Disclaimer: Veronica Mars and all recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Rob Thomas.
Twelve:
Judging from the look on Tony Rawley's face, Bones Carver knows that something is up, and not in a good way. Tony is sitting on a stool his elbow on the bar, and he's running his knuckles along his chin, with a far off look in his eyes. Finally Tony shakes himself and then his arm sweeps violently across the bar and is beer his thrown to the floor, the glass bottle shattering. Onlookers that realize its Tony quickly turn away.
Bones waits patiently for Tony to say whatever is on his mind. Finally Tony opens his mouth. "We could get fucked over on this deal. Looks like Banks is well connected. I had our eyes in the local five-o do a little digging. Turns out the kid's mom's name is Priscilla Banks, and now this really took some digging, but she was involved in a car crash where a Kendall Shifflet died, right? Turns out this Kendall Shifflet married some rich asshole, a year or so ago, but here's the kicker, the Kendall Shifflet that married this rich asshole was originally Priscilla Banks who did a stint in the pen for Cormac Fitzpatrick. She's royalty to the Fitzpatricks, which makes her son a fucking prince! God dammit! I was hoping we could snatch his mother because he always seemed like the momma's boy pussy type. Epsy better come up with something for me to work with."
"Tony, this is deep if we cross the Fitzpatricks. Our ammunitions suppliers are tight with the Fitzpatricks. They wouldn't think twice of turning on us for those micks!"
"Yeah, but we can't let that little shit get away with what he did! He drew blood! A fucking narc, Bones. We don't let shit like that ride. It's makes us look weak and we're Sharks. We ain't weak."
"Being smart and being weak are two different things. You told me that once," Bones replies.
Tony slams his hand down on the bar before he turns a glare on Bones, and Bones knows he's gone too far. "And since when the fuck have you been allowed to throw my own advice in my face?"
Bones backs down. "Since never Tony. I'm only saying, we gotta go in this knowing everything."
"You're right, this is tricky, but we're gonna get that little son of a bitch. No one plays the Sharks, not even the prince of the micks."
Mac lifts her hand to the door once more, and drops it. She shifts her gaze to Cassidy who is fidgeting nervously beside her, and then Dick cuts in between them and begins to pound on the door until Mac's mother answers it. She pulls open the door and sweeps Mac into a huge hug, asking about the baby and kissing her cheeks and inviting her in, before she warily glances at Cassidy and Dick as they enter the Mackenzie household.
This is the first time that Natalie Mackenzie has laid eyes on either Casablancas brother since she found out about her daughter's condition. She calls Mac, and Mac comes over to visit, and it's an all around pleasant way of doing things, though Samuel Mackenzie, Mac's father, is always asking about the father of the baby. It is because of his suggestion that Cassidy and Dick are joining Mac's family for Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.
Mac has a smile on her face as she walks into the living room and her dad gives her a hug and then she's sitting in his favorite chair, the suede swivel recliner. She laughs when he pulls the leaver and her legs are thrown up and she leans back in the chair, and then her dad looks up at the two boys that are standing awkwardly in his living room and staring around at the Christmas tree and various decorations. One, a dark haired boy who looks very familiar is fidgeting nervously with his collar, and the other, a tall blonde surfer type is just looking around with a sort of bored look on his face.
"So, Cindy, now that you're off your feet, mind telling me who our guests are for dinner?" he asks her.
She swivels the chair around and holds her hand out and the dark haired boy steps forward and takes it, and Samuel watches the two, and he has a sinking suspicion that this boy is the reason for his daughter's present condition, but he chooses to bite his tongue for the moment, because it's not possible. The father of his grandchild is dead, but this dark haired boy with blue highlights in his hair is looking more and more familiar, like that boy that Mac use to bring around, the boy who broke his daughter's heart and left her with a baby to worry about.
"Well, Dad, this is Cassidy Banks, and we've been seeing each other for a while now. I'm sorry I didn't bring him around sooner, but we were trying to adjust to everything and he's been busy studying for mid-terms," Mac says.
"Mid-terms? So you met Cindy at college?" he asks and his eyes narrow on Cassidy.
Cassidy swallows thickly and he is reminded of the first time he came to the Mackenzie home to pick Mac up for a date. Her father still has that protective look down. It's a look that says, "Hurt my daughter, and they'll never find the body."
"Actually I'm going to Pan High. Cindy and I met through my company, Phoenix Land Trust. I had my mother hire her to work on the website, and maintain it. She actually hired a private detective to find out who her new boss was and she ended up on my doorstep, and everything just kind of fell into place from there," Cassidy says, and slowly lets out his breath.
