Title: When All You Have is a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail.
Summary: Beaver was always the clever one. But Dick can be clever too. He's got plans. Step #1: hurt everyone.
Disclaimer: Ah duh, I own nothing.
Spoilers: Up through 3x01. Nothing's AU until Tuesday night!
Rating: PG-13 for language and sort of sexual situations.
Once there was a family.
There was the absent father, always at work, never at home.
There was the mother, concerned only with escape.
There were two brothers.
Most importantly, there were two brothers.
Veronica Mars. God of war. Creating anguish and grief, inciting chaos, wrecking things and taking casualties. Too many of the casualties have belonged to Dick.
She took away his father with those photos of hers.
She took away his demon board with the wheels of her LeBaron.
She took away his best friend when she decided she wanted Logan all to herself.
Most importantly, she took away his brother.
Which was not right because there were supposed to be two brothers, and now there was only one.
No man is an island, but Dick is coming damn close.
The easy college girls he slips away from in the middle of the night, they are only passing tourists. At least with (Beaver) Cassidy, he was a peninsula. A fjord, maybe. Now he is adrift in the sea, no one to ground him, keep him steady. He might as well float away.
Cassidy was always the clever one. Everyone said so. He was the one with the golden stars on his tests, with the 'Student of the Week' kindergarten badge pinned proudly to his chest.
Dick was the simple one. He liked it that way. The simple life involved video games, cheerleaders and an eightball, when he could score one. The holy trinity. Come and worship at the church of Dick Casablancas. Friday nights are holy days of obligation, stay through Sunday and leave with a few less brain cells and plenty of good memories in their stead.
Yeah, Cassidy was the clever one. But when he put his mind to it, Dick had plenty of ideas and plans himself.
Step One: Hurt Everyone.
That's it. There's only one step. But it's enough.
Because even though Veronica is to blame, she's not the only one.
Logan, Mac. They deserve to be punished too.
For a while, he's the old Dick Casablancas again.
He takes the three of them out to a club off campus, buys their drinks, struts on the dance floor. He's surprised at his ability to make Mac laugh. The way it comes out choked and hoarse makes him think that she hasn't laughed in months.
He acts surprised when Veronica predictably leaves early, muttering about an 8 o'clock class the next morning. He acts innocent when Mac and Logan turn back around and say a moment later that their drinks taste different.
He has a harder time with Mac. She doesn't react well to the GHB coursing through her system. She's probably not used to it like Logan is.
He has to carry her up the stairs, light and soft in his arms, her legs swinging against his thigh. He looks down at her passive face, her lips, slightly parted, and wants to stop. But then he remembers that she let his brother do a swan dive off of the goddamn Neptune Grand and he keeps walking. He dumps her onto Logan's bed and her eyes flutter open.
"Cassidy?" Her voice is throaty and heavy, like she's caught in a damp fog.
"He's coming." The words get caught in Dick's throat, but he spits them out nonetheless. "He's missed you, Mac. He wants to be with you."
It's like venom, spilling out from his lips.
Logan is more coherent, but his sight is worse. He stumbles around the suite, looking for coffee.
"You don't need that," Dick says, taking the Folgers out of his hands. "Veronica's in the bedroom, she's waiting for you."
Logan giggles and Dick guides him towards the room. He stumbles and falls next to Mac on the bedspread.
"I can't see her face," he whispers in awe. "She's still there, isn't she?"
"She's there, alright," Dick assures him.
Dick shuts the door as Logan tentatively starts to unzip Mac's sweater. He goes into the hallway, leaving his cardkey behind.
Veronica is listed in his contacts as Coldhearted Bitch. He presses send.
"Hey, Ronnie. I'm locked out and Logan's not answering the phone. I think he may be in trouble. Five minutes?"
Click. End call.
Veronica Mars took his brother away. Logan Echolls took his brother away. Cindy Mackenzie took his brother away. And now he's taken them away from each other.
In five minutes the whole world is going to fucking explode.
Dick licks his lips. They taste like sweet retribution.