DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, any recognizable dialogue, and the canon events of their storyline belong to Rob Thomas.

A/N:

Apologies for the delay – sometimes real life gets crazy.

I had intended to post this chapter at the end of March (which is Brain Injury Awareness Month in the U.S.) – since one of the recurring themes in this fic was V's concussion after the bus crash. FYI: good source of info about brain injury is brainlineDOTorg

And now for the conclusion of this fic.

Events occur in early to mid-June 2006, immediately following Season 2.

In the IMDB credits for #2.22, Jackie's mother is named Kim (no last name). Jackie's son is simply "Boy" – so I have given him the name Thommie (as a nod to Tessa Thompson).

Chapter 22

Epilogue

My mother had been told by her grandmother that a girl should keep a diary, especially on trips. As I was packing for New York, I had found an empty journal notebook and decided I would take it with me. It might be fun to look back at someday – though I suspect that even without keeping a written record of this vacation, I'm going to remember it for a long time to come.

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Tuesday

Our flight to New York City was "uneventful" – just the way I like my air travel. As we made our way from our gate to baggage claim, I held Darrell's hand; the two couples walked ahead of us.

Wallace and Jackie seemed to be soaking up every last bit of time they had together before he would return to Neptune. Dad and Alicia seemed to be taking this joint vacation in stride – almost as if it were a trial run of a blended family. For the record, I would not be opposed to that. In my heart, Wallace was already my adopted brother; I could easily see myself as Darrell's older sister. Alicia not only made my dad happy, but she was also someone I respected and could (in time) learn to open my heart to.

Jackie's mom and son planned to be at the airport to meet us. Jackie had said that her mom was not thrilled about meeting Wallace. She quoted her mom as saying, "How nice can he be?" Clearly, she hasn't met my Wallace.

When Jackie could see her mom up ahead, she handed her carryon to Wallace and started running toward her son. They had a couple minutes of uninterrupted reunion before the rest of us caught up to her.

Jackie wiped her eyes as she stood up. She was holding her son on her hip as she said, "Everyone, this is Thommie." She rattled off all of our names, though I'm sure he wouldn't remember them all. Then, she reached for Wallace's hand, saying, "Mom, this is Wallace. Wallace, this is my mom."

Her mother reached out to shake his hand. "You can call me Kim."

He smiled nervously and said, "Nice to finally meet you. Both of you." Then, he rubbed the top of Thommie's head.

Kim and Jackie led the way through the crowded airport, finally reaching the doors that led outside to a long line of cabs. Jackie and her family headed home to Brooklyn; the Fennell and Mars families headed to a hotel in Midtown.

We got settled into our two adjoining rooms – one for the kids and one for the parents. Apparently, they decided we could handle the blatant signal that they were, in fact, sleeping together.

We walked a couple blocks to a restaurant for dinner, stopping at a couple stores along the way. Wallace was on the hunt for "the coolest New York t-shirt." I wasn't sure what that was exactly. (Honestly, I wasn't sure he knew what he was looking for.) And Darrell was attracted to every junky plastic souvenir he saw.

Alicia had picked out an Italian restaurant because she knew that after a long day of traveling, spaghetti and meatballs would make Darrell happy. I think she was also hoping that he would go to sleep faster on a full stomach.

When we got back to the hotel, Dad and Alicia took Darrell up to get ready for bed. Wallace and I looked around the gift shop and then sat by the pool talking for almost an hour. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed having my BFF to myself.

Thankfully, Darrell was a sound sleeper. When we got back upstairs, we were able to move around the room and even watch TV, as long as we kept the volume at a reasonable level.

Dad had told Eli and Letty about our trip when we were at the graduation party. I didn't want to assume that he'd be concerned about my safety, but if the roles were reversed, I'd want to know that he'd gotten to his destination unharmed.

So just before I closed my eyes, I sent Eli a text – a photo of the beautiful ceiling in the hotel lobby with a simple message: arrived safely. goodnight from NYC.

I drifted off to sleep hoping that my text would spark a conversation.

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Wednesday

Soon after opening my eyes, I checked my phone. There was a text from Mac telling me about her date with Casey and reminding me to buy her a souvenir.

Nothing from Eli.

Though Jackie would be spending some time with us while we were in town, she was not with us this particular day.

