I Disclaimer: Once and yet again, I own nothing and if I did I surely wouldn't be here writing fan fic...then again, I might very well be.

Author's Note: Thanks a million times over for reading and reviewing! This next part is a part of the Happy Meal ideal system (See Chp 4). I hadn't intended to write this but I couldn't ignore this conversation going on. Next---well, I am assuming Piz (Is that right?) will have a fatal downfall and I decided it would be he comes from a family of con artists and intended to go in the same business. Lastly, I love the show BONES. I mean it. I do. And that should explain the subtle-not-so-subtle shout out. Other than that---expect the next part to me much longer as it will be the long awaited Kane dinner scene.

MARS Household

The sweet aroma of dinner, frozen lasagna, lingered in the air as Keith Mars stepped into his humble abode. He could've afforded a house, a nice house. A nice and normal house in the suburbs was what he could afford. Yet Keith Mars liked the feeling of his apartment. Too many years had been spent in this place learning he could be a single parent and still save the world. When he married Inga, she didn't mind the room or lack of it. She was humble and endearing as she had always been. It took some years but her disposition and faith in him endeared him to the point of love and a second marriage.

"How's dinner coming?"

"Fan-frak'n-tastic."

"Four years abroad in the best schools in England and France and that's the best you can offer?"

"What in cooking or language?"

"How about either?"

"How about you being happy that I am in town and am fixing you dinner in the stead of your wife?"

"I could be, but it's been a long day…" He finally set his brief case down at the door, his coat on the rack and his body into his recliner.

"Do tell."

"Got banned from the Kidnapping Case. Bailed out Weevil…again. And now, you'll get a kick out this, I am helping out a Neptune Navigator reporter with her story on the case." He beamed.

Veronica Mars placed the garlic bread in the oven and faced her father. She gave him an interested glare. In all these years, she hadn't really changed. On the outside, she was thinner and her hair was back to an original short look. It wasn't the mess and rebellion of high school, but chic and stylish. Her clothes were expensive but comfortable as she was dressed in khaki slacks and aqua button-up. Even in the "adult" clothes, she could barely pass for over 21. Her own personal curse for years spent lying about her age, she assumed. On the inside, Veronica was as she had ever been. Curious, guarded, feeling everything but letting nothing show and still, she had an insatiable hunger for truth. "Neptune Navigator reporter?"

"Yeah. She marched into the office, talked about what a fan of your old man she was, talked about your photography, and then told me she'd offer whatever she could to the case in exchange for an interview."

"Isn't that sweet? My dad has a groupie."

Keith rolled his eyes. "You say groupie, I say devoted and intelligent young woman. She's smart." He said, more to himself than to Veronica. "She managed to, in a matter of minutes, place you as my daughter and world-renowned photographer." He paused and looked at her, his voice softened. "She owns one your photographs. Shot of Three is hanging on her bedroom wall."

"I sold that photograph to the owner of a gallery in New York. She said it was a present for her daughter's best friend. I'd never imagine it would end-up in Neptune."

"I don't think she did either. I ran a background check on her."

"And…"

"She's moved from New York. Her father was the D.A. and a current judge in the California system. Other than that, she plays out…" He paused. "Well, she plays out a lot like you. Too curious for her own good, her freshmen year she ended-up involved in a hijacking case. Wrote a pretty good article about it and won a few awards. She's a 09er, but I don't think she buys into it."

"What gives you that idea?"

"She didn't seem too thrilled to know that 09er King Kane had tossed me off the case. Apparently, she's become tight with the Sheriff's son in her first day and offered me dibs on any info she can obtain, legally, I hope. She doesn't seem to play the part either. She's pretty much like you at that age…that certain "I-Am-Who-I-Am-And-I-Will-Kick-Your-Ass-If-You-Say-Otherwise" attitude. Needless to say, Weevil likes her and what the heck, if nothing else, for old time's sake…"

"She's a student at Neptune…did you call Wallace?"

Keith paused. He looked at Veronica as she did not hear a word he said or what he was alluding. She was more interested in the background of the new girl rather than the fact he missed his daughter. He missed her and didn't think it was fair for her to live millions of frequent flier miles away. He didn't think it was fair that she had to be the one to leave and never come back. Speaking of coming back, what was she doing here?

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll call him tomorrow." He gave her a wide grin and pointed a finger at her, realizing what she was really doing. "What are you doing here? The only time you come home is if my life has been threatened or someone's died. You never come here. What's going on?"

"We broke it off."

"You did?" Keith's voice asked, now laced with more concern.

"No big deal. We both came to the conclusion the relationship was going nowhere, at least nowhere we wanted to go. He had a job offer in North Carolina with his former partner, he wanted to take it and I let him."

"And you came back here to nurse your wounds?" Still not entirely believing her.

"Actually, I came back to nurse yours. I know how much you loved Seeley."

"C'mon, you know I love you more…"

"Dad..."

"So what if he was a good solid man who had an impeccable record and a job with benefits and excitement…so what if he had court side tickets to the Lakers… yeah, you're right I am going to really miss him."

"I knew you would."

"He wasn't almost your brother. He didn't threaten you or end-up in jail. He didn't steal to sell valuable criminal evidence away. He wasn't hiding the fact his family were con artists." Keith paused, in jest. "So why did you break-up with him?"

TBC