An Echolls Family Christmas

"I'm sorry."

"V...Did you just..."

"Listen, I.. have trust issues, okay. I acted...I.. I miss you. Miss talking to you and hanging out. I'm ready to listen, if you want."

"I miss you too. Think we could talk later. Kinda got plans tonight."

"Tomorrow. After school."

"Sounds good, talk to ya later V."

Yes. Things are looking up.

With a smile, he enters Logan Echolls pool house.

Ready to win some money.

She and her dad decorate their Christmas tree.

"So what do you want for Christmas?" she asks as she places a decortaion on the tree.

"Your love and respect."

"Seriously, if you could have anything."

"Honey, I want you to save your money."

She about to try again when he motions to the tv.

"Hey, our favorite part."

They stop and turn to the movie when the song starts.

Duncan is dancing around and singing, drunk off his ass.

Logan grabs the bottle of Jack when he gets close to him.

"You start singing, you stop drinking."

Duncan sits down unhappily.

Logan puts an unlit cigar in his mouth.

"You know, you look petty comfortable with that in you mouth." Weevil says.

"You people can hand roll like nobody's business."

Logan calls and loses to him with a two.

"Sean, give me the money box, so I can pay the pool boy." Logan snarks.

Sean hands him the chip box and when Logan looks through it the money is gone.

"Oh hell no. You ain't gonna play that with me." he says as he stands up, annoyed.

"I'm not playing. Guys, where is the money?" Logan asks the others.

"I'm not leaving here without my money. Even if I have to shake you upside down to get it."

While all the 09ers are standing there in just their underwear after he had them strip.

He grabs something off the shelf that he figures is at least a grand.

"I will be collecting my money one way or another form each of you. You picked the wrong guy to rip off." he tells them as he leaves.

She is telling Wallace about the baseball camp that she wants to send her dad to when Duncan blasts between them.

"I want my laptop. Now." Duncan demands getting in Weevil's face.

"How does it feel to to want?"

"I am not screwing around." he says grabbing his jacket.

Duncan barely has a hold of the jacket before his boys pull him off and push him into the lockers.

"I didn't take your money."

"Someone did."

"Well it wasn't me."

He just looks at him, turning he notices V.

Shit, yeah, let's get on her good side by beating up he ex o possible brother. good move. Not.

"Let him go." he tells the boys and walks off.

She watches him and his boys disappear before going over to Duncan.

"Someone stole you laptop." What did you do to piss him off?

"There was a poker game at Logan's last night. Your boyfriend or whatever the hell he is, won five grand and someone stole the money. This is his way of collecting."

She smirks and doesn't bother to correct him about the status of their relationship. Serves you right, thinking you would get anything past him.

"You lie down with dogs you're going to get fleas.'

"I didn't invite him."

"I wasn't talking about Weevil." she tells him before turning to walk away.

"This kinda concerns you."

"I don't see how."

"I keep a journal on my laptop." she stops, oh shit, "Have for the past three years. There was a time you were a feature."

"A feature with a cleaver made up name."

Shaking his head, "Let's just say I was creative." he smirks and walks away.

Dammit, dammit, dammit. Stupid Duncan. Why can't you write in on paper like everyone else.

Having a good idea where they are hiding out, she heads to talk to him.

Not what I wanted to talk about, dammit.

"Hey." she says tilting her head when she enters the classroom.

"See, there you go with that head tilt thing. You think you're all badass..but whenever you need something it's all...Hey." he says tilting his head and trying to make his voice sound soft.

"Just be glad I don't flip my hair... I'd own you." she says coming over to him.

"You already do, Blondie." Felix whispers but only he and the boys hear him.

Most of the boys just smirk in agreement.

"So what can I do for you?" he asks ignoring Felix.

"You can not get busted stealing 09er stuff and let me handle this poker thing."

He just laughs softly. Should have known.

"Seriously why risk it? Give me Duncan's laptop and let me handle this."

What's so important about the laptop?

"Could you please V, protect me from the beg bad sweater vest wearing rich boys." he says sarcastically.

"I'm just trying to help." she says softly and turns to leave. Let me help, please Eli.

"You know if I get my five grand, some of those guys will stop losing their stuff."

"Why were you even there?" she asks as he stand up.

"I hear about a five thousand dollar card game, played by idiots. I'm interested."

They walk out of the classroom.

"Logan thought I was just some dumb Mexican he could take for his cash."

"Who do you think did it, Logan?"

"Well I know for a fact that no one left with the money. He could have hidden it anywhere and he had a chance when his mom decided to come out for a swim, in a bikini." Don't give me that look I am a normal teenage guy and Lynn Echolls is hot.

"Everyone was at the window?"

"All but Logan."

"You sure?"

"I wasn't taking notes but ya. The money was in that house somewhere. I would have torn the room apart if I didn't think he'd call the cops." he tells her.

"Wait," she says before he is about to leave. "Can you do me a favor?"

"V?"

"If you are going to be holding on to the laptop, can you not read anything one it or let anyone else for that matter? Maybe keep it off. Please."

