Title: J'veux du soleil
Author: Shanee
Pairing/Characters: LoVe (a bit), Veronica, Logan, Keith, Wallace, Darryl, Dick, Alicia, Jackie, Mac, Duncan, Meg, Weevil, Carmen, Backup, Joy & Evan, Agathe...
Rating: PG-13 (maybe R later)
Spoiler: through 1.21 and eventually through 2.22 but AU since the night of Shelly Pomroy's party. Takes place after Christmas Break 2006.
Disclaimer: VM's characters and universe belong to Rob Thomas. Title belong to "Au p'tit bonheur" band.
Summary: AU. Some things happen that week, and it won't end well. Somebody learn some secrets and everybody have to deal with their consequences. Relationships and friendships are the first to be hurt.
A/N: Okay, now again, it's a longer chapter, so there are two parts, because I said I would answer your question concerning the twin's father's identity there. At least I tried. I have a twisted evil brain.
And it's a bit crude sometimes. I hope I won't shock you. And I know usually kids of Joy's age are not that talky, but think it is.
I hope you will like it, and thanks again for my wonderful beta reader.
Let's read…
Edited January 2017
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Chapter 11, Part 2: ABO system revision is required
The day after, everybody had noticed that Veronica wasn't in the mood and stayed away from her. She was sitting at her now usual table, not listening to the discussions her friends had, her mind focused on the same thing for twelve hours, Dick's latest words.
She hadn't succeeded to sleep last night, her few memories of Shelly's party playing again and again in her mind. The looks from everyone when she had entered the house, the whispers on her way, the drink someone had handed her, her collapsing on a chair near the pool, then the burden sensation in her body when she had awaken alone in an unknown room and the sight of her underwear on the floor. She didn't want to remember that night; she wanted to forget everything. She had been drugged and raped, but for her mind's health, she needed to deep-six that memory. Now she was a strong young mother of two marvelous babies, not a fragile teenager knocked up by a rapist. But what Dick had told her that night still turned in her head.
"Hey, Sugar, the cow is already dead, you know!" Wallace jested, noticing that Veronica was stabbing her piece of beef with her fork for ten minutes.
She smiled at him and pushed her plate away, her appetite gone.
Few tables away, one of Dick's buddies was telling the other 09ers about their encounter with Veronica Mars that eve and how 'that chick had shut Dick up.'
"Don't give that bitch such a credit, Dan. I'm the one who shut her up. I had the last word."
"She was already gone, Dick."
"Didn't you see how tense she was when she stopped? I swear I definitely hushed that bitch. Who does she think she is, for Chris's sake! She acts like she is Miss Manners, but at Shelly's party she was clearly the biggest slut of the school, and she knows it."
"What are you talking about?" Duncan had raised his voice so suddenly that everybody around had turned their head to look at them.
Dick didn't notice the anger in his friend's voice and answered.
"Duh, Shelly Pomroy's End of the Year Party, two years ago. Tell me you remember how sluttish she was. Dude, she kissed me, she made out with Casey and with Shelly. She was ready for everything and everybody that night."
Taking everybody by surprise, Duncan punched Dick's face and yelled: "Don't you dare talk about her like that?" while Casey protested: "You made out with her, Dick. I did nothing. That girl was wasted; I don't kiss girls that wasted. And you're the one who initiated that kiss with Shelly."
Stunned, Dick was staring at Duncan, rubbing his nose. "What the hell's wrong with you, man! We talk about Veronica Mars. You hate her! Why did I do to deserve your punch? You're the first to badmouth on her. What's wrong today?"
"Don't ever again tell those lies about her, you hear me?" Duncan was fuming, but Dick was stubborn.
"They aren't lies, and you know that. You were present that night, remember, and let me tell you, you weren't complaining either!"
Duncan's punches fell on Dick, under the crowd's gasps, until teachers ran to separate them.
"Casablancas, Kane, in my office, right now!" ordered a furious Clemmons.
When the two boys escorted by the teachers and the vice-principal were gone, every eyes turned and fixed on a stunned and livid Veronica Mars.
"What were they talking about?" asked a surprised Wallace.
"About nothing," told Logan precipitately, "forget it." He friendly squeezed Veronica's hand and gave her a shy smile. She looked on the verge of tears.
