A/N: No copyright intended! Some lines taken from Season 2 Episode 11, Donut Run. In this story, Veronica hadn't slept with Duncan yet.
Veronica saw the elevator doors slowly sliding shut so she jogged towards it and stuck her hand out to halt it. She stepped in, looking at the only other passenger, Logan.
She pretends she doesn't notice he's standing a few feet away from her. She pretends she is calm, cool, and collected. She knows she is Duncan's girlfriend, but everything with Meg is just shaking her resolve.
Not that things were too set in stone before the bus crash. Sure, they were happy, they were a couple, they were not siblings… but things just weren't the same. Many nights Veronica stayed awake thinking about the night of Shelly Pomroy's party. She tried never to think of that night again, but there it was, all the time.
What kind of person sleeps with someone they think they are related to, no matter how drunk or drugged. Although, if we're playing that game, what kind of person makes out with numerous people and lets said numerous people feed them shots, no matter how drunk or drugged.
So the never ending cycle starts over again. Of course, there are other niggling thoughts in the back of her brain. Did Duncan know Meg was pregnant before the crash? Why did he go to the hospital every day just to be kicked out once more unless he knew? If he really didn't know, did he still have feelings for Meg?
And yet, even more niggling thoughts revolved around Logan. Things were always hot and heavy between them, and with Duncan it just didn't feel right to Veronica. No, she hadn't slept with either of them, consciously that is. Part of her wondered if she was hesitant to get close to Duncan like that because of the trauma of the Pomroy party. Even though they dated for a long time, and probably would have ended up copulating at some point, she really viewed the entire thing as rape. And, if we're being honest, she still did. Just because the guy who had sex with her was Duncan, someone she loved, didn't make all those feelings disappear.
She is pulled from her thoughts with a nonchalant, "Hi ho."
She paused for a moment. But, alas, since Logan moved in with Duncan, she enjoyed bantering with him. As long as she won.
"What did you say?" she asked coldly.
Logan looked at her, pausing before speaking. He was still in love with her. There was no need trying to deny it. She got him like no one else did. He was angry with himself that he lost her, and angry with Duncan that he had her now. He had enough money to clear the property and erect a mansion twice the size of the one that was burned down. He could probably have it done in a few weeks. Money talks. But, it was so much better for him to impede in Duncan and Veronica's relationship. He liked throwing them off, he liked throwing her off. He knew how she reacted to him. They spent a lot of time at the hotel, the trio. Veronica had a house, with her father albeit, but many times he was out of town. Why did they spend so much time at the hotel? Logan could only deduce it was because he was there, and subconsciously, she wanted to see him.
He masked his emotions with a very innocent face before turning towards her. "Oh, your uniform. Hi-ho, it's off you work you go," he sang.
Veronica couldn't help but smile at their easy banter. She glanced at the buttons and saw they still had many floors to pass. Time spent with Logan seemed to drag on forever, like she liked it to. But when reflected upon, that time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. It was an enigma she was not ready to look too closely at.
"I guess that makes me snow white," she said pleased with herself.
"You must be on your way up to see Mopey," Logan said referring to Duncan. He didn't mope this much when he had broken up with Veronica, but Logan would never tell her that. No, Duncan was pissed at the world after his break up with Veronica, but looking back, Logan thought that had more to do with him believing they were siblings than the actually break up.
"How's he doing, Sleazy?" she said.
"Wouldn't know, he doesn't come out of his room. Old Italian ladies don't grieve like this," he said pointedly not looking at her.
When she didn't rise to the bait, "Boy, he must've really loved Meg." He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't resist making her flush with anger, even if it was directed at him.
"Well," she said through gritted teeth, "then there's that other thing. You know, he can't see his baby." She didn't want to admit how she felt about Duncan moping around like this either. He didn't seem all that mopey when they had broken up, although she hadn't died… but they had dated for years.
"A baby! How'd that happen?" he said as the doors slid open.
Veronica thought about it on the short walk to the suite door. Sure, she never figured Duncan would stay celibate just because she did. But, she sort of expected that sleeping with his 'almost sister' might have given him some sort of hang up. Guess not.
She held the door open for Logan, gesturing that he should enter first, just to play nicely. She couldn't help but watch as Logan's fitted tee rode up when he removed his jacket, showing a strip of skin. She shook her head to clear the images that pursue before walking towards Duncan's closed doors.
"There she goes, the angel of mercy," he called as she flung the doors open. He stopped talking, hearing her gasp.
Seeing her pause at the door intrigues him. "Uh-oh, did you catch him waxing his board?" he says, smug with his pun.
He turned his head at Duncan's exclamation of her name and saw Veronica's hand fly to her mouth. Curiosity got the better of him and he stood to see what had her frozen. He heard a very feminine laugh and was instantly rooted to the spot.
She had come over early, before her shift instead of after, in hopes of cheering Duncan up a little with her visit. Her heart stopped in her chest as she took in the tangle of bodies on the bed. At first, she thought she had walked into the wrong room, Duncan would never… then she saw his eyes widen in shock. He pushed Kendall off of him covering himself with a sheet. He was obviously shocked at her early arrival.
