IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ!

This story is on hiatus until i finish Scattered secrets, i will be returning to it though so don't fear! Please stick with me, when i've got more free time in the summer (i'll have finished exams) i've got some more ideas for stories! hehe, and i can't wait to start writing them. lol

PLEASE STILL READ THIS THOUGH, I STILL APPRECIATE IT ESPECIALLY IF YOU REVIEW

A/N I've only just finished watching VM and i'm already writing a fanfic, that's how good the show is!! This story takes place during the first season after Logan's mother (Lynne) dies and is sort of another way for Logan and Veronica to get together. It'll only be 2 or 3 chapter's long and i've nearly finished it so it should get updated quite quickly. Please please Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own veronica mars!

Chapter 1

"I'm home," Logan Echolls called as he stumbled into his house at around 1.00 a.m. on a Wednesday night. He was met with an eerie silence in the dark front room of his 2 million dollar house. "Dad! Hello!! Anyone here?" He sang out, smiling with that content feeling of knowing he'd had a good time with the help of a little illegal drinking. He swung himself onto the couch only for the TV to be turned on and to see himself drunk and making a fool of himself in the bar he'd just come from.

He was picking a fight with the bartender who thought he'd had enough to drink, he hadn't even needed ID to get in (Oh the joys of being famous!) so he couldn't understand why they weren't serving him. The footage had been recorded from the 11 O'clock news and Aaron Echolls had obviously been saving it for Logan to watch when he got home.

He looked over to the other couch where a stern silent Aaron was looking at Logan's reaction to the TV. "Hello son," he said calmly. "Had a good time?"

Logan said nothing, the knowledge his father knew of his night was enough to sober him up to think sensibly.

"Aren't you going to answer me? Did you have a good time?" Aaron asked again in a low, tormenting voice.

"Ye-yes," Logan replied quietly.

"Speak up!"

"Yes, I had a good time," Logan answered sarcastically immediately regretting his tone. Luckily Aaron let it slide.

"Well, that's great for you but that doesn't change the fact that you may have just lost me a movie deal. I was to sign the papers tomorrow morning but now it looks like you may have just changed that. Who'll go and see a movie starring an actor who can't even control his son? Answer me that?"

"I'm sorry Dad," Logan said shrinking back onto the couch.

"I said answer the question!" Aaron said standing up slowly and moving towards Logan, anger rising in his voice.

"No one."

"That's right, no one. How could you be so stupid to do this especially after all the bad publicity with your mother's suicide? It'll be all your fault if I lose this job. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Logan replied compliantly.

"I think you need to be taught a lesson Logan, sorry just doesn't cut it. Not in this household."

"Please…" Logan started.

Almost laughing Aaron said, "Are you begging son? Men don't beg. Real men take what's given to them and they don't complain."

Logan quickly replaced the frightened expression on his face with a blank one knowing that showing any kind of emotion could make it worse.

"You know what to do. I bought a new one last week, it's the black one near the front," Aaron commanded Logan, smiling sinisterly.

Logan got up slowly and steadied himself as he walked to the closet where his father kept his belts. The longer he took to fetch it, the longer he could prolong the time until it would be used.

He got the belt out, walked back to his father and handed it to him. They both stepped into his father's office and Aaron told him to take off his shirt and get on the floor.

Logan had never told anyone, his mother knew but she had kept quiet and pretended nothing was happening until she died. There had been occasions when Logan had tried to overpower his father but he wasn't strong enough and the abuse just got worse.

Usually the whipping would last for about ten minutes, but since his mother had died it was longer, tonight it was almost half an hour and this time a few hard kicks had been added to the routine. It was worse than normal because he had taken off his shirt, most of the time his father wouldn't require this. Previously it hadn't been bad enough to cause permanent scars; he just hadn't been able to go to the beach or surfing for a few days afterwards in case someone had seen. But he had a feeling the scars might stop fading.

After that half an hour, father and son went to bed as if the night had been as normal as any other.

The next morning Logan awoke in pain after a restless night tossing and turning trying to get comfortable. He looked at the clock, it was only 6 O'clock which meant if he got up now he could avoid seeing his father before going to school.

He reached into a drawer and found some pain killers although he didn't know how much good they would do the pain of his back was almost unbearable. He went to the kitchen and took the pills with some water before returning to his room to get ready for school.

He was ready to go and out of the house by 7 O'clock just in time to hear his father stirring in his bedroom.

Veronica Mars was at school early that morning using the school's printers to develop some photos for the navigator. Everything was quiet which was why she was so surprised to hear someone coming through the door and even more surprised to find out whom it was.

She peaked out of the room and spied Logan Echolls walking down the corridor slowly and cautiously as if he was uncomfortable. He eventually stopped and faced the wall leaning against it breathing slowly and wincing before carrying on.

