Veronica slammed shut the case file that she'd brought with her on the plane. That conversation with Sasha as replaying in her head. It'd been obvious that Sasha hadn't believed a word she'd said, but only changed the subject because it was clear that Veronica didn't want to talk about it. And it was equally obvious that the ghosts in her dreams sided with Sasha.
"Are you ready to start listening now?" Lilly asked, sitting in the seat next to her on the plane. Veronica glanced at her, half smiling.
"I guess I have to say yes. There are still two hours on this flight, and somehow I don't think you're going to let me sleep. Or, I should say, you won't stay out of my dreams. So it looks like you caught me."
"You betcha. Now, I'll be the psychologist and you can be Veronica. Been having strange dreams lately?"
"Bitch," Veronica laughed.
"Always. Come on, Veronica. You're landing in Neptune in two hours. You have to start being honest with yourself now, because it's just going to come back and bite you in the ass if you don't."
"Well, I'm definitely feeling some kind of pain in my ass at the moment."
"No more running, Veronica Mars. We both know what you've been dodging. Time for you to deal with it."
"How? How am I supposed to deal with it Lilly? It was five years ago. I've dealt with it the only way I could. I buried it and left it for dead. Why are you trying to make me dig it up?"
"Because I love you. And I loved him. And so did you."
"It wasn't enough. The Beatles lied. You need more than love."
"Are you at least admitting that you love him?"
"Past tense, Lil. I loved him, sure. But that was five years ago. Dead and buried."
"Wake up, Veronica."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You know exactly what I'm saying. That, and the plane is landing. So, really, wake up. You're back."
Veronica opened her eyes. The middle seat was still empty. Lilly was gone. A moment later, she felt the wheels touch down. Sure enough, she was back in California. And soon she'd be back in Neptune. Something was telling her that this week was not going to be easy. "Alright, Lil. You want me to face the past? My eyes are open. Bring it on."
As soon as she cleared the security area, Veronica saw her father holding up a fake "Wanted" sign with her picture on it, grinning from ear to ear. She walked as fast as she could with her suitcase, straight into her father's arms. She couldn't help grinning as she hugged him with all her strength.
"Who's your daddy?" she heard him say. She laughed.
"You are, dad. Now, what exactly is it that I'm wanted for, Sheriff?"
"Breaking an old man's heart and then fleeing the jurisdiction."
"You, old? Never. You'll be like Sean Connery. Even when you're all grey, women will still think you're a hottie."
"Please make a point of telling Alicia that. Within my hearing."
"Only if you give me an extra helping of dessert."
"Deal. Now let's go home, kiddo. I have my special lasagna waiting for you."
The conversation flowed easily during the car ride. It kept Veronica from looking out the window at the familiar landmarks of Neptune. She just focused on her father as they talked shop. He filled her in on the latest Mars Investigations news, and she discussed some of the cases she'd helped with in Chicago. She knew her father was proud that she'd channeled her Nancy Drew tendencies into something respectable like criminal psychology. And that he worried less knowing that she had friends in the CPD. The ride went by quickly, and soon they were pulling up in front of Alicia's house. Keith had moved in after the wedding. They'd discussed getting a new house, but then decided it would be easiest on Darrell if he didn't have to get used to a new house and a new dad at the same time.
"You'll be sleeping in Wallace's old room, honey. We made it a guest bedroom after he got his own place."
"I thought I'd be crashing at Wallace's. You know, have a slumber party, braid each other's hair…"
"Does Wallace know this?"
"Does he have a choice?"
"Take it up with him. I'm staying out of your sibling squabbles."
Veronica grinned, and got out of the car, as Keith took her bag out of the trunk.
"Hey, Mars!" a voice shouted from the porch. "Who said you could show your stupid-ass face in this town?"
Veronica looked up at Wallace. "Yo' mama did."
He laughed, and she ran up the stairs and skidded into him. She punched him lightly in the stomach, and then gave him a hug. He hugged back, before he pulled her into a headlock and playfully started giving her a noogie. She shrieked, and used her left leg to sweep his foot out from under him. They tumbled to the ground, looked at each other and started laughing.
"Are you supposed to be adults now?" Keith asked, as he came up the stairs.
"We have years of sibling rivalry to make up for, Dad. We're still working on the grade school years." Keith snorted as he went inside.
"Hey, you want a snickerdoodle?" Wallace asked as he untangled himself. He held out a hand to Veronica. She gave him a suspicious look as he helped her up.
"You? You made me snickerdoodles?"
"Nah, my mom did. But I told her that I'd take all the credit."
Veronica chuckled as they went inside. After the initial round of hugs for Alicia and Darrell, she settled herself at the kitchen table with a plate of snickerdoodles and a glass of milk. Wallace sat across from her.
"Spill it, Fennel."
"What?"
"You have something to tell me. I know your mom didn't make these cookies just because I was coming home. They were your idea. So what's with the bribe?"
"You couldn't just go with it, could you? Five minutes and you're already playing Sherlock Holmes."
"You're stalling."
"Ever think that maybe I have a reason?"
"Wallace!"
"Ok…but do you promise not to tape me to a flagpole?"
"Yes. I promise. Now spill."
"Logan Echolls is coming over for Thanksgiving."
The world stopped. For a moment, all Veronica could see were the words coming out of Wallace's mouth and hanging over their heads, like in a comic strip. She dropped the cookie without being aware of it.
"Excuse me? I know I didn't hear that right."
"Logan is coming for Thanksgiving."
"Logan. Echolls. Here."
"Ummm….yeah. Pretty much."
"How? Why? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!"
She hadn't meant to scream at him. But it was just too much. Those dreams, Sasha's conversation, now this.
"I think I just felt something bite me in the ass," she muttered. Wallace looked puzzled.
"It was my mom's idea. She felt bad for him, you know? He doesn't have anyone to spend it with."
"And something in you said, 'Yeah, Mom! That's a great idea!'!"
"I thought you were staying in Chicago. And I couldn't un-invite him, could I?"
"I'm still not understanding why you were speaking to him in the first place."
"Veronica. You know he and I have kept in touch."
She knew. Sure, some of the information she got on Logan's life came from the media. Every October, some network or other ran a made-for-TV movie on the Kane murder or the Echolls family drama, and Logan's name always came up. But the rest of her info came from Wallace. She'd just chosen to ignore the fact that he was getting it first hand.
"I don't understand how you're friends with him. You have nothing in common."
Wallace opened his mouth and then shut it. Of course he and Logan had something in common. She just didn't want to hear it.
"Can we get past that for a minute? I don't want you to be pissed. Or go back to Chicago."
She sighed. Getting on a plane had been the first thought to cross her mind. "Look, I said I'd be home for the week. I'm not going back early. But don't expect me to be nice to him. Or even to talk to him. If I have to communicate, it will be in grunts and you'll have to translate."
Wallace nodded. He was watching her, waiting for the inevitable question. He didn't have to wait long.
"Does he know that I'm here?"
"Yeah, he knows."
Veronica tried to assimilate that information. It just didn't fit.
"Then why is he still coming?"
Wallace didn't answer. He just picked up a snickerdoodle and took a bite. She was a smart girl. She'd figure it out on her own.
