Title: Meet the Kanes, part 3

Author: Elgatoneun

Pairing/Character: LoVe, WeeVer, LillyLogan, LillyWeevil, DuncanMadison (I know, ew)

Word Count: 1741

Rating: PG-13, a little bad language

Summary: AU, what if Veronica had been raised as a member of the Kane family?

Spoilers: All of the first season, but it is AU.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, it belongs to Rob Thomas.

Notes: Season finale – blew my mind. Not so much the killer or anything, not spoiling just in case anyone hasn't seen it, but I love these characters. Like scary obsessed love them.

Duncan saw two blonde heads resting on the couch. He caught Veronica's eye and shook his head. She was lying on the couch reading with her legs propped up on Lilly's lap. Lilly was sitting down watching TV, slouched into the cushions, like she had sprouted there. He moved stealthily behind her and … was whipped in the face by surprisingly stinging strands of long blond hair. Well it figured, it was Lilly after all, she would have extra strength super hair.

"Donut, when are you going to understand that I am the master and you will never get me?"

Duncan vaulted over the couch easily and sat down next to Lilly and on top of Veronica. This precipitated his body's immediate and painful trip to the floor.

He looked up; Lilly seemed smugly self-satisfied while Veronica grinned unrepentantly.

He aimed dark looks at both of them.

"I could have died. I could have hit my head and died of a concussion. Fratricide is illegal, you know."

Both of them giggled at him. Thank God they weren't fighting anymore.

"Prison wouldn't suit you, cellblock gray would wash you both out, I think."

"Only if they can prove it." Veronica furrowed her eyebrows trying to look tough, he presumed. It reminded him of a confused bunny.

"Besides, it was self-defense. You could have broken my legs. Do you know how much you weigh?" Veronica struck out her right leg at him. He caught her at the ankle without thought.

"Yeah, you're getting a little chunky, Donut. Coach should really make you run some more laps or something. And we all know Madison isn't giving you much of a workout." Duncan ceased to be shocked by Lilly before he was out of kindergarten. Veronica was too, but she still kept the semblance of appearances, to pretend to be a normal family was his guess.

"Ew, Lilly, that is just … ew." Lilly grinned, always delighted to have an appreciative audience. Veronica never failed her.

"Yeah, I know, Madison can be pretty horrifying." Duncan gave Lilly a mock glare. He really should care more, but he didn't. He did make some effort though, his trouble magnet sister did not get free reign over his life.

"That is my girlfriend you're talking about." Lilly cocked one eyebrow at him.

"Well, I can't believe you'd admit it out loud, but nobody's perfect. Not even you, Duncan." They both turned to Veronica; she was sniggering at both of them behind her history textbook. He gave her a small yank, he had held onto her ankle. It was enough pressure to make her glare at him, but not enough to pull her off the couch. Then he'd really be in trouble.

"Don't take it out on me. I'm not the one that made you go out with her." Veronica could be just as troublesome as Lilly. He contemplated pulling her harder. He decided to use her leg as lever and turned it enough to make room for him. He plopped down between them and exhaled an overly dramatic sigh. He propped his head a little on Veronica's shoulder.

"Okay, let's dispense with the torture early this year, what you do guys want for your birthday?"

"You haven't gotten us anything yet?" That sounded ominous even to his ears. Lilly chimed in.

"It's four days away. It marks the entrance of your fabulous sisters into your boring little life. How could you forget?"

"I think I blocked that out, traumatic experiences and all that." He eyed Lilly warily. She appeared menacing, that look did not bode well for him. It was very difficult being Duncan Kane sometimes.

"I mean, I didn't forget, I'm a guy, it's just normal procrastination. You're lucky not to be getting . . ." wisely, he did not finish that sentence. He snuggled in closer to Veronica and pulled her arms around him for protection.

"Just tell me what you want to ensure that I keep all my functioning body parts."

Lilly tossed her hair and leisurely buffed her nails as she considered his proposal. She smiled angelically, and he felt his stomach clench in response. Now that look never boded well for him.

"Strippers," she said flatly. Duncan waited for her to indicate she was teasing. She didn't.

"Two strippers, one for me and one for V."

"Sure. I'm going to hire strippers for my sisters' sweet sixteen birthday party. That doesn't sound, what's that word, oh, wrong, at all. I'm sure Mom and Dad would be delighted."

"Not for the party, doofus. Just a little private post-party viewing, you know, to mark our blossoming into womanhood." Lilly couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing.

Duncan looked over at Veronica and was disturbed to see that she was unabashedly intrigued. Oh dear God, he wondered if high school kids could develop ulcers.