Dick, of course, is finally tuning into the conversation and he shoulders Cassidy and says, "Dude, please! You had it bad for her the moment you laid eyes on Mackie! You were totally into her."
"And you are?" Samuel asks as he turns to Dick.
Dick holds out his hand. "I'm Dick Casablancas, and it's rocking to finally meet you Mr. Mac, cause like your daughter is all kinds of cool when she's not cleaning out the salad bar at a buffet."
Samuel actually snorts as he turns to his daughter and sees her indignant expression. "Well, Dick, Cassidy, welcome and Merry Christmas. Say… Casablancas… You wouldn't be related to…"
"The bun is my niece to be, Mr. Mac," Dick says with a wink, and Mac drops her head into her hands, her cheeks blazing in embarrassment.
Dick just called the baby a bun in front of her father. She wonders what else can go wrong when her brother, Ryan, comes tearing down the stairs and runs straight into Cassidy, knocking the both of them to the floor. Ryan climbs off of Cassidy and sends a rude gesture in Cassidy's generally direction while Cass is trying to catch his breath from having the wind knocked out of him. Dick looks at Ryan and his face lights up when Ryan settles down in front of the television and clicks on the gaming console hooked up to it.
"Ryan! Can't you forget about that game for five minutes? I don't know why we agreed to let you have it early," Natalie says as she walks into the living room from the kitchen. "Oh and dinner is ready. Come and fix your plates."
Soon Samuel, Natalie, Mac, and Cassidy are sitting around in the living room eating while Dick and Ryan are trying to kill each other in a martial arts battle to end all battles in the Mortal Kombat verse.
Cassidy's plate is full of a little bit of everything, even turkey, and dressing, and Samuel says, "So you aren't a vegetarian, like our Cindy."
"No, I do like a little protein every now and then, and this dressing is pretty good by the way," he replies, with a cautious glance in Natalie's direction.
She snorts, but doesn't reply beyond that. Natalie and Mac are doing little more than pushing food around their plates. Cassidy notices Mac's loss of appetite, leans toward her and whispers, "You should try to eat something."
She rolls her eyes, spears a carrot with her fork and then she crunches on it loudly as she sends him a small glare.
"So, have you thought of any names for the baby, Cindy?" her dad asks.
"Actually Cassidy and I have come up with a few, but we haven't settled on anything yet," she replies with a forced smile.
"And why are you discussing it with him? It's not like he's the father. I mean we all know it was that psycho kid that jumped off the Neptune Grand," Ryan pipes up from the floor and then he gives a cheer as he kills Dick's player.
Dick stiffens, Mac freezes, Cassidy is biting his tongue and slipping his arm around her shoulder, hoping that she doesn't start crying. Natalie is watching her daughter and Cassidy. Samuel gets up and looks down at Ryan before he points to the kitchen and barks out, "March now."
Ryan throws his controller down and goes to the kitchen where Mac's father vents his anger and outrage at bringing that up at all, let alone on Christmas Eve. While they are busy in the kitchen, Natalie narrows her eyes on Cassidy and her daughter and says, "I didn't think this would work out. Isn't it bad enough what you've done to our daughter? But to continue to do this to her and to us! Why can't you just leave her alone?"
Mac stands up and glares at her mother. "Mom, I never thought that I would ever be ashamed of you, because I know what you've gone through for me. I know all about the Sinclairs, and the lawsuit against the hospital, and I know that you and Dad chose to keep me. I love you for that, because you chose me, but I can't just let you tear into Cassidy. He's been through a lot, just let it go. He's not hurting me. Why can't you just see that we're happy, and we're going to have a family soon? Let it go, please," she says, a sob echoing on the last word.
All of the color has drained from Natalie's face as she digests what her daughter has revealed to her. "How did you find out, baby?" she asks, tears filling her eyes as she stands up and brushes the tears from her daughter's cheek and pulls her into a hug, and a small smile plays across her mouth as the bump of her daughter's pregnant belly brushes against her.
Mac takes a deep breath and shrugs. "I always thought something was weird with how different I am from you and Dad and Ryan, so I asked a friend of mine to look into it. I could have made a big deal out of it, but I get it. I mean you chose to keep me when you could have gotten your biological daughter back. That tells me you love me, and you're my mom no matter what. Please, just try to understand that what I have with Cassidy is my choice. You chose me, and now this is what I choose. I'm not asking you to be thrilled, I just want you to be supportive."
She looks down and notices that her daughter's hand is entwined with Cassidy's, and then she notices that Dick is standing on Mac's other side, and he's looking almost as protective as Cassidy, and she sees that they have become as much a part of her daughter's family as she is.
