A/N: I go into a lot of detail on the fixing up of Dick's house for a reason, just so that you know. It comes into play later on.

Chapter Fourteen

Saturday morning dawned bright and early as Mac left her dorm and found Dick leaning against the wall. "How did you get here so quickly?"

"Spent the night at the frat house so that Logan could have housekeeping come in and clean the room for Ainsley." He said as guided her down the stairs. "I picked up coffee and we have to go get donuts."

"I know the perfect place. The woman who owns it has a thing for Veronica's dad and always gives us great service." She replied as she gave him the address. "Why am I not bringing my car again?"

"Too many vehicles. I was thinking with Veronica's, Logan's and the Psi Sigs, plus I need your help to drive mine over from the hotel later." He replied. "Tad's sister also agreed to help because her boyfriend was called into work at the hospital."

"What about Logan?" She asked not so sure she wanted to drive one of his expensive cars.

"He is a bit jealous; your parents are taking Lauren, Ryan and Ainsley to Sea World. He wanted to go too. Anyhow, I guess Veronica and he are driving down so that they can bring Ainsley to the hotel tonight."

Mac didn't say a word, she had been beyond shocked to find out that Lauren and Ryan knew each other at school and that they got along. When she heard about the Sea World trip she had been surprised herself.

"So how many doughnuts do we need?" Dick asked as they went into the shop. Five minutes later, he was chuckling as they walked out to his car. Mr. Mars had shown up during their trip and he had witnessed the Sheriff blushing as the older woman hit on the man.

Mac quickly called Veronica and was told that Logan was on his way but that she had had to make a quick stop. "Your dad went to get doughnuts this morning."

"I heard and I will tell you why in a bit." She said still laughing as she pulled into the police station parking lot. Entering, she saw Leo and after greeting her ex boyfriend was let into the Interrogation room where yet another one of her exes was wearing handcuffs. "Hello Troy, long time no see."

"Veronica Mars, girl detective." He greeted with a smile. "Thanks for coming."

"I only came because you called Logan. I spoke to my dad, I know that you had another option but you chose to do jail time. What happened to your plan to go straight?"

"I met a girl." He replied with a scowl. "Anyhow, the reason I asked to speak to you… Madison Sinclair got a call from Australia and minutes later began to pace back and forth and I heard your name mentioned intermittently."

"What do you want for that information?" She asked with her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.

"Nothing, just consider it me returning payment for saving my ass last spring." He replied as Deputy Roberts entered and led him off to his cell from where he would be
transferred to a drug rehab facility.

Veronica saw her father entering the station, and lifting an eyebrow said "You have the car, the 8 track and now, I understand the stacked blond. When were you going to tell me you were dating the woman who makes the donuts?"

"Warn Mac that I will use my position as Sheriff to make her pay." He replied jokingly as he looked at the photos the other girl had sent to his daughter. "So…?"

"It was about Duncan though Troy doesn't know that. I think Duncan was in Australia which makes sense considering his Spanish sucks and Europe wasn't an option." She said before telling him she was going to be late and then quickly left.

Keith handed the doughnuts and pastries to the weekend staffer and went to his office and took out his file on the Aaron Echolls murder. Looking at the cell phone call list for the prepaid phone they had found in a dumpster near the hotel, he found the number with the Australian country code then at the time. "Gotcha."

Within minutes of Talisa and Tad arriving the rest of the frat brothers were seated on counters and looking expectantly at Mac and Dick. "What are we waiting on?"

"Well if you don't want the coffee and juice…" Logan was mobbed as the five guys all began reaching for something from the box he was carrying. "Avoid the one with the red ex on it, it's for Veronica and she will hurt whoever drinks her cappuccino."

Back at their various spots as Talisa and Veronica returned from their grand tour, the frat boys looked at Dick who said "Mac's in charge, she had me move everything to piles for each room and stuff."

Mac showed everyone the box with various items in it and the tool boxes she had on the patio. "There are drills and screwdrivers and such inside. One tool box was prepared for each group. Now who is the electronics guy?"

Talisa raised her hand and asked. "Can we change that to girl?"

Laughing there were some jokes between brother and sister before Tad reminded her she still hasn't hooked up his new game system. "Okay, anyhow, I was thinking that since we have some muscle we should move the furniture where it goes first since Dick doesn't want carpets."

