Title: Try
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Veronica/Logan
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 760
Summary: Post Season 1 AU. Veronica knows she needs to get Logan to stop going after the PCHers.
Notes: Another AU about how things might have been different if our favorite couple communicated a bit more
Veronica couldn't continue to watch Logan's downward spiral. What he was doing was nothing more than committing slow suicide, and it frightened her. She had lost people she cared about already, and she couldn't watch another person she cared about leave her, especially not by death.
Every time Logan went after the PCHers, she feared she'd never see him again. She couldn't live with the constant fear eating up her insides. Something had to change, and it had to change now.
Veronica picked a night when she knew her dad would be out of the house. He wasn't fond of Logan, and she didn't want him butting in on their private conversation.
When Logan arrived, she led him to the couch and pushed him down on it. She knew this conversation was going to be tough, so she took a time for a deep, probing kiss, hoping it would be enough for Logan to just listen to her without getting defensive.
Logan returned the kiss, running his fingers through her hair and gripped her head. When they finally pulled back to take in a lungful of air, he smirked. "What was that for?"
"A reminder."
He frowned. "A reminder of what?"
"Of how much I care about you. I just hope it's enough."
"Enough?"
She took a couple of steadying breathes before she started what was sure to be an emotional conversation. "I'm so tired of watching you do stupid stuff that could end up with you being hurt. I kept thinking that if I just stuck by you silently, that you'd get past this, this phase and you'd be you again."
Logan swallowed hard. "Are you breaking up with me?"
Veronica quickly shook her head. "It might be easier for me, but no, I'm not ending us and walking away from you. You mean too much to me, but you can't keep doing this. You and your toadies cruise around and hatch plans, refusing to let everything get back to normal. Someone's gonna to get killed, Logan."
"Someone already has. Did you forget that already? And most of the people in this town think I did it." He shifted to the arm of the couch and opened his mouth to continue, but Veronica beat him to the punch.
"But I'm afraid the next person killed is going to be you. I've already loss my best friend to death and my mom chose to walk away from me. I can't lose you too. I can't, so please, stop this. I'm begging you," she said, holding onto his leg. She felt weak, but if she had any hope of getting through to him, showing him how scared she felt was her best option.
Logan took her hand. "I have to protect you."
"It's not about protection, Logan. It's about pride."
Logan shook his head. "You're wrong. When that shotgun blast hit the car, you could have been hit –"
"But I wasn't," Veronica interrupted. "You protected me, and now I have to protect you. Please, stop this. Ignore the PCHers, and they'll go away when they realize you're not taking the bait. Just be with me."
Suddenly, the door opened and Veronica looked at her father. Keith looked between Veronica and Logan with shrewd eyes. "What's going on here?"
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Dad, we're kind of trying to have a conversation here. So, please..." She gestured behind her, hoping he'd take the hint and leave even as she saw Logan shutting down before her eyes.
He pushed himself away from the couch. "I've got to go."
Veronica watched with wide eyes as he strode to the door and without looking at her dad, she raced after him. She gripped his arm as soon as she caught him outside of the apartment. "Please, don't leave."
Logan turned around and her heart broke at the visible pain etched on his face.
"I don't want to lose you, so please, don't walk away from me. From us."
"I don't know if I can do what you're asking me to do."
"Try. If I mean anything to you, you'll try."
He opened his arms, and she walked into his embrace. "I'll try."
She closed her eyes and allowed his heartbeat to soothe her own erratically thumping heart. She wasn't sure if it would be enough, but at least she knew he was as unready to walk away from her as she was from him.
She clutched his shirt and made a silent vow that she would do everything she could to hold onto him.