Title: Lagniappe

Pairing/Characters:LoVe, MaDi

Spoiler: FutureFic, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Disclaimer: VM's characters and universe belong to Rob Thomas

Summary: The new Fab Four receive unexpected gifts with unexpected results.

Author's Note: Lagniappe (pronounced LAN-yap) means something given or obtained gratuitously. This chapter is re-posted and beta'ed by steenbeans! Thank you!

I look like an ass, Dick thought. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, wearing a suit. Sure, he looked handsome, as always. But Dick and a suit was never a match made in heaven. His hair was long, and he refused to cut it- even though everyone kept hinting that he should.

Dick had his hair tied back, because it had grown past his shoulders. Chip had made a comment a few days ago that he looked like Veronica, which had gotten him a purple-nurple from Dick.

He hated this day; the day his dad was getting married again. It had been less than a year since Big D had gotten out of prison. Yet somehow, his dad had already met a rich divorcéeand managed to persuade her to marry him. Well, at least he found someone from his own age group, he thought. Not to mention rich. So he's settled for life.

"Are you ready, son?"

Dick looked at his dad, who was wearing a very crisp suit. Big D was nervous but looked good anyway. Everyone could see that Dick would look like his dad in 20 years- still handsome. "Shouldn't we do this in a church or something? It's weird doing this at City Hall."

"Barbara and I decided that we'd rather get married here than have something more formal. We don't want to host another wedding reception extravaganza, since both of our last marriages failed," Big D explained. He fixed his son's tie and straightened his suit. "There. You look great." He got quiet for a minute, while Dick fussed with his own hair. "Thank you, son," he said softly. Dick looked at his dad, frowning. "For being here. It means a lot to me."

Dick just shrugged. "Dude, no sweat." Big D looked somber for a while, and then he hugged his son. Dick didn't expect to get hugged by his dad; he seemed emotional. He hugged his dad back awkwardly, and patted his back.

Big D cleared his throat and walked to the door. "Right, it's show time!"

Dick was a little bit stunned as he watched his dad walk from the room. A year ago, after Big D was released from prison, he'd been adamant about spending some quality time with his son. Dick had refused, and even avoided him like the plague. It had been much easier to live his own life without his dad shadowing him, and reminding him about Cassidy.

Richard Casablancas, Sr. had served time in prison, which made him a bit of social pariah in Neptune. Marrying Barbara Rosemont Fisher Warner Montgomery would bring him back into the arms of rich society. Dick had never wanted to get involved in his dad's personal business. Back in senior year of high school, when his dad had fled the country to avoid being arrested for fraud, he'd thought it was a badass thing to do. He hadn't cared much, as long he continued to get his allowance and trust fund.

But reality had crashed hard when Cassidy had murdered all of those people, and then committed suicide. The easy world Dick had known forever had been shattered, and he'd had to admit that his family was fucked up.

Dick hadn't forgiven his dad.

Not yet, at least.

His dad seemed determined to build a new family again. Dick had met his dad's fiancée, once, at a social dinner. She seemed nice enough, although there was a bitchy streak apparent in her attitude. There was no way that she would be a trophy wife for his dad; Big D was more likely the trophy husband for her. She looked like a young Elizabeth Taylor or Catherine Zeta-Jones, a dangerous beauty that could make men weak in their knees.

Dick hadn't talked to her much. They'd exchanged pleasantries, but that was it. His dad, however, was smitten; so he'd asked her to marry him. Surprisingly, she'd seemed smitten with him too and had accepted his proposal. Dick knew his dad could be charming and manipulative as hell, a talent that seemed to run in the family. But if they really were like each other, then they'd be perfect together.

The ceremony was very simple. There weren't many guests, only a few of Barbara's friends. Bunch of MILF Sex and the City wannabes – or Desperate Housewives, Dick thought when he saw her friends. There was Big D's lawyer, who glanced at his watch every five minutes, and Dick himself, the only family Big D had. Dick had wanted Logan to attend the ceremony, although he didn't think his dad liked that idea. His father was a bit insecure at having Logan at his wedding, especially after he'd found out that Logan had slept with Kendall. Dick had invited Logan anyway. But Logan had politely declined his invitation, giving an excuse about trying to bond with his half-brother, Charlie.

Dick thought bitterly about Logan's half-brother. He was a bit jealous, though he wouldn't admit it, that Logan had a brother; it made him think about Cassidy. Dick felt regret, sadness, and anger at the same time – especially at having to watch his dad move on quickly, in such a hurry to make a new family.

During the ceremony, Dick stood behind his father, watching him stand beside his bride. Barbara was wearing a simple white suit jacket and matching short skirt, with high heels. They seemed… happy. They exchanged wedding rings, and the guests applauded. Barbara seemed giddy, and she kissed Big D passionately; he returned the kiss with equal passion.

Dick felt… numb. He felt like his dad had had his wish come true, an instant new family. He would return home to Barbara's house and play a devoted family man.

What about him?