"Am I the only person who thinks Duncan's behavior was weird?" wondered Mac.
"Nope, you aren't," replied Jackie. "It seems that, after what he said, he's still in love with our little friend."
"I fear you're right, poor Meg."
"Was he right?" Veronica said in a coarse and uneasy voice. She looked at Logan, who swallowed hard when he noticed her tears in her eyes and fear in her face. "Was Dick right? Did I do those things he said I did? Did I kiss him? ANSWER ME, ECHOLLS! You were there, TELL ME!"
"I left early," he replied but avoided her look.
"Don't lie to me! I want to know. WAS I READY FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY THAT NIGHT!" She choked on her sobs.
"Listen, Ronnie, you were wasted that night. If you don't remember it, I think you don't need to."
"I need to know, please," she was now whispering, tears flowing on her face.
"We drank body shots on you, Dick kissed you and handed you over to Casey, who declined. They refilled your shot time and time again to make you kiss Shelly. Some guys bet they would be able to persuade you to do stupid things, which you did. You were dancing on a low table, when I left." Logan said PDQ.
"You don't know anything else? Like with who I was?"
"There were a lot of boys around you, and Dick and Sean seemed to think you were the main attraction of the night. That's all I know. But why do you want to know all this?"
"No reason," replied Veronica quickly and, catching her bag, she left the table, leaving a musing and worried Logan behind her.
"I couldn't help but hear," said a soft female voice when she was trifling into her locker. Veronica raised and saw a genuine caring Carmen.
"Hi, Carmen. Can I ask to what are you referring?"
"The show outside. I understand what you're feeling right now; this impression of emptiness in your chest. I wanted to tell you, if you need someone to talk about it, I'm here. I know we don't really know each other, and I understand you could be still upset after yesterday; but I'm here. I don't remember that night either. I had never thought anything had happened to me that night until last may when my ex-boyfriend broadcasted a video of me doing some naughty things."
"Oh…" was all what Veronica thought to reply.
"Yes. I was totally ashamed at first, because it was so not me, but Weevil and some friends told me it wasn't my fault or my will, after all I was drugged, and now, I can look at my mirror without blushing. If you want to talk about it, you know where I am, if you don't, you still know."
"Thank you, Carmen, but I think I'm fine," replied Veronica with a fake smile.
But Dick was striding in the hall and winked at her. She blanched again and ran towards the bathroom, where she puked.
"Okay, I think we need a change of scenery," said Carmen, handing her a tissue. "Let's cut the school and have an all girl afternoon. Let's go shopping."
"I'm in."
The two girls turned to face a smiling Mac. "I mean if I don't disturb you."
"No, it's okay. You can come."
And without a second thought, the three girls ran outside the school, one was concerned about her 'dark' night, one was concerned about the first's mind, and one was concerned about her boyfriend's curious behavior.
xxx
They weren't the only ones who skipped the school this afternoon; two boys did it too. The first had almost been expelled and somehow had expected to be; he didn't want to deal with the buzz he knew was going on around him. He saw her climbing in a green New Beetle instead of listening a boring Ms. Perks and he couldn't help but follow her outside. He started his car, when he realized what he was doing. It wasn't him, he wasn't that boy; he wouldn't track his ex. But he didn't go back to the school; instead he drove towards the last place he ever thought he would go.
The other boy didn't fully realize what he was doing either. He was just musing on the awful discussion he just had had with his best friend and the meaning it could have had, when he saw the said friend running to the parking lot escorted by his girlfriend and one of his friend's girlfriend. He stayed a while there, staring at them, after their car was gone for a long time. The bell had rung some time ago, but he was still sat at the bottom of a tree, looking at the empty car place. He had saw his former best friend run after them, but this knowledge reached his mind a lot later after it had happen.
Logan was now pondering over the reason of the weird conduct of Duncan, him punching Dick and yelling at him that it was lies when everybody around knew it was part of the truth, him avoiding Veronica like the plague, and now him following her; and over the obvious distress of Veronica's mind about a party which had taken place years ago. He had understood she didn't fully remember that night, but it wasn't like it was something totally unusual for him or their generation. Young people went to a party, drank a lot, drank too much, and when they woke up the next morning, they had headaches and holes in their recent memory. That was normal; that was the way it goes. She just had been a real teenager for once. And Logan didn't understand why she was so distressed about it.
