Thanks for the reviews and follows! Those little alerts and comments keep me going and are much appreciated.

As soon as I uploaded the first chapter I realized this story was going to go in a completely different direction than the one I expected! I guess that's how it goes... This chapter is definitely more a bridge to explain the set-up - hopefully I won't have to write too many like this now that things are getting set into motion...

So I definitely don't own these characters and once again thank Mr. Rob Thomas for their creation.

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The shrill buzzing of her alarm clock woke Mac from last night's less than deep sleep. Thoughts of Dick's offer had kept her mind occupied and made it difficult to fall asleep. She had hoped the morning would bring her more clarity, but her brain was still whirling from the outlandish proposal from Dick. She sighed and tossed aside her bedspread, stepping gingerly onto the cold dorm-room floor. 'Okay, Mackenzie, time to face the day. You can deal with Dick later.' Snickering at her double-entendre, she sighed again and made her way to the sink in her room, staring at herself in the mirror as she began her morning's routine.

As she brushed her teeth, her mind wandered back to yesterday afternoon and the preposterous plan Dick had somehow decided was the only way to avoid defying his father and at the same time retaining control of his trust fund.

"You want me to do what Dick? Are you insane?" Mac had gaped at Dick, his serious expression belying the ridiculous nature of the request.

"You and me, Mac. Pretend to have a baby, or rather, pretend I got you preggo." Mac had just stared at him, wide-eyed, both stunned by the request and confused about about what this had to do with Dick's trust fund money or Big Dick's upcoming prison stint.

"Yeah, Dick. I heard that part, which, by the way, is one of the most preposterous things I have ever heard, like bad Mexican soap opera level ridiculous, but before we get to that part, explain to me again how pretending to have a kid helps you out? And then we'll get to the part where you explain to me why I would even do that?" Dick had winced at Mac's tone, which she had to admit, made her feel a little guilty, until Dick started talking again.

"See Ghostworld, this is where you have to trust my lawyers. Basically once I turn 18 and if I have kids and get married, control of the trust goes to me. It's never mattered before because my dad didn't give a shit about me or Beav, but now that he's all trying to be father of the year and shit, he can use this morals clause to take away control of my trust until I'm 25, which would totally blow."

Mac had tried to follow this bizarre reasoning, and still couldn't understand how she had come into the picture. "How does that make any sense? Why would you set up the trust that way? It basically encourages people to get married and start having kids before their ready."

"Don't I know it. How do you think my parents ended up with me? I was basically just a way for my dad to gain leverage over his trust as soon as he decided he wanted control over the money. You can see how well that worked out." Dick had shaken his head and rolled his eyes before he continued. "I guess my grandpa was like really old when he had my dad and was into having kids and a family and wanted to make sure the Casablancas family would live on. So he set up this weird clause about getting married and having kids. Otherwise my dad controls the money until I'm 25 and can make my life really horrible until then."

Mac had guessed there was some back story to the reasons Dick and Cassidy's parents were so shitty, but hearing that they were basically born to get access to money made her brain hurt. "Dick, I'm sorry, that is really terrible, and totally bizarre at the same time. How could your grandfather not see that his plan would backfire?"

Dick shook his head and laughed. "That's the best part. The old coot dropped dead of a heart attack right before I was born, and I guess my dad couldn't have the terms of the trust changed because my grandfather was already dead, so the rules applied to my dad's heirs too. I guess my grandfather's will had money set aside for his future great-grand kids too. He wanted to make sure his legacy would really last I guess."

"Okay, but Dick this is making my brains hurt and I still don't know why you think I would help you. Why don't you ask one of your 'lady friends for help," Mac made air quotes as she said lady friends, "or I don't know, you're actual ex-wife?"

"She's not my ex-wife. In the eyes of the law, if you get an annulment, its like you were never married."

"So not my point. What I'm saying is, of all the women you know," Mac ignored Dick's smirk, "why don't you ask someone that, I don't know, actually likes you?"

"See that's the thing Ghostworld, I know you pretty much hate me, and have morals and crap. So A) you don't actually want to get married. B) you definitely don't want to have kids with me. And C) you wouldn't try to get any of my money, other than what I had agreed to pay you of course. If I asked some rando, they might actually try to get pregnant," Dick shuddered, "and there's no way in hell I'm having a kid. I'm not going to do the fucked up shit that was done to me and Cassidy."

