Disclaimer is in Chapter One

A/N Am I not just the greatest person? I'm updating a whole day ahead of schedule lol. It's way longer than originally and I really hope you're gonna like it. I'm not gonna include the Ma/Di scene in this or any chapter. If you want to know what happens after they meet up in her room, go ahead and read my one shot called VMMHP Ma/Di.

Chapter 13: hostility and truce

Veronica slowly woke up feeling very tired and extremely unexcited about the immediate future. One more night in Neptune, she thought, oh goody. A yawn interrupted her cheerful thoughts and Veronica stretched widely in the comfortable bed. In the next moment her entire body stiffened in surprise.

"What the…" Veronica whispered and sat up with a confused frown on her face. "How did I get into bed?" She looked down and noticed that her clothes were very much still on. Which means it couldn't have been my own doing, could it? Veronica wondered and got out of the bed with another yawn.

The sun was up and she knew that it wouldn't be long before one of her old friends would come looking for her, so for once in her life Veronica chose not to investigate something mysterious. Maybe I'm getting too old for this? She thought with a tired smile and went into the bathroom to freshen up in an attempt to look just a little human at that ungodly hour.

Twenty minutes later Veronica exited her room and went searching for the rest of her former classmates. She entered the lobby and walked up to talk to a young blonde woman, who looked too happy for that time of day, in Veronica's humble opinion.

Be nice Veronica, she told herself and smiled politely to the other female. You're not here to make anymore enemies. "Hello and welcome to the Grande – How may I help you?" the woman asked with a friendly smile. The bright look in the woman's eyes and her friendly attitude struck a chord in Veronica's memory and she hesitantly asked, "Hey – don't take this the wrong way, but are your name by any chance Tina?" The woman's eyebrows rose and then she looked briefly down at the nametag on her chest and Veronica resisted the urge to slap herself for the stupid question, because the nametag clearly stated that the receptionists name was indeed Tina.

"I'm sorry," Veronica began, but Tina grinned in amusement and said, "Don't worry about it. You won't believe how many people ask me my name despite this." She petted the small nametag and continued more seriously, "…but to answer your question; Yes my name is Tina and do I know you?" Veronica glanced at the countertop as several memories about her numerous visits at the hotel attacked her mind. "Well, not exactly, but I used to come here a lot visiting my former boyfriend, who lived here and…"

Tina's gasp interrupted Veronica's explanation and she said happily, "Oh yeah, I totally remember you. You're that tiny detective, who dated Logan Echolls…" Tina stopped when Veronica stiffened at the mention of Logan and then she softly added, "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. It's just, when I used to work nightshifts I developed a great friendship with Logan and he talked a lot about you…All of us really wanted to be looked at the way he looked at you…So," Tina then exclaimed loudly when Veronica didn't respond beyond flinching and looking away, "what can I help you with?"

Why did I ever start this conversation? Veronica thought briefly to herself, before she straightened up and decided to ignore the whole thing. "I'm actually here for a High School Reunion and I'm looking for it." Tina smiled and said, "Well, I should have known. Logan has already been here to say hi and he told me about the reunion…figures you'd be here too. Anyway, it's in the conference hall and in case you don't know already; it's supposed to be the gathering point for meals and joined activities and such." Tina grinned again and said with a quiet chuckle, "At least that's what one of the eager coordinators told me. She was so excited, I thought she was gonna spontaneously combust for a second. Now, I guess you're hungry, so I'll stop my yammering and get my colleague Amanda to show you the way. It was nice seeing you again Veronica."Tina said and nodded a farewell before returning to her duties.

A moment later Veronica entered said conference room and looked around the large space. It was filled with tables and a long one was placed in the centre of the room and looked like it was about to break in halves underneath the massive amount of food.

Not to her surprise Veronica only spotted about a dozen people, who'd arrived before her. Some of them looked quite hung over and Veronica smiled briefly at the hangover faces. At least Wallace stopped me before I had to endure the same fate; she thought gratefully and sent a silent thanks to her famous friend.

"Yo V."

Weevil's deep voice suddenly called out to her and Veronica snapped out of her thoughts and searched the room for him. A moment later she met his eyes in the distance and waved and then gestured to the humongous buffet table. Weevil's answering grin told her, he wasn't surprised about her first priority and she walked towards the table.

She stopped right in front of the bacon plates and sighed contently. "Food," she whispered after one moment of respectful silence, "niiiice." It was a private joke of hers, which she thought no one would hear but her, but unfortunately Duncan's still unfamiliar laugh told her otherwise.