"Mr. Echolls, don't you need to be in class, now?"
Logan raised his head to see the coach looking at him. He smirked at him.
"Need, I'm skeptical, but have to, I fear…" He stood up and walked toward the building, putting his questions about Veronica's overreaction away.
Duncan was standing in the driveway of the Mars-Fennel house, staring at the door, without being able to decide to go and knock or to step back and forget he even came here. But he needed to know; his cluelessness was about to make him insane.
Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the door and rang the bell. A redhead girl with a blond boy in her arms opened the door and smiled at him.
"Yes? May I help you?" He could tell by her accent that she wasn't from here.
"Yes, is Veronica here?"
"No, she's at school."
"No, she's not. I saw her leave, and I have something to ask her. I'm… one of her friends."
"You can…" She started when a bang resonated in the house. "Joy, qu'est-ce que t'as fait encore?" The girl turned to yell at the probable responsible of the noise, and came back inside the house. Duncan followed her to see a brown-haired girl smiling happily a step behind a broken vase and a puddle.
"C'est pas moi, c'est Backup," explained the baby girl in French. "He jumped on the table."
The au pair girl put the little boy on the floor and precociously carried the pieces of china to the garbage can. When she returned she noticed Duncan was still in the entry, staring at the kids, and that Evan was now playing with the daisies, sat in the middle of the water.
"Oh non, mais c'est pas vrai. Evan, what did you do, baby?" She reached him and took him in her arms. "You're completely soaked now. Joy, stay away from the water." She turned around and smiled uneasily at Duncan. "Could you watch her for an instant. I need to change him."
"… No problem."
She seemed relieved and went into another room. Ill-at-ease, Duncan was still staring at the little girl, who already had forgotten the puddle and was brushing the hair of her doll.
"What are you looking at?" She asked him, when she noticed his gaze.
"You have your mom's eyes," Duncan replied uneasily.
"You know mommy? I miss her. She's at school and Gat' don't want to brush my doll. Do you want to brush my doll?"
Duncan was amazed by the little girl's faculty for speaking. He simply nodded and she handed him her doll and her hairbrush.
"How old are you?"
"Don't know. That's not the way to brush her hair."
"There is too much hair on this hairbrush," he protested. "Who did you brush, the dog?"
"Ben non, nounouille. Me. It's my brush, my hair. I share it only with my doll."
"I see, but we need to clean your brush if we want to correctly brush your doll."
The little girl shrugged and already turned her attention on another toy. He quickly put the hair into his pocket and placed the doll into an armchair.
"What's your name?"
"Joy Heaven Aurora Mars, and my brother is Matthew Evan Angelo Mars," she recited proudly. "Mommy's name is Veronica, and grandpa's is Keith Mars."
"Who is your daddy?"
The little girl frowned and looked at him like he was crazy. "I don't have a daddy, but I have two uncles, a grandma, Gat', Grazie and Gramps."
On that, the au pair girl came back, with the blond boy, and smiled at Duncan.
"She didn't annoy you, I hope."
"Not at all," he replied politely. "May I use your bathroom, please?"
"Of course, second door on the left."
Duncan quickly reached the room. He knew what he had to do. He had hoped to see Veronica and to ask her who the father was, but he had a better plan now, a plan that didn't include to speak to Veronica at all. He opened the drawer and found different hairbrushes, one with long red hair, one with curled firm black hair and one with short fine black hair. He picked some hair of the last and quitted the room.
"I think I'll come back later. It's not that urgent after all," he explained to the girl.
"Okay. I'll tell her you stopped by."
"No, it's not necessary. Bye." And he left before she thought about asking him his name.
xxxxxxx
Veronica had spent a great afternoon with the girls. For a short moment, she hadn't thought about that night. She hadn't talked to Carmen about it. She couldn't. That wasn't the easiest subject to talk about. "Hey, you know the news? I've been raped." How to ruin a mood. No, she had stayed far away from that topic and enjoyed her afternoon.
She was back at home now. She had taken a bath and fed her babies. She was fully relaxed and, sat in front of her computer, was thinking about a way to shut Dick up for a while. She would find something to put him down. In one week, Dick Casablancas would be truly sorry to have angered Veronica Mars.
