She looked over at Joe and smiled when they finally reached Neptune. There was a look of pure astonishment on his face. "What I thought you said everything was bigger in Texas?" She joked.

Joe shook his head. "Ranches, sandwiches, cows, trucks, sports stadiums, and belt buckles maybe but not houses. Damn, I thought Beverly Hills had big homes."

Veronica laughed. Joe had been a Texas Ranger before moving here. His wife was a designer mostly in southwestern styles and was making good money. He moved here for her. Veronica had always thought that had to be the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. To move from the one place you'd ever lived just because someone else wanted you to. He had two daughters that still lived there. From what she could tell they both lived the suburban American dream in Dallas were one was a personal trainer and the other was a dentist. "Beverly Hills has nothing on Neptune. You haven't seen dysfunction until you've lived here."

Joe looked at her curiously. He thought that the worst criminals were in Los Angeles. "What do you mean?"

Veronica shook her head. "You'll see. Before this case is done and over you'll see."

"What do you mean this seems like an easy case. The boyfriend takes her to Los Angeles they get in a fight. He kills her." Joe said. He had thought about the scenario over and over again. There were no defense wounds or anything. From what the medical examiner said it appeared she knew the attacker.

"See Joe you have to think big. I'm not saying the boyfriend didn't do it, but then again I'm not saying he did either. Remember everyone is innocent until proven guilty." Veronica took a left and traveled down a familiar road. After driving for less than a minute she took a right and was in a residential neighborhood. The house that she stopped at had a large American flag blowing in the front. She got out of the car without ever explaining to Joe why they were there. Wallace walked out of the house and met her on the porch carrying a little girl in his arms.

"Well if it isn't the great Veronica Mars finally coming to visit me." Wallace joked. "Oh and you must be her Texas Ranger partner Joe. It's very nice to meet you."

Veronica smiled. "Wallace don't hate me but we can't stay long. We're just here because I was wondering if you knew where Duncan's construction company was working right now."

Wallace shook his head. "I'm telling you Veronica one day you're going to come and visit me and I'm going to be the one that's busy. Still I guess I'll be a good best friend and tell you that Kane Construction is currently building a new gym down by the beach. You can't miss it."

"Hey we should be done here in a couple of hours. I was thinking that maybe I'd let Joe take the car back and I'd stay here in town tonight. We could catch up. I'm working a new case that takes place here. Plus I haven't gotten a chance to visit with this baby girl in so now. Hey Layla, baby girl. You have gotten just so big." Veronica removed Layla from Wallace's arms and gave her a big fat kiss on her forehead. She used to not be a baby person but now she couldn't imagine not loving a cutie pie like Layla.

"That sounds good. Hannah's team is playing down in Phoenix tonight so it'll just be me and Layla." Wallace replied and then gave her a hug. Just before Veronica could get in her car he yelled. "Now you just have a nice time catching up with Duncan! I know he'll be so happy to see you!"

Veronica sighed and got in the car. The mere thought of seeing Duncan made her nauseous. She couldn't believe that she was going to be face to face with him. She hadn't had a real conversation with him in almost two years. Still if she was quiet enough she could still remember that night.

It was obvious that it was Duncan walking down the beach. From the way he walked to the simple way he always had his hands shoved into his pockets. She felt her heart beat faster with every step that he took. She had just told him to meet her here. That's all she could say. She didn't want to tell him the news over the phone. She couldn't tell him that kind of news over the phone. It was the moment of truth because now he was standing in front of her with his hands still shoved in his pocket. She waited for him to say something. He did the same. Finally she spoke. "Hey…" her voice was softer than it had been in a long time.

"Hey…" Duncan watched her. He tried to read her. All he could tell was that something was wrong. Still that much was obvious by the tone of her voice that she had used on his voicemail. She had sounded conflicted and upset. "What's up?"

Veronica looked down at her feet.

"Is this about the fact that I told you that I still loved you?" Duncan asked and knew the answer was yes because of the way she suddenly went stiff.