The boys and girls had two decidedly different itineraries. Dad, Wallace, and Darrell made stops at a few stores – FAO Schwarz, LEGO, and Midtown Comics – before going to see the San Francisco Giants play the Mets.

Alicia and I, on the other hand, decided on a day of "culture." First stop: MoMA. After that: Broadway! I was incredibly excited that I would get to see four – count 'em 1, 2, 3, 4 – shows during this trip!

Alicia had been a dancer – "in a former life" as she put it – and she had friends who were still performing, some of them working in New York. She was able to get comps for Wicked and Jersey Boys (the latter of which she and Dad would attend on Saturday). She managed to get discount tickets for all of us to go see The Odd Couple on Friday. We tried – but failed – to get discount tickets for Sweeney Todd and The Pajama Game. I would have loved to have seen Michael Cerveris and Harry Connick Jr. in those roles. Who am I kidding? I'm thrilled to see any shows during this trip.

However, there was one show I was dying to see, so Dad said he'd spring for one full price ticket for me to see a matinee by myself.

After spending the morning at the Museum of Modern Art, Alicia and I walked to Columbus Circle and got lunch at Whole Foods. Then, we went upstairs to Godiva. After all, a girl's gotta have her chocolate.

As we ate our truffles, she walked me to Lincoln Center, where she met up with a couple old friends of hers. They went off for an extended coffee date as I entered the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Alicia said she should be waiting for me at the fountain when I got out of the matinee performance.

The Light in the Piazza was due to close in about a month. I knew the music backward and forward, having fallen in "love at first hearing" while watching the opening number performed on the Tony Awards broadcast last year.

I knew that it was going to be amazing, but it was even better than I could have imagined. The story was as compelling as the music was beautiful. No kidding, I could listen to Victoria Clark sing the telephone book. And the bedroom scene between Fabrizio and Clara was seriously hot – and predictably had me thinking of Eli as they sang these words:

"I know the sound of 'touch me.'
I think I hear the sound of 'wrap your arms around me.'
… Say it silently. Tell me things.
We'll play a game. You trace it on my skin.
Do it any way, but let's begin.
Do it somehow. Somehow you can show me."

Like the characters on stage, Eli and I had been very good at communicating without words. Somewhere along the way, verbal communication had gotten garbled, distorted like a funhouse mirror. I wasn't sure how I was going to get through to him.

I exited the theater still humming the title song while walking toward the fountain to meet Alicia. As we did a little window shopping, I told her about the show and she told me how nice it was to catch up with old friends.

She seemed nostalgic as she spoke. I asked her if she missed performing. She shrugged and said, "A little, but I don't miss the auditions and nearly constant rejection."

We made our way toward Times Square and found somewhere to eat. After dinner, we went to see Wicked, which had been running for almost three years. I was accustomed to hearing Kristen Chenoweth's voice on the cast recording, but the actress we saw play Glinda was also quite good. According to her bio in the Playbill, she had done a few other Broadway roles, including being the understudy for Becky Thatcher in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I seem to remember my English teacher mentioning that there had been a musical adaptation of the book.

Throughout the day, I had sent Eli pictures – I thought of them as "text postcards." Lincoln Center. My dessert from the Godiva store. Alicia and I in front of Spamalot. A few others.

But he hadn't replied to any of them.

It was disappointing. I had hoped that if I texted regularly while I was away that it would be a natural way for us to start chatting again. No such luck. He would obviously be busy right now. But not that busy.

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Thursday

With a full day of sightseeing ahead, we got up early so we could catch the first ferry to the Statue of Liberty. It was a beautiful day, and I got some great shots of the skyline. After the return trip on the ferry, we made our way north up Manhattan Island, making several stops along the way. Notably: the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Ground Zero.

It was hauntingly strange to see where the World Trade Center towers had stood. It was hard to believe it had been almost five years since 9/11. Designs, plans, and funding had already begun, but it would be years before the memorial would be completed.

We also saw the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall – mostly in Griswold fashion with Dad quipping, "Look, kids, Big Ben … Parliament," as we stood still long enough for me to take a photo.

We managed to make a legitimate stop at Magnolia Bakery. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more: the deliciousness I consumed or the hilarious image I captured of my dad with icing on his face after he stuffed an entire cupcake in his mouth.

One of the photos I sent to Eli that day was of the monstrous sandwich I had at the Carnegie Deli. I thought for sure I'd get a reply to that one. But alas, no.