"V?"

"Duncan's journal is on it. I didn't even know he had one but he has had it for about three years and..."

"I'll remove the battery. No one will see what's written on it."

"Thank you. I still want to talk but do you mind if we wait until this is figured out."

"As long as we talk."

She goes to talk to Duncan.

He tells her that he was surprised to see Weevil there and that Logan told him that he wouldn't let him leave with their money.

She runs to the office after school and her dad gives her paperwork to bring to Lynn Echolls to sign.

She agrees.

Walking into the pool house, hoping to talk to Logan and give him the paperwork for his mom.

Logan is playing a game so he doesn't notice her at all. It gives her a moment to notice how trashed the room is.

Eli said he didn't get a chance to rear it apart, hmmmm.

"I love the smell of testosterone in the morning."

"This is why I suggested attack dogs but my mother wanted an alpaca."

"My dad sent me with paperwork for you mom."

"And you wanted to say hi."

"I wanted to ask you about the game."

"Of course, investigating for your man. What a good little girlfriend you are?" he says ending the game and going to grab a drink. "Never mind, get out of here."

She turns to go.

"Wait," luckily she's turned so he can't see her smirk, "Maybe you should talk to Connor."

"Larkin? He doing another movie with you dad?"

"Yup."

"Why would he steal it? He's worth millions."

"Everyone's got issues." snorting.

Grabbing his phone, he makes it so that she can go see him.

"Look at you being all helpful."

"Hey you being your peskiness self being unleashed on Connor brings me joy. Annoy tiny blond one, annoy like the wind."

She visits Connor's movie set and she questions him about the poker game.

He doesn't have any ideas but lets her know that Duncan was somehow able to make change fot the pizza even three sheets to the wind and that everyone but Sean chipped in for it.

After getting Sean's address for Wallace she tries to go see him to talk about the game only to be turned away by his dad.

She talks to Sean the next morning, after he gets dropped off and he tries to put the blame on Weevil.

She walks away before she hits him.

She is sitting at lunch trying to plan when Wallace sits down next to her.

"How's the case going?"

"It's a Christmas miracle, I figured out how I am going to send my dad to camp."

She motions to Weevil to follow her and goes over to where Logan, Duncan and Sean are sitting.

"So good news, bad news. The good new is that I know who stole the money. The bad new I know who stole the money. Here's my brilliant idea. Filled with holiday spirit, Logan wil host another game."

"Will I?"

"I'm thinking tonight."

"Mmm no, my mother's Christmas party is tonight."

"So, no BYOB. Here's how it will go down. I'll tell you who did it and you'll but me into the game." she says as she sits down next to him. "I'll just take the place of whoever stole the money. Unless you'll still want him around."

"Hmmm, No."

"Oh, I thought you might want you stuff back."

"Yeah, if I get my five grand, some items could magically reappear." Weevil says as he grabs a slice of the pizza on the table.

"If you think about it anyone who doesn't see this as a great offer is obviously the thief. Kinda a no brainier."

"Do you even know how to play poker?" Logan asks her.

"No but it must be really hard if all you guys play."

He hides his smirk by taking a bite of pizza remembering how she fleeced Thumper and Felix.

"Ho, Ho..ho." Logan says when she enters the pool house.

She gives a fake laugh and drops her bag.

"Allow me." Weevil says picking it up for her and placing it with his stuff.

"You want a soda or something?" he asks as he goes to sit down.

"You know, I think I want something with a little more kick." she says grabbing Duncan's bottle of Jack.

"Hey, No." Duncan says but is unable to stop her from starting to down it.

"Damn chica."

"Mmm, iced tea. How very musical theater of you. Duncan can't remember the alphabet when he drinks let alone figure out twenty percent of a pizza bill."

They all start to glare at Duncan.

"No, he didn't play drunk to steal your money. He played drunk to win your money." she goes to stand behind Connor. "Oh Connor isn't a drug addict. He was running to the bathroom so much due to his tea. It's that diuretic that wrestlers drink to make weight. Or actors use before being half naked on the cover of Vanity Fair." Pointing to Logan as she walks around the table. "Than there's bachelor number three. He's got it all. Motive, access, looks like an evil doer, smells like an evil doer but surprisingly not so much. E..Weevil cleared him. He told me that he searched the room but not as much as he wanted but when I saw it, it looked like it had been raided by the FBI." she moves over to stand between Sean and Weevil.

"That leaves two. The boy from the wrong side of the tracks and the boy that lives in the most expensive house in the 09er zip." She takes off her jacket and places it with Weevil's jacket and her bag.

"You want to hear how Sean did it. He's a crafty bugger. He didn't bring the big mouth joes cuz he's cheap. He knew that he couldn't leave with the money, so he didn't. He waited for the recycling to go out the next day and went digging."

"Why would he need to steal it? He..." Logan starts before she cuts him off.

"Funny story. When I went to Sean's house, I couldn't help but wonder what was his dad doing home at three in the afternoon dressed in a suit instead of being at wok. Unless he was at work. I have to say I was a little disappointed that I was this close to saying the butler did it but no it was the butler's son."

