A/N: This is a pre-season 1 fic. LoVe. Sorry if you're waiting for an update on will you be there to catch me when I fall? But my next chapter is on my laptop, which won't let me on the Internet. Song is If I never Knew You by: The Cheetah Girls. Italics are people's thoughts in nobody's pov.
Summary: The conversation with Logan after Shelley Pomroy's party, is it of LoVe or of Hate?
Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars or If I Never Knew You.
---------------------Veronica's POV----------------------
6 weeks.
6 weeks since the Homecoming Dance.
5 weeks.
5 weeks since Duncan Kane dumped me.
Since he dumped me without telling me, and for no reason at all.
4 weeks.
4 weeks since Lilly Kane dumped Logan Echolls.
Since Lilly installed a camera out by the Kanes' pool to spy on Duncan.
3 weeks.
3 weeks since Lilly told me that Logan has always been in love with me.
2 ½ weeks.
2 ½ weeks since my best friend was murdered.
10 days.
10 days since Logan accused me of betrayal to him and all the 09ers.
8 days.
8 days since my dad lost the sheriff's job for going after Jake Kane.
Since Abel Koontz confessed that he killed Lilly.
1 week.
1 week since Shelley Pomroy's party.
Since I was roofied, and since I lost my virginity.
6 days.
6 days since I woke up without my underwear.
Since I found 'slut' written on my windshield, and since Lamb told me to go see the wizard.
5 days.
5 days since I cut off most of my hair.
Since I became hardass bitch Veronica Mars.
4 days.
4 days since my mom took off.
Since I found a speeding ticket in Lilly's car showing her death was off by 2 hours.
Since Lilly's funeral.
3 days.
3 days since I showed Dad the ticket.
Since Meg and I reconciled.
2 days.
2 days since Meg and Duncan kissed.
Since Meg and Cole broke up.
2 days since I realized all Duncan and I had was teen puppy love, and got over him, so I didn't care that he and Meg were dating, not like I would have before.
1 day.
1 day since I realized I'm in love with Logan Echolls!
Logan frakkin' Echolls!
1 hour.
1 hour since the meeting with Vice Principal Clemmons was announced.
10 minutes.
10 minutes since I arrived in the parking lot of Neptune High School. Go Pirates! That's what a friend's death does to you, it was already almost 7 but I was only there because all the kids who were hit hardest by Lilly's death were coming in at 7:30 tonight for a meeting about all the missed school days, and information about all of Lilly's things at the school. Vice Principal Clemmons was going to be distributing all of Lilly's things between mostly Logan, Duncan, Meg, Dick, and me.
2 minutes.
2 minutes since the meeting ended.
30 seconds.
30 seconds since Logan arrived next to me.
Now.
Now, when I realize that Logan was right, I, Veronica Mars, am a Marshmallow.
--------------------Nobody's POV---------------------
"Well, well, well, Veronica Mars, V as in Virgin, M as in Marshmallow, cut off her hair! I wonder what Duncan will say about this. Oh wait, he won't care, cause he has MOVED ON! That's right folks, Duncan Kane is over Veronica Mars." Logan started teasing her, as usual, ever since the apparent betrayal.
Veronica felt tears in her eyes, not because she lost Duncan, but because Logan implied she was a virgin. Which she wasn't.
Thanks Shelley, great party!
"Shut up Logan!" Veronica heard Duncan say as he walked up to them.
"Chill DK, maybe you shouldn't be with Meg if you still care about Ronnie here." Logan told his friend. Duncan just walked away leaving Dick in his place near Logan.
Veronica felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She wouldn't cry, she couldn't cry, not in front of Logan.
Oh wait to go Logan! You made me cry, whoo who. You said you always hated seeing me cry, guess you've changed, just a teensy bit.
Veronica of course, not wanting Logan to see her cry, ran. She ran back into the school and didn't stop until she reached Lilly's locker, where she sunk down to the ground and continued sobbing.
Who do you turn to when the only person who can stop your crying is the one who made you cry?
---------------------Logan's POV-------------------
"Dude, what's up?" Dick asked while I just stared after Veronica. I felt bad now. I've always hated seeing her cry.
"I've always hated seeing Ronnie cry." I stated bluntly, I've never been good at avoiding things, Lilly and Veronica always said I was blunt.
