was impressed by the secret Sarah had carried all those months, a secret that almost got her killed. And as her dad ushered her back to their apartment, a thought crossed her mind, could Weevil have been the secret Lily wanted to share with her the day she died?