The sound of Logan's own gasp pulled Veronica from the chilling scene in front of her. She spun around, running right into Logan. His arms went to her shoulders to steady her. I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry she repeated over and over, trying to make her feet obey her and flee.
She looked up at Logan's face; emotions flitted across so fast it was hard to keep up. Shock and anger were the most prominent. Then the one that broke her, pity. With a small cry she broke free from him, running for the door with her head down.
For a moment, she was thankful no one followed her as the elevator doors slid shut. Leaning up against the wall, she completely broke down. She was devastated. Even though she wasn't one hundred percent sure where their relationship was headed, she knew it was over now, and that hurt more than she had liked. It hurt that Duncan thought so little of her to cheat on her. It wasn't the break up itself really, things happen and people do change. But to cheat, and have her actually catch him in the act, that was the worst thing he ever could have done to her.
And in front of Logan yet to boot… she was humiliated. Of all the people in the world that she would rather discover her first love and current boyfriend was cheating on her by actually catching him in the act, Logan was at the very bottom of that list.
Now she knew why Duncan wasn't pushing her to take that next step, fulfill his baser needs, he was getting his fulfillment from Kendall. She hung her head and cried until she was a few floors from the lobby. She tried to straighten herself out, tried to stop the sobs wracking her chest.
She was actually doing a good job when the doors slid open and she stepped into the quiet lobby. She started for the door when she heard a crash behind her. She spun around to see Logan slightly out of breath and striding towards her.
She looked at him slightly shocked for a second and then his arms were around her and she felt like she had found that missing puzzle piece. The tears started again, but now she was not only crying for the humiliation, shame, and pain that Duncan inflicted with his afternoon romp— and for the stupidity of ever dating him again— but also for Logan's stupidity of acting immature and forcing her hand in their own break up months earlier. Also for Meg's death, for the motherless baby, for feeling thankful it wasn't her child when just yesterday she was almost wishing it was.
She forced herself to pull it together and pulled back from him. She took a quick glance around and smiled shyly at the few people who were looking, to reassure them she was fine. Logan took her hand and led her to a couch in the lobby, semi secluded from prying eyes.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out, embarrassed at her breakdown.
He looked at her incredulous. "You just walked in on the love of your life with another woman and you're sorry?" he said jokingly, trying to make her stop crying.
She gave an undignified snort and looked at him. "Did you seriously sprint down the steps?"
He laughed. "Of course not. I called Alfred for the mini-chopper and flew down," he said his eyes sparkling. "You didn't give me enough time to catch the elevator, so yes… I did 'sprint' down the stairs. Although, running, or jogging, even hurrying, sounds better than sprinting."
She grinned and he felt momentarily successful. Then, in a second her soft blue eyes turned steely as she rounded her gaze on him. "Did you know?"
"No," he said softly. She looked away, unbelieving. He put his hand under her chin to turn her head back towards him. "Look at me Veronica. No," he said with more conviction. "I did not know that he was with her, he never hinted to me about it, I swear I did not know."
"Would you have told me if you did?" She asked, hating that her voice was shaking.
He looked into her eyes, unshed tears making them glitter. "Yes, I would have told you. Even though you would have hated me for it, I would have told you."
She relaxed and he put her arm around her, pulling her in for a side hug. She sank into his side, basking in his warmth, wishing she could erase what she just witnessed, but happy Logan was here for her. "I could never hate you," she said softly
"Mhm," he said kissing the top of her head. "Hell, I might have even made it up if I'd known it'd get you in my arms again," he said flippantly.
She started giggling as she playfully pushed him away.
"Oh, well this is perfect," came Duncan's hardened voice.
Veronica shot of the couch, blind fury on her face. Duncan took a step back. "Don't speak to me ever again." She cut him off with her hand when he started to open his mouth. "Nothing you say will ever make this right or okay. I never want to see you again." She turned to leave, but stopped about three steps away. Turning, she pierced Duncan with a cold and calculating stare. "I'm glad I never willingly gave you that piece of myself, it would have probably made this almost hard. I hope you two are happy," she said turning around once more. As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, "I'm sure she'll make a great mother, she's had a lot of years to practice."
Logan rose after Veronica was completely out of the hotel and the doors had shut behind her. "Was it worth it?" he asked.
"Oh, like you never—" Duncan was cut off by Logan's fist smashing into his jaw.
"You're right, I never cheated on her, and I never would have," he said looking at Duncan like he didn't know who he was. He stood by the elevator door, calmly waiting for it to slide open.
He stepped in and put out his hand to halt Duncan. "You're the stupidest person I've ever met, but I can't say I'm not glad. Don't come back to the room for a few hours," he said with his usual mix of cockiness and confidence.
"Why?" Duncan demanded, wanting to know why Logan was glad.
Logan knew what he was asking, but pretended he didn't. "I'm moving out, honey bunch, and I don't want to see your face while I'm packing."
He pushed the button for the pent house. "Why are you glad?" Duncan asked, not being able to let it go.
"Don't you see? You've cleared the way for me," he said casually leaning against the back of the elevator. "Hey!" he said, his face lighting up with cockiness in true Logan fashion. "That rhymed!" he said as the doors slid closed.