Title:A Single Mistake

Chapter 1: Not a Killer

Summary: Veronica shoots Cassidy on the roof that fateful day

Spoilers: Up to 2x22 "Not Pictured"

Author's Note: Obviously this story is pretty dark and angsty! Just a 'what if' piece with a LoVe pairing

A gunshot rang into the air. Logan and Cassidy abruptly stopped fighting and looked her direction. Veronica purposely brought the gun down to Cassidy's level with fire in her eyes.

"Logan, move away from him," she instructed. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally shoot him in the process of getting her vengeance. Logan and Cassidy quickly got to their feet.

"Veronica, don't," Logan said urgently, putting his hands up. Surprise and worry were etched in his features. Taking note of his disbelief, Veronica emphasized the reasons Cassidy had to die.
"He killed my father!" she shouted through a barrage of tears. Logan started to move slowly toward her. Veronica Mars was not a murderer and she would not become one tonight.

"Now give me the gun, Veronica," he repeated, ignoring her plea.
"He killed everyone on the bus! He raped me!" she accused, emotionally. Her gun was pointed toward Cassidy with the expertise of a gunman, but her face was vulnerable and scared. Beaver had taken away the lives of her friends, her family, and her innocence in one fell swoop. Logan looked back at him in shock, secretly agreeing that the punishment she wanted to bring on him was apt. He just didn't want to see her be the one to execute it.

"Look, you are not a killer, Veronica. Give me the gun," Logan insisted, inching closer toward her. At this, her resolve began to falter. She looked over at Cassidy. For a moment he looked scared and vulnerable too. Someone had taken away his innocence long ago, too. She felt a touch of sympathy as she stared. Then, Beaver's distraught face flickered into a smirk before Logan could reach Veronica. His expression spoke for itself. She wasn't going to do it. She wasn't capable of doing it. His challenging eyes caught Veronica's wet ones and they glazed with anger. In seconds, it was done. Her finger flicked across the trigger.

Cassidy fell backwards, surprise etched on his features as his body went limp. Her eyes bulged in surprise at what she had done; her arm fell limply at her side, the gun still held between her fingers. She choked out a sob as Logan raced up to pry the gun away. "Veronica, oh my God," Logan mumbled, upset.

She stumbled over to the young Cassidy, her throat tight, and knelt over his body. She reached out her hand to gingerly touch him and feel for a pulse. Logan grasped her fingers quickly. The last thing they needed was to have her DNA all over him. He pulled his sleeve over his hand and gently felt his neck. No pulse. He shook his head in disbelief.

Veronica stumbled backwards and inched away from him.

"Oh my God, what did I do?" she whispered and she started shaking all over. Logan pulled her into his arms.

"It's okay, Veronica. It's gonna be okay," he assured her, rubbing her back in comfort.

She pulled away slightly. "How… how is this going to be okay? I killed him, Logan. I killed Cassidy!" she cried, her voice tight. He put a hand over her mouth to silence her and held her face.

"Listen: I am not going to let anything happen to you, okay?"

She buried her head in his arms, taking in what had happened. Suddenly another thought occurred to her as she pulled back. "Logan, what about Mac? What if Cassidy- I have to see if she's okay."

He shook his head firmly. "Veronica, we have to get rid of the body first." She looked stricken at what he was suggesting.

"He was Dick's brother. We can't just-"

"We don't have a choice!" he shouted, louder than he intended. They were both panicked, but one of them had to take the initiative and keep a clear head. Considering the state of his ex-girlfriend, he had to be the one to take the reins this time. "I can't watch as they put you away for life for murder."

Veronica released herself from his grip and began walking shakily toward the edge of the roof, wrapping her arms around herself. "I didn't mean… I mean Beaver, he-" Bile started to rise in her throat as she realized the implications of what she had done. She held her stomach and began breathing heavily. He stood behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look I mean, best case scenario they buy it was in self defense. But, c'mon, we saw how my dad's trial went. And Big Dick's pockets go pretty deep too. There's no question how the jury will vote, we both know that," he explained, pulled his fingers through his hair in frustration. She nodded at him and stared off the edge of the roof. Her life had been ruined because of a second's mistake. Her dad was gone. The cars raced by on the streets below; becoming a blur in her eyes. It would be so simple…

Logan saw what she was contemplating and twirled her around. He grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her. "Veronica, no!" he yelled, his voice coarse and angry.

