Previously –

"Hello Veronica!" said Meg, with Duncan following close behind. She was trying to sound more cheerful then she actually looked. "What do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Meg seemed cold. That wasn't usual for Meg, she always tried to be nice, even if she hated the girl. Duncan wouldn't have confessed anything to her, would he? Somehow Veronica doubted it. Maybe she was just overtired and didn't mean to be so standoffish.

"I went to Lilly's school today and talked to her teacher, Miss Beaton. She mentioned that Lilly was sent to the office because she was to be picked up. Who was supposed to pick her up?"

Meg gasped, her eyes filling up with tears instantly. As she left Veronica looked up at Duncan confused. "What's wrong? I didn't mean to make her upset. Did I say or do something wrong?"

"It's just that—" he paused, trying to figure out how to word it, "Lilly was supposed to take the bus that day, not be picked up."

Chapter 13 - It Isn't Going To Be Pretty

"Wallace?"

"Hey Superfly, what you up to?" asked Wallace as he walked into their parent's kitchen where Veronica was watching Kenzie colour a piece of paper. Wallace stood for a moment watching Veronica look over her daughter, happiness streaming from her every fibre before he repeated the question.

"I was wondering if you would go to the courthouse with me today. I want to go and I don't know if I could do it by myself."

"Sure Veronica. I'll go with you. But what are you going to do with K-e-n-z-I-e?" he asked taking a quick look at Kenzie as she hated when people talked about her. Kenzie continued to color, looking through her box of crayons, trying to find the best colour.

"Your mom said she would watch her while we were at the court house with my dad."

Wallace studied Veronica, seeing that she was hiding something from him. "What's wrong Veronica? What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

"I don't know. I'm kind of scared, you know. Maybe I should have never come home, I'm just making everything worse."

"What are you talking about? I've never seen your dad so happy." Wallace moves over beside Veronica throwing his arm around her in a hug. "Your dad is always so upset about you especially after he talks to you on the phone. He's never been in a better mood."

"Okay, but what about everyone else?"

"Who else are you talking about. Logan loves you and was so happy to hear that you were coming home after so long, and he loves K-e-n-z-I-e so much."

Veronica looks at him confused. "How did you know Logan was happy to know I was coming home? He didn't even know that I was coming home, the only people that knew I was coming home was Dad, Alicia, Darrell and—" she trails off, looking at Wallace, "you."

"Okay, okay, I told him. You should have seen the guy though, right after you left, he was a mess! So we started hanging out. You know he hasn't dated anyone since you."

"Wallace."

"Okay, none of my business. God, your turning me into a girl with all this girl talk I'm doing with you. Don't know if Jackie will like me turning into a girl. She kind of likes me as a guy."

"Wallace! Not in front of K-e-n-z-I-e!"

"What? It's not like she understands what I am talking about, she is only five. Anyways who else could you be thinking about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who's lives have you made worst by coming home, if not mine, your families, Logan's Weevil's, who says hi by the way, I saw him at the grocery store, or even K-e-n-z-I-e's."

"I think I might be ruining Meg and Duncan's marriage. Apparently it was already on the rocks, but I think I am making it worst."

"How so? It's not like you have been hitting on Duncan."

"No of course not! But the first day back Duncan told me he still loved me and wanted to be with me and then he kissed me. I left quickly, but I don't know what to do. And if he finds out about K-e-n-z-I-e, I don't know what I'll do!"

"What about K-e-n-z-I-e? I thought she was Logan's?"

"Wallace, I never got a paternity test! Well not yet. I sent away for one because Logan wants to know. I didn't care when I was in New York, I had her, and I didn't care! She was mine."

"Veronica, what have you gotten yourself into?"

She shook her head, "I really don't know. All I know is" she paused looking back at Kenzie as she moved to the fridge to put up her latest masterpiece among the many others she had done since they came to Neptune. "If this gets out, it isn't going to be pretty."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Veronica and Wallace pulled up in a parking space by the courthouse, and as they got out, Veronica noticed that the front of the court steps were covered in media with flashing cameras and many civilians around with signs.