"Veronica and Talisa if you would please start unpacking the kitchen stuff since there is only bar stools that need to go in there?" Mac asked and they were off. Up on the third floor which had two bedrooms, Mac handed Tad and two other frat boys the computerized sketch and then went down a floor to where Chip, Logan and Dick were waiting. "Wait, did we lose someone?"

"Nate is getting the tool kit." Logan replied as he looked at the diagram Mac had created. "Dick, why is this room labeled yours and not the master bedroom?"

"It's in the east, dude." Dick replied and saw that Chip didn't get it. "Sunrise, it will wake me up for surfing."

"Man you need to get a steady girl. Waking up to surf when there are much better things to be doing at five in the morning." Nate said then began to stutter as he looked at Mac who was completely obvious to what they were talking about as she went to answer a question for Tad.

About twenty minutes later, Mac was called upstairs and saw that both rooms had the curtain rods up and the room set up for linens and the rest. "Great job."

"What is next?" Asked a frat boy that Mac was sure was named Eddie.

"Well we have the basement or the first floor." She said as they came down the stairs to where the second floor was almost finished. "What's left here?"

"The chairs, Dick doesn't like them." Chip replied.

Mac went to see what the problem was and found Dick scowling. "What is it?"

"They are too pink."

"We bought covers for them, remember. It was going to take two more weeks to get them reupholstered. So we took the pink ones. The slip covers are in the garage."

"Oh, that's right." He said then looking at Mac said "What was this color again?"

"Salmon." She replied as she went over her check list. Down in the basement she found that all seven guys had started on placing the furniture out according to her floor plan.

Hearing jokes about the home theater and Dick telling Logan how he had dragged her around half of San Diego looking for the perfect pool table; she missed what Tad said at first then turning, glared at Dick.

"Richard…" Dick looked at Mac who was staring at the bar stools boxes with a look of horror on her face. "You went with the Ikea stools."

"Yes, what is wrong?" He asked. "We both liked them."

"Did you recall what I told you then?" She asked as she took one of the box knifes and slit the box open. "They have to be put together."

"No, I looked at the site there is nothing that says…" When Mac upended the box and he saw the pieces coming out and spilling on the floor, he groaned and said "But it didn't say anything about putting them together."

"Its Ikea Dick, of course you have to put it together." Chip said then being glared at by the blond, hastily took a step back and hid his need to laugh at the unhappy expression on his face.

"I will do them." Nate said as he took the electronic screw driver out and began to read the instructions. "My sister stocked her entire apartment with furniture from Ikea, I helped so I can manage a few bar stools."

With that they moved up to the first floor and found Veronica washing dishes. "Why are you washing them? And why are you washing them by hand when there is a dishwasher right there? Weren't they clean when Dick bought them?"

Veronica looked at Eddie and said "You still should wash them."

"Okay… if you say so." He asked then saw the way Talisa was crossing items off of a list and lifted it. "So you got the ones done with a checkmark right?"

The rest of the group moved to setting the main floor furniture around where Mac and or Dick directed them to. Logan and Chip were putting the outdoor furniture up when they heard someone inside announce that they were done.

They entered the house only to see a triumphant Nate shaking his head as he saw three more bar stools. "These ones belong in the kitchen, Dick, why do you have such a fancy kitchen? Can you even cook?"

"He does a pretty good omelet." Veronica said feeling a need to defend the blond. When they all looked her way she said. "He learned at that class we took this week."

"It's almost time for lunch. The pizza was to be delivered at eleven." Dick said as he asked if they wanted to eat inside or out. The general choice was outside as the delivery guy dropped off ten pizzas. "Damn you got a lot of pizza. Wait, this one is vegan."

"That's Mac's." Chip and Dick both said and then Dick's eyes narrowed at his frat brother curious as to how he knew that.

"I see her in the union a lot in the mornings." Chip muttered as he felt the heat of Dick's glare.

Veronica brought out the paper towels and was handing them and the beers and soda out when she felt Logan's hand brushing against her neck. Turning to smile, she was laughing when he picked her up and sat with her on the only remaining chair.

Mac was eating slowly, double-checking her lists and missed how quiet things had gotten as the hungry hoard began to devour the pizza. Nate finished first and asked. "Veronica, do we have to wash the sheets before putting them on the beds?"

"I already did." Mac replied and seeing Dick's surprise she amended it to "My mom did actually. She also did the towels. There is a box labeled for each bedroom."

