A/N: I do not own Veronica Mars (if I did I wouldn't be playing make believe with RT's characters)

Episode summary: Duncan finally explains why he broke up with her. Two old friends are forced together by an accident. Veronica finally opens up when she learns a hard truth about her mom.

Season 1 Episode 3:

I try to convince myself I don't care how Caitlin's betrayal affects Logan, that I don't notice he's turned even meaner and more closed off. Honestly, it takes all the willpower I have to not at least send him a sympathetic smile. Duncan slides up beside him and a bit of relief fills me as I watch their easy conversation and Duncan's attempts to coax a smile out of Logan. Caitlin walks up to the table and is immediately shunned by the rest of the 09ers. Their defense of Logan is mostly fake, they're following orders but Duncan's sympathetic clap on the back is real as is Dick's venomous 'leave' demand the only one to verbalize the rest of the table's actions. For some reason it is good to know people are looking out for him since my days of dragging Logan through life's misery's are over.

"Guess what I'm doing this weekend." Troy says sliding up beside me. The blue on his shirt brings out his piercing eyes and I can feel my heart tighten in my chest. Maybe I'm ready to move on after all.

"I'm guessing it involves auto-eroticism?"

"Close." He leans in closer smiling "I will be cruising the marina in my dad's Sabre 386. That's a luxury sailboat by the way." The bell rings and we both start to walk towards class his arm casually brushing mine as he continues "You know wind through my hair, Stokes blasting through the speakers and, with any luck, a wide-eyed impressionable vixen by my side."

"Impressionable me? Ha" I say with a teasing smile. We both stop and he looks at me feigning offence.

"Wo-wo-wo-woah I said impressionable not you. You know you might want to check your ego at the door there missy." He winks before running off in the other direction leaving me staring after him. Of course me standing in a crowded hallway means some asshole sending my books flying. I grumble under my breath before leaning down to pick them up. It's not like this is the first time someones sent my books flying. A pair of knees come in to view and then there is Duncan beside me picking up an English lit book. He smiles at me before handing them off and I notice a letter on top. I give a small nod to acknowledge both my thanks and my recognition of the letter.

I slink into the library avoiding Logan's calculating stare as I brush past him. What exactly was he trying to pull? Knowing it was useless to try and contemplate the inner workings of Logan's mind I slide next to Wallace. I reluctantly had told Wallace about being in cahoots with Duncan I need someone to trust at this school and more importantly I need someone to talk sense into me if I start being blind to facts because of Duncan. He understood both his job and the reason him staying quiet was so important.

"That from your partner in crime" Wallace asks with a grin as he points at the note. I nod mutely before opening it.

Veronica,

Meet me after school for condition 2 of our agreement. My Car.

-Duncan



"He's going to explain why he broke up with me." Wallace shakes his head and I get a flood of nervous butterflies.

"Girl this is going to end so bad."

"Yup" I try to study lit but it doesn't work and soon enough the bell rings letting me know it is time for my covert meeting with my ex-boyfriend so he can explain the whole ex thing. This was definitely not going to end well.

I hang back 15 minutes to avoid the rest of the student body before rushing out to his car making sure no one was watching before I slid into the passenger seat. Duncan was sitting beside me looking pale, beads of sweat building up around his brow.

"Lay it on me." Duncan squeeze his eyes shut and I realize for the first time he is trying to hold back tears. I gently place a hand over his. "Duncan whatever it is it's done I won't be mad, it won't affect your sister's case and I may get upset but I'll get over it." He nods and turns to me as though he is going to begin to speak. His face suddenly twists in panic and he holds his fingers out in a one second gesture before running out of the car. He makes it a few steps before he empties the contents of his stomach. Immediately I hop out of the passenger seat and run up beside him. Luckily most of the students were gone and no one was in the parking lot. He crouched down on the balls of his feet and continued hurling. Cautiously I rub his back as he dry heaves a few time. He's shaking slightly but seems to be done throwing up. There is nothing that makes a girl feel better than causing a guy to puke his guts out.

"Better?" I crouch down beside him handing him a water bottle out of his backpack. He took a swig then stood up nodding.

"Must have been something I ate." He was so lying. Why would Duncan lie about being sick?

"Common I'll drive you home?" I instinctively put my hand on his elbow to steady him as he swayed dangerously. He was about to argue but thought better of it as I shot him a daring glance.