Veronica looked up at him. "I can't let you leave her for me. So I've decided that I'm going to take that job in Los Angeles. I'm going to go ahead and join the force down there. Still it's not all about you Duncan. I'm not just doing this because of you."

"Then why are you doing this Veronica? If you're not trying to run away from your feelings then why are you doing this?" Duncan demanded. He could feel himself wanting to cry. He needed her more than he needed air.

"Sometimes when I go to sleep at night I think of Lily and I wake up in a cold sweat. I think of the way you were rocking at the police station. I think of the way everything fell apart after that and it's then that I realize I can't let that happen anymore. I can't let families suffer for as long as yours did. I won't lie I'm leaving for two reasons, but the bigger one is because I can make a bigger difference in L.A. I told you that I love you too and I do really, but God Duncan I'm not going to let you do that to Meg. You'll be happier with her. I promise." Suddenly she became so emotional that she found it impossible to control herself. She was breaking down and she was trying to fight it. She didn't want to look weak.

Duncan took her in his arms and sighed. "Fine, but always know that I'll never love her the way I love you."

Veronica and Duncan stood there on the beach for the next hour not saying anything to each other. Just holding onto one another for dear life, because they both knew when this embrace was over so wouldtheir love affair. They walked away from that night never discussing it again knowing that it caused too much pain all around.

"You dated Duncan Kane didn't you?" Joe asked quietly. He could tell that she was somewhere far away. She was thinking about something that made her feel bad from the look on her face.

Veronica was suddenly brought back to earth by his voice. She'd almost missed her turn in the midst of her reminiscing. "Yeah in high school and before you ask yeah I loved him, but that was a long time ago. He's probably married now. He's been living with the same girl for at least five years now."

Joe didn't press further. He knew that this was a painful subject for her. He understood that he would in time learn what happened. Why they couldn't make it? In the past two years of working with Veronica he'd come to realize that she was an introvert and a person with many secrets. He'd come to love her like his own daughter.

Wallace had been right there was no missing the gym that Duncan's construction company was building. It was a massive structure. She pulled her car into an area that wasn't filled with his stuff and then quietly searched the crowd for him. As soon as she saw him she found herself smiling. She couldn't help it. He looked the same as he always did. Duncan would be like Brad Pitt it would take him forever to look old. "This is it." She laughed when she saw that Joe had brought his cowboy hat with him. Even though he lived in California he dressed like a Texan through and through. He wore a Stetson everyday, and a huge and pretty tacky belt buckle that she couldn't help but love. The two of them looked pretty funny together, because she seemed like Detective Barbie and he was Walker Texas Ranger.

"Now you've got to let me guess which one he is Veronica seeing as I know you're going to lead the questioning." Joe searched the crowd and began to look to see if he could find someone that fit Veronica's type. Of course the only guy that she had dated since she had joined the voice her been Charles but he was pretty clean cut so he figured she liked the kind you could take home to your mother and not have to fear that she would go into cardiac arrest. He noticed that there was guy going over plans with broad shoulders and nice physique. That had to be him. "The one in the light blue polo." He whispered into her ear.

"How'd you guess?" Veronica questioned.

Joe shrugged. "You could say that I have a gift for these things."

Duncan had just happened to look up from the plans and noticed that Veronica Mars was walking towards him with a big old guy wearing a cowboy hat. He felt his heart stop. It couldn't be. She was back. He'd been waiting for this moment for forever and now it was finally here.

Veronica saw that he had seen her and felt her heart begin to beat faster and faster. He had this look in his eyes that said I never thought this day would come. It was obvious that he hadn't gotten over her. Six months ago when she and Charles first started going out this would have made her nervous and uncomfortable. Now all it did was make her want to dance. "Hey Duncan…" her voice was just as soft as it had been the last time they'd really talked.

Duncan didn't know what to say so instead he did the first thing he could think of. He hugged her. He picked her up and hugged her.