No Matter What

What if it had been Logan, not Moe, who Veronica had run into in Benes Hall while running from Mercer?

Piz called Wallace's cell phone, begging him silently to pick up.

"Hey man, what is it?" his roommate answered.

"Hey… we just talked to someone who said the girl who was dosed wasn't Kim… it was her sister, Kari, who lives in Benes Hall… Veronica… I'm sorry man, I tried to stop her…"

"Shit, man, I'll turn around, you talk to Logan…. Tell him everything you know."

"Hey… Piz, is it? What's going on, why are we turning around, Wallace?"

"Logan, it wasn't Kim Kaiser. It was her little sister. She lives in room 212 Benes Hall."

Logan felt his heart jump to his throat. "Piz, where's Veronica?" he asked, already knowing the answer wasn't something he was going to like.

"I'm sorry, man, I tried to stop her, I told her I was going with her, but then I turned around for a second and she was gone… I'm heading over to Benes Hall right now, but I'm on foot and it's on the other side of campus… Veronica has my keys… you guys will probably make it there before I will."

"Drive faster, Wallace, and if you see the blue and red, ignore the hell out of them." Logan instructed, and Wallace pressed down on the accelerator.

90909

After finding no one but a dosed Kari Kaiser in room 212, the boys opted to split up. Piz got the short stick, and had to stay to watch over Kari, leaving Logan and Wallace to run through the dorm searching for Veronica.

Logan was running up the stairs into the north boy's hall when he heard the sound of her panicked gasps.

"Wallace, Piz… help. Someone, please help!"

He ran.

"Veronica?" he exclaimed when he reached her. She was sitting in front of Wallace and Piz's door, sobbing. When she heard him say her name, she looked up, flinching instinctively, breaking his heart.

"Veronica, it's just me, Logan," he soothed, kneeling beside her to get a better look at the huge purpling bruise around her left eye, and the blood pouring out of her nose.

Her breath caught and she kept sobbing, blindly reaching for him, trying to catch his shirt in her grasp so she could pull herself closer to him.

Finally understanding what she wanted, he moved closer and picked her up.

Taking out his cell phone, he dialed Wallace.

"Hey, I've got her, she was in front of your door. Do you think you could come let us in? She's hurt and I think she should lie down."

"No," Veronica moaned, "Kari… still in her room… Mercer… rape her."

Logan clenched his jaw. "It was Mercer… Wallace, please hurry," he said into the phone, before hanging up.

"Shh. Veronica, it's okay. Piz is with Kari, and we'll find Mercer. Let's just worry about you for a change, okay? When the ambulance arrives for Kari, I want the paramedics to check you out as well, alright? That's a pretty nasty gash on your forehead there."

By this time, Wallace had arrived and was opening his door for them. Logan carried her into the room and set her down on the bed, but didn't let go of her. Instead he sat beside her, still cradling her upper body in his arms.

"Do you have-" he was cut off when Wallace set a first aid kit down beside him.

"One of these? Yeah. Will you be okay in here with her? I need to wait for the EMS downstairs to lead them to Kari Kaiser's room. I'll try to get one of them back here to take a look at her as well."

Logan nodded his thanks as he opened a disinfectant wipe. "This is going to sting a bit, Ronica," he whispered to her.

She just nodded, still looking dazedly up at him. He wiped the blood off of her nose, but when he moved to clean her eye, she didn't close them. He sighed.

"C'mon, Veronica," he cajoled her softly, but before he could tell her she had to close her eyes for him to clean off her cut, she started crying, so he switched tactics. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I'm so so sorry… for ever not trusting you… for being harder on you than I was with Duncan… for… everything. I need you, Logan, I need you so much!"

He was in shock for a moment, but when Veronica started trying to lift herself up to hug him, he gently pushed her back down. This made her cry harder and she rolled over and buried her face in her hands, trying to curl herself away from him.

Realizing that she'd taken his response as a response to what she'd said instead of as a response to her trying to sit up, he rushed to reassure her. He stroked her back, relieved when she didn't move away again, but then worried when he realized it was only because she was too tired and in too much pain.

"Oh Veronica," he breathed out, "It's okay. I forgive you, and I love you so much. Just let me clean you up, and get you more comfortable. Then I'll lay here beside you and hold you all night. Okay?"

She turned around so fast he could see her head spinning. Even as she was laying down on Wallace's bed, she seemed dizzy. Logan steadied her and moved her up to lay on the pillows. She was still crying, big fat tears rolling down her face and her breaths were still ragged.

Logan told her to close her eyes and he cleaned up her face and put a few butterfly closures over the gash above her eye. Once he was done, he moved the first aid kit out of the way and lowered himself down to lay beside her.

"C'mere, Ronica. Let me hold you," he implored, and she moved so quickly she almost sailed off the bed. But then her soft head was resting on his chest, and he could feel that beautiful blond hair tickling his nose.

He rubbed her back and whispered sweetly into her ear as she dozed.

When the paramedics arrived, they tried to get her to ride with them, worried that she was exhibiting signs of a rather severe concussion, but she screamed and refused to let go of Logan.

"Shh, shh, baby, it's alright. Okay, I'll go with you, just breathe, relax Veronica," Logan soothed, waving the paramedic away.

He got Wallace to drive them to the emergency room, where the doctor gave her some pain pills and sent her home, instructing Logan to wake her every few hours.

90909

In her little apartment, the scene was much like it had been a few weeks before. Her father fussed quietly over her, situating an ice pack and making sure she was comfortable, while Logan sat with her, holding her little body close to him.

Hours later, she'd calmed somewhat, but partly because of the medicine, and partly because she was still so worked up, she couldn't seem to stop shaking and sobbing into Logan's shirt.

"Logan?" she begged for the 30th time.

"Yes, baby?"

"Don't leave me? Please, I need you, don't leave me!"

"Shh, Veronica, calm down, I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

They fell asleep like that, her father in his chair, Logan reclined on the sofa with her half on top of him.

His thumb, brushing circles over her shoulder, just reminding her that he was there.

He would always be there. No matter what.