"Why don't we go to your house we can finish the talk and look at the evidence you have to show me." I look at him pointedly knowing he is not that excided to look at pictures of his dead sister and even less so to finish the talk with me. He sighs at my knowing look. "And I kind of don't want to face my parents right now." He shivers obviously getting the chills from whatever this is and I figure that I'm probably better equipped to deal with him than Celeste is anyways. From all the times I've seen Duncan sick she wasn't exactly compassionate.

flashback

"Hey baby." I say quickly dropping a kiss on his hot forehead. "Feeling better?" He shakes his head pathetically before leaning over to vomit in a nearby trashcan. I rub his back and murmur soothingly as he continues to hurl.

"Great way to spend our anniversary huh?" He shoots me and apologetic look before accepting the glass of water I took off the nightstand.

"Don't worry about that just get some rest." I pull the covers up to his chin as he signs dejectedly "We'll celebrate when you're better." I grab a wet washcloth in the ensuite and return to his bed. He leans in to the feel of the cool water on his feverish face as I press the cold cloth to his forehead.



"Duncan?" Celeste shrieks from the hall. I cringe inwardly knowing how much she did not want me dating her son. She walks in the room and looks at her sick son and doting girlfriend with disdain. "Veronica must you baby him?" Duncan's about to defend me but I silence him with a squeeze of his hand. "Duncan dear make sure you don't get sick on the carpets we just had them cleaned."

end flashback

"Alright I'll take you home. Try not to puke in my car." He opens his mouth to reassure me then ends up hurling on the side of the road. Not a convincing argument. I reach into my backpack and take the plastic bag containing my runners out. I re-stuff the shoes and hand the bad to Duncan. "I'll drive easy." The drive home is silent but comfortable. Somewhat miraculously Duncan manages to keep everything in his stomach and I try not to give him reason to open his mouth. We stumble in to the apartment Duncan gripping my shoulder as he recovers from another dizzy spell.

"Maybe I should take you to a doctor" I say as I dump him on the couch. I crouch down on the balls of my feet some I'm eye-to-eye with him. Without thinking I cup his cheek and check the temperature of his damp forehead. "You don't have a fever"

"I'm fine really." He says his voice sounding stronger than before. "Let's go through the files."

"Not before you tell me why you dumped me." Sure it sounds a little desperate but my job is getting information and I intend to know the full story behind Duncan's sudden change of heart

"This is going to be life-altering." Duncan warned looking, if possible, even paler. "I advise you just leave it." I open my mouth to protest but he cuts me off. "But I know that's not you." He takes a deep breath and starts fidgeting with the couch pillow. "I like your new place by the way." I roll my eyes unimpressed.

"Did you cheat on me?"

"What! No!"

"Are you Gay?"

"Seriously?" I look him pointedly for a moment "Of course not he scoffs"

"Duncan just spit it out it's nothing I ca…"

"You're my sister." Ok so he wasn't kidding about the life-changing. I felt my face pale. Duncan's my brother? That means my dad is not my Dad. Or my mom is not my mom? My entire life as I know it has been a lie. "Veronica." I can hear the cautious tone in his voice as he scoots closer to me. Tears prick the corner of my eyes and I try to rethink every moment I spent with Jake. Was he different around me than Lilly's other friends? Not really. A little formal but always kind and polite, your better-than-average rich father. What did this mean for Da-Keith. Did he know? Would he care? The tears began to fall as I found myself worrying the my Dad would turn away from me. The last person I could count on. I won't be able to survive if I can't count on him anymore. I feel Duncan's arms around me and I can't be mad at him. He thought he was saving me pain. Ignorance is bliss. Sniffing I pull out of the embrace and notice the wetness and fear in Duncan's eyes. If I was going to be mad before I'm not anymore. He could have handled it better but he was scared and hurt and probably grossed out.

"At least we never had sex." He laughs and nods in agreement grateful that I wasn't yelling at him. "How did you know?"



"Celeste told me." I look at him like he has three heads. "Your mom and my Dad were having an affair." I nodded still unable to deal with the fact that my mom cheated on my father. The last good man in Neptune.

"How did she get my DNA" He raises his eyebrows at this "Oh god Duncan there was some sort of test right? You didn't just take her word for it?" Duncan goes beat red and looks down. So that's what happens when you trust your mother. Good thing I never had that problem. "Jesus Duncan. Ok first things first we need to get a real DNA test and so does my Dad." Duncan busies himself ordering an online DNA test. I let him foot the expenses on this one he's richer and lied about being my sibling the least he can do is confirm it. I grab the Lily Kane files I photocopied from Dad's safe out from under my bed and bring them out to show Duncan.

"I got us express packaging. Which means it'll be here in 2 days." I nod and sit beside him.

