A/N: This is probably going to be the last chapter til 2006. So Merry Christmas everyone and happy New Year. I might add another but I'm unsure.

So R&R. The Lilly/Veronica face-off was a bit different than I originally planned but I think it came out well. I hope you think so!

Duncan and Veronica showed up at the Kane estate promptly at 7pm. Jake and Celeste Kane opened the door, hoping to get a good first impression from their son's new girlfriend. They mostly hoped she was nothing like Lilly or any boys Lilly had ever dated.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Kane." Veronica greeted holding out a hand to shake with. They both accepted her hand graciously and headed to the living room. Duncan and Veronica followed them, Duncan with a nervous look on his face. They sat down and Jake started up a conversation.

"So Veronica, Duncan hasn't told us anything about you, except that you moved here a few months ago. Where are you from?" Jake asked politely.

"Boston." Veronica replied with a strained smile on her face.

"Who are your parents? What are their names? What do they do?"

Veronica's expression went from strained to pained in a matter of 5 seconds. Tears slowly and quietly made their way down her face. Veronica quickly said, "Excuse me I have to go now." And she rushed out the front door, Duncan not too far behind. Suddenly, the last months came to her, her parents dying, moving to Neptune, being happy with Duncan and being teased and tortured by Lilly.

When she was half-way down the drive-way, Veronica stumbled in her heels and fell, collapsing on the cold asphalt, her quiet tears now racking sobs. She was soon joined by Duncan, who held her against his chest, rubbing circle on her back. Jake and Celeste watched from the doorway, looking on how much their son loved this girl. When Veronica finally cooled down, Duncan helped her from the ground and they headed back to the Kane mansion, her heels in Duncan's hands.

As they walked through the threshold of the Kane home, Celeste silently mouthed 'Is she ok?' and Duncan responded with a silent nod. He guided Veronica to the bathroom where she washed her face, now blotchy and red, and slid her heels back on. Before they headed back to the dining room where dinner was now ready, Veronica gave Duncan a kiss on the lips and a hug before she latched onto his arm like a magnet. When they reached the dinner table, a maid pulled out a chair for Veronica, who reluctantly let go of Duncan's arm, who sat right across from her.

"I'm sorry for that. It was a simple question but it's a lot more to me than you think" she apologized

"Veronica...you don't have to..." Duncan began, hoping to avoid another breakdown.

"No Duncan, I need to let it out." she interrupted "My parents were Keith and Lianne Mars. My dad was a private investigator. I say was because about 7 months ago, they died in a car accident back home in Boston. I live on my own in an apartment and I run a little PI business downtown, taking on minor cases, like cheating husbands and tracking down dead-beat parents." Veronica finished all in one breath. There was complete silence until they heard a glass door opening from the back of the house.

Veronica's face fell when she saw Lilly, obviously drunk, stumble through the back door with sticks and leaves in her hair. "Oh hello everyone." Lilly slurred "Am I interrupting a Kodak moment?" Her face turned to disgust when she saw Veronica sitting at the table. "Oh no. You again. I guess Duncan is serious about you, trailer trash. I mean taking you to meet the parents. Bravo Donut, when you dump her be sure to..." Lilly's ranting was suppressed by Veronica slapping her squarely across the jaw.

"I. Have. Taken. Your. Bitching. For Long. Enough." Veronica spit out "You insult me every chance you get and I never did a thing to you. Why do you hate me?"

Lilly laughed and stepped back. "I don't hate you. I hate anyone who gets more attention than I do. Whenever you and Duncan are around each other, kissing and laughing, people are always staring and pointing and saying how innocent you guys are. You are the puuuuuurfect couple. But when me and Logan do that, people are always pointing and slut sneezing. They see us a couple no one wants or hopes to be. I don't hate you, per say. I only hate what you stand for innocence and purity, everything I am not."

The Kanes just sat watching Lilly rant. Duncan started to get up, but Jake asked him to just sit and let Lillybe a drunken jack-assfor a bit.

Veronica laughed when she heard Lilly's speech. "Bravo. You do a great jealous sister. Did you have to memorize that or did it come together spontaneously. I mean, you really expect me to believe that crap? After the crap you've put me through? If you do, you obviously had too much to drink tonight." Veronica walked away leaving Lilly speechless. Veronica went into the living room to grab her jacket and was stopped by Duncan.

"Stay a little while longer. Or stay the night in the guestroom. Please." he pleaded. Veronica shook her head and kissed him hard on the lips. "Could you bring me home now? I'm tired."

Duncan smiled weakly and stood by while Veronica apologized for leaving early and talking to Lilly that way, but Lilly knew her reasons and Duncan knew what she was talking about.

As they headed to Duncan's SUV, they were stopped by a drunk Logan, who was swaying and taking long gulpsfrom a bottle ofJack Daniels.

"Hey DK. Whats up?" Logan managed to slur out before he fell to the asphalt.

'This night just keeps getting better and better' Veronica thought bitterly as she helped Duncan load Logan in the backseat of his SUV.