A/N: Based on the lack of feedback for chapters 6 & 7 I'm not sure if people are still reading but I'm going to continue posting. One of my pet peeves is incomplete FF that just stops in the middle of the story so good, bad, or indifferent, I will finish this.

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Chapter 8 The Costs of War . . . and Peace

INTERIOR MARS INVESTIGATIONS

Veronica finished the filing that her dad had allowed to pile up in the past few weeks. She paid the bills and dropped a stack of phone messages on Keith's desk. Shaking her head, she expelled a breath of air in frustration, blowing a few strands of errant hair out of her face. After pouring herself a cup of coffee from the pot in the little kitchenette, Veronica flopped down in her office chair and began scanning her campus e-mail:

Bruce said thanks again; he'd attached four tickets to his next performance and some drink coupons to show his appreciation

There was going to be a campus wide fire drill and emergency evacuation practice on campus tomorrow night; Veronica would be sure to avoid campus for that

Several ads for Viagra and other male enhancement products which she deleted immediately not understanding why this junk still got through her spam filter

A reminder from a professor about an upcoming quiz

A notice that she'd won the Nigerian lottery; someday in her spare time she'd have to investigate the creator of this scam

Her credit card payment was due in 5 days

Extra tutoring would be available in the student center before midterms

And there was the item she was looking for: Nish's e-mail; Veronica clicked on the paperclip attachment and was dismayed to find a list of over 100 names. Some of these people had already graduated. Veronica massaged her face. This was overkill. The offer was for the two of them to join – her and Nish. Even though it had been her suggestion to convince the Castel to admit other women, Veronica had assumed Nish would give her a list of twenty or twenty-five names, not over one hundred. There was no way they were going to go for this. Scrolling through her cell phone, Veronica found the number she was looking for and hit send.

Without so much as a pleasant hello, the voice on the other end immediately asked "Did you get the list?"

"I did, but we're going to have to pare it down," Veronica suggested without pre-amble.

"Are you kidding?" Nish scoffed. "Those men have been running with impunity. This is our chance to even the score."

Sighing, Veronica offered an olive branch. "Let's just talk about it. Can you meet me at my father's office?"

"I don't know where that is. Come to campus. I'll meet you in the food court," Nish countered.

"We can't talk about this in the middle of the food court," Veronica reasoned. "Just come to the office – Mars Investigations - 3339 Neptune Blvd. It's in the middle of the block. You can't miss it. Park out front."

"Fine," Nish reluctantly agreed. "I'll be there in about an hour."

As Veronica hung up the phone, her dad and Cliff McCormack walked in. "Hi honey. I didn't expect to see you this afternoon."

"Me either, Dad," she greeted him brightly. "I thought you were testifying in some messy divorce."

"He was," Cliff interjected "but as soon as the other side saw that money shot, the husband agreed to pay."

"I'll never understand cheaters," Veronica sighed. "So, you boys celebrating?"

"You betcha!" exclaimed Cliff pulling a bottle of gin out of his brief case and swinging it gently by the neck in front of Veronica's face. "You wanna join us?"

"She's not old enough," barked Keith.

"Really? Geeze, I thought you were what, 36, by now, at least," teased the goofy lawyer. Cliff was far more perceptive than then his adopted persona belied. Veronica stuck her tongue out as a childish reminder to Cliff that she was still young at heart. He chuckled in response.

Keith had grabbed and ice cube tray, two glasses and a bottle of tonic water out of the kitchen. "You're still welcome to talk with us, honey," her father offered walking into his office with the supplies.

Picking up her cup of coffee, Veronica followed them into her dad's inner sanctum. The two men settled into an easy conversation about open cases they were working together, with Veronica supplying pertinent updates if it was something she'd been handling for her dad but her mind wasn't really on this conversation. She was still wrestling with the idea of joining the Castle. Part of her felt like it was selling out but part of her thought it was a way to atone for all her past wrongs and to keep Logan safe, despite himself. Protecting him was worth almost any sacrifice.

Sensing that his daughter wasn't all there, Keith pried gently. "Spill it, oh daughter of mine. Your body may be here but your mind is somewhere else."

Not really having anybody else to share this with Veronica looked solemnly from her Dad to Cliff and back again.

"This may be my cue to leave," Cliff announced starting to rise from his chair.

"No, stay. I'd like your opinion too." Veronica fished a crumpled dollar out of her pants pocket and handed it to the lawyer.

Cliff rolled his eyes and looked to Keith for guidance or permission to escape. "Oh, this ought to be good if you're making sure the attorney client privilege applies by paying me, paltry consideration though it is."

"What's the matter, honey?" Keith asked concern evident in his voice and body language. "Vinnie's not gonna coming barging in here with an arrest warrant for you, is he?"

"No and nothing's wrong," she assured her father. "It's just, well how far would you go to protect somebody you lo. . . cared about and to fix something you ruined?"

"You know I'd go pretty far, honey," Keith guaranteed.

Smiling Veronica remembered, "You already proved you'd walk through fire for me, Dad."

"Damn, straight I would."

A bit embarrassed by this father daughter bonding, Cliff cut to the chase. "So what's your question?"

"Well, I've been . . . . I've been offered this chance . . . . and it seems almost too good to be true but the connections would be fantastic . . . and people would be safe and . . . .and I'd get to make up for something bad . . ." she looked at father. She was still so filled with guilt about the lost election. "But I feel like I'd have to sell my soul to the Devil."

"Oh, is that all?" Cliff tried to lighten the somber turn this conversation was taking.

"Don't make fun," Veronica pleaded.

"Sweetie, I'm a lawyer and public defender. Some say I don't have a soul and if I ever did, I sold it a long time ago."

Veronica chuckled at Cliff's self-deprecating sense of humor.

Still serious Keith encouraged Veronica to make her own decision. "Veronica you have a good head on your shoulders - most of the time. But you have to be true to yourself. It's nice that your sacrifice may help someone else but if you lose yourself the price is too high."

Before she could respond, the bell on the outer office door jingled to let them know someone had walked in. "That'll be my 4:00 o'clock." Veronica stepped out of her dad's office to meet with Nish.