That evening the boys went to see another baseball game – the Oakland A's at Yankee Stadium. The girls – Alicia, Jackie, and I went to see The Color Purple. Jackie's mom had insisted that she get right back to work after arriving home from California, but did manage to get her scheduled for the early shift so she could do things with us in the evenings.

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Friday

Another fun-filled day of sightseeing. The highlight of the morning was the Apollo Theater tour. We had a picnic lunch in Central Park, which provided playtime for Darrell and photo opportunities for me. In the afternoon, we again split up along gender lines – the boys to the American Museum of Natural History and the girls to the Guggenheim.

We were making the most of our limited time in the city. More than that, Dad was getting some quality time with Wallace and Darrell while Alicia and I got to know each other better. Admittedly, she would not be my first choice if I were picking a step-mom out of a catalog, but I genuinely liked her – even more so after spending some time alone with her.

As late afternoon began to turn to early evening, Alicia and I left the museum. We found a sandwich shop and picked up dinner for everyone. Meeting back at the hotel, all of us quickly ate, "freshened up," and changed clothes before heading out again.

Jackie met us at the hotel. Her mom stayed there with Thommie and Darrell while the rest of us went to see The Odd Couple.

I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! Seeing Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick on stage together was amazing. And incredibly good timing, since the show closed just days after we saw it.

When we got back from the show, Wallace went with Jackie, her mom, and her son back to their home – since he would be spending the next day with Jackie on her day off. They would have their last "date night" – for a while anyway.

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Saturday

The four of us – Dad, Alicia, Darrell, and I – got up a little later than the past couple days. After having a delicious brunch in the hotel restaurant, we did some window shopping and people watching, finally arriving at Dylan's Candy Bar.

Darrell, of course, wanted everything in sight – definitely a case of his eyes being bigger than his stomach and possibly his mother's budget. While Alicia was trying to rein in her son, I walked around taking pictures of the incredible array of sweets. I sent a couple pics to Eli, even though it felt as if I was sending these "text postcards" into the digital void.

As Alicia stood at the cash register paying for Darrell's bag of goodies, I got a reply from Eli. Apparently, his niece Ophelia was sitting next to him when he looked at the photos. He only replied to pass along her request for candy. So, of course, I quickly ran around the store, gathering everything on her list. After I paid, I took a photo of the bag and sent it, saying that I'd deliver it when I got back to Neptune. Eli did not reply in words; instead, he sent a photo of Ophelia's smiling face.

In the early afternoon, we spent more than an hour exploring Central Park. When we started getting hungry, we got hot dogs from the first vendor we saw. Then, we went to the Zoo. I'm not sure who had more fun – Darrell or my dad. Dad had always enjoyed this type of activities, which gave him an excuse to act like a kid. It had been a while since he'd had the opportunity to do that. I got some great shots of the two of them. I also took a photo that I knew I would print out as a gift for Alicia: I was behind them as Darrell walked between his mom and my dad, holding hands with each of them. They looked like a family. Because we were becoming a family. It made me tear up a little bit.

After a couple hours at the Central Park Zoo, we headed back to the hotel so that Dad and Alicia could get dressed up for their date night – fancy restaurant followed by Jersey Boys. Yeah, I was jealous. But I had already gotten to see more shows than I thought we would be able to fit into one trip. So, I kept my complaining to a minimum.

Darrell decided that we would spend some time in the pool, then order room service (with parental approval, of course) to eat while we watched The Incredibles on the TV in our room. Darrell had checked the listings when he knew we'd be spending this night at the hotel while the others were out on dates. He said that this was our "date night" and he wanted to plan something fun for us to do together. Apparently, he'd been taking notes from observing my dad and his big brother. I gotta say, he's gonna make some girl very happy someday. He put more effort into planning our evening together than most teenage boys!

By the time we finished swimming and got back up to the room, Darrell was worn out. It had been a busy day. He got into PJs while waiting for our food to arrive. Then, we curled up in bed to eat and watch TV. He fell asleep soon after he finished eating – didn't even see the end of the movie.

Wallace was staying at Jackie's again, so I was left in a very quiet room – alone with my thoughts. My many thoughts. And the temptation to call Eli and get things settled between us. But I knew it would be better to do that in person. So I resisted the urge.

I fell asleep with the TV on, waking when I heard Dad and Alicia return to their adjoining room. She came in to check on Darrell and then quickly returned to their room, closing and locking the door behind her.

