Title: The One That I Want

Characters: Logan, Veronica, OCs

Rating: Teen

Summary: Logan can't stop thinking about the call he missed earlier. Companion piece to The One That Got Away. For the VMHQs Milestone Follower 1000 Word Fic Challenge.

Author's Notes: So, the first story was originally just supposed to be a one-off, canon/movie-compliant story about Veronica finding out Logan was in the Navy while at Columbia. However, I couldn't resist writing a continuation from Logan's POV. Technically, this one is also movie-compliant, though it may not stay that way for long :P.

Sitting in the base pizza place eating lunch, Logan looked down at his phone for what must have been the tenth time in the last two hours, his gaze fixing on the call log list. He didn't really know why, but the number at the top was taunting him.

It was a New York area code.

Who the fuck do I know in New York?

It couldn't have been Trina, since she was living in Los Angeles again now, plus her number was already programmed into his phone anyway. He wracked his brains for any woman he might have met, or befriended, or hooked up with in the last few months, but came up empty.

Maybe it really was a wrong number?

"Dude, you're not still obsessin' over that call, are ya?" Cosmo nudged his side. "Chick did say she had the wrong number."

"I dunno." Logan shook his head. "I can't explain it; I just have this feeling."

"Feeling?" Cosmo looked like he was trying not to laugh. "What, like some psychic shit?"

"No." Logan shoved him, hard enough to almost knock Cosmo off his chair. "Just, like maybe I missed something important."

"Maybe you should try callin' back?" suggested Cosmo. "Find out who it was."

"Maybe," Logan murmured, looking down at the screen again.

He was tempted, but what if it was some pushy saleswoman, or an old hook-up he forgot to call back, or worse, another reporter prying into his private life?

"Well, while you're debating, I'm gonna get another soda." Cosmo stood. "You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good." Logan shook his head, before he made a snap decision. "I'm gonna head outside for a minute."

Cosmo grinned in understanding. "Good luck with that phone call."

"Yeah."

Logan made his way out of the pizza place, finding a quiet spot on the patio outside. Taking a steadying breath, he moved his thumb over the unfamiliar number and pressed the call button. Lifting the phone to his ear, his heart began pounding as it began to ring.

He was just on the verge of chickening out, of hanging up, when a slightly breathless female voice answered. "Hello, Veronica's phone."

Logan froze, his mouth falling open. Veronica's phone? As in Veronica Mars?

Shit.

Veronica had called him today? She'd been on the end of the line, and she'd fucking hung up before he could get to the phone?

"Uh, anyone there?" the voice came again.

"I, uh…" Logan swallowed, his head spinning, trying to make sense of the situation.

Why had she called him? What did she want? More importantly, why had she hung up?

"Um, is this Logan Echolls?" the girl on the other end asked, the sound of his name bringing him out of his stupor. "'Cause that's who it says is calling."

"I—yes," he said, finally finding his voice. "This is Logan. I, uh…"

"You're looking for Veronica?" asked the girl.

"Well, not exactly. I mean…" he trailed off, unsure how to explain the situation. "I had a call from this number earlier, and I didn't know who it was from." He paused. "This is Veronica Mars' phone?"

"It is," came the reply. "But she just stepped away. Uh, I'm Amy. Veronica and I are in law school together."

"Law school? In New York?" He's surprised. He hadn't ever imagined her either becoming a lawyer, or living in New York.

"Yeah, Columbia Law."

Logan blinked in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yep. Second year. She's top of the class, much to all of our frustration." There was a pause. "She didn't tell you."

Yeah, right.

"We haven't exactly been on speaking terms lately," he told her. "Or, you know, for the last seven years."

"Oh, right."

"So, uh… Amy… any idea why she called my cell phone today?"

There was another momentary pause, and when she spoke, her tone was apologetic. "That was our fault, sorry. Sandy saw your '30 Under 30' profile in Vanity Fair, and when we found out Veronica knew you, we kind of… persuaded her to call."

"Oh." She hadn't called of her own volition. Logan wasn't sure how to take that.

"She told us someone else picked up, that it wasn't your number anymore."

"No, this is definitely still my number," he said. "Why would she think it wasn't?"

"Oh, uh, she said the phone belonged to some guy named Mouth?"

"Shit." The word escaped his lips in a rush of air.

Of course. No wonder she was confused.

"Mouth is me," he explained. "It's my call sign when I'm flying."

"Oh." Understanding dawned in Amy's voice.

"My Wizzo—sorry, Weapon Systems Officer—answered my phone," he said. "He always calls me Mouth. I would have explained, but she hung up."

"Well, shit."

The tone of Amy's voice made Logan chuckle.

"Yeah. Shit's about right," he agreed. He paused, before working up the nerve to ask, "So, uh, is she around? Veronica?"

"Kind of," said Amy. "She's across the room, but she's deep in conversation with one of our professors. I'm not sure how long she'll be."

"Oh," he said, slightly disappointed. "Well, I should get back anyway."

"I can ask her to call you later," offered Amy.

That gave Logan pause. Did he want her to call him? Wouldn't that just be poking the bear? They weren't together anymore. He'd moved on, made something of himself, and she was in Law School, of all things. Their relationship was in the past; maybe it should just stay there.

"No, it's okay," he said determinedly. "You don't even need to mention I called."

"Oh, uh, well, all right," Amy sounded hesitant. "If you're sure."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Well, it was nice speaking with you, Amy. All the best to you and…to Veronica."

"And you, Logan."

He hung up, his heart beating fast as he stared down at the phone. Veronica Mars had called him today. Veronica, who he'd spent the better part of the last seven years getting over. Veronica, who still crept into his thoughts now and again, usually at the most inconvenient times. Veronica, who had been his first real love. Veronica, who he still loved.

God, maybe it had been a mistake to tell Amy not to mention the call. Maybe he should have just stayed on the line until she came back.

Maybe—

The phone buzzed in his hand, startling him from his thoughts. He blinked, his heart pounding with anticipation as he answered the call.

"Hello?"