Disclaimer: I own nothing. Rob Thomas, CW, and whoever else are in full rights of this amazing show. I do not own the quotes or songs. I do however own a few characters and a goldfish named House.

Summary: The story is in the future-almost 20 years-and takes place after the events of S2. The rest, well read and find out. Reviews are necessarry since this is my first attempt at VM fanfic.

Author's Note: I am continued to be amazed that people are still reading. Please keep reviewing. I am trying to make the chapters longer but I am now working full time and moving. I write when I can. Thanks!

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KANE HOUSEHOLD

Patio

Nuclear bombs.

Typhoons.

Volcanoes erupting.

Me.

All natural disasters and all cause mass destruction in their wakes. Tonight, I took out not only the Kanes, the Casablancas, Logan Echolls, but my own family. I wish I could offer a logical reason for the things I say and do but I can't…

Well, I can but I don't want to. I don't want to give-up the reason I had for managing to piss off everyone in the room tonight. I'd just like to plead temporary insanity, find a padded room, and down a couple of Prozac. Not that that might not happen after my parents get done with me. I'm seeing grounding in the near future with the possibility of a boarding school in an obscure Scandinavian country. Too bad I have been taking Spanish the past five years, right?

How did I manage to cause such chaos? How did I manage to create drama worthy of a Sondheim theatrical production? It's really quite simple. I saw them standing together.

Which them you ask? Well let me start at the beginning...

Tonight, after I had finished obliterating Logan Echolls, the Casablancas arrived. Coach Dick, Cindy/Mac, and the twins- Meredith and Michael joined in the already burgeoning festivities. I spent the next 30 minutes till dinner trying to wrap my head around the marriage of the Dick and Cindy. By my observation from gym, Dick hadn't changed at all since high school. He was a former 09er with no pity or tolerance for anyone not running in the circles in his head. I mean c'mon---his brother was a psychotic serial killer and rapist- how does that not change you? Then again, how did he manage to marry Cindy "Mac" Mackenzie? Mac, as she was known in the golden days, was his brother's ex-girlfriend and a computer geek and BFF of Veronica Mars. She seems intelligent and possibly cool. Does love really blind you that much? By the time dinner was served I concluded that she either married for money or because Dick had layers---not many layers but maybe there was a shallow depth… Okay who am I kidding? I still didn't get it.

At the table, lucky me, was seated next to Hannah and Michael. Hannah ignored me and talked Homecoming with Meredith and Scott. Michael wasn't that bad. In fact, we had a lovely conversation about the Yankees' chance at a World Series win. (I was serious about the Yankees. I totally support them.) During our "normal" discussion I looked up. I should have never looked up. I looked up and at that one moment, Duncan, Logan and Mac had stood up to get drink refills or go to the bathroom-their reasons for standing- seriously I had no clue. But all three stood together and the flash went and the picture took…

Shot of Three was of Duncan Kane, Cindy Mackenzie, and Logan Echolls. The photograph I had loved was a photograph of three people within inches of me. I had their stolen moment. Looking at each of them with the new picture I had mentally taken I could estimate they were 21 when the photo was taken. That would have put the picture around the year 2009. The next thought, the one that got me in trouble was what grave were they standing over? (If this thought had stayed in my head all would have ended decently…)

"You're in my photograph." I spoke out loud. Not to Michael or anyone in particular but to "them."

They all three turned and looked towards me. Duncan stopped and turned first because I had mentioned owning the photograph to him earlier. Then Logan and Cindy followed behind him. Duncan Kane's look was a false puzzlement. "What?"

"The photograph in my room by Veronica Mars; Shot of Three- it is a picture of the three of you. You were twenty-one when it was shot; give or take a year. Logan, you were standing close to a poorly marked grave. Behind you stood Duncan and then, Mrs. Casablancas. All three of you were looking at the grave and you didn't seem to know the photograph was being taken. Maybe it was being taken behind a tree or mausoleum. You never didn't know someone was watching you."

