Author's Note 1: I'm really thankful and appreciate to those who are following and reviewing this story from the beginning. You inspired me to write more and I am humbled that people are reading my fic. You guys are awesome! Kudos to betsal, missanthropiclife and steenbeans who suspected correctly that Gory is Veronica's husband, yay! The detailed version of flashbacks would be in the PREQUEL. That's right; there's gonna be a prequel. Btw, some ppl messaged me and said that I have a lot of plots on my plate. That is true. And I won't give it all away. I'm thinking SEQUELS. That's right; there will be sequels. I'm really having fun writing this fic, so why not?

Author's Note 2: Check out my fanvid intro for this story. I usually make fan intros/trailers in most of my fanfics to motivate me. Go ahead and click my Youtube profile or type 'Veronica Mars: Neptune Intro'. Kindly rate and comment, please.

Author's Note 3: I'm not satisfied with this short chapter. I feel like there's too much dialogue about what happened instead of showing what happened. I have to admit that this is a filler chapter, but it's a setting for bigger things to come. But I hope you enjoy it anyway *fingers cross*.

Trivia: In this fic, many locations and places are based with the names of planets, zodiacs, shio/Chinese constellations, galaxies, moons… and many more, except those that already been established in the show. The only one that doesn't have the similarity is Magpie Diner: Sorokin(Сорокин) is derived from the Russian word sorokaor magpie.

Sorokin Mansion

Veronica was sleeping when someone walked into the room quietly. She didn't stir when the person sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, took off his suit, and propped his feet on the table. She woke up when she heard the person exhaled.

"Gory?" She said sleepily. She looked at the clock, and it was 1 AM. She turned on the light next to her bed.

"Shhh… Go back to sleep, Veronica. I'll be there in a sec." Gorya Sorokin, Veronica's husband, was closing his eyes tiredly. Veronica climbed down from bed and approached him from behind. She circled her arms around his neck, and hugged him while gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Hmmm… that's nice." He kissed her arm.

"You just got back?" She moved to sit on the table and pulled his shoes and socks off. She massaged his foot a bit, which made him groaned. He then took her hand and pulled her next to him. Gorya kissed Veronica's head, put his arm around her, and she settled herself.

"The meeting took longer than I expected. Roman and Valentin were really getting on my nerves." He mumbled in her hair.

"Why? What have your brothers done now?"

Gorya seemed reluctant to tell his wife about the business meeting. "Nothing." Veronica didn't pursue this. And it was already midnight, and she had an early start in the morning. She took off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. Gorya exhaled again and brushed Veronica's hair from her face with his hand. "I'm sorry about dinner – I'll make it up next time, I promise."

"It's okay." She kissed his cheek and stood up while pulled him up. Gorya groaned again but followed his wife to bed.

"I have to go to work in the morning. There's a photo session for this fashion magazine. It may take all day. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Veronica asked Gorya who was changing his clothes into T-Shirt and boxers. He practically dived into bed head first because he was so tired.

"Sleep until dinner." He replied and buried his face into the pillow.

Veronica smirked and ruffled Gorya's hair. She then turned around and turned off the light. "Goodnight."

Gorya faced the ceiling. He pondered whether he should say something. But his jealousy took over, and with a flat tone he asked, "Boris mentioned that you were hugging a man outside the restaurant. Something you wanna tell me about?"

Veronica opened her eyes. Of course one of his bodyguards saw her and told him about what happened after dinner. Fuck.

She rolled over to face him, and with a poker face she told him, "Just some friend from high school. Remember, we were supposed to have a reunion tomorrow before they cancelled it." She expected Gorya to drop the subject, because high school story wasn't something he interested with.

No such luck.

"Who was your friend?" Obviously he wouldn't drop the subject. Veronica pursed her lips. Gorya could be very jealous and persistent, but without raising his voice. Sometimes he could say something menacing and hurtful in a calm tone. Roman was always about yelling orders and temper tantrum, and Valentin was a punk whom nobody hardly take seriously. But Gorya was the most dangerous from the Sorokin brothers. Ever since his uncle Lev took over the family business after Gorya's father died few years back, Gorya became his right hand and had been groomed to be the next leader. Which made Roman and Valentin pissed really bad.

Gorya was quiet but a ruthless man.

Veronica knew that Gorya was capable of doing unthinkable things but doing it with a cold manner. There was a reason why she married him, and it wasn't love. But still, she owed him a lot…

"Logan Echolls." Veronica answered quietly. Gorya was still looking at the ceiling, and not looking at his wife. Of course he heard about Logan Echolls; the King of Neptune back in the days – a movie director, and a celebrity. "You heard of him; he directed that movie you like – Neptune Noir." She explained. There was no way she would mention that Logan was her ex-boyfriend. Gorya was too jealous about her past boyfriends. Gorya was still jealous with Don Lamb, her late husband – every time she goes to the cemetery, he always made a crude comment about him, like how stupid he was to get himself killed. Veronica always hated his comment, and usually they would argue.