"I'm sorry, do I look like I would know strippers, or even how to get them?" Lilly didn't miss a beat.

"You know Logan." Duncan knew he probably looked like a deranged goldfish since his mouth was hanging open and no words were being pushed out of it. He snapped out of it, sometimes Lilly went too far.

"Somehow, I don't think Logan would be okay with me asking him to procure strippers for his ex-girlfriend, especially an ex-girlfriend who cheated on him." Duncan felt Veronica withdraw her arms from him. Shit, he'd forgotten about Weevil.

Lilly narrowed her eyes a bit. It surprised him because it reminded him forcibly of their mom when she was angry. He would never voice it aloud, but, sometimes Lilly was so much like their mother, it was unsettling.

"Well, he might do it for his current girlfriend." Lilly looked over at Veronica. He followed her gaze.

"No way, you and Logan?" Duncan couldn't wrap his mind around it. Lilly and Logan he could understand. They were the same. But not Veronica and Logan. He couldn't focus on that and turned again to Lilly.

"And you're okay with that?" He couldn't keep the hard edge out of his voice.

Lilly shrugged. "Hey, whatever floats her …"

"Don't even think of finishing that sentence." Lilly grimaced in pain. Duncan was puzzled until he felt the tugging at his hands. He had grabbed Lilly's wrists without even noticing. Veronica was tugging on his arms, for how long he didn't know.

Everything was silent for a moment. He could feel the blood rushing into his brain. He fought the urge to scream.

"Duncan, calm down. Let go of Lilly, okay?" Veronica's voice was deliberately soothing. He felt her hands gently prying his off of Lilly's wrists, they were red. They would be bruised.

He felt circles being rubbed into his back, it was Veronica. He let go of the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"Lilly, I'm sorry," his apology sounded wooden, even to his ears. Lilly looked at him evenly, her expression was indecipherable.

"I'm going to get some ice for Lilly and your medication, okay, Duncan? I just want to you keep breathing slowly, okay? Lilly, go sit on the chair." He heard Veronica's footsteps echo out in the hallway.

"Donut, you need to learn to chill."

"Are you okay, Lilly? I'm sorry." He was scared. He didn't know what had happened. He moved towards Lilly and stopped when she flinched. He understood, but it hurt.

"It's not too bad. Weevil might want to kick your ass though. Or I can always tell him it was Logan in a fit of jealous rage." Lilly sounded a little too pleased with herself.

"Lilly, what are you and Veronica playing at? That's just twisted. And Logan is my friend." He knew he sounded defeated. Lilly and Veronica would do whatever they would do regardless of how he felt.

"Weevil doesn't know about Veronica and Logan yet. I wonder if I should tell him at the party." Sometimes Lilly was a stone cold bitch. He loved her, she was his sister, but he couldn't deny the truth.

"Lilly, whatever you're planning, don't."

"God, Donut, you're so gullible sometimes. I don't have to do anything. Logan is going to fuck everything up all by himself." Duncan didn't know how to argue that.

He didn't have to respond because Veronica had walked back into the room with a tray. She had pasted on that falsely bright smile that he used to tease her about. It was the one that she cheered with and passed around to the faculty at school. He couldn't believe she would try to use it on him.

She handed him a glass of juice and his pills. She looked so concerned for a moment that guilt drove him to gulp them down. She smiled approvingly at him, he thought she might pat him on the head like she used to with their dog Molly. She took the ice bucket over to Lilly and examined her instead.

"Tell Madison that she can't wear red, pink or black." Duncan started. Veronica was always trying to diffuse awkward situations. She was the peacemaker in the family.

"What?" Duncan knew he must have had a blank look on his face from the way both girls looked at him in classic sisterly annoyance.

"I'm wearing pink, Lilly hasn't decided yet on black or red, so tell Madison not to wear those colors at our party."

"Um, okay."

"Ow!" Lilly had snatched her arm back from Veronica's ministrations.

"Oops, sorry Lilly. Don't move your arm so much."

"You're not very good at this, V." Veronica put her hands on her hips.

"Well, Lillian, it's nice to know my efforts are appreciated. I'm only trying to help."

Lilly scrunched up her face petulantly and settled her lips into a pout.

"Now you're just being mean." Lilly hated being called her full name.

"Don't be such a baby."

"Ow! Quit it!" Duncan sighed appreciatively at the return to normalcy.

"Girls, am I going to have to separate you two?" He made his voice sound as patronizing as possible.

They both looked at him with menace and moved towards him. As he sprang from the couch and ran to the safety of his room he thought again that it was very difficult being Duncan Kane sometimes.