Protesters. I've never really liked them, especially if they are here protesting against the conviction of the murderer of my best friend.

Veronica moved, her head down, through the crowd and toward the front doors of the court house, so far unnoticed. That is—

"Veronica Mars?" Oh, shit. "Veronica Mars, can you tell me what you think about the conviction of Aaron Echolls in the case of the murder of Lilly Kane and do you think that he has anything to do with the death of Lilly Kane Jr.?"

Veronica sighed. She hated this so much. She usually let other people field these questions.

"We are working on some leads and are not excluding anything," replied Veronica automatically to the reporter as she pushed he way through the crowd of people.

"Who do you think killed Lilly Kane Jr.?"

Veronica sighed. Reporters don't know when to stop. "We are exploring all leads and investigating into the murder. Any other questions, please direct them to the sherif."

"Good thing Aaron Echolls was in jail the day she died, or you probably would blame an innocent man for the death of another Kane brat."

Veronica spun around and faced an older lady, probably in her early sixties standing in the crowd with a sign that said; 'the real crime is keeping an innocent man in jail! Free Aaron Echolls!' "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you've done it once before, why not again. I'm just glad that this alibi will stand up in court because the last one didn't seem to, even though he was innocent."

Veronica's mouth dropped in surprise. She had left so quickly after Lilly's murder was solved that she hadn't known what her father had had to go through everyday. "You mean that having sex with an underage girl and smashing her head open with an ashtray is innocent?"

"Well, she would have had sex with anyone, the little slut."

"Oh, so you say that she deserved what she got? He is a grown man and she was only a teenager with her whole life ahead of her. And what about the attempted murders of my Dad and myself? He almost killed my Dad and tried to suffocate me in a freezer. You call that innocent?"

"Well, yours and your father's death would cause no harm to Neptune. Actually it probably would have made it a better place."

Wallace had to grab Veronica and restrain her so she wouldn't jump at the old lady who laughed at her feeble attempts to make every part of the old lady become bruised and battered. "She isn't worth it Veronica."

"I'm glad he's put away, and that he will stay locked away because now I know that my daughter is safe from him." Oh shit. Did I just say that?

"Come on Veronica, let's go."

Veronica turned around and followed Wallace into the courthouse, leaving the stunned crowd behind, and the flashing lights of the cameras.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Damn this stupid repeal case. Aaron Echolls belongs in jail, everyone knows that, especially himself. Even Logan won't acknowledge him anymore.

"You would think this case was an open and close case with all the hard evidence that this case has. Seriously, the tapes, the witness, what else does the judge need to put him behind bars for the rest of his life?"

"I don't know, Veronica. It's a high profile case and the judge wants to do this right."

"Then Dad, he would be rotting in a prison cell for twenty to life," responded Veronica as she, Wallace and her father moved toward the door. Veronica noticed Logan as he passed behind her, placing his hand on her hip slightly and unnoticeably to others around them.

Veronica smiled slightly but the smile quickly left her face when a mob of people with cameras moved toward the three of them snapping pictures and forcing microphones in her face.

"Veronica, Veronica!"

"Miss Mars, what is your opinion of the case?"

"Veronica, could you comment on your relationship with Aaron Echolls' son Logan and the victim's brother Duncan?"

"Damn reporters," said Keith as he pushed Veronica's head down and propelled her forward to where herself and Wallace had parked the vehicle.

Veronica looked beyond the crowd and noticed the old lady, smiling, almost smirking. Okay, that's it. Veronica moved her head slightly, causing Keith's hand to slip from her head and she was able to move away from Keith and Wallace and toward the old lady on the other side of the mob.

"What the hell are you smirking at?"

The old women smirked more. "Weren't you in the courthouse? Aaron is as good as free. That evidence is bullshit and totally fake."

Veronica's blood began to boil under her skin as the old women continued to chuckle. "You are a terrible detective. Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone? Lilly Kane deserved to be killed that day by Abel Kontz."

Veronica snapped and started screaming and swearing at the old women, hatred dripping from every word she said.