Tad and Talisa went to work on the electronics as Veronica went back to the kitchen while everyone else chose an upstairs bedroom leaving Dick and Mac with his.

"Why are we putting a mattress cover on the bed?" Dick moaned as he manhandled the mattress. When that was done, he moved to one side and watched as Mac went to the other then threw her the other side of the fitted sheet.

There were some issues when he saw the white sheets actually on the bed. "You were right in the store, they look girlie."

"I told you so." She replied with a smug grin. "Lets get the duvet on and see if that helps any."

Dick looked in the box and said "Wait there are extra sheets and stuff."

With that, he put them in the storage closet and when he returned said "Why can't I use the other sheets?"

"Dick it's your choice, it's your house." She reminded him.

"No, this is fine." He said his mind recalling why he had went with the fancy white sheets as he saw Mac putting a pillow case on a pillow and the bright white was next to her skin.

The rest of the linens were taken care of much quicker as Dick found he liked the dark green and ivory comforter. "I just don't get why I need so many pillows."

"This isn't a lot Dick. Two in shams which come off the bed when you are going to sleep and two for sleeping." She reminded him. Handing him part of the blanket she said "We have to fold it the other way."

Taking one end, they were fixing the blanket when Dick looked at the bed. "Mac, something looks off."

Turning to look, she frowned then said. "It's lopsided. You need to pull the comforter over more on your side."

Reaching down to help keep them straight, Mac ended up on the bed as Dick tugged at the material. Hearing him laughing she stuck her tongue out at him. "Not now honey the children can come in at any moment."

"In your dreams, Richard." She replied and rolled off the bed, making a point to land on his side. Standing and looking at the windows, she remembered the light blocking curtains and said "The curtains next."

Getting the step ladder, Dick held it as she climbed up to fix the curtains. "Wow it got dark in here. Don't move while I turn on the light."

Mac however was sure she was fine, until she tripped on a rung and landed half on the bed and half on the floor yelping out loud.

There was the sound of rushed footsteps and several people ran into the room including Logan who asked "What are you two doing in here?"

"Bowling what does it look like?" Dick said sarcastically as he checked over Mac's now bruised leg. "Lets get you downstairs and checked out."

"I'm fine. You are overreacting." Mac said flushing a bit at how Dick was rubbing the red mark now on her leg awfully close to the hem of her shorts.

"Here, let me look." Veronica who had just arrived said. She saw the tilted ladder and the worried expression on Dick's face and moved the blond out of the way. Seeing that Mac was more embarrassed than anything else, she said "Lets just ice it down and it will be fine, Dick."

When he insisted on lifting Mac and carrying her to the chair, Tad smirked at Nate who had handed him five bucks and a piece of paper. Reading the date chosen, he slipped it into his back pocket and turned to go back downstairs.

Mac sat in the chair and directed Dick where to put the rest of the linens. As he came out of the bathroom, she checked off bathmats and said "All that is left is your docking station for your iPod and your lamps."

"We should have put those up first." He said lifting the ice pack to see that her leg hadn't swelled. When Veronica came into the room carrying a bottle of water, he asked. "Where is Logan?"

"They finished the upstairs bedrooms and the one in the basement. Mac, I saw the laundry room and Nate and Eddie are working on it when I had a thought. Dick do you know how to even do laundry?"

"No, but how hard could it be?" He said looking between them.

"Okay, so add how to do laundry lessons unless you want your clothes to turn pink." Veronica said.

"Clothes can do that?" He asked. When Tad entered, he asked. "Dude, did you know that your clothes can turn pink?"

"TALISA, I thought you swore to never tell anyone about when I did that?" He called out to his sister who was entering carrying tools.

There was some laughter as Mac explained what they had been talking about as Tad assured Dick that yes clothes could and did turn pink if not washed right. When he had left, Talisa leaned in and whispered to Mac. "He didn't have a full load and just dumped my stuff in, missed my red bra and panties and they turned all of his shirts and stuff pale pink. My mom made him learn how to do laundry after that. He at least mastered ironing after one shirt."

"I have to iron my clothes?" Dick asked doubtfully as Mac took in his wrinkled shirt and cargo pants that he was wearing.

"Uh, maybe we need to hire someone to come in once a week to take care of things like that." She said with a grin as Dick sat down in front of her and reached up to tug on her pony tail. "What?"