"You two were close?" Veronica didn't answer for a while, which made him turned to look at her.

She looked him in the eyes and said, "We used to be friends… a long time ago."

Le Verrier

After a nice dinner, Mac, Dick, and Logan decided to continue their night at Dick's penthouse, because it was closer to the restaurant. It was a good night; they were talking, eating, and laughing all night – although they were ignoring the obvious elephant in the room; Veronica.

Logan was looking around for Veronica's husband while they were in the restaurant, but he couldn't see him. Probably he was in the VIP private dining room, as he could see many bodyguards outside the room. He didn't say anything to Dick and Mac about his meeting with Veronica, and they didn't even mention her name once – it was killing him that his friends were avoiding the topic.

They were lounging on the couch, drinking and talking, reminiscing about old times. Mostly Dick and Logan were talking about their days back when they were teenagers. Mac just listened and rolled her eyes to hear the stories about stupid things they had done.

At midnight, Mac had too much wine and fell asleep on the couch. She was lying in the middle between Dick and Logan, and she was hugging Dick while her legs were on Logan's lap.

Logan took off her shoes and put a blanket on her so she wouldn't catch a cold. "She's a lightweight."

"She drinks grass juice, usually." Dick leaned back to be comfortable and hugged Mac. She put her head on his chest, and he kissed her head affectionately.

Logan raised his eyebrow. "So how long you and Mac have been together?"

Dick shook his head, "We're not together. We're friends."

"Come on, Dick. We all know that men and women cannot be friends." Logan smirked.

Dick shot him an annoyed look, "Of course you're the expert of this."

Logan just laughed quietly, not wanting to wake Mac up. "I gotta tell you; I didn't expect you and Mac would be friends though. I mean, in high school you used to tease her so bad."

Dick sighed and looked at Mac, who was snoring a little. "Yeah, dude – I was mean back then to her and Cass."

Logan went quiet. They had been dancing around in the subject of Cassidy and also Veronica all night. Cassidy's suicide a decade ago was the last straw for him so he decided to leave Neptune. Logan watched Dick rubbed Mac's arm softly as she shifted comfortably and buried her face to his chest. Logan bit his lip and decided to say what was in his mind.

"How did you two ended up as friends?"

Dick looked at him for a while and then sighed. "I tuck this one first, okay?" He carefully picked Mac and carried her to his bedroom. Logan watched as Dick was so gentle with Mac. He saw from the open door that Dick put her in his bed, covered her with a comforter, and kissed her softly on her forehead. His heart suddenly softens to see Dick behaving like that as he never saw him ever so gentle with someone else. Dick was always rude, brash, and a jackass when he was in high school. He treated women like garbage, treated Cassidy like his personal toy, and generally behaving like an idiot.

It surprised him when he saw Dick was nice towards everyone, as Logan observed in the restaurant. He saw Dick treated Mac like she was the most important person in the room. He sat next to her, and had his arm casually draped around her shoulders. Although Mac considered this gesture normal, Logan could see it wasn't. It was the little things, like Dick's finger was drawing circles around on her shoulder or how Mac wiped the corner of his mouth with her thumb when there was a sauce and he didn't mind.

Logan opened another can of beer. "I didn't hear you mention Veronica and Cassidy once tonight."

Dick also opened a can of beer. "You didn't ask." Both of them saluted each other with their beers.

"I was waiting for you guys to say something… The reunion was supposed to be tomorrow." Logan drank his beer while watching Dick.

"I was kinda hoping you would breeze through it, dude." Dick leaned back and put his feet on the table in front of him. The table was full of empty bottles of wines and cans of beer. Both of them had their sleeves pulled up as they were enjoying their drinks. "Go Pirates!" He drank his beer and then crushed the can with his bare hand.

"Look it us, man. We're 28 years old… I can't believe that time flies." Logan said.

Dick chuckled, "Time flies when you're having fun… Or is it times fun when you're having flies?" He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Kermit the Frog said that."

"Yeah, I know."

"That frog has an excellent career, and yet he's being abused by Miss Piggy all of his life – and he's okay with it." He was wagging his finger. "That's blind love." Dick was miming intercourse with his hands. "I mean, how they even do it?" He shuddered a bit. Logan watched Dick who was a little bit tipsy and avoiding the subject of Cassidy and Veronica.

"Dick…"

"Hey, dude. Did you really join the Marines?" Dick suddenly asked. "I saw your profile once in Entertainment Tonight." He then hummed the theme song of the show.

Logan looked at him warily. "Army, actually."