"Veronica!" yelled Keith as him and Wallace pushed their way through the crowd.

"Is there something wrong here Mam?"

Veronica turned around to find a police officers standing over them, and before she could do anything, the old women had moved behind the officer and her face had changed into a scared and confused face.

"Sir, I don't know what I did. I made a comment about how adorable her daughter must be and she started to yell and threaten me."

The officer looked at the women, a sweet old women and then looked at Veronica, and Veronica knew then and there that she was going to lose this.

"Alright Miss, could you please come with me?"

"What!? No! I didn't do anything wrong. She said that I was better off dead. That sounds like a threat to me. Why don't you arrest her?"

"Didn't do anything wrong? You're familiar with the legal system, aren't you Miss Mars, you know, with your father being the sherif and everything. So you must know the laws about fighting, screaming, shouting, swearing, singing or using insulting or obscene language in public is an offence."

"So?"

"And refusing an arrest is another offence. So Miss Mars you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Logan?" She sighed breathing in. "I did something wrong today."

"Do you mean telling the whole world that you have a daughter, leaving the whole town on alert, trying to find this mystery child, or almost punching out a Fitzpatrick?"

"Um. . ." Veronica paused, looking around at the small jail cell. "I was actually thinking about the public dispute that I got into and getting arrested. Do you think that my boyfriend could come and bail me out?"

"I don't know. How much do you love this boyfriend?"

"Well if my boyfriend was here he could see that I love him this much." Veronica extended her arms out, then laughed into the phone. "But boyfriend won't know how much 'this' is unless he comes and bails me out of jail."

"Alright. Boyfriend will be there in about five minutes."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Veronica arrived back at Logan's penthouse she immediately went to the couch and laid down as Logan went to order Room Service for them. They had picked up Kenzie from Alicia's care and she was now on the floor flipping through channels.

After Logan had ordered room service with the promise it would be up as soon as possible, he moved to the couch and pulled Veronica's feet into his lap.

"Oh, Sugarpuss. What would you ever do without me to bail you out of jail?"

Veronica peeked out of one of her eyes and looked at Logan with a signature smirk that was Logan's trademark. "I would have called Wallace."

Logan laughed and started tickling Veronica, causing Veronica to laugh and squirm until she fell off the couch and onto the floor. Logan followed her down on the floor as he continued to tickle her.

Kenzie, upon seeing this said, "Daddy, don't do that to Mommy! She is going to burst!"

Logan stopped momentarily an looked at Kenzie, a look of innocence on his face. Then he smiled at Kenzie, grabbed her and pulled her closer so that he could tickle her instead. "Daddy! Daddy, stop, that tickles!"

Veronica joins in, causing Logan's attention to be pulled away from Kenzie long enough for her to climb onto Logan's back.

Logan tries to fend off the two girls but eventually goes down onto his stomach, admitting defeat. "Mommy, we won! Daddy loses!"

As Kenzie laughs at Logan's loss, Veronica's attention is drawn to the television and she hushes Kenzie and tells her to be quiet. Logan grabs the remote for the television and turns the volume up just as the reporter starts her story.

"It was mayhem today at the appeal case for Aaron Echolls, where 23-year-old Veronica Mars caused a disturbance in front of the court house today."

"Oh, shit."

Kenzie looked up at Veronica, shaking her head. "Mommy, that's a bad word!"

Veronica Mars and her father Keith Mars were the main investigators who placed the accused Aaron Echolls on trial for the murder of Lilly Kane, who's niece was recently killed by strangulation.

Veronica Mars was seen outside of the courthouse fighting with an elderly women over the fate of Aaron Echolls.

"I'm glad he's put away, and that he will stay locked away because now I know that my daughter is safe from him."

"Logan, change the channel." Logan complies changing the channel.

This is Access Hollywood with breaking news from Neptune, California. Local heartthrob actor, Logan Echolls who appeared most recently in the drama, My Long Lost Daughter, seems to have his own long lost daughter.

Veronica stared in disbelief as a picture of Logan, wearing dark sunglasses and a hat, and Kenzie was shown on the television in the park not too far from the hotel.

