Title: Falling
Spoilers: Up to the end of season 2 to be safe but very AU
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this fanfiction belong to Rob Thomas and his creative team at The C.W./U.P.N. The story is my own creative work and my intention is to pay homage to the universe they created, not to profit from it.

One of the hardest things to in life is to fall, but the only thing is harder is to let someone catch you. This is what kept Veronica alive, the need for control in her life. From the moment that Lily died Veronica vowed to herself that she was never going to fall again. Veronica had kept her promise for the past ten years.

Veronica went to college at NYU on scholarship. She was loved there by all of her teachers and fellow classmates. Veronica was the valedictorian of her class at NYU and she graduated with many honors.

Veronica was an extremely successful reporter at the New York Times. She had started young and had soon risen to the top of the food chain. All of the staff writers loved her which was good for her because she was the head of the staff writers. Veronica had built her job as being a loyal, hardworking writer that was always ready to find the truth. Her specialty was investigative reporting.

Veronica had gone a few dates since college but never anything serious. She was a business woman and didn't really have time for much else or so she thought. Veronica still kept in touch with her father, Wallace, and Mac. Keith still had his own private detective business in Neptune and he always complained about how far way Veronica was. Wallace was working as a basketball coach at a local high school in Arizona because he had ended up going to college in Arizona. Mac owned her own computer business in New York and the two of them had weekly plans to see each other.

Veronica didn't keep up with any of her other contacts in Neptune. She didn't need to. It wasn't like she cared about anybody else who lived there. Veronica didn't have any other friends in New York. She had acquaintances. She didn't consider anyone else be her friend other than Mac to be her friend. The only people that she sucked up to were her bosses because they controlled her paycheck and her future.

Veronica was called into her office first thing when she got there one morning. "What do you have for me this morning, John?" she asked one of her many bosses. She just hoped that it was something remotely interesting.

"There is a charity banquet for AIDS tonight and we want you to go," John replied.

"John, why can't you send one of the other writers? This article is a shoo-in. Anyone could write it and do a decent job," Veronica complained back to her boss. It was just what she wanted to do. Be around rich people for an entire night as they told her their "sob stories," hoping that she would put them in the press.

"The person organizing the banquet especially asked for you to come. The person knows your work and only wants the best article possible," John said as he smiled at her.

John sure knew how to push her buttons. Veronica liked to be at the top and she wanted no one else to take her position away from her. "Fine, I'll do it. What do I need to do to get ready?" Veronica asked with a glimmer of happiness in her eyes.

"The organizer has already paid for your ticket. We have bought your dress for the evening and it will be delivered to your apartment at 3. The limo will be at your apartment to pick you up at 6," John said, happy that she had agreed to take the article.

"Well, it's already 2. I guess that I should go home and start to get ready," Veronica said as she went out the door.

Veronica got onto the subway and started the trek home to her apartment. Veronica loved to ride subway. It gave her a sense of peace and a feeling that everything was going to be okay. She felt so happy to be immersed in so many different cultures and no one seemed to make a big objection over it.

Back at home, Veronica knew that many people would have a fit if they were in an subway with anyone who wasn't rich or white. That was one of things that Veronica loved about New York. Here, no one called her a skank or a whore. She was just plain old Veronica Mars who loved writing with a passion. No one hated her because of her social class or looks here in New York. All of the writers at the New York Times were of ten thousand different races and from tons of places around the globe.

Veronica reached her apartment with fifteen minutes to spare and fifteen minutes later the dress was delivered. Veronica looked at the dress. It was beautiful. The dress was a red halter dress with gold trim that reached right below her knees. Veronica knew that with this dress she was going to look amazing tonight.

Veronica went into her bathroom to start to get ready. She curled her medium length hair, applied makeup, and put on the dress. Conveniently enough, she had red heels to match. Once Veronica was ready she went to get her reporting gear that she would need for tonight. As usual she was able to fit what she needed into her matching red purse.

Veronica was ready to go at 6 just when the limo showed up. Veronica was not looking forward to job, but she went out to the limo anyways. The limo driver opened up the door for her and she slid into the car, but Veronica was not prepared for who she saw sitting on the opposite side of the limo. It was someone how Veronica though that she would never have to see again, Logan Echolls.

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