"So you've seen a lot of action, huh? You were in war or something?

"Yeah… Tour of Duty and such. Middle East, South America, Asia…" Logan shrugged. He was really uncomfortable talking about his soldier days. Sometimes he forgot which real life he actually lived in…

"Cool. I never thought you had it in you; y'know, discipline and shit like that. I mean, rules were never for us, right?"

Logan looked at him and asked quietly. "I heard what happened to Veronica yesterday…"

Dick didn't ask where Logan got the information. It wasn't a secret; the whole town knew about Veronica Mars. "It's something we never talk about…" He said softly.

Logan sighed and grabbed a new bottle of champagne and popped it open. He drank it straight from the bottle and then loosened his tie. "Dick… I'm sorry that I left without saying goodbye." Dick looked up. He looked sad and wary but he didn't reply. "I should've said something… anything. But back then, a decade ago, after what happened in that rooftop, I just couldn't stand it. I needed to get outta from this fucked up town. Aaron's death was the icing on the cake."

"Yeah, I got it man." Dick replied softly. "I couldn't deal myself."

Logan was facing towards Dick and looked him in the eyes. "I know I'm 10 years late, but I want you to know that I am sorry." Dick looked away not really seeing Logan in the eyes. "You're my best friend. My only friend. And I just… left. I am so sorry."

Dick seemed uncomfortable. When your best friend said he was sorry, would you forgive him instantly? He pursed his lips together and decided to tell Logan what had been bothering him. "Dude, that was a long time ago. I think I've moved on from that. Cass' death was… hard. But… Ronnie and Mac helped me through with it."

"Please tell me…" Logan asked quietly.

Dick sighed and finished his beer, crushed the beer can again, and then grabbed another beer. "When Cass died, I was a wreck. Basically I didn't want to live, but I didn't want to die either." He took another sip of his beer. "For a time being, I crashed at Ronnie's couch until I had a place of my own. We became close, and I hung out with her, Wallace, Troy, and Mac a lot." Logan nodded and listened to his story. "Let's just say without them, I would be dead somewhere in a ditch. I mean, I was completely fucked. Mac and Ronica… I mean, they were really fucking patience with me. Long story short, I straightened myself and we became best buddies." He shrugged.

Logan swallowed, "What happened to Veronica?"

Dick closed his eyes and shook his head. "Logan… I don't want to talk about it." Logan watched Dick lying down on the couch. He was still closing his eyes. "We had a good night, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Please don't ruin it by talking about what happened in the past." Dick adamantly said.

Logan didn't push the subject. Dick would tell him if he was ready. And maybe it was best that he didn't know what happened… because he couldn't take another horror story about Veronica. "Just tell me this… She was married to Lamb?"

Dick took a while to answer, and then he sighed. "Yes."

"How did THAT happened?"

"I don't know, dude."

"Dick… Please."

"Look, Logan. Lamb is dead. It was just another chapter of unfortunate event in our lives – especially Ronica." Dick pointed a guest room. "You better crash in here. Spare room is over there. I'll sleep here. It's closer to my room, just in case Mac needs me…"

Logan didn't answer but he nodded slowly. He wouldn't get anything from Dick. They may be drunk, but it seemed Dick was sober enough not to blab about what happened.

"Goodnight, Dick." He went to the guest room, and closed the door.

Dick opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. There was no way he would tell Logan the horror stories about Veronica… He even wanted to bury them in his mind. But he couldn't help remembering it… Sometimes he felt that the Gods weren't fair to the Neptunians.

Flashback,

Neptune General Hospital, 2006

Dick, Mac, Wallace, Troy, Weevil, Parker, and Piz were sitting in the hospital waiting area when Alicia walked in holding Darrell's hand. The little boy was obviously sleepy as he was rubbing his eyes. She approached Wallace. "Wallace, we're going home. Darrel has a basketball practice tomorrow. I already said goodbye to Keith. Are you coming with us?"

Wallace looked around to his friends. They weren't able to see Veronica because she was requesting no visitor. But her friends insisted to visit.

It was 3 days since Veronica was rescued from the kidnapping.

"Yeah, okay… I think we aren't able to see her tonight anyway… Are you guys coming?" He asked to his friends. Parker and Piz nodded and stood up. Troy and Weevil seemed reluctant to go, but they needed to go home. Weevil promised to his abuela to come over, and Troy promised his dad he would stay over at his house for the weekend.

"I'm staying, guys." Mac said.

"Are you sure? I don't think they allowed us to see her anyway." Weevil said.