"She's just covering for her boyfriend." Sean says standing looking around at the others, "That doesn't prove a thing."

"Well, it proves that you are a liar and the background check proves that you have a problem with shoplifting. You are really bad at it."

Noticing that he wasn't going to get any help, "I can pay you back." he tries to say quickly turning toward Weevil.

"Let's take a walk." Weevil says standing and leading him outside.

"I'll deal first."

The three left in the room are floored by her shuffling the cards like a professional.

Winning another round.

"A little impressed aren't you."

"You must be really unlucky in love." Connor says.

She just laughs while Duncan and Weevil try not to look at her.

"Let's take a break. I can only go so long seeing her win." Logan says standing up.

"I could eat." Weevil says.

They go to the party.

Away from the othes at the buffet tabel.

"Seriously don't I blend." he says moving a little away fom her. "Where's Weevil?" he laughs with her.

"I think we both stand out."

"Nay, you chica fit right in." he says brushing a stay hair behind her ear.

She about to say something when she sees Jake leave the room.

Following her sight.

"Give me that plate."

"Eli.."

"Go, I know you need to."

"I'll be right back." She says handing him her plate.

She finds Jake in a empty library.

Entering and shutting the door behind her.

"I got a question for you." she starts as he turns toward her.

"Veronica."

"Does your head of security make it a habit of taking photos of high school girls and drawing a target over their faces or am I special?"

"Veronica."

"He took pictures of me, drew targets over my face and sent them to my mom, why?"

"You're not making any sense."

"Why?"

"I have no idea what your talking about." he says as he goes to leave.

"Why did you want my mothe out of town." she says blocking the door.

"Why didn't she tell me or my dad about the pictures instead of hiding them in a safety deposit box."

"I DON"T KNOW!" he yells.

"I don't believe you." she whispers moving out of the way.

Coming out of the room she watches as Jake grabs Celeste and storm away.

She hears Logan's mom tell people to go outside, she notices her dad making his way over to Logan's dad.

She, her dad and everyone for the game are unable to stop a sever stab Aaron Echolls.

Her dad tackles the woman when she goes to stab him again.

Lynn calls for an ambulance as Logan looks on scared and dials the phone.

Noticing that he dad is going to be busy, she is thankful that she had Wallace drop her off.

She goes over to Eli and asks him to bring her home.

Neither one says a word as they walk to her apartment.

"You feel like talking?" she asks when he follows her in.

"Yeah." he takes off his jacket and sits down next to her.

"So Lilly asked you to watch over me."

"Yeah, I think she just wanted me to stop Logan or one of those 09ers form stating shit with you. Mostly backgound stuff ya know."

"Yeah."

"After she was murdered, I didn't want to do it. Pat of me was mad at you too but I promised her and I keep my promises. Figured me and my boys would just make sure you got home safe fo a few weeks and I would be done."

"But you looked out foe me foe longer."

"Yeah, you stood up for your dad when everyone wanted you not to. It made me respect you and I wanted to keep you safe. You know how I was getting in a lot of fights back then."

"Yeah." she says softly.

"Some, not all, of those fights were about you in a shape or form."

"Felix mentioned Shelly's party. Do you know what I did that night?"

Thanks for throwing me under the bus man.

"Yeah."

"What..."

"Let me get this out and if you want me to leave I will. The boys and I crashed the party when we figured out you were going there. I watched you only have one drink but you acted like you wee plastered. None of us could stay too close so we were unable to stop you from doing some stupid shit. We lost sight of you for a little while. I found you passed out in a bedroom, no one messed you. I carried you out and drove you car to the beach." he stopped for a minute so she could process.

"But..."

"Let me finish. We wee half way to Dog Beach when you laid down with you head in my lap. I didn't move you at first but you ummm grabbed me. I pulled over to get you out of my lap and, fuck V I am a guy, You hand was wrapped around me and you wee stroking. We kissed. I kissed you back pat of me was hoping that you would pass out."

"What did we do?" so far so good, looks embarrassed not pissed.

"We made out and you umm you gave me a blow job. I might have felt you up a little but I did not go under you dress." he tells her waiting for he to demand that he leaves.

He is shocked when she straddles his lap and kisses him.

"I'm glad that it was you." she whispers against his mouth.

"I want..."

"We have been circling each other for months. I want..."

"Be my girl." he says softly.

"Proud to be." she she kissing him again. "Won't be a shock at school when they see me holding your hand. Everyone thinks we are together."

"You have no problem letting everyone know."

"I am not keeping you a secret. We'll tell my dad tomorrow."

"We will go at your speed. How fast or slow we go is up to you." she smiles and leans forward to kiss him again.

Keith stumbles in the door, unsure what to make about the sight in front of him.

The Grinch who Stole Christmas is playing on the TV.

His daughter is asleep wrapped in the arms of Eli "Weevil" Navarro, who is also asleep.

Looking at them closely, he see that she is wearing a cross that he knows is Eli's.

They are also holding hands.

Nope not tonight. Figure this out in the morning.