Title: Coffee
Author: Tigereyes320
Pairing/Character: Veronica, mentions of LoVe and Logan
Word Count: 1100
Rating: PG-13 for language
Summary: A moment I would have loved to see after episode 4

Spoilers: Everything seen so far for season 3( I apologize if Norman's last name is spelled wrong)

Veronica parked outside the Calvert Academy and questioned for the millionth time what she was doing here. She sighed deeply, got her bag and keys and got out of the car.

She walked down the hall and knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal the dark haired man she knew as Charlie Stone.

"It's you again, listen if you're a reporter you're not allowed in the building and I have no comment."

"I'm not a reporter. My name is Veronica and I'm Logan's girlfriend. I was wondering, hoping actually if you could give me fifteen minutes of your time. Please?"

"Come on in, normally I have a class but there is an assembly today." He stood back and let her enter the room.

Veronica walked in and turned toward him.

Charlie closed the door and went back to his desk, and sat down, He gestured for her to take a seat at one of the desks. "If Logan asked you to speak to me…"

"He doesn't know I'm here. I was hoping I could explain what happened and maybe you wouldn't hold him outing you against him."

"I don't really think there is a satisfactory explanation for what he did. I had no desire to be known as Aaron Echolls bastard son."

"Then you two have something in common, Logan has no desire to be known as Aaron's son biological, bastard or otherwise."

Charlie took a deep breath and let it out, "Go ahead Veronica."

"Logan, after Aaron's death, received a trust fund, the first payout was to last him until his twenty-first birthday. Logan likes to spend money, but he hasn't been and isn't frivolous. Well no more than any other eighteen year old. His accountant told him the money would run out in fourteen months. He asked me to look into it."

"Why would he do that?You can't be more than eighteen yourself."

"I'm nineteen. My father is a private investigator. I've been working for him since I was sixteen. I have often solved cases for my friends and classmates. We had another accountant look over things and that was where we got the first hint that something was being hidden, in this case it turned out to be a someone. I told Logan that I had found you and I gave him your number. I understand he called you."

"Yes he did. I hadn't made up my mind what to do about him."

"Do you remember meeting a man named Norman Phipps?"

"Yeah, he's a reporter, he tracked me down and wasn't to thrilled when I said I wasn't interested in telling the world who my father was."

"He tapped your phone. After Logan called, he went to visit Logan claiming to be you. Logan was so happy to have some non-parasitic family. His sister isn't exactly what you'd call warm and sincere. I can't explain it but something felt off to me, that when I came here and saw you."

"You then knew that the Charlie Logan knew wasn't the real one."

"Exactly, Logan opened up to the fake Charlie about some really horrific personal memories. Memories he would never want published in a Vanity Fair article. Logan went public with the news so that the magazine wouldn't buy the article. I went to get something back from the fake Charlie, that's when he revealed that you'd never wanted to be outed. If Logan had known he would have found some other way to kill the article."

"You're the Veronica that found the alleged proof that Aaron killed that girl, what was her name?"

"Lilly, he was also on trial for attempting to kill me. He was, of course, acquitted of all charges."

"Was he guilty?"

"Of sleeping with and than killing the sixteen year old girlfriend of his son; yes. Of trapping me in a refrigerator and then setting it on fire; also true."

"He thought I'd sold him out to the sharks out there."

"Yeah, Logan hasn't had any experience with family that doesn't try to stab you in the back. I'm not asking you to be best friends or anything. It might not even be possible. I just thought that maybe you two could meet for dinner or even coffee and just talk. If it becomes more than that, great. If it doesn't, than at least you both gave it a shot."

"Why doesn't he know you're here?"

"He'd hate that I'm fighting a battle of his for him. Logan likes being my protector. He was just so happy to have found some family, I was the one who took it away from him. This is just my way of giving it back to him. Logan has been there for me on more than one occasion. I thought I'd return the favor. I don't want to keep you, I know you're busy." Veronica said as she stood up. She took a piece of paper from her bag. "Thanks for hearing me out. This is all the ways you can get a hold of Logan. I really hope you'll use it." She turned away and walked to the door.

"What are you going to tell him Veronica?"

"I'm going to go tell him that I came here, to tell you what really happened and that I would leave the decision to meet with him in your hands. I get the feeling we're going to have a fight tonight; but I won't lie to him."

"I can't make any promises, but I'll think about what you've said."

"That's all I can ask of you."

"I hope Logan realizes what he has in you."

"He knows, I'm the one who usually forgets. Have a good day Mr. Stone."

"Veronica you can call me Charlie."

Veronica smiled and nodded as she opened the door and than left.

Charlie Stone looked at the piece of paper in front of him, that was detailed enough to give him Logan's schedule. He took out his cell phone and dialed.

He waited until it was picked up, "Logan this is Charlie. I still need a little time to absorb everything, but I was thinking maybe we could meet for coffee. There's this little café in Oceanside where we could meet. Give me a call back and let me know what day would be good for you. The weekend of the eleventh would work best for me, but just let me know. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

Charlie put away the phone, and picked up his pen to finish grading papers. "Coffee might be good."