"Yeah, I know. But…I just wanna be here. I can bring coffee to Mr. Mars." Parker and Alicia gave her a hug, Piz awkwardly patted her shoulder, Troy pinched her cheek playfully, Weevil gave her a playful shoulder bump, and Wallace hugged her. "Goodnight, everyone. I will tell Mr. Mars you were here." Everyone said goodbyes and walked out. Mac sighed and turned around to see Dick was still sitting in one of the chairs. "You're not going home?"

"Troy is staying at his parents' house tonight. I don't feel like going home to an empty apartment." Dick answered. Ever since he moved out from Mars Residence, he and Troy became roommates.

Mac sighed at sat next to Dick. Dick was fidgeting and it made her frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I feel like I wanna kill Mercer." He replied shortly.

Mac nodded slowly. "I feel the same way…"

Dick stopped fidgeting. He was teary all of a sudden. "And you know the worst part is?" Mac shook her head, and she was surprised to see him sniffling. "Beav raped her too…"

Mac's eyes widened in shock. "W… What do you mean?"

Dick buried his face to his hands. "Fuck, Mackie. I basically pushed him to rape her during Shelley Pomeroy's party few years ago!"

"What the hell do you mean?" Mac felt a sudden anger in her. Dick didn't answer, but he was crying without sound. "Dick… I don't understand. What do you mean, Cassidy raped her?" She shivered. There was no way that Cassidy, her late boyfriend, who refused to have sex with her, raped Veronica.

Dick didn't answer. He didn't know either that back then Cassidy raped Veronica. He was too drunk and didn't remember anything after the party at Shelley's. It was Veronica who told him about the rape when he was still living with her, which made him so awful he actually got down on his knees and apologized to her. They were both crying at the time. Sometimes Dick felt that Veronica never really had forgiven him.

Keith Mars never knew about this. It was Dick and Veronica's little secret.

But now this monster Mercer did something so horrible, it made Dick so angry that he couldn't do anything about it. He felt helpless… The first time it was his brother, the second time it was his 'friend'. And he wasn't doing anything to prevent this…

Before Dick could say something, someone was yanking him from his chair.

Sheriff Don Lamb was grabbing his collar and slamming him to the wall.

Mac was shrieking and many deputies and orderlies who were down in the hallway heard her shriek. They immediately ran to the waiting room and tried to pull Lamb from Dick who had his arm on his neck.

When they finally pulled him away, Lamb was able to punched Dick in the face. Dick fell down, and Mac immediately crouched beside him and held him. "STOP IT! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Lamb was breathing hard as his deputies were holding him back. Dick wanted to curse him, until he saw Lamb's look and he immediately understood that Lamb overheard him and he knew about the rape back then. Mac and a male nurse were holding his head as his nose was bleeding.

"Don, what's wrong?" Deputy Sacks was in the middle between Lamb and Dick. Lamb didn't answer. His face was in agony, and Dick saw regrets in his eyes. "Mr. Casablancas, what happened here?"

Dick didn't answer, but Mac was responding, "He jumped him outta nowhere! He's insane!"

Lamb released himself from his deputies, "Get off me!" He looked like he was on a verge of crying. He stormed out from the waiting room and away from everyone. The deputies were looking each other in confusion, especially Deputy Sacks. A male nurse placed an ice pack to Dick's nose and sat him up on the floor.

"Mr. Casablancas, are you okay?" Asked Deputy Sacks. Dick didn't answer, only nodded. He was a little dizzy from Lamb's sucker punch, but he was alright. Deputy Sacks nodded to both Mac and Dick and then walked out from the waiting room followed by other deputies who went back to their guarding duty.

Many reporters were trying to sneak into the hospital so they were standing guard. It was a huge news sensation in that town; a former sheriff's daughter was kidnapped and held hostage by the son of a judge who happens to be a serial rapist.

"The nose is not broken, it still intact." The male nurse was checking Dick's nose. "Just put this so the bleeding will stop." He told Mac who was holding the ice pack.

"Thank you." Mac thanked the nurse and helped Dick to sit in the chair. The nurse left them alone in the waiting room. Dick leaned his head back while holding the ice pack. Mac looked at him with a questionable look. "Dick…" Mac bit her lower lip and her voice was breaking. "What happened?" Dick didn't answer, but Mac could see a tear escaped and rolled onto his cheek.

Their best friend Veronica had a hard life and it affected theirs too… She climbed onto his lap and put her head onto his shoulder. Dick whispered. "Promise me we're gonna stay friends no matter what." He said in a small voice.

Mac nodded into his shoulder. "I promise…"

Present,

Neptune City Hall, 2016

It was 3 AM when someone was walking very slowly in the dark hallway. The person was wearing black clothes from top to bottom.

Without any words, the person laid down a blow-out poster of Cassidy Casablancas on the floor near the entrance of the foyer, poured red paints all over the place, splashed it with more paints to the wall, and then spray painted the empty spots with the words "DIE MAYOR!"