"Girls have it so much easier; boys aren't taught how to do any of that." He said frowning a bit.

Veronica looked between Dick and Mac and said "Mac, you got him chlorine bleach, I am taking it home. We need to get him some color safe bleach for now."

"Did you find the lint roller and the rest of the kit?" Mac asked.

"Yes it was in a box with this strange ceramic dish that said Dog dish." Veronica asked, a bit confused when Dick began laughing at Mac. "What did I miss?"

"We made that in Vegas; I told Dick it was his dinner plate at the hotel. I put it in there to be used as a catch all for everything Dick leaves in his pants pockets." Mac said.

Grumbling Dick asked. "Why if we are going to wash everything did I put up all those hangers in my closet and why do I need a tie rack."

Talisa and Veronica went into the closet and came out with a very big case of envy. "Dick, you have a great closet. Most girls would kill for a closet like that."

"Okay." He looked at Veronica with a bit of fear in his eyes as she winked at him then with a glance at Mac the blond detective said. "I find it amazing that you did the exact same set up only for the closet in the master bedroom."

Talisa went into the bathroom and saw the box of hair products and lotion and came back out. "Dick, anything you want to tell us?"

"Like?"

"Well I just have to say you have more girlie products in that bathroom than most girls. I mean, you have a moisturizer."

"Yeah but I surf a lot. I need to moisturize." He said. "Besides, when I go to the hotel hair salon the guy suggested it. It works."

"The make up mirror, what is it for?" Talisa asked and when he just looked at her like she was nuts, she brought it out and said "This thing?"

"Oh I use it to… never mind." He muttered and went downstairs to find the guys wanting to get away even from Mac as he heard them talking about how he had hair gel. "What is it with girls, they use that stuff but when a man does, all they do is give him hell."

Seeing Logan he said "You had better hope Veronica never sees the gunk you put in your hair, she just gave me hell for mine."

"I know, she bitches about it until she runs out of her own product and then borrows mine." He said with an unrepentant grin. "It's why I switched to an electronic razor; she used mine to shave her legs."

Upstairs, Mac looked at Veronica and Talisa and said "I picked up or ordered most of that."

"I know but you have to admit that you both are dating girlie men." Talisa said and walked out the door to find out what the boys were up to missing Mac's scowl as once again someone wrongly believed she was dating Dick.

Veronica found Logan in the kitchen collapsing her already empty boxes. Pinning him against the counter she pulled him into a kiss and they were breathless as they pulled apart. "Hi, now that I finished tormenting your best friend what do you say to finding out if we can prove Dick's theory about the pillow top mattresses wrong."

His hands going to curve around his girlfriend's waist, he pressed a kiss against her lips then looked around the kitchen that was almost finished and asked "How much more do you have to do in here?"

"The checklist…" She said as she reached for the paper on the counter, amused when Logan deliberately pressed his body into hers then backed away as if nothing had been happening between them.

"Mac was thorough, wasn't she?" He asked as he read the list of pans, knives, baking dishes, containers and small appliances that the kitchen now contained. "Ah, the coffee pot she talked him into getting."

"Here, open the box of linens and help me put them in a drawer." Veronica said as she finished putting up the cookbooks Dick had picked out.

Within minutes the last items were placed in the kitchen from that stockpile and Logan looked around to see that it was homey but still very much Dick. "Though, that recycling center, something tells me that Mac picked that out."

"Where is Tad?" Eddie and Nate asked as they came in from outside where they had been taking a break and eating another piece of pizza.

"Setting up the bar and no it isn't open guys." Dick stated as he came up from downstairs. "I was looking for Mac, did she come downstairs yet?"

"She is helping Talisa put in the last bit of electronic stuff in the study which we finished a bit ago." Eddie said. "Veronica, did you ever find the lid to that serving dish?"

"It was still in the sink and with that the dining room is also done." She reported as Mac and Talisa entered. Looking at the clock which now showed the time to be almost four, she asked. "Mac, where did you find the clock?"

"You won't believe it but at this salvage place where we found the pool table." She said looking at the wrought iron clock that Dick had loved shaped like waves. "Its great isn't it?"

Chip came in and said "Living room is checked off and so were the bathrooms. Man that is some first aid kid, Dick. Are you planning on playing doctor?"

