Disclaimer: Veronica Mars and all recognizable characters are the intellectual property of Rob Thomas.

Epilogue:

Dick groans and makes a face as the familiar and dreaded scent reaches his nostrils. He looks at his brother and notices the small grin tugging at Cassidy's mouth as he shakes his head and says, "Ugh, dude, she's totally cute until she does this, and then, yuck."

Cassidy shakes his head and takes Mac out of his brother's arms and over to the changing table in the nursery, where he efficiently changes her diaper, and bends down and covers her face in kisses as he lifts her from the table and spins her around the room. She giggles and throws her arms out as he spins.

Once Mac is settled and Dick is busy playing Mortal Kombat on the game cube with Will watching from the couch and Sarah Harpner totally kicking his ass, he get's ready to go. He understands why Dick is hanging out with friends and getting lost in the game for once, it's because he's trying to avoid the destination that Cassidy has in mind.

Cassidy heads out to his KIA. He straps Mac into the car seat that is situated in the backseat behind the passenger's seat so that he has a clear view of her. He puts the key in the ignition and when she starts to get a little fussy he reaches back and hands her a little green bunny, the last stuffed animal that her mother picked out for her. She takes the bunny in her chubby, greedy little hands, and he continues to drive on.

It takes him all of ten minutes to get there. He pulls past the gates, and looks around. It's a bright, clear California day. He parks the SUV along the curb toward the back. He gets out of the SUV, and then goes around to gather Mac into his arms. She's trying to decide on whether she wants her fist or bunny in her mouth. Bunny wins out. Cassidy smiles and he holds her close and slowly makes his way across the bright green grass, past monument and stone after monument and stone.

Finally he stops and kneels down. He notices the fresh flowers on the stone with a smile. Apparently Natalie and Samuel have been by to visit. He sits back and spreads his legs out, and taking Mac by either hand he sets her feet down on the ground.

Distracted by this action, the bunny falls to the ground and is forgotten. She starts to take a few steps, his hands on hers helping to hold her up as she teeters forward a few steps, and tears slip down his cheeks as he whispers, "Look, Cindy, she's walking now."

He then scoops Mac into his arms and sets her down on the grass when she begins to squirm and he watches her crawl toward the rosy-hued slab of marble, and his breath hitches in his throat as her tiny hand touches the cold stone, and he can hardly believe that it's been six months now.

Cindy Mackenzie
1988-2007
Beloved Daughter,
Friend, Fiancée,
and Mother

Meanwhile in the same cemetery, across the grounds, a woman slips out of a silver BMW convertible, her black dress hugging and accentuating every curve as she begins to walk toward a simple grey, granite stone, her hips swaying with her every step.

She stops and places the bouquet of a dozen white roses down on the corner of the stone, and closes her eyes for a moment, bracing herself. She opens her eyes as she releases her breath, and then she bends down, her fingers brushing across the stone.

She remembers telling Clarence Wiedman not to give her the details on the who and what of the body she tossed out of the window of the Neptune Grand a little over year ago. Instead she had to figure it out for herself. She bites her lip for a moment, and a small smile tugs at her mouth, a smile of irony and regret.

"Well kid, I guess I'm here a little late, but I still owe you an apology," she says, her voice laced with suppressed emotion. "I'm sorry Casey, but seeing how everything kind of worked out, I guess you didn't turn out so bad after all."

With a sigh she turns around and heads back to her car. She sits down in the driver's seat. Pulls down the sun viser, and lets out a little laugh as she realizes that her mascara is running because of her tears. Waterproof her ass. She quickly wipes away the tragic mascara stained tear trails and her eyes, before she puts on her sunglasses, puts the key in the ignition, and drives off.

End.

Author's Note:

Well I hope you've enjoyed this. I haven't seen anything like this ever done before, and I had a blast writing this story. It's also been a long journey getting it completely posted here, and for your patience I thank you all.

For the characterizations, I wanted to make Cassidy human, because essentially he's just a boy lost among the debris of his broken soul, and he's struggling to cope and keep his secrets, and I wanted to show him beyond that and to put that cunning that was alluded to in the show to good use. I just hope I did.

I would also like to mention Veronica's character briefly as her rape and her unforgiving nature have been brought up in a review or two... Veronica accepted that Duncan was the one that slept with her at Shelly Pomroy's party, and once she figured out that they didn't share DNA and she dumped Logan she hooked right back up with Duncan, forgave him and everything. Can I just say that if Cassidy had never touched her, the fact that Duncan, suspecting that she was his sister, would do that to her while she is drugged, whether he was equally incapacitated or not is JUST as unforgivable, but she did forgive him. For the sake of Mac's happiness and the baby, and the fact that she does observe that Cassidy has changed, I figured that she would at least give him a shot to prove himself, and nail his balls to the wall if he messed up.

I also know that many of you (my beta and sister included) want to smack me for this ending. It fits, I will not justify it beyond that statement.

-Cassie