Someone rang the bell and Veronica walked towards the door. Her dad and Alicia was gone out dancing, Wallace was at Jackie's home, Agathe was clubbing, and Veronica was left alone with her kids and Darryl, who was working in his room.
She opened the door and frowned. Logan was standing outside, hands in pockets, biting his bottom lip.
"Oh… Wallace isn't here."
"We need to talk," he said straight. She let him enter.
She sat on the couch and glanced at him. He looked nervous and was pacing in front of her. Obviously he didn't know how to start.
He took a deep breath and she cut him off.
"I know why you are here, Logan, and I don't think that is a good idea. You have a girlfriend, who is great and whom I like and hope to befriend. She likes you and she's good for you. I, I'm definitely not. I'm a magnet for bad luck and bad relationships. Besides, I don't need nor want a boyfriend. I'm lucky enough to have your friendship and I don't want to mess it up. So, please, forget that kiss." She said without breathing.
Logan looked like even more uneasy.
"Those as in plural actually, but it isn't the reason of my visit."
Veronica blushed and watched the carpet. Oh Jeez. Well done V. You perfectly succeeded in making a fool of yourself.
"I wanted to talk about our last discussion."
"That topic is fully covered. There is no matter to discuss anymore." She said coldly, still refusing to look at him.
"Come on 'Fly! You know it isn't. What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" she replied louder.
"What happened to you, Ronnie? What do you fear?" He tried to look into her eyes, but she kept them obstinately fixed on the floor.
"I fear nothing!"
He caught her hands in his and obliged her to look at him. "Not at me, Ronnie. I know you, remember? Lying to me is pointless. Come on, V. Tell me what scares you that much."
"I'm not scared!" she repeated, stubborn.
He lightly smiled, amused by her obstinacy, till he noticed the tears in her eyes, and his smile vanished, replaced by a concerned look.
"Did something happen to you that night, at Shelly's?" He pressed her, worried.
"I don't know!" Her voice broke.
"How can you not know?" Logan had a bad feeling growing in his stomach and his tone was getting angrier.
She looked at his eyes, coldly, and answered him with bitterness.
"I don't know! I don't remember. I was drugged and I don't remember what happened to me that night, but it wasn't the Holy Spirit for sure!" She froze when she realized what she had just said and freed herself from his hands. Logan was livid and looked petrified. She quickly rose and opened the main door.
She stood beside the door, eyes fixed on the floor, cursing herself silently, and Logan hadn't moved yet.
"Veronica,' he finally murmured when he looked at her.
"Go away, Logan!"
"I will find who did it, I promise you."
"DON'T! I don't want to know, I don't need to know. I simply want to forget it and I need you to leave. NOW!"
Slowly Logan stood up and reached the door. He looked at her; she seemed so broken and so fragile that he felt so useless, so unable to help her.
She quickly glanced at him, with resolution in her eyes, and repeated for him to go away. He complied and remained a while staring at the closed door.
xxxxxxx
When Keith came home later this night, he felt happier than he had been for a long time. He had looked at his life and what he had seen made him deeply happy. He had a cozy home, a job he loved, a beautiful and caring wife, who would make him soon a father again, two nice step-sons, and now his beloved daughter was back, bringing with her a funny and helpful French girl and two beautiful and smart marvels.
He was sitting in the couch, thinking about how his life had lately changed and improved, when a chirp sound made him raise his head. A little girl in her Bug Bunny's PJs was smiling at him, obviously proud to be here instead of inside her bed.
"'Care to explain to grandpa how did you escape from your bed, Joy Mars?" She shook her head and giggled. He stood up and took her in his arms.
He went into the room the twins shared with their mom and saw Evan sat behind the barrier of his crib; he looked at his sleeping mom. When he noticed Keith, he rose and waved his arms.
One baby on each side, Keith watched his daughter. She was curled on her bed, holding a huge old Teddy Bear against her heart. Keith noticed on her face the traces of the tears. He felt as his heart broke again to see her like that, so hurt, so little, so vulnerable. Dads are never prepared to see their babies hurt. They hope nothing bad ever happens to them. They want them happy and wealthy, to see them laugh and never cry. But babies grow up and sometimes life hurts them anyway.