"OK then, dude, and by the way, get help." Classic Dick, and with that he walked away, leaving me to run after Veronica and find her a few minutes later sobbing in front of Lilly's locker. I picked her up in my arms and carried her to my Xterra as she so fondly calls Big Yellow.
-------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
Veronica was still sobbing when she felt strong arms pick her up and begin carrying her somewhere. Their car, she realized a few minutes later.
Uh oh.
Big Yellow.
Logan…
--------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
"Why am I in your car Logan?" Veronica asked as soon as she realized where she was.
Logan paused for a second to get into the driver's seat and then answered, "I wanted to get you out of there. The 09ers already hate you, can you imagine what pleasure seeing you crying would bring them."
She almost laughed, almost, "Two things Logan. One, why do you care? And two, aren't you one of the 09ers?"
"Ronnie," he saw her flinch, "Veronica, I may insult, you I may act like I hate you, I may spread rumors about you, but no matter what, I will always hate seeing you cry."
"You know Logan, just because you don't see me crying for any reason, including you, it doesn't mean I don't."
"I know."
"Where are we going anyways?" she asked, wanting to forget about this for a little while, and forget he said 'I may act like I hate you' and not 'I may hate you', because she is Veronica Mars, so of course she caught it.
"Dog Beach, unless you want to go somewhere else," he was acting like he was still her friend, and maybe deep down, he still was.
"That's fine." Silence filled the car for a while.
"We're here." Logan announced five minutes later.
"Ok." She says simply before getting out of the car. Logan grabbed her arm, and she looks at him strangely.
"Don't run?" He tells her, although it comes out as more of a question.
She shook her head at his silliness, "Where am I gonna go?" he doesn't look amused, "I won't, Logan, you saved me from utter humiliation, and showed me a side of you I haven't seen since, well since you know when, I promise I won't run."
"Alright." He grabs two blankets out of the back of his Xterra, and grabs Veronica's hand. They walk down the beach for a few minutes before he drops her hand to spread out one of the blankets, which he sits on, pulling her down with him so she's sitting in between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Just like they always used to do before they got involved with the Kanes. He covered them with a blanket even though they lived in California, it still got chilly in the fall and winter.
"Just like before." Veronica voices what they were both thinking.
"Yeah, before everything, " he stared at the ocean for a minute,
"Hey Veronica, why did you start crying today, you normally don't let me see you cry?"
"You said V as in Virgin." She told him and turned to face him.
"I've said that a million times before."
"Except, I'm no longer a virgin."
"But… but… who?" He asks feeling, what is this, jealousy?
"I don't know."
"How do you not know who you lost your virginity to?" he asks sourly, still getting over the fact that she lost her virginity in the short 10 days time since they stopped being friends.
"At Shelley Pomroy's party I was roofied and raped."
"Oh Ronnie, I am so, so sorry, nobody deserves to be raped, but you probably deserve it the least of anyone."
He was hugging her tightly and was surprised and happy when he found she was hugging back just as tightly, "I'll find out who did this to you Ronnie, and I'll make them pay,"
"Why?"
"Because I love you!"
This took her a minute, "You… love… me…?" What the hell? I thought that went away, or that Lilly was kidding!
"Yes, I love you, look I'm sorry for the was week and a half, I just thought if I blamed you, then maybe it would make Lilly's death so much easier, but I've always loved you, since we were 12." He sighed, thinking she wouldn't care.
"Since we were 12." She repeated.
"And Lilly knew it too, God, how she loved teasing me about it."
"That sounds like Lilly."
"Yeah."
"I love you too Logan." Veronica said after a few minutes of silence.
"You…?"
"Lilly told me you loved me 3 weeks ago. I didn't believe her. Yesterday I realized I felt the same way, after seeing Duncan move on, I decided I should too, and well there you go, I'm in love with Logan frakkin' Echolls." He smirked.
"Frak?"
"Frak is the frig of the future."
Logan laughed and then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips, which she returned with a hard kiss full of passion that she had never shared with Duncan. A few minutes later, when air became necessary, they broke away and stayed curled up in each other's arms until they fell asleep looking at the stars a while later.
-------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
"Ronnie…" Logan shook Veronica awake a little while later.
"What time is it?" she asks him sleepily when she finally wakes up.
"About 6 in the morning, come on, we have school in an hour and a half, and your dad is gonna kill me," Logan tells her.
Veronica suddenly sits up, and says, "Don't worry; I'll talk to him, so are you like my boyfriend now?"
"What, don't you want me to be?" he jