Author's note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and especially thanks to my beta for the last six chapters, StarCrossdSparrow, who was a huge help.
Warning: If you don't like time jumps, stop here, otherwise don't complain about it!
"Mars Investigations." The blond seated at the secretary's desk out in the room in front of Keith Mars' office was writing down notes on a pad as she cradled the phone between her chin and shoulder.
Her mother strolled through the door and asked in a stage whisper, "What've you got going on there?"
The blond held a finger up to her mom indicating that she still needed a moment. She hung up the phone, still jotting information down as she answered, "Nothing much. My boyfriend's mother thinks that her husband is cheating on her. With me." She said that as if just realizing that it meant that she was involved. Then her voice became determined. "Now I get to prove that I'm not. Because, well, eww. I think it's that one blonde cheerleader, Cassidy Williams."
Veronica laughed uneasily, remembering all too well her best friend from when she was her daughter's age who was sleeping with her boyfriend's husband. "Is grandpa around?" Veronica asked, trying to push that familiar face to the back of her mind.
"In his office with a client. I'm trying to get him to let me do the Jackson case stakeout tonight for him."
Veronica grinned, shook her head, and tossed over something she produced from her bag.
"Just remember to take that and Bodyguard with you." The girl caught the Taser and smiled as dog laying at her ankle lifted his head at the sound of his name. Her mother was always pretty understanding of her need to chase after cases. After all, it was quite obvious that it was something that ran in their blood.
Keith finally came out of the office, shaking hands with his client before watching him leave and looking up at Veronica. "Oh, hey honey."
"Hey dad. How's Lilly working out for you?"
"Well, you know, I tell her to do her algebra in between phone calls, she wants to chase after criminals. It's like deja vu."
Veronica smiled, knowingly. "Well I just came to bring you two some take out. Logan will be by to pick Lilly up later."
"Which daddy wouldn't have to do if you'd give me my car back," Lilly snarked at her mom who only shook her head.
"Lilly, the last one you had, you totaled. You can wait a few weeks before driving your new one. Your father shouldn't be spoiling you with new cars anyways."
"But that wasn't my fault! Kert backed into me on purpose because I told him that I knew what he was doing with Mr. Hendrick's test. He knew the proof was in my laptop and the laptop was in the back of my car, so he plowed into it to cover it up!"
"And what did you do about it?" Veronica asked her to continue, as if to make a point.
"Okay, well, so I sort of changed around his test scores on the school computer. But, he deserved it!"
"What about the car you had before that that ended up in the bay?"
Keith zoned out from listening to them go back and forth. It amazed him to see that his granddaughter had even made it to seventeen with both of her parents blood running through her. When he tuned back in they had stopped arguing.
Veronica handed him the food she had brought and headed for the door. "I have to go. I'm on a case, too. I'll call you later, though, daddy. And Lilly, don't forget about that chemistry test you have tomorrow. You can go on your stake out in your car, but that's it…and take your book with you." she called back as she ran out the door.
Lilly sat back in her office chair and crossed her ankles on top of her desk before turning to Keith and sighed. "No one lets me do anything."
Keith remained silent for a moment, though he couldn't help but contemplate just how scarily similar Lilly was to Veronica. She might have her father's eyes and sometimes recklessness, but her personality had to have came strait from her mother. "Oh, I wonder why."