His baby was back, and she looked stronger than the little girl he knew, but she had known unknown pains, and behind her mask of independence and maturity, she was still the baby who needed to be protected.
Keith silently closed the door and went into the kitchen, with the totally awoken twins. He prepared their bottles and boiled water for his infusion.
"You drink tea, now?" Veronica's sleepy eyes were looking at him.
"It happens. To fight the stress. There is still water, if you want one."
Veronica nodded and prepared herself one. Then she came into the living room and smiled at the picture in front of her; Keith sat on the couch, drinking his infusion, and at each side, he had one of his grandchildren drinking their bottles. She couldn't help but quickly take a photograph of them.
"How was your day, sweetie?" It had been a while since her father had called her 'sweetie' and she genuinely smiled.
"You know, the usual," she avoided replying honestly. She didn't want him to worry.
"I thought, maybe we could have dinner together, tomorrow night, just the two of us. What do you think about it?"
"It would be great," she replied sincerely.
And that was how the awkward ice between father and daughter broke.
xxxxxxx
The week ended as it had begun, and Dick Casablancas's life suddenly looked like a bad fairy just remembered his existence. His buddy Duncan had punched him first, then Veronica Mars had dug into his life and now his dad had fled to another country. Dick's money had seriously decreased lately and, to crown it all, his 'delightful' step-mother wasn't even trying to hide her galloping infidelity. And then, today, his former friend Logan Echolls had beaten the shit out of him with no reason, or at least no logical reason, but it was again related to Veronica 'God damn her' Mars.
The week didn't end so well for Veronica Mars either. She had accomplished her plan to put Dick down, but it was the only good thing of that week, apart her reconciliation with her father. She had avoided Logan and everybody like the plague, but of course they hadn't complied with her wishes. Meg had come to ask her if she knew why Duncan acted so weird with her lately, and if she had something to do with it. No, she hadn't, she had replied a bit exceeded and vexed by her friend's question. Then, maybe ten minutes later, it had been Mac's turn to come and to ask her the quasi-same thing. And no she wasn't specifically avoiding Logan and no, she didn't know why he was acting weird with Mac. That was a lie, and so? She was annoyed that her friends were ready to think she was responsible for their boyfriend's behavior, although she was trying her best to stay away from them, at least from Logan, Duncan she didn't care about anymore.
Wallace was wondering what he had done that time. Once again, he had screwed up his relationship with Jackie, with just a look at a gorgeous skinny blonde at the practice, and now Veronica refused to help him to win her back. That Hannah was cute, but she couldn't rival with Jackie, and Wallace didn't even know why he had flirted with her, when his official chick had warned him before she would pick him up at the end of his practice. It had been the stupidest thing he had done since the New Year had started. All he had to do now was to seduce Jackie again and obtain she forgave him, and then, maybe later, to see why Veronica was acting that weird.
Meg Manning was clearly confused about her beloved boyfriend's behavior. He was continually skipping his classes, which wasn't at all his habit, and didn't take her calls. He hadn't been at his hotel when she had stopped by, or he hadn't wanted to respond, but why would he have done that? When she had finally seen him, he had been vague about his program. She hoped they would come out tonight and made plans for the weekend, but Duncan had told her he would call her. Of course, he hadn't, and his phone was off. She didn't want to worry, but she was a bit anxious. Duncan had never been so cold with her. And she couldn't help but think it had something to do with Veronica.
Logan Echolls didn't care he had a fight with his four-months girlfriend. He had something else in mind. He had to find who had raped his first true friend, and he knew it probably had something to do with him, Luke and Sean bringing back some GHB from Tijuana. He knew he had a part of responsibility in her rape, and he didn't know how to deal with his guilty conscience. He needed to find out who was the bastard that had drugged and raped Veronica. But nobody seemed to have drugged her. No matter how hard he beat them, nobody would admit he did it. He had sold one of his doses to Carmen's ex and had given the other to Duncan. Luke had given his to Dick, and Sean pretended he hadn't used his that night. Dick claimed he had used one and given the other to his girlfriend, but everybody could say that Madison had never drunk a spicy drink that night; she had been bitcher than ever. It could have been someone else or it could have been one of them; Logan just didn't know what the truth was, and that infuriated him.