That mention of Cassidy struck that note of guilt again that she was trying to squash, but Mac had to agree those were all fair points. However, she still had major doubts over the logic of Dick's plan. "Yeah, but Dick, for this plan to work, don't we actually have to get married and have a kid?" Mac couldn't believe she had uttered those words, because they meant she was actually considering the plan.

"Whoa, whoa, Mackie. No need to to get excited. That won't be necessary." Dick shook his head a little too vehemently, and Mac had scowled at him, but he continued despite her death-glare. "See here's the beauty of it. If I go to my dad and say I knocked you up, that's all the leverage I'll need. My dad knows that I can get my trust when the kid is born, so he's going to like totally give up and forget about threatening me with his stupid morals clause. It would be mute at that point."

"Dick," Mac had sighed, "the word is 'moot', not 'mute'."

"Whatever, Ghostworld, that's why Beav liked you. All those beautiful brains. So are you in?"

Having chosen to ignore the question, Mac went on, "so what happens when your dad realizes there's no little Richard the Third on the way? Won't that pretty much wreck your big plan?"

"So I thought of that. He goes away for three years. I'll be like 24 when he gets out and within a year of being in control of my trust anyway. I'll just tell him you lost the little bean, wised up and dumped me. The plan only needs to work until he's in jail, which is in about 8 weeks. So as soon as you say yes, I'll cut you that first fat check."

Mac had hesitated, trying to find a loophole that Dick hadn't covered. She had no doubt there would be one..."I don't know Dick. Isn't there another way, I mean he's going away in a couple months anyway…"

Dick just shook his head again and stared off into the distance over Mac's shoulder. "No Mac. I can't let him get his way now. Too much of my life has been about trying to do what that prick wants and I..." Dick had trailed off and returned his gaze to Mac's, "I can't explain it now, but I need your answer. It's an easy 10 G for your. All you have to do is tell my dad you're like totally in love with me and stoked to have a little Casablancas in the oven. I know that might be hard for you, but isn't 10 grand worth it?"

Mac had glared at Dick for his obliviousness. "You realize you're basically asking me to lie to not only your dad, but basically the entire world, Dick."

Dick must have thought that Mac was barely on the fence or thinking about jumping off of it, prompting his next words. "Okay, what if I paid you 10 up front and another 10 when my dad heads into the clink? 20 grand could pay for like a lot of RAM, right?"

Too stunned at his offer to respond, Mac had just stared blankly at Dick as her brain whirled around what it would mean to have twenty thousand dollars in her bank account.

"Think it over Ghostworld, but the offer expires in 24 hours, so don't think too hard." With that Dick had stood up from their table at the student union and sauntered away, leaving Mac speechless for probably the fifth or sixth time that day.

Recalling the way Dick had so confidently left, Mac couldn't help feeling that she was cornered. It wasn't that she was opposed on moral grounds. Despite what Dick thought about her actually having them, she had crossed more than a few ethical lines in the past, but usually for what she believed was for a good cause, though not always, if she were being honest with herself. She was sure this wasn't a good cause, but in some corner of her mind, she couldn't help feeling a little bad for Dick. It wasn't his fault that his father was such a horrible person, and she could see from his perspective why he didn't want his father in control of his life even for a few years. It's not like Dick would get a job or something. 'Hah, fat chance.'

Morals issues aside, the fact of the matter was, Mac was broke, and besides doing a few odd jobs for her professors, there was no way she'd see money like what Dick was offering until after college or even worse, grad school. She might be able to land a good internship at Kane Software next year, but those didn't usually go to sophomores, so she might be stuck in the labs again making barely minimum wage for another year. Dick's offer could give her a lot of freedom to consider things she had ruled out because of money.

Logically, she knew she should say yes, but had this bad feeling, and that was probably why she hadn't been able to sleep last night. Mac hated that she couldn't reconcile that feeling logically. What could go wrong? So maybe Dick's dad wouldn't believe them. She'd make an honest effort and be 10,000 dollars richer. If he did believe them, her money would double. It was a no-lose situation. But Mac knew better than anyone that things that seemed to good to be true, they usually were. She couldn't help the feeling that her life was somehow fated to be tied up with that of the Casablancas men, and so far her track record with them was poor at best.

'More like complete disaster, Mackenzie. And now you're talking to yourself. Great, just great.' Mac muttered to herself as she stared into her mirror. She sighed again, knowing the decision was made as soon as Dick had made his first offer, and prepared herself to make the call to accept what would likely be one of the dumber things she had ever done in her short life.