"With Logan as a friend, that means Ronnie so yeah, I expect it to get a workout." Dick replied with a smirk as Logan just pulled his girl in his arms and reminded Dick who had needed stitches last of the two of them.

"There is still one pile but otherwise everything else is out of the garage." Tad reported. "It's labeled Dick's crap from home."

"Thanks everyone, we will get that stuff done later. Logan, I need to remove my stuff from your truck." Logan nodded and grabbing Chip, Eddie and Nate went to haul in Dick's luggage.

When he offered to buy them dinner, the group scattered. The frat boys minus Tad all had dates and Tad groaned and looking at his sister told them that they had to go see their parents that night. "We are spending the day at home tomorrow. See you later, Dick."

Soon it was only the Neptune foursome as the house became quiet. "Man, I hate the quiet."

"Don't worry it won't be quiet for long." Mac assured him her mind on her plan. She had done some research and the puppy would soon be ready to be apart from its mother. She had decorated the house with not only Dick but the frisky puppy in mind.

"We have to get going if we are going to make it in time for dinner with Ainsley." Logan said as Dick and he bumped fists then walked outside.

Veronica who had stayed inside looked at Mac and said "Call me tomorrow."

"I will." Hugging, Mac walked Veronica to Logan's car and promised to drive hers to the Grand when they went to get Dick's vehicles.

Backing out of the drive, Veronica felt Logan's hand reaching for hers and smiled as she rested her head on the corner of her head rest. "Just how much time will this take?"

"About an hour to drive there. We have a hotel room already." Logan said as he watched Veronica drifting off to sleep. He had enjoyed the day, had found it oddly comforting to see Veronica working on helping with Dick's new place.

He had spoken to his accountants and they had sent him the file with the answers he had been looking for but now he wasn't so sure he wanted to read them. So for tonight he was going to spend it with his girlfriend and his sister and let the trouble be delayed until tomorrow.

LOVE

Mac entered the student union and saw the man wearing a suit waiting for her. "Mr. Sinclair."

Nodding, he found it hard not to reach out and hug his daughter as he said. "Can we work on you calling me something less formal even if it is only Mark?"

Mac saw his wife joining them and said "I will be right back."

Going to stand in line, finding Chip already there, she asked. "I am surprised to see you; I thought you had a date last night."

"I did but that doesn't mean it ended with me in her bed. You are really going to have to change your opinion of Psi Sigs." He said with a sideways look at the table she had just left. "Your parents?"

"Sort of, they are my bio parents." She admitted. "Anyhow, I needed a minute to breath so I came up for something to eat but I already ate before I left my dorm."

"Here." Going to the pretty blond working the counter he said. "You know how you know that the girl I am normally with eats vegan stuff is there anything available today."

"Lizzie!" Mac greeted the blond and then looking at Chip said. "Lizzie went to Neptune with the rest of us."

"So that explains why she made sure you got the vegan muffin." He said then looking speculatively at Mac asked for a juice. When they were walking back to her table, he said "Last night was a double date, blind date sort of thing. You know Lizzie right?"

"I won't help you Chip." She said with a cheerful grin on her face. That went away when she had an idea and asked. "Your joining me for breakfast every morning, you knew she worked that shift."

"Yes and yes and I know she is a winter freshman and that she was almost attacked, but… just think about it, okay?" He asked as he parted ways and left her to join her parents.

"Friend of yours?" Moira asked wanting to get to know her daughter.

"No, he wants me to be his wing man in the dating Lizzie Manning sweepstakes but Veronica and I think Wallace has the inside track." She replied then looking down at the muffin she didn't really want said "I agreed to this because my parents asked me to."

"We know." Mark said subdued as he heard the words her parents. "We just wanted a chance. I don't even know what to call you. I know you prefer Mac but when we have talked to your parents it has always been Cindy."

"I prefer Mac." She said quietly as she looked between the couple in front of her. She could see that she got her dark hair from her biological dad but her shape and her face from her biological mother. Her eyes had come from him too.

"Okay, Mac." He said trying not to bite his lips when he saw her doing it. "I am sure that you have questions, please, feel free to ask."

Mac looked at them and said "I asked my parents most of them, I found a lot of the answers in the court documents. I guess all that is left is to ask if you ever thought about me?"

Moira reached out and stopped back from pulling back her hands as she grasped them and said in a broken voice. "Every single day since we learned the truth. You must believe that if nothing else. On every single major date of your life, we have watched from the sidelines with an ache in our heart."