The guests were congratulating the new husband and wife. The women were shrieking and talking very loudly with Barbara, who laughed happily. Big D shook his lawyer's hand, who left City Hall immediately after that. Dick just stood around, not knowing what to do. He watched a photographer take his dad and his new step mother's pictures. They were smiling and laughing.

"Dick! Come here, son!" Big D called to his son. He gave Dick a bear hug, and Barbara followed suit. She hugged Dick and kissed him on the cheek. Dick smiled and kissed Barbara on the cheek too.

"Congratulations," Dick said. He wanted to make a crude remark or something, just to be in character, but he didn't have anything to say.

Big D had a big smile on his face. He hugged both Dick and his new wife, and kissed her cheek. "My family!" he said proudly.

Suddenly, Dick felt nauseous. Mom, Cassidy, and I were your family once…

"Hey, Dad. I think I'm gonna leave now. There's something I have to do for Mom this afternoon. She called from Geneva this morning and asked me to do this… thing. I hope you don't mind."

If Big D was disappointed, he hid it well. "Sure, son. But you're coming home afterwards, right?" By home, he meant Barbara's big mansion, of course. "We're having dinner as a family."

Dick grinned. "Nah, dude. I don't wanna ruin your honeymoon. Come on!" He hit his dad's arm playfully, but very hard. Even Barbara winced. "You guys have fun. Congrats to both of you." He offered his hand to his dad.

Big D's eyes were glassy, but he didn't take his son's hand. Instead, he hugged him tightly. "Thank you, son," he croaked.

Dick didn't answer, just pursed his lips tightly. Barbara watched the exchange carefully. She knew immediately that Dick was lying about having something to do, but she didn't say anything. Dick let his dad go and turned around, walking very fast towards the exit door.

Big D watched sadly as his oldest son walked away. Barbara held his hand and gave it a squeeze. He looked at their hands, then at her, and smiled. She was smiling too, and she kissed his cheek lightly.

Dick loosened his tie as he hurried down the steps of City Hall. He needed to get out of there fast. He climbed into his truck and drove towards Dog Beach.

Veronica yawned widely, just as Backup yawned too. She looked at her dog lovingly and scratched the back of his ear. She was sitting in her car, with her camera in her hands, watching the crowd. She was parked near the beach, occasionally taking pictures of people who walked by.

She was watching a juggler through her camera lens, when a head suddenly popped in front of her view.

"Boo!"

Veronica started a bit, and then frowned to see Hector leaning against her car. "You're blocking my view," she said. Backup barked, but Hector just looked at her and laughed like a hyena at seeing her startled. Veronica hated that laugh. "What do you want?" Backup barked again, hearing Hector's laughter. "Backup, chill." Her dog finally calmed down, but he was attentive beside her in the passenger seat.

"Whatcha' doin', chica?" Hector asked.

"None of your beeswax."

"It's my beeswax if you're hovering around in my turf."

Veronica snorted. "Since when do you have turf? Please don't tell me Arturo gave up his leadership and crowned you."

"Arturo decided that he prefers being a college freshman to a PCH leader. So I took over." Hector shrugged. "Hey, he's young. What does he know?"

"More than you, apparently," she snarked. "Congrats on being top of the food chain. Now, will you excuse me – I have a cheater to catch." She pushed his head away from the window.

"Word on the street is there's a new playa in town, taking over our territory." Hector leaned back against her car casually. "It's bad for business." Veronica narrowed her eyes, and shook her head.

"And this concerns me how?" Veronica asked.

"It don't, actually. But it brings unwanted attention from our great Sheriff's Department to our humble territory. You know how Van Lowe works. And you being here kinda make everyone antsy." He shrugged. "The Great Veronica Mars in our midst? And without her entourage of rich boyfriends in tow? She must be on a case!"

"You see this? This is a public beach. And I need to eat too, by capturing cheaters who can't keep their dicks in their pants – and you're in the way, vato."

"Yeah… I heard about how much you eat," Hector muttered. Veronica glared at him. "Fine, just don't attract anything. A blonde Mars with a Saturn car in Neptune city is bad enough –"

He didn't get a chance to finish his lame joke; Veronica quickly shoved his head aside and started snapping pictures. Her camera clicked furiously, and she mumbled something that sounded like 'gotcha!' "Whatever, Hector. I don't care about your business." She checked her camera and chuckled. "I got what I needed."

Hector rolled his eyes. At least he didn't need to worry about her. But instead of leaving, he leaned back against her car one more time. Veronica shot him an annoyed look. "Hey, how's Weevil? I heard he's working for you."

"He used to work for my dad. Not anymore, not for a while. He's working at Hearst. Why? You miss him?" she teased.

Hector looked at her solemnly. "Yeah." He walked away from her car. Veronica was surprised to hear that. Well, that's unexpected. I guess it's lonely on the top.

She looked at the beach again, but the cheater was gone.

Speaking of dicks… She didn't expect to see Dick Casablancas. He was standing on the beach, watching the waves and wearing a suit, a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand. His long blonde hair was messy and untidy, and he looked like hell.