It was getting late, and Mac was furious at her boyfriend. They had had an argument, and they never had had one before, before Veronica Mars was back in their lives. Mac liked the girl, but it bothered her that her boyfriend was forsaking her to spend time musing about his ex-girlfriend or whatever she had been for him. When she had asked Veronica earlier in the day if she had something to do with Logan's behavior, the girl had gotten angry and yelled at her to leave her alone and to go annoy her boyfriend instead of her. The girl was vexed, and Mac felt a bit guilty after their chat. But then she had gone to Logan's and Logan hadn't been in the mood to talk to her. They had started to yell at each other and when she had asked him if it had something to do with Veronica, he had answered by the affirmative, and there, she had left. Now her car was stopped in a 09er street and refused to start again. The perfect end for a perfect day!
However the week went for his schoolmates, it ended better than it had begun for Duncan Kane. Learning that his ex-girlfriend, love of his life and potential half-sister, was the single-mother of twins had deeply disturbed him. His confused memory of a night of love in her arms and the scare of incestuous consequence had kept him awake for the week, and now that his mind was relieved and he had napped the whole day, he was ready to end that nightmarish week in the perfect way, with her at his side. He had called her and persuaded her to come to his suite for a talk. She had been reluctant, saying she had the twins with her, but he had wanted her to bring them. Now, he was sitting on the couch, his hand patting the file full of papers next to him and his eyes locking on the closed door. She would be here soon.
xxx
Saying that Duncan's call and invitation had surprised her was an understatement, but Veronica was too tired to fight with him, and after all, a nice chat with a former friend couldn't be that bad, could it? She had been playing on the beach with her babies and her dog, when he had called her, and now, less than thirty minutes later, she entered the Neptune Grand elevator with her dozing twins and a happy pit-bull. Of course, if she had known what she was throwing herself into, she would have turn back and run away.
She had knocked on the door and a beaming Duncan opened. Beaming Duncan, Duncan beaming; that was weird. She gave him a little smile and entered.
She noticed the dressed table and paled a little.
"I didn't know it was a dinner invitation," she said as easily as possible.
"It wasn't. I just thought maybe you would be hungry, and I called the room service. In case."
"In case," she replied, trying to oblige her smile to not turn into a face.
"So, these are the kids?" he asked her, looking at the carriage.
"Oh, yes, Joy and Evan," she replied quickly, not wanting this discussion to continue that way. "You live here now? That seems great."
She looked around, her hands playing uneasily with her knees, avoiding Duncan's gaze at her. That was definitely an awkward moment. Her sitting here, her feet burning her to jump and run, and him, looking at her like she was the eighth marvel of the world.
"Ok, Duncan, spill it! Why did you ask me to come? I know it's not for tutoring work and not for having some news of my family, so spill it!"
"Veronica," he started and approached his hand towards her. She quickly jumped farther.
"Duncan," she warned him, with her coldest voice. "I don't know what you want, but don't beat around the bush, and please tell me this has nothing to do with your jackass behavior towards Meg. Because I really like your girlfriend and I don't want her to think I'm responsible for whatever you are doing with her."
"I'm not with Meg anymore?"
"You're WHAT! Since when? When this happen, and why? Oh, jeez, I have to call her."
"It didn't work," he simply replied. "And don't call her, I'm not sure she had fully understood we are over."
"WHAT! How the hell couldn't she understand you were over? You told her, please, tell me that you told her and didn't give her the heartless sudden cold shoulder you had given to me. Because if you did, you will definitely be the worse bastard on this Earth."
"Veronica, I did it for you!"
"NO WAY! But what the hell is wrong with you? Why did you such a stupid thing?"
"I love you Veronica, I always loved you and always will."
"How lame… You didn't find something else that cliché? And how you dare tell me that kind of thing. You don't love me; you don't even know me anymore. And if you think you still have a chance with me after the way you treated me when you broke with me, then you are dumber than I thought."
"But I love you, Veronica, you're the love of my life, and now we can be happy together."
"We won't be happy together, because there won't be a "together", capisce?"
"Veronica, love, I know you're still hurt because of me, but I can explain everything now. You will understand everything and you'll see it wasn't my fault."