"Veronica, I still can't believe you are so slim – you can eat more than anyone I know. Supermodels around the globe would kill for your metabolism." Veronica smiled and didn't respond as she reached out and took a mere six slices of toast and a small mountain of scrambled eggs and then as a second thought, 5 sausages.

The next minute Duncan had put his sunburned arms around her waist and put his head on her shoulder looking down at the table with a teasing look in his eye. "So little Mars, what are we having today?"

Veronica felt herself tense up slightly when Duncan's body broke her comfort zone. But she forced herself to use a casual tone as she replied in mock offence, "We – as in you and me together - aren't having anything, it's all mine, buster." She held her plate closer to her chest as proof and smiled. Duncan quickly laughed and pulled her closer to him for a second and very briefly Veronica felt that old attraction she had had with him once upon a time. I wonder if my life would have been better if I hadn't lost that feeling?

A cough right behind them broke the two apart and Veronica met Logan's disapproving eyes. "Mind if I cut in? You're kind of holding the line…"His words weren't the least bit nasty, but the tone once again reminded Veronica of their past love/hate relationship. Apparently Duncan remembered too, because he let go of the little blonde and grabbed Logan's shoulder and said in a mock friendly tone, Veronica didn't think he knew how to use, "Well, a single man such as me has to use all the opportunities available, right? Must have been like that with you and Madison in the beginning…" ¨

Veronica resisted the urge to fidget when Logan's brown eyes narrowed dangerously when he looked at Duncan. "You know D.K?" He asked softly, "This new bright Duncan… I don't like him." Then the Echolls heir took his old best friend's hand of his shoulder and nodded curtly to Veronica, whose jaw was beginning to drop in surprise, and went over to the other end of the buffet table.

Veronica heard Duncan whisper to himself as he too watched Logan leave, "And this new brooding, lonely Logan, I'm not too fond of him either." Veronica shook her head and decided to take her plate and walk away from the now tense Duncan. She walked over to Weevil, who was sitting alone, except for the sour looking Mac, who apparently still didn't qualify as a morning person.

"Morning," Veronica said with a fake cheer in her voice, which could rival Tina's and sat down.

Weevil nodded with a bemused expression and so did Mac. They both looked like they didn't buy her newfound cheer and Veronica sighed. Well, they do know me a lot better than my colleagues back home, it's no wonder my façade isn't working to the fullest here. Veronica shook her head and took a bite of her eggs and looked up at Mac, who had returned to her own thoughts after greeting Veronica.

"What's up with her?" Veronica asked a minute later when Mac suddenly left the table and exited the room without saying a single word. Weevil shrugged and said a little disbelieving, while his eyes tried to absorb the fact that Veronica was already halfway through her breakfast, "Well, apparently Mac has been fooling around a bit with the retard you and I know and love as Dick Cassablancas."

When Weevil didn't hear his friend's shriek of shock and outrage, he looked at her, "are you telling me, you knew? You knew that there's a slight chance that the idiot might get to … Argh, I can't even think about it! Mac is usually so sensible and it's not like she doesn't know how he is, she went to school with us for heaven's sake." Veronica took a bite of yet another piece of buttered toast and answered after swallowing, "Maybe that charming attitude of yours is why she chose not to reveal anything." Weevil sighed and continued with his own breakfast and then added a couple of minutes later, "You can't tell me it doesn't freak you out. Or maybe it doesn't - given your own track record with these things…"

Veronica chuckled and caught a glimpse of Logan sitting next to the Dickman himself eating silently. "Maybe we should just butt out for once," she said turning her glance to Weevil and then continued seriously, "Mac deserves to be happy and if the impossible chance of Dick is gonna be the one, who's able to make her happy, then I say; go on Dickmeister."

Veronica and Weevil looked at Dick after her words and not for the first time, Veronica realized that underneath all his jokes and idiotism, Dick had somehow evolved into a man. His mouth was smiling and talking as much as ever, but in his eyes Veronica saw hurt and loneliness, which she was used to seeing every time she looked in a mirror.

Dick sensed he was being watched mercilessly and looked around the room a moment later. Veronica met his stare right on with a tired smile, unsure whether he would start mocking her as was his usual way. It wasn't instant fond emotions that erupted between that glance, but Veronica could almost physically feel how they made a hesitant truce. He is gonna be dating one of my closest friends, Veronica told herself and swallowed a groan.

The clock in the conference room struck 10 a.m. and Mandy, who looked as bright-eyed as ever, jumped to her feet. She was holding a glass of juice, which she hit with a spoon and causing its content to splash her in the face.