"What exactly is the point, Logan?" she asked, surprised by his tone.

"The point is: I can't watch you die. Not you, after everything that's happened. Please, we can work through this I promise. I promise you won't lose your life over Cassidy. Now, can you trust me?"

She hesitated, and then nodded slowly. He drew her into his arms again and kissed her head softly. "Okay, okay…" he muttered, rocking her back and forth. He tentatively let her go and stooped beside Cassidy's body. She walked him leave, but kept a safe distance.

"We could drop him in the ocean. They would never find him," he offered, his voice stoic.

She sighed and shook her head. "There's no way we're gonna be able to carry his… body down the stairs without getting noticed." He nodded in agreement. She began pacing the roof in contemplation, gazing at the vacant space in front of her. Suddenly, she had a thought. She walked to the edge of the roof again. Logan came forward in a hurry, still worried she might be suicidal.

"What if- what if we threw him off?" she suggested. "I mean, the cops wouldn't know which floor he came from."

Logan mulled over his idea and nodded. He began taking off his hooded jacket and carefully wrapped it around Cassidy, careful not to get any prints. He methodically placed his body on the roof, and then jerked the jacket away like a magician pulls away a tablecloth. He turned and winced as he heard the sound of a crash and a car horn below. His face was pained; disturbed by what he had done. Veronica stared at his face and his jacket, stained with Cassidy's blood, feeling immeasurable guilt.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she squeaked, knowing her words were too small. She bit her lip, reluctantly. "What about Mac?"

He nodded as they started gathering the evidence and shoving it into her bag: her taser, the gun, and the bloody jacket. They packed them tightly, sealing off the top carefully. The two raced toward the help desk eagerly.

"I need to see the room where Cassidy Casablancas is staying," Veronica stated urgently to the same hotel employee she spoke to earlier.

The receptionist was less than thrilled to help her this time. "I'm sorry, Miss. I can't give out that information. We're very busy."

Veronica jerked her head to see the hotel employees and hotel security gathered around the place where they had thrown Cassidy. She gazed at Logan, pleadingly.

"Look, we think whoever he's got in the room is in danger," Logan told her. "We have to get to her or you'll have another murder on your hands." Ironically, he was unaware that his own father was being murdered at that moment.

The receptionist looked panicked and gave up Cassidy's room without further hesitation. She directed another employee to help them enter the room, explaining the situation. The three raced toward the elevator and numbly watched the numbers light up as they reached Cassidy's floor. As soon as he had the door opened, Veronica raced in.

"Mac?" she called.

The first thing she noticed was the empty mattress; all of the bedding had been removed. She then saw Mac crouched by the side of the bed, wrapped in a shower curtain. Despite her depressed expression, she was alive. Veronica gasped in relief and crouched down in front of her.

"He took my clothes. He took everything. Why?" Mac cried sadness and confusion written over her face.

Veronica put a hand over her mouth, wondering what to tell Mac about the events that had transpired. Instead she leaned over and enveloped her in a hug. The employee that came with them shook his head in disbelief.

"I'll- I'll see what we can do, Ma'am," he stammered, uncomfortably and left the room.

"What happened, Veronica?" Mac insisted, knowing she knew more than what she was telling. Veronica furrowed her brow, uncertainly. She and Logan froze as they heard the sounds of sirens below. The police were here.

Veronica opened her mouth to explain, but Logan interrupted her before she could get out another word. "Veronica, we gotta go."

At that moment, the employee returned holding a few crumpled clothes in his arms. He told Mac they were complimentary from the hotel gift shop. Nodding at Logan, Veronica stood slowly. "Mac, we'll explain everything later, okay?" Logan grabbed her arm and started pulling her along. She glanced over at Mac apologetically and left the room.

She stared after them quizzically and nervously took the clothes from the employee….

Moments later, they managed to sneak out the back door away from the throngs of hotel employees, security guards, and police cars out front. They hurried over to the parking lot and made their way to Logan's Xterra. Veronica scooted into the passenger's seat and slammed her door with more force than necessary. She clutched the evidence bag tightly and looked over at him nervously.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

Logan massaged his forehead in distress. "Away from Neptune," he replied, gripping the wheel and staring out in front of him.

Veronica nodded and leaned back in her chair, bracing herself for the road ahead…

Author's Note: Next up, Keith returns!