"Look Mommy! It's me and Daddy!

The actor's highschool girlfriend, who according to a reliable source left shortly after graduation with no communication, said this at the Aaron Echolls repeal case to an elderly Aaron supporter,

They now showed a tape of Veronica saying, "I'm glad he's put away, and that he will stay locked away because now I know that my daughter is safe from him."

Veronica looked from the screen to Logan swiftly and then back to the screen as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Logan Echolls's father is appealing his 2006 conviction over the murder of teenager Lilly Kane, who was the girlfriend of his son at the time. More information as it develops.

Veronica got up from the couch and moved into the bedroom, Logan quickly following after he had turned on a movie for Kenzie to watch. He pulled Veronica into his arms and allowed her to cry into his shoulder as she shook violently.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe that it is all over the news."

"Yea. You would think they would have something more interesting to talk about instead of an illegitimate child of one of the most famous actors in the world right now."

Veronica chuckled, glad that Logan was helping, "why, oh why do you have to be famous?"

"Why do you have to pick a fight at a high publicized court case?" Logan kissed Veronica chastely on the forehead and squeezed her slightly, saying that he was sorry that she had to go through this, and reassuring her that he would be right beside her.

There was a banging on the penthouse door as Logan and Veronica pulled apart from each others embrace. Kenzie jumped up from her seat on the couch where she had been watching her favourite Dragon Tales show, and ran toward the door.

Veronica leaves Logan's arms and follows her daughter toward the door, reaching her right when Kenzie swung open the door.

Standing on the other side of the door was none other than Duncan Kane.

Veronica stood there, not saying a word as Duncan's glance traveled between Veronica and Kenzie, Kenzie's blue eyes shining with curiosity. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he was able to speak.

"She looks just like Lilly."

So I'm having a little difficulty finding time to write this, as I have midterms and such things coming up so most of my time is dedicated to that, but I was able to figure out there is about 3.5 chapters to write, plus I'm writing another story, so hopefully I will have this story done soon. But I have said this before.

To my lovely reviewers:

cosmopolitan - thanks!

IluvVM - thanks for the review. Lilly was almost 5... she was born November 28, 2005 and died October 3, 2010. Meg was pregnant during graduation (June), about 3 months, so she wasn't showing too much. Lilly was born a month premature. So Lilly and Kenzie are only about 3 to 4 months apart in age. Hope that clears it up!

Bekkin - wow thanks! My spell checker doesn't check for that sort of things, and usually there is something wrong with the chapter that I usually don't catch until much later. But thank you!

GotChikinSoop - possibly some clues... you are just going to have to wait and see.

LoVefan4ever - thank you. It was really hard, and I really miss him. Thanks for the review!

Jass1 - I'm glad you found this story and that you like it! I'm glad you think my story is original, I always have difficulty with my originality

crazy-oc-obsessed-one - thanks!

Nea85 - Me too. I love LoVe and was upset when it ended with her and Piz together. I'm not a big fan of those two. Veronica and Logan are so much better.

xosummerxo - I hope so too!

buffyangel47 - thanks!

XoSethCohenxO - thanks for the review!

Psyc0gurl0 - I think its funny that everyone wants the father to be Logan's BUT everyone thinks Kenzie is Duncan's. Is there no Duncan fans that read this? Wow, I doubt its one of the best stories you found in a long time because there are so many good writers on here. Thanks for the review!

Jump In A Hole - well then I guess I'm doing a good job! Thanks for the review!

blondiebabi07 - thanks!!

Alona Tal - wow. I really didn't know how to respond to your post. Sorry you don't like Lilly.

Wanabee - was that a subtle hint to who you want the father to be? Lol. Glad you like Kenzie and Logan together!

bitterbl00d666 - thank you for the review!

MarsLoVe4eVer - thanks!

I went and saw across the universe this week, and if you haven't seen it, go as soon as possible because it is AMAZING!! Oh and see Hairspray too if you haven't already. I love musicals!

Keep Rocking The Free World!

-Katie-