She spares a glance at Dick and Cassidy, and then she nods. "All right, welcome to the family, Dick, Cassidy," she says and then her gaze locks with her daughter's. "And honey, you always have my support. I just worry about you sometimes."
Mac nods. "Thanks Mom," she says with a small smile, and then adds, "And maybe its best if we keep this from Dad. He's kind of touchy about emotions and female stuff."
Her mom laughs a little and with a wink gives a nod, and then decides that a change of subjects is in order. "Yeah, so when your Dad is done with Ryan who's up for presents?"
"Dude, it's like totally cool that your parents got us something for Christmas, but these are like the fugliest sweaters I've ever seen in my life!" Dick says from the backseat, and for once Mac agrees with him as he holds up the maroon and grey argyle sweater. The black and grey one isn't as bad, but it's still argyle.
"For once I'm agreeing with Dick," Cassidy says, with a small grin, and then he reaches over and takes Mac's hand. "And I'm sorry about earlier. It was pretty awkward with your mom."
"Yeah and what was all that about the Sinclairs? What does Madison's family have to do with you?" Dick asks out of curiosity.
Mac shifts her gaze to Dick, surprised that he'd picked up on that earlier. "Would you believe that I was switched at birth with Madison?"
Dick takes this in, and then his eyes widen and he nearly chokes. "Woah! Shit! Like you could have totally been my girlfriend! Or fucking Lamb!" Dick says, and shudders at the last bit.
"I'm perfectly happy with Cassidy, thank you very much, and I don't even want to think about the current sheriff's love life, or Madison's for that matter," Mac replies.
"Madison doesn't love, she just fucks."
"Dick!" Cassidy bites out. "We get it! Madison is a trashy ho, now drop it, PLEASE!"
The rest of the drive to Cassidy's apartment is mostly filled with Dick munching on some chocolate covered cherries, and pawing through the presents Mac received from her parents which include a lot of baby things, clothes, a diaper bag, some stuffed animals, a baby photo album, and he snorts as he picks up the latest anti-virus software and the new blue and black canvas laptop case.
"Are you going through my stuff? Fine, then you can carry it in!" Mac snaps as she turns around while Cassidy shuts off the engine of his KIA Sportage.
Dick rolls his eyes and groans. "You don't have to make an excuse. I know I'm like the total grunt in this family. You wait till that baby comes and then you're going to be carrying your own weight around. Cause like, I'm not your slave or anything, though I'd make a fine as hell cabana boy."
Cassidy is laughing as Mac reaches back and somehow manages to smack Dick in the back of the head, and Dick is cursing and rubbing his head while they get out of the vehicle.
As they draw nearer to the apartment, with Dick's arms full of presents, Cassidy reaches into his pocket for his keys and grows nervous as his fingers brush across something else. He pauses for a moment, and then pulls the keys out of his pocket. A few minutes later they are inside and Dick is making a second trip to the KIA to get the rest of the stuff, and the leftover's Mac's mom had insisted they take.
While Dick is gone, Mac takes a seat on the couch and then Cassidy sits down next to her, his hands worrying through his blue highlighted hair, and finally reaching into his pocket. Mac is giving him a strange look as he finally takes a deep breath and pulls out a green and gold foil wrapped present from his pocket. He holds it out to her.
She takes it and unwraps it to reveal a small blue velvet box. Her eyes widen as she opens it, and her mouth falls open in surprise. It's simple and beautiful and perfect. Nestled within the blue velvet interior of the small square flip box is a platinum ring set with a round sapphire with two smaller diamonds on either side of it.
She notices when Cassidy shifts and he's suddenly kneeling in front of her, and has a nervous smile on his face as he clears his throat, but before he can speak, Dick walks into the apartment and taking in the scene says, "Dude! Are you proposing? Shit man! Why didn't you give me the heads up? Is that why you took off to the jewelers when you skipped lunch at school last week?"
Mac turns a fierce glare on Dick and Cassidy growls, "Thanks Dick, now shut the FUCK up already!"
A moment later Cassidy turns his attention back on Mac and says, "So, I know the moment is kind of… Anyway… I care a lot about you. I love you Cindy, and we already have a family, and you're everything that I want to wake up to for the rest of my life, so you want to make things a little more official? I mean… Dammit. Will you marry me?"
"I hope the speech was better planned out before Dick ruined the moment," Mac replies with a small grin and a chuckle.
Cassidy rolls his eyes, and then looks at her in all seriousness. She leans down and brushes her lips against his, her arms going around his shoulders. She pulls her mouth back and whispers, "Yes."