"This is everything I know about Lily's murder." Duncan looks down at the files and I can feel his skepticism a mile away. "Duncan if this is too hard…"

"No I'm fine just really not feeling good." His face has paled again and I think this is really a bad time to show him pictures of his sister with her skull bashed in.

"Let's do this tomorrow then." He scowls and I smile gently back at him. "The files aren't going anywhere and there are no new leads. If you don't want to go home we can watch a movie or something but this needs to be done when you're well." He nods and seems more than a little relieved. The beads of sweat are popping up on his forehead again. I walk over and gently but firmly lay him down and cover with a thin blanket. "Get some sleep Duncan." I resist the urge to caress his cheek and smooth his hair down. It's too early to be touching like that. Duncan's asleep within a few minutes alternating between snoring softly and sputtering lightly and I come to a decision right then. I knew exactly where my mother was, some Arizona trailer park 4 hours away. I needed to see her. I had a free period on Friday at the end of the day. If I left then I could go and be back in time for dinner. I needed her to talk to be to explain how she could keep something like this from me. Duncan and I could have had sex. If she had told me the moment we started dating then we would have been shocked, had a few tears and then re-established a relationship as half-siblings. Now the cut is too deep even if we weren't related and tried to date again it would always be there hovering over us. For a year I thought you were my sister. I shake my head trying to clear my head and firmly grab my phone dialing Troy's number.

"Hello?"

"Let's go out." Either way it was time to move on.

"Finally the girl comes to her senses." I laugh and we agree to go out tomorrow night. The flutters are there. I mean he's no Duncan but not even Duncan caused big butterflies in the beginning. Considering he may be my brother I should probably make a bigger effort to separate thoughts of bodily tingles from him. I sit on the chair beside Duncan's couch and start revamping Lily's murder files listing all the suspects and evidence in separate files pouring through the files hoping to fine something that made sense.

"Lilly. No. NO." Duncan started thrashing around on the couch I jump up immediately almost dropping my computer on the foor.



"Duncan wake up." I urgently shook his shoulder. He stared at me and took a moment before getting his bearings. "You ok?" Screw the fact that he might be my brother I can still care about him. Technically I should care about him more. He gives a tight nod.

"I gotta go." Before I can say anything he leaves. What was that about? Duncan had been acting weird the last few days. Weird in that he was more like himself. Maybe the thought of finding Lily's real killer had forced him into gear but I can't but wonder if it's something else. Sighing I place Lily's files back under her bed and started to cook dinner for my father.

"Hey Dad."

"Hey sweetie" He kisses me on the forehead before taking the plate of chicken I serve for him. There it is looming over both of us. Keith Mars may not be your father. I spend the rest of the night studying him carefully, the way he walk, the exact shade in his eyes, I even tried to con him in to trying to roll his tongue. In three days I will have the package. In six more days I will get the package back and I will know whether or not I'm a Mars. I wonder if he knew about Jake and mom. That nagging piece of information sits in the back of my brain like a lump of coal as I try to go along with Dad's light-hearted banter.

"What's up kiddo something's bothering you." I take a deep breath.

"What do you think Jake Kane was doing with mom at the Camelot last week." My father drops his fork instantly and glowers up at me.

"I thought I told you to stay away from that case?" His face turns to one of pure resolve and disappointment.

"She's only in Arizona I don't understand why you haven't been looking for.."

"Veronica! Please!" Was it possible that her father had lied to her about her paternity? That he knew about the affair? My mother lying to me I can handle. She abandoned me, drank herself to oblivion without even the slightest bit of concern for my well-being. My father is my everything. I can't lose the trust I have in him.

"How about the Padres?" Lame I know but someone had to lighten the mood. It didn't work.

The next day at school is uneventful. Duncan assures me he's feeling better and I almost believe him until I see him run to the bathroom out of the corner of my eye. Logan is standing there bemused, holding Duncan's bag and looking at me like I poured ipecac down Duncan's throat. I shoot daggers at him when I realize how stupid it is that he is standing here scowling at me while his best friend is huddled over a toilet. Knowing it's useless trying to convey this with eye contact I return my focus to Troy who is happily making plans for our date. It feels weird to date again. Duncan and I almost never dated. We also we were just together. Sometimes we were together at restaurants or at the movies but it never had that forced feeling of going on a date, probably because most of the time we were with Logan and Lily. I absent mindedly agree to meet Troy at 7.