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT GRAVE?" Logan snarled.

"It's in the picture. I know nothing more than it's probably a grave here in Neptune and it probably has everything to do with why Duncan and Mrs. Casablancas had Keith Mars pulled off the cheerleading case."

"You did what?"

This time the exclamation was from Nichole Kane. She had risen to her feet and her napkin was thrown down. Her eyes glared in Duncan's general direction with confusion and spite.

"I had Keith pulled off the case. I don't like the way he obtains his information." Duncan tried to offer calmly.

Nichole wasn't buying it. "No you didn't. You did it because you're still mad. You're still angry but not with Keith, who has done nothing to you but find your sister's killer or save this town from one more lunatic but because of his daughter. Duncan, when are you going to get over her? When are you going to get over Meg? Cause when you do... or if you can't- let me know…" She paused and tears streamed in her eyes as she moved from her chair. "So I can get over you." She mumbled apologies and escaped to the upstairs bedroom.

"Maybe I'm new to this conversation but since when did it matter to you if Keith Mars was involved in a case you know nothing about…" Cindy retorted.

She had a point. She didn't know me. She didn't know I was a high school reporter. She didn't know I was working for Keith Mars. She didn't know that before she even came in the room I was prejudiced against her for belittling my hero.

"You're right Mrs. Casablancas I know nothing about the case…yet. But I will and I will find out what happened BUT we would all find out a lot sooner if you and Mr. Kane hadn't pulled Keith Mars off the case. I think I get it though- you hate Veronica Mars. All three of you hate Keith's daughter and you are going to punish Keith because of paternity. Am I right? You're going to punish Neptune in the name of revenge and in the spirit of having money to do it. My real question: what did Veronica Mars do to make you hate her that much? I don't understand."

"And. You. Won't." Duncan replied in dark and sinister tones. He then excused himself to go check on his wife. Hannah, Scott, Meredith and Michael started their own "glare down" of me. I glared at Logan and Cindy; waiting for my answer.

"You know what's so funny about all this, about all the drama and pain you brought into this house tonight---it's exactly what she would have done. She would have asked the same questions and caused the same reactions and wouldn't care who she hurt in the process. You. Are. Just. Like. Her." Logan spoke clearly. He then took one long look at me. I didn't care much for the look anymore than I cared for his entire demeanor. "Maybe you should stop trying to defend the guilty and leave the victims alone. This conversation is over." With his final speech, he merely walked out of the house.

The Casablancas followed suit without any words to my parents or to the Kane children. I had an eerie feeling I would be running extra laps in gym the next day as they left. Scott and Hannah left the dinner table soon after to in complete silence.

And then there were the Grants. Just my family whom I had completely embarrassed and damaged in one dinner sitting. Before they could yell or demand for us to leave, I walked out of the dining room and outside to breathe. I think I have stopped breathing. Out here, I can replay all the events that led to the disaster I caused. The words that catch me in the middle of my instant replay are Logan's.

"You are just like her…"

He was demeaning me. He meant his words to slam me; to stab me. But how could they when I didn't know Veronica Mars and what little I did- I didn't see as a bad thing? I knew the basics. Daughter of divorced parents: a father who was an ex-sheriff/ P.I. who saved the town and a mother who ran out after sleeping with her boyfriend's father and spent the rest of her years in a nursing home with alcoholic induced Alzheimer's. She graduated with honors from Neptune High; where she was once close to Duncan, Logan, Meg, Weevil, Wallace, and Mac. She went to Hearst College and before graduation from Hearst moved to Europe and began her photography career. What was horrible about her or her life? What did she do? I wasn't any closer to answering that question and I still had a case to help solve. And being grounded, which I knew was a fact, would impede my investigation. I pulled out my cell phone and quickly dialed before my Mom took it from me. I called four people insuring that I wasn't going to be stopped by the truth- no matter who it offended. After all, doesn't the truth set us free?