He recaptures her mouth in a sweeping kiss of gentle tongues and tentative tasting, and Dick tells them to get a room.
Weevil shakes his head, wondering what he's done to deserve babysitting a pregnant woman visiting her fiancé at a high school, not to mention how he's her chauffer and currently a delivery boy too. He looks up at the sign over the school, Pan High.
"You do realize you're dating a high schooler? Isn't that like cradle robbing or somethin'? And you haven't brought him lunch since you started to really show. Don't you think this is weird? I mean just a little?" Weevil asks.
Mac fixes him with a glare. "I would have been better off bringing Dick with me."
"Hey, at least I don't refer to your kid as a bun. Say when are you and Cassidy goin' to tie that old knot anyway?"
"We're waiting until he's eighteen. I mean he is emancipated, but we don't want to rush into anything," she says.
Weevil eyes the bump of her pregnant belly beneath the black maternity tunic-like shirt. "Yeah, I can see the not rushin' into anything."
Mac randomly swats her hand at him, and he takes a step back out of her reach. "Calm down with the hormonal rage. It's up to you when you marry the guy that knocked you up. I don't really care. I'm just hanging out with you cause I'm your friend and I have your well being at heart. And kicking the shit out of an 09er for you is a helluva perk. Gotta thank you for that one."
Once they've signed in at the main office as family members and Mac has now officially met with the principal of Pan High, Mr. Rutledge, who congratulates her on the baby, and compliments Cassidy on being a surprisingly responsible and well adjusted young man (to which Weevil snorts and tries to cover up a laugh), they find themselves entering the lunch room.
It doesn't take long for most of the lunchroom conversations to cease once they are in the cafeteria. Most of the students turn to look at Weevil, but they stare as they realize that Mac is pregnant, and they recognize her as the girl that brings take out to the weird kid that hangs out with Will Harpner.
It doesn't take long for Cassidy to approach her, and Will is at his side. Soon she's wrapped up in his arms and he's kissing her and the cafeteria fades into the background, while Weevil's eyes bug out a little and he let's a, "Damn Girl!" escape, along with a low whistle.
When the two part, Will is snatching Mac's left hand and staring down at the platinum engagement ring, practically quivering in excitement.
"Oh my God! He actually did it! He proposed!" he says loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear.
Mac's face flushes with color and Weevil says, "Well, even a guy like me can tell it's the next logical step. But I think they might have gotten a step or two ahead of themselves." He shrugs and continues, "But hey, kids will be kids, right?"
Again Mac smacks him.
"You know you're lucky you're pregnant, cause there aren't too many people that can get away with hittin' me like this," Weevil replies with a grin.
"So what's for lunch?" Cassidy asks, as he spares Weevil a nod of acknowledgement.
"Stir fry, pickles, and peanut butter," she says as they head toward their usual table in the far corner of the lunchroom, and Weevil follows, though his eyes roam across the many faces of the students filling the lunchroom, and then his dark eyes narrow on one face in particular among a group of leather clad thugs, Ellison Machado, and Ellison's gaze is locked firmly on Mac.
Weevil follows Mac, Cassidy, and their little friend to the lunch table, and joins in the dining experience, filing away Epsy's interest in Mac to later be repeated to Veronica and Kendall, because something is definitely up. He can feel it in the very marrow of his bones, and this something is the kind of thing that screams bad things for Mac, because the Sharks start with weaknesses when they make their move for a kill.
Bones looks up at the sound of Tony's cell ringing. Tony looks at the caller id and recognizes the number with a scowl. He flips the phone open and then a grin, not unlike the cat that's caught the canary and gets the cream, crosses his face, and his eyes sparkle with a hint of hellfire. Something is definitely up and it looks like good news.
Soon Tony is ending the call, and a chuckle escapes his lips as looks at Bones, and claps Bones on the shoulder. "Looks like Epsy came through for once. And here I thought the kid was a completely useless little fuck up."
"So what'd he have to say?" Bones asks.
"Well, we won't have to worry about going after the rich bitch mom that the Fitzpatricks are all on top of. Seems that our boy is a family man now. What could draw out a guy who's all about taking responsibility these days? How about a knocked up girlfriend that brings him lunch at school?"
"Banks knocked up some trick?" Bones snorts in disbelief.
Tony chuckles again, absolutely gleeful at this turn in events. "So it seems. We should wait for some more information, but for the time being, I got an idea for a plan of action. We'll have to find out when she's off on her own, and arrange a nice opportunity to introduce ourselves. After all we are Casey's old friends. It'd be nice to catch up with the little woman, and maybe meet up with him again. Real soon."
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