I tried not to think about why she needed to lock it. And then reached into my bag for my iPod and earbuds.

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Sunday

Since Wallace was not there on our last morning in the hotel, I got to play big sister to Darrell, helping him pack up before we checked out.

The four of us headed to Brooklyn Dan's Diner to meet up with Wallace for a late breakfast before going to the airport. Jackie, Kim, and Thommie ate with us. They made sure to tell us what menu items we should try and which ones we should avoid. The food and service were both great, but the best part was sharing a meal with this group of people.

After we finished eating, everyone started to move away from Wallace and Jackie – giving them a few minutes for a semi-private goodbye – though I'm sure they said a proper goodbye yesterday when they were truly alone. Kim went into a back room to get changed into her uniform to start her shift. Alicia took Darrell to the bathroom. Dad hailed a cab. I guarded the luggage. A few minutes later, everyone came and claimed their bags, heading for the cab.

The ride to the airport was strange. Darrell was ready to get home. Dad and Alicia were in their own little world. Wallace was already missing Jackie.

As much as I wanted to get back to Neptune – in the hope that I'd get to see Eli in the next couple days – I really would not have minded staying longer. Museums and shopping and shows, oh my!

[

Again, our flight was uneventful. The five of us had survived our first "family vacation." Granted, there were moments when one or more of us was annoyed with the others, but all in all, the trip was a success.

On the drive home from the airport, one of Dad's favorite songs came on the radio. Wallace groaned and rolled his eyes. I, however, was not surprised when Dad turned up the volume.

"Along the road, your path may wander;

A pilgrim's faith may fail.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Darkness obscures the trail."

[

I didn't realize until I was unpacking that I was missing a memory card with most of the photos from the trip. I would have been incredibly sad to lose the pictorial evidence of our adventures. However, a maid at the hotel had found it and mailed it to us. It's nice to know that there are still good people in the world.

Before we left for New York, Dad had dug around to find his autograph book while asking if Carol Channing was still alive. Indeed, she was alive and kicking. And on her fourth husband. But Dad did not get her autograph on this trip. And boy oh boy, was he bummed out about that.

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Our first full day at home involved laundry. Lots of laundry. Loads and loads of laundry. Both mine and Dad's. In between loads, I caught up on email, had a chat with Mac, and checked in with Eli about delivering his candy order.

Ophelia's request list had included gummy bears, gumballs, a candy necklace, a lollipop ring, … and anything pink or purple. Admittedly, I had probably filled the bag with more candy than she needed, but I was in a hurry – and I couldn't resist.

When I dropped by the house the next morning, Ophelia was playing in the yard. She came running toward me as soon as she saw me get out of my car. Her arms wrapped around me and she repeatedly said, "ThankyouThankyouThankyou!"

I returned her hug and laughed happily. Just as I looked up toward the house, Eli stepped out onto the front porch. He was shirtless, and his jeans hung low on his hips – damn, he looked good.

As I held up the bag of candy where he could see it, he said, "Gonna need to put that under lock and key – or else she'll eat it all in one day."

She grabbed for the bag. "No, I won't!"

Holding the candy just out of her reach, I told her, "Pick out one thing to have now, and I'm gonna give the rest of it to your Uncle Eli for safe keeping."

Thinking hard, she carefully looked at what was inside the transparent bag. Finally, she decided on a candy necklace.

Once I gave it to her, she ran back down to where she had been playing, leaving Eli and me alone on the porch.

Gesturing toward the door, he asked, "Want something to drink?"

I wasn't really thirsty, but I wasn't about to turn down an invitation to spend more time with him.

He finished eating while I drank a glass of lemonade. We made awkward small talk for a few minutes. Somehow the conversation rolled around to the events of graduation night.

"Can't tell you how many times I've kicked myself for not meeting you at the party that night." He did not look up as he continued, "If I hadn't helped him with his car … if I had been there … I could've—"

"I gotta stop you right there. Everything that happened would still have happened. And you are in no way to blame for any of it. I'm fine. Stop beating yourself up about it."

He sighed and then gave me a long steady look before saying, "On one condition."

"What would that be?"

"The next day … when we talked … I got the feeling that there was something you didn't tell me. What did you leave out?"