Mac had heard that from both her parents and didn't know how to respond but felt that they should know. "I found out by accident."

"Hiring Veronica Mars was an accident?" Mark said with a twitch of his lips when he saw her surprise. "It wasn't hard to figure out. I am only sorry that you had to learn like that. We had always sworn to tell you when you turned eighteen but then young Cassidy…"

"That isn't anything I want to discuss." She said firmly. "It's already complicated enough in my mind."

"I know you won't want to answer but in case I am wrong. Are you dating Dick?" Mark asked.

"If you are asking on Madison's behalf, you can assure her that Dick and I are just friends. However Dick wasn't as guilty as you might thing about what went wrong in their relationship." Mac said and while Moira felt that Mac truly believed that, she knew that her daughter wouldn't be so protective if she didn't have feelings for the blond.

"I am not asking because of Madison, or maybe I am. I saw how their relationship was a disaster and I guess I worry that…"

"There is a difference and I am not going to get into it with you." Mac said as firmly as she could considering she herself didn't understand exactly what was going on between Dick and herself.

"We know that she dated him on orders from Lilly Kane." Moira said her voice a bit high as she continued on. "I am, well we are well aware of what our daughter has done. I also know that she destroyed a necklace that belonged to you for no other reason than to be spiteful."

"That's true. However it is in the past." Mac replied. "Madison and I have agreed to do our utmost to avoid each other but you should know I am not going to avoid Lauren or yourselves. I am not saying that we are going to suddenly be talking every day or even week but I won't let Madison's answer affect how I live my life."

"We understand. I have one part of the arbitration hearing that we had sealed. I am going to give Madison a copy and feel that you should have a copy too." Mark said sliding it across the table to her. "It might answer a few more of those questions you don't want to ask us."

When the subject changed to school then to Ainsley Echolls, Mark watched his daughter while his wife and she were talking. Hearing them laughing and getting what it was about, he just closed his eyes not ever wanting to forget this memory of them.

As Mac heard her alarm beeping, she thanked them doing this on her turf so to speak and was a bit surprised when not only Moira reached out to hug her but her biological father did as well. "Would you at least consider having dinner with us one day this week so that Lauren and you can speak?"

"It will have to be out, I agree with Madison that where she lives should be considered her territory, like the Mackenzie house is mine." Mac replied then found her agreeing to go to dinner with them.

LOVE

Veronica woke up and realized she was alone in the bed. Finding Logan seated in the sitting room, she joined him wearing the hotel robe and asked. "What is it?"

With a slightly bitter laugh, he tossed the file down and said. "I got my answers but it wasn't only my mother who knew that Ainsley existed. Aaron did as well. He agreed to let my mother give her up for adoption. More like he forced her to because he thought she wasn't his kid."

"Wow." Reading the file, Veronica lifted her eyes from what was in the report and said "So he gave the unnamed family a million dollars to take in Ainsley when Sabrina's baby died."

"Yeah." Shaking his head, Logan added "He almost caused my mom to miscarry. I can read between the medical report wording and it says Mom fell down a flight of stairs; two to one Aaron pushed her. It says in the police report that she was upset at the news about her mom's fatal illness and that she tripped. I know that phrase, tripped, clumsy, how I accidentally slammed the car door on my arm."

Veronica held Logan, knowing that his own past was vividly alive for him at the moment. When he had calmed down, he looked at her and said "My doctor said getting treatment means that I am less likely to hurt people I love but what if… what if I am like my dad?"

"Logan, you lashed out when your dad was free to hurt you. When he was gone out of your life, now that he is dead, when you lash out, you only attempt to hurt yourself, not others. You were a child."

"I was sixteen, the same age as Beaver, Veronica and he was a sociopath." He said at a whisper.

"No, you aren't like Beaver, Logan. YOUR life was hell and you survived it to become stronger and you have more compassion and heart in your pinkie than Aaron had in his entire body and oversized ego." She said reaching out to turn his face towards her. "Logan you have this incredible capacity to love, to protect those in your life…"

"I turned on you, what if I was to get mad at Ainsley or you again?" He whispered.

"Logan that you are worried about it means that you won't." She said her smile growing as she reached for his hand. Pressing it against her heart then his, she said "I know you, the real you and it may have taken a while for us to get here but we ARE here. Trust in me if nothing else. Do you really think that if you were to become like Aaron I wouldn't taser your ass."