Great… What do you do if you see someone intoxicated, and you know that someone will probably drive home afterwards? Veronica sighed. She didn't feel like talking to Dick, or even helping him; it wasn't like they were friends to begin with.

She sighed again, reached for her phone and dialed Logan's number.

Logan and Mac were walking into his Penthouse suite, chatting about their website's profit and carrying a bunch of groceries, when his phone rang. Logan stared at his phone for a second, when he saw her name.

"Hey," he answered.

Mac looked at him strangely. Only one person could make Logan breathless like that. Must be Veronica, Mac thought.

"So guess whose blonde, drunk, and probably needs help getting home?" Veronica greeted him cheerfully.

"Um… you?" Logan answered. She didn't sound drunk, so why she was calling him?

"Wrong blonde, actually. It's your BFF, Richard Casablancas, Jr., who happens to be displaying public drunkenness here at Dog Beach. He's 6 feet tall, so I don't think I'm capable of throwing him over my shoulder and carrying him to the Grand… And then I remembered you, his buddy who happens to be the same height and weight and also his roommate. Please get your butt over here."

Logan chuckled. "Glad that you have some concern for Dick. I wish you'd tell him about his awful hair."

"Sorry, Echolls. This blonde doesn't want anything to do with another blonde and his hair." She giggled. "I think he looks…"

"He looks like Fabio," Logan said. Mac laughed, overhearing him.

"Is that the voice of my girl BFF over there at The Grand? How dare she forget to call me yesterday for a little girl quality time?" Veronica asked. "Lemme talk to her, please."

"I'll tell you what; we'll both come to the beach right now." Logan glanced at Mac, who raised her eyebrow. "I'll need some help carrying a drunken Mr. Casablancas Junior."

"And I thought you were Mister Big and Strong," Veronica joked. "Okay, I'll see you."

"Bye." Logan was about to grab his car keys when he caught Mac's look. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, but her mouth twitched. "So we're picking up Dick? Why, he's drunk in the middle of the afternoon?"

Logan sighed. "Today was his dad's wedding. You know how he hates his dad. I was invited, but I had to meet Charlie."

Mac nodded in understanding. "Why's Veronica there?"

"I didn't ask."

"Yeah, can't wait to meet her, huh?" She pinched Logan's arm and walked out of the Penthouse.

"Whatcha' talkin' about, Mac?" He pouted.

Dick was sitting at the beach and drinking his bottle of Jack. He sat on his suit jacket while he rolled his pant legs up. He'd already taken his shoes and socks off, and he buried his toes in the sand. He was wearing sunglasses as he looked at the scenery in front of him.

He watched a father carrying his son on his shoulders, and for a moment he got sad.

He sighed and lay down on his back. He was thinking about sleeping in his car; he knew he was too drunk to drive. He didn't feel like calling Logan and asking for a ride. He just wanted to be alone for a while.

His alone time was cut short, when he felt something licking his toes. He sat up, and saw that a dog was slobbering all over his foot. "What the hell are you doing?" The dog looked up and sat on its haunches while breathing hard, its tongue rolled out. Dick was drunk, so he looked at the dog in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"You do know dogs can't talk?"

Dick looked up, and saw a blonde pixie. Veronica was looking down at him, and she was holding a leash. Backup trotted over to Dick and licked his face. Dick chuckled a bit and tried to push Backup away, but the dog put his front paws on his chest and licked his face softly. Backup seemed to understand that the man in front of him was feeling sad, so he was trying to cheer him up. Dick gave up, letting his face get licked. Backup even licked the tears that suddenly appeared.

Veronica looked away when she saw Dick was crying. She stood and stared at the ocean, while Dick sat behind her and cried silently. She felt awkward; Dick had never shown any emotion in front of her. She was used to seeing him be a goofball all the time – so this was a very uncomfortable situation for her.

Dick hugged Backup and buried his face in his fur.

Sometimes a person just needs a shoulder to cry on…

Veronica didn't know what to do. This was Dick; asshole extraordinaire. She and Dick weren't exactly best friends. Both of them tolerated each other because of Logan. Veronica had never forgotten what Dick had done to her at Shelley Pomeroy's party. She didn't forget that Dick had constantly taunted her during high school. Or that Dick was the one who'd spread the sex tape of her and Piz during freshmen year. And of course, there was the matter of Cassidy…

She sighed and sat down next to him, while Dick glanced at her. His eyes were red, but he'd stopped crying. Backup put his head on his lap, and Dick scratched his furry back.

Veronica stretched her legs, surprised when Dick put his head on her lap. Veronica was about to kick him, when he mumbled, "Please, let me rest for a while. Will you let me, Ronnie?"

Veronica didn't answer, but she let him anyway. I must be crazy, letting him sleep on my lap! She thought that Dick was just really drunk. Dick was still hugging Backup, who was lying on his belly. Veronica looked down and stroked Dick's blonde hair. His hair was very long now, and very soft. She wondered what kind of product he was using to keep his hair shiny like this. She stared at the ocean again, noticing that the sun had almost set. And then she heard Dick slurring.

"It's all my fault."

Why did she suddenly feel her eyes stinging with tears…?