The restaurant he picked is fancy but not overly-ostentatious . He makes me and laugh and forces me to order desert which is a good combo as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't feel like it did with Duncan but that doesn't mean it has less potential it just means it's different and I'm pretty sure that's ok. He tries to kiss me and I pull away. The moment his lips head towards mine I see Shelley's party, Duncan's face, 

Logan's accusing sneer and I swear I hear Lily let out a high-pitched ew. Troy pulls away and plays it off as a joke calling me madame and opening the car door. I should have just kissed him.

I walk into school with a new resolve. Troy may not be the love of my life but he also could be and I refuse to let my past ruin anything more.

"I think I may have given you the wrong impression." I say coming in step with Troy who looked like a cross between amused and pissed off. "It's just .."

"It's just that you need more –and you know you get to fill in the blank her – a)time b) space" Suddenly I'm kissing him. I'm kissing him and enjoying it. The tension in his shoulders that had mounted when he thought I was going to brush him off dissolved as my tongue explored his mouth. He kisses differently then Duncan which I expect. When Duncan kissed me he took his time, savoring every part of my mouth like it was a secret to uncover. Troy is quick and passionate letting his lips engulf mine as though he will never have time for another kiss. The sound of Duncan's squeal pulls me out of my thought provoking make-out session with Troy. There he was a bloody heap on the ground. I have images of broken bones and paralysis as I push Troy off and run towards Duncan. Turns out I was a little over-dramatic in my initial assessment. He's giggling and seems only slightly shaken up. I drop to my knees beside him and gently raise his head pulling back bloody fingers. Shit.

"He needs to go to the hospital" I don't even notice Logan beside me as I mumble this and it's only when he agrees and I see the panic stricken look on his face that I remember the Logan Echolls I was friends with. "We need something to put pressure on the wound." I'm about to take off my light sweater but Logan is already pressing his to Duncan's head wound.

"Common DK" Logan says helping him to his feet. "I'll take him." Logan directs at me as though I might run off with Duncan's body in his weakened state. I'm about to agree but Duncan grabs my arm and shoots me a pained look. I glance wordlessly from Logan to Duncan. "Let's go" Logan makes my decision for me and we both awkwardly help Duncan to Logan's Xterra pouring Duncan in the backseat with his head on my lap. It wasn't until we were half-way out of the parking lot that I realize I had left Troy standing there, dumbfounded. As if reading my mind Logan pipes up.

"Love 'em and leave 'em eh Veronica?" I scowl at him in the rearview mirror before turning my attention back to Duncan who is slowly losing consciousness.

"Duncan you have to stay awake." I try to avoid Logan's intense stare in the rearview mirror as I place a hand on his cheek to get his attention. He looks up and seems to be considering something very important.

"Do you remember how things used to be." I can feel Logan's eyes shift from the road back to the mirror and for a moment I want to tell him to get his stupid eyes back on the road. My anger at Duncan's question overrides my need for safe driving. How can he ask that after yesterday? Those memories are firmly suppressed not to be uncovered until the paternity results are back. "Veronica?"

"Not really. No." Duncan seems a little hurt by my vehemence and Logan quickly returns his eyes to the road. The rest of the car ride is silent and Logan doesn't look back again. We take Duncan to the emergency and call his father who dismisses us both the second he gets there.

"So I guess you need a ride?" To his almost credit Logan has been almost decent since I uncovered the credit card scandal thing.



"No."I reply icily taking out my phone. It takes me a moment to decide between Wallace and Weevil for a ride and then I remember how much Logan hates Weevil.

"Hey Weevil I need a favor." Logan stops his advancement towards his car and looks at me incredulously. He agrees and I feel a smug look of satisfaction at the look of disbelief on Logan's face.

"Don't be ridiculous get in the car." Logan says in exasperation.

"I feel safer with Weevil thanks." I'm surprised to see a mix of shock and hurt on Logan's face before his cool mask of indifference takes over. He holds up his hands in a whatever gesture and walks away shooting daggers at me before taking off. What is going on with Duncan? Since Lily's death he has been nothing more than an emotionless marionette controlled by his parents and even more influenced by Logan's rants. Fast-forward to now and he's like the old Duncan but with bigger mood-swings and more vomit. I don't get it.

Weevil brings me back to the parking lot just in time for school to let out meaning I still have time to drive to Arizona to see mom. Unfortunately she's on the run again leaving me sobbing in a Hicksville trailer park. I furiously wipe the tears from my eyes and I somehow end up in front of Troy's door.

"Hey. I'm outside your house." A light flickers on in the kitchen and a few seconds later he walks through the door a look of gentle concern etched on his face.

"It's about time." He says softly enveloping me in his strong arms and for once I'm not crying alone.

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