A few people chuckled and laughed at the sight and Veronica was about to dish out a few of her scolding remarks, when a beautiful woman quickly jumped up to wipe Mandy's face with a napkin. Veronica raised her eyebrows speculatively as she recognized the helper as the lesbian cheerleader; Kylie Marker. She turned her eyes on Mandy; whose cheeks were blushing violently and Veronica suddenly got a distinct feeling that in a not too distant future Kylie might finally get herself that very much wanted public girlfriend.

As Kylie sat back down a moment later, Mandy blinked a few times. She looks like something hard just hit her smack in the face. Veronica thought and then she had to hide a smile, when Mandy finally realized she was being watched by a lot of people and came to her senses with a start.

"Well," she said and cleared her throat, "as promised yesterday, a lot of activities have been planned and there is compulsory attendance by the way!"

People groaned or cheered depending of their mood. Veronica groaned feeling not so eager to play games. Mandy expertly ignored the comments and continued, "Make sure your roommate is present in half an hour in the paintball pit in the basement of this fine hotel. Oh, and someone tell Veronica Mars, she has a single room!"

Veronica groaned even louder and quickly stated, "I'm right here Mandy." Some people predicatively laughed, but after one look in Veronica's cool eyes, they stopped abruptly. Then Weevil and Veronica got up at the same time and walked towards the exit doors.

"Hey, is Mars tired of doing the rich kids now?" Someone said loudly behind her and people chuckled. Veronica wouldn't even have noticed properly if it hadn't been for a muffled sound, which got her attention. She looked over her right shoulder and her eyes widened in surprise.

Logan was standing right behind the unknown offender and his left hand was tightly gripping the man's shoulder. It was obvious to anyone watching that the grip was extremely painful. Logan was bent down to his newest victim's ear and was whispering something Veronica couldn't hear. A second later the young man's eyes turned petrified.

Unsure of what to do, Veronica turned without showing a reaction followed after Weevil, who hadn't noticed anything. Logan had been fast in his retribution.

Maybe he doesn't really hate me anymore. Veronica thought to herself and struggled to forget Tina's words from earlier.

"Hey Veronica wait up!" Dick's voice reached her in the midst of her ponderings and Veronica stopped. She didn't have to guess to know what the former nemesis was after.

"Yeeeees, oh my dearest friend." She answered with a teasing glimpse in her eye. I wonder if I can get him to beg? Veronica thought with an evil smile. To her disappointment, Dick didn't even respond to the sarcasm. He simply asked in a hush voice, "Do you know where Mac is, I kind of need to talk her."

Although she knew she was supposed to act her age, Veronica couldn't quite resist the urge to scare the man, who had been responsible for her "sex-tape" distribution in emails and asked with fake sweetness etched in every word, "Why do you need to do that Dick? To tell her again how her friend only causes severe pain to those she loves."

Dick looked puzzled for a second, but then recognized his own words from the previous night and said with a sort of regretful face, "I'm sorry for that Veronica, I know we've got our issues…It's just, I need to get through to Mac. She and I met last summer in a bar and we got to talking and one thing led to another and the next morning I woke up feeling like I've honestly never felt before only to find out she had left while I slept."

Dang it! Why does he have to be so sincere all of the sudden? Veronica looked down at the floor and sighed. It makes it impossible to mock him like I really want to and he damn well deserves… "I saw her leave for her room right before Mandy's speech." Veronica finally revealed reluctantly. She looked up and was rewarded with a genuine smile from Dick, the first of its kind Veronica believed.

Just as Dick turned to leave, Veronica reached out and grabbed his arm tightly. He looked down at her with confusion, which turned to complete seriousness at her next words. "Remember Richard; I'm an F.B.I. agent. I've learned quite a few things over the years. I know how to make a murder seem like an accident – a humiliating kind of accident. If you hurt her, I swear I'll make good use of that knowledge."

Dick swallowed a lump of sudden fear and nodded mutely. After a loaded pause Veronica released him and added in a friendlier tone of voice, "Go to the front desk and ask for Mac's room number. Tell the receptionist named Tina that Veronica sent you." Dick nodded again and with a profound air of relief, he all but ran to his destination.

Veronica smiled to herself and watched him leave – happy that her reputation was still able to receive such a reaction. Then suddenly Veronica a burst into an unexpected fit of laughter, Maybe someone's even gonna be happy after this stupid reunion, she thought and turned her attention towards her next obstacle. Paint Ball…

A/N2 Thanks for reading and reviewing…Please review, I've just ended a loooong work week and could seriously need the pick me up;)

Ditte Mai