Veronica went back into the room wearing a puzzled expression. It really wasn't like Logan to come in this early. He usually ditched classes. She hadn't seen him looking that vulnerable since he found out his mother really did kill herself. The weird thing was that he looked in pain but there was no sign that he'd been in a fight. No sign of visual bruising which she wouldn't have been surprised by, Logan had quite the reputation for fights and after last night's news it wouldn't have been a shock. She shrugged it off and went back to work, what did she care about Logan Echolls, he wasn't her problem.

The bell rang for home room and floods of people were pouring into school. Veronica and Logan were in the same home room class so she found herself keeping an eye on him. He went in to the classroom first and sat down. She saw Dick come in and pat Logan on the back which caused Logan to cringe badly and after a few seconds he ran out of the room.

Veronica saw Logan dash into the boys bathroom and as she was worried she followed him. She wouldn't have bothered if this had been happening a few months ago when every word he spoke to her was full of loathing and hate. But she had seen a completely different side to him when he asked her to help find his mother. That behaviour hadn't lasted long in front of her but she was sure that that person existed inside him somewhere.

Once Logan had gotten to school the pain had been almost too much to bear. He felt like he was about to pass out at any moment. The pain killers had worked for a brief time but not long enough. He hadn't had a chance to check how bad the marks were before he left the house but when Dick patted him hard on the back he made a dash for the bathroom to throw up.

Logan was standing by the sink and lifting up the back of his T-shirt to see what marks his father had left in the mirror. He saw the red marks and bruises and immediately felt dizzy. He got another shock when he saw Veronica Mars in the mirror watching him. She had obviously seen the marks too; the look on her face was horrified.

"Oh my God, Logan!" she said rushing to his side.

"Veronica, what are you doing here? Get out!" Logan said almost passing out and grabbing onto the sink for support.

"Logan what happened to you?" Veronica cried.

"Please Veronica…" Logan said as his eyes closed and he fell, this time into her arms.

"She sat up against the wall with his head on her legs. She inspected the marks and bruises on him whilst he drifted in and out of consciousness and thought that from the severity of his bruising he could be bleeding internally.

"Logan," she said trying to wake him, his eyes fluttered open and she gave a small sigh of relief. "We have to get you the hospital."

"No! No, you can't take me there, they'll find out!!" he was obviously quite disorientated which was leading Veronica to becoming increasingly worried.

"Did your father do this to you?" Veronica asked realisation dawning.

Logan didn't answer which she assumed meant yes but when she looked down at his face she could see how frightened he was and their were tears forming.

"I have to get help," Veronica said lifting up his head so that she could get up.

"Please don't leave," she heard Logan say quietly.

She put his head back and tried to find her cell phone. Eventually she found it and called the only person she knew she could absolutely trust; her father.

"Dad?"

"Hey honey, what's up?" Keith Mars replied happily.

"I need your help," her voice was slightly distorted for she was crying too now, Logan was completely unconscious and his breathing shallow.

"What's wrong?" Keith asked worriedly.

"It's Logan, he's hurt really bad, he's unconscious, I'm in the bathroom with him but I don't want to call an ambulance because then news crews might show up. Can you come and take him to the hospital, I can't leave him to get my car."

"Isn't there anyone else there?"

"No, no one knows we're in here. Can you please come, I think he's getting worse."

"Of course, I'll phone his father on the way."

"No Dad, don't!"

"Why not? He needs to know that his son is hurt."

"Trust me, you can't. You'll see why when you get here. Please hurry," Veronica pleaded before hanging up the phone. "It's going to be alright," she said reassuring Logan.

Ten minutes later Keith Mars was inside the bathroom seeing Logan Echolls unconscious in his daughter's arms. The marks of tears on both their faces.

He bent down and scooped up Logan in his arms whilst Veronica stood up and followed them to the car. Keith lied Logan in the back seat and Veronica got in the front.

"What happened? Why didn't you want me to phone his dad?" Keith asked Veronica once they were on their way to the hospital.

"His Dad is the one who did this to him," Veronica answered.

"No! Aaron Echolls is an abusive father. No wonder you didn't want the news crews here. Poor Logan."

Veronica turned to check on Logan and saw that he was started to wake up, "Where are we?" he just about managed to ask.

"We're on our way to the hospital," Keith said looking in his rear view mirror to check on Logan.

"What? No, we can't. I don't need to go to the hospital," Logan said slowly, before passing out again.

"Have you known about this?" Keith asked his daughter.

"I had suspicions after something his sister said but I had no idea it was like this."

"What were you doing with him anyway?" Keith asked.

"I came into school early this morning, so did he, he looked in pain so I kept an eye on him, when he made a dash to the bathroom I figured something must be pretty wrong."

"It's a good thing you did."

Veronica smiled. "I just hope he's going to be okay."

to be continued...

A/N So there you have it, chapter 2 should be up soon. I hope you like it. They'll be more Logan Veronica interaction in the rest of it. If you stick with me you're in for a fluffy ride! Please R & R!

J