"It WASN'T your FAULT? How couldn't it be your fault? You dumped me, remember? You! Not me! So that was your will!"
"I had no choice, Veronica. My mother told me you were my sister." He was almost crying and Veronica froze, mouth agape. "But now, I have the evidence that you're not. She lied to me to break us up, and she succeeded, but I won't let her lies tear us apart anymore."
"We are already apart! And how the hell could I have been your sister? Were you insane to believe her?"
"She told me your mother and my dad were having an affair since high school, and it was true, and she told me your mother had told her once she was pregnant with my dad's baby, you! She gave me evidence that my dad and your mom were still having an affair, and I believed her. That's why I broke up with you. I couldn't stay with you, even if I loved you, it would have been incest. But it wasn't the truth, and now, we can be back together. We can be a family."
"That's why you dumped me? Because you thought I was your sister? And that's why you're dumping Meg? Because we can be a family now? BUT ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE? We won't be a family, never!"
"But, the kids…"
"What MY kids? What would MY kids do in this?"
"I know, Veronica, that we had that unspoken agreement about that night, but how could you not have told me about them? They're mine, after all."
"Unspoken agreement… That night…" Veronica repeated the words slowly, leaving their meaning reach her mind. "Mine… WHAT! Are you telling me you're the one who raped me?"
"Raped you? NO, for God's sake. I would never do that. That's what it was for you? A rape? You kissed me, you told me you missed me, that you loved me, and we made love. I know it's blurred in my mind, but it wasn't a rape, JEEZ! It was love!"
"And that's why you left me the morning after? Because it was love, so you ran? What are you? A coward?"
"I thought you were my sister. I disgusted myself when I realized we had slept together. But now I don't care."
Veronica remained silent five long minutes. She had to clean her mind. Her mother had been unfaithful to her father. Duncan had believed she was his sister. Duncan was the one who had raped, no, slept with her. Duncan was her twin's father. Oh jeez… Why him? She was glad she hadn't been raped, but why did he have to be the father? She had moved on. She didn't love him anymore, but he did. And she would have to deal with him in her children's education, she would have to see him regularly and… Oh God! What if he wanted to get custody of them? What if he wanted to take them from her? He was the son of a billionaire, and she was a single-mother with just enough money to go to college for a semester.
"How did you find out I wasn't your sister?" she asked him in a breath.
He smiled at her, happy she didn't yell at him anymore, and gave her the file.
"I asked for a DNA test, for you and me, and then for the kids and me."
"How did you have my baby's and mine DNA?"
"I came to your house when you weren't there, and I found yours and Joy's hairbrushes."
"I'll kill Agathe," she muttered to herself and looked at the papers inside the file. There were three sheets of DNA tests, one for Duncan, one for her and one for Joy. She knew why it wasn't one for Evan, they were twins; it would be useless. She read the results, she wasn't related to Duncan, she never thought she would be, and Joy was at hundred percent the daughter of Duncan and her, so was Evan.
She stared at the papers, her mind buzzing with the news and her fear of him stealing her babies from her. And suddenly she noticed something nonsensical.
"They made a mistake! You can't be their father!" She almost screamed in relief.
"What? WHAT! Did you sleep with someone else?"
"NO! I mean, I don't know. I don't remember, I was drugged. But you can't be their father!"
"Why? The test says I am."
"The test is wrong. You can't be! It's impossible. You're O, and I'm A."
"So what? Joy is A too, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is, but Evan isn't. He's B. So their father has to be B and that can't be you!"
She didn't know why she was so relieved. If Duncan wasn't her baby's father, that meant someone else was, someone who had raped her. Finally she had still been raped. But Duncan couldn't take her babies from her.
"But the test said I'm the father."
"The test is wrong! But if it makes you sleep better, we can still go to the hospital and do another. And after that, we will be done!"
If only she could be right…
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And that was for the cliffhanger…
French lesson: "Qu'est-ce que t'as fait encore?" means "What did you do again?" "C'est pas moi, c'est Backup" means "It's not me, it's Backup", (it was a easy one). "Ben non, nounouille" would mean something like "But no, silly", 'nounouille' is a nice child word for someone you care who is acting stupidly.
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