Holding Veronica he said "I guess when you put it like that, no. I just am so scared of my past, Veronica. Of when Ainsley asks about our parents."

"You tell her that her dad was a man who made a lot of mistakes and concentrate on the good times you had with your mother until she is old enough to understand." She replied.

LOVE

Dick walked into the penthouse planning on leaving his room key when he saw Veronica holding a can of whipped topping. "Put down the topping, it's not worth it, trust me."

Veronica flipped the can and put some topping onto her hot cocoa and said. "Don't get between me and my topping man. What are you doing here?"

"Dropping off my key card. Where is Logan?" He asked.

"He went to check on his house with Mrs. Navarro." Veronica said as she walked over to the sofa. "So how was your day?"

"Mac went to visit the Sinclairs; I got the rest of my crap unpacked. Mac was supposed to meet me to so that we can go to the grocery store but she wanted some time to deal with her morning." He said as he sat down on the sofa. "I got some take out for dinner and was on my way home when I remembered the key."

"Logan and I spent the day with Mac's brother and sister as well as with Ainsley. We went to the zoo and let me tell you, I think Logan was worse than the other three." Veronica said.

"I don't think he has ever been to the zoo." Dick said then admitted "I don't think I ever went to the zoo, unless it was with a nanny when I was real little."

"Okay." Veronica didn't know what to say to that but continued with what they had done. "We picked up Ainsley some crayons and coloring books as well as what she will need to go back to Fifth grade tomorrow. Logan also picked her up some stuff for the house."

LOVE

Mac saw Logan seated on the bench watching the waves in spite of how dark it was and walked over to join him. "Logan, what are you up to?"

Sitting down next to him she saw that he had a file in his hands. "What is it?"

"My family is so screwed up, what if I screw Ainsley up. Veronica says that I am worrying too much, that she will be there but-"

"But you still worry." She said with a sigh. "Logan, you would have more to worry about if you weren't worried. Look at your parents; look at Dick's parents, neither set worried about their kids. Your mom may have done right by your sister but what about she did to you."

Logan couldn't help it as he sat there and finally admitted what he couldn't to Veronica. "I know its wrong but I am jealous, angry that she saved Ainsley but not me."

Mac hugged Logan, her arms around his shoulders as she felt them trembling in guilt at what he was thinking. "Logan it's not wrong to feel that way."

Madison who had gone to the beach to think on what her father had threatened saw the tableau and couldn't resist a smile as she saw what was in front of her. Moving off to the side, she took a picture then another before deciding that she knew EXACTLY how she was going to get Mac out of her life.

When Logan got it together, Mac went to see her parents, then to her dorm room planning on studying even as she tried to deal with her own issues of anger and resentment for what Madison had been given and that she had worked so hard for.

Logan let himself into the penthouse and seeing Veronica fast asleep, changed into his pajama bottom then went to the balcony and sat there, his mind full of questions and his heart in turmoil as a result of recent revelations.

LOVE

Dick wasn't sure why but as he stared at the picture of his father with both boys, all he could do was wish for a more normal family. Closing the album he had taken, he went up to bed, his mind not only on the past but also on the future. He had seen the betting book and knew that his fellow frat brothers were aware of his feelings for Mac.

LOVE

In the dorm room shared by Lizzie and Parker, the older blond woke up in the middle of her latest nightmare and looked over to see that Lizzie wasn't there. Standing, she went to shower and came back in the room. Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, she sat down and drank it all; needing the peace that falling unconscious would give her.

And across town, Madison Sinclair was offering up to the tabloids a photo that she knew would get the paparazzo's attention. The notorious Neptune bus killer's ex girlfriend with the son of Aaron Echolls.

Gleefully rubbing her hands together, thinking that she wouldn't need that money from her parents after all, she closed her computer and went downstairs. Seeing her father, she stiffly said "I made up my mind. I am not going to accept your offer. You made a choice to keep me and I am not letting you take in this poor sad waif. I am your daughter, not her."

"Then I meant what I said, Madison. We will pay for your college and your car until you graduate; give you access to your modest trust fund but that is all the money you are going to get. No more credit cards, no more bank accounts."

"I don't need you, I don't need anyone." Madison said going back up to her room, certain that when this photo was released she would be back in where she belonged.

TBC