How could he possibly have known? There are only a few people who know me well enough to read me. Even Wallace and Dad hadn't figured out that there was more to that night. I had only told Leo because he was there when I was falling apart.

I was lost in thought as I heard Eli say, "Dime. Ahora." He said those two words more gently than his usual demand.

It took me a long moment to gather the strength to tell him about Caz's admission. I managed to keep my emotions in check while I was speaking. And he remained remarkably calm as he took in the information.

He stood up and took his plate over to the sink. Without turning around to face me, he asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"No plan at the moment."

Turning around, he fixed his gaze on me. "You'll call me if … when you decide how you're gonna handle it?"

It was one of those times that I wasn't really sure how to reply to his question. I gave a small nod, and that seemed to satisfy him.

I walked over to the counter and set down my empty glass. He reached out for me and pulled me into a hug.

Neither of us said anything. I wasn't sure what to say. But I sure as hell wished that he would tell me what he was thinking.

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A few weeks after graduation, Duncan had packed up his life to move to Seattle – to be with Meg and get settled before fall semester. They weren't ready to get married yet, but they shared a house and the tasks of parenting. They reasoned that if their relationship could survive college while parenting, then they would get married. But Duncan had already drawn up papers to be sure that their daughter Lilly would be taken care of financially no matter what happened with the two of them. He even bought the house they would be living in – and put it in Meg's name.

Duncan was the first of my friends to leave for school. Little by little, my classmates left for the college of their choice. Wallace, Mac, Logan, Dick, and I stayed here in Neptune to attend Hearst College.

Eli was busy getting things lined up for his shop to open in the fall. When the banks were unwilling to loan him money to start up his business, a few friends stepped up to invest in his dream – Mac, Duncan, and (surprisingly) Logan provided enough capital to buy a building and the necessary equipment. Per their agreement, Eli would pay back most of the initial startup funds, but they each wanted to keep a stake in the business. They believed he would be successful.

I had no doubt that they had made a wise investment.

[

Aaron Echolls had been in the process of his appeal when someone shivved him in the shower. Not that Logan and I were buddies, but I did drop by his suite at the Neptune Grand to express my condolences in person and let him know that if he needed anything, he could call me or my dad. He was joking about being Little Orphan Annie, so I'm pretty sure the shock hadn't yet worn off. Someday, he'd stop quipping about his family tragedy. Hopefully, when that happens, he'll remember my offer of help.

When I called Duncan in Seattle to tell him the news, he had made a comment that justice had finally been served. I wondered if he knew something about it that he wasn't saying. It also made me wonder if Clarence Weidman had found a way to get to Aaron.

If my gut is right, Duncan had arranged Aaron's death. Much like my gut told me that Eli had arranged Thumper's death.

What does that say about my taste in men?

[

During the past year, tragedy and pain had surrounded me. Rape, murder, abuse, infidelity, government corruption, frat boys behaving badly – all manner of deceit and thievery. Oh, I could go on and on … and on and on. The fact is that Neptune has long had a dark side. And I don't see that changing anytime soon.

One thing has changed though – I had decided to stay. Surprised me as much as anyone – I mean, I'd kinda planned to have my car packed and running during graduation. But a funny thing happened on the way to my planned escape. I found true friendship and fell in love. I wanted to believe that those relationships would last. I know for sure that they're worth sticking around for.

THE END

of

Part 2

A/N:

Song on the radio: "Along the Road" by Dan Fogelberg (1979)

I couldn't help but imagine Veronica and Alicia attending at least one musical together. Erica Gimpel (Alicia Fennell), a talented and skilled dancer, played Coco Hernandez on the tv series Fame (which aired from 1982-87). Prior to Veronica Mars, Kristen Bell had done two Broadway shows, including the role of Becky Thatcher in the musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001). [Unless it's been taken down, there's a video on YouTube of "Tom" (Joshua Park) and "Becky" (Kristen Bell) performing their duet "To Hear You Say My Name" on a daytime talk show.]

The scene in The Light in the Piazza that I described is the song "Say It Somehow." Matthew Morrison and Kelli O'Hara originated the roles on Broadway. If you're interested, you should be able to find the PBS broadcast of the musical on YouTube.

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I posted Chapter 1 of Commence (Along the Road – part 3) at the same time as this chapter.

Thanks for reading this continuing series! I'd love to hear what you thought of Process (Along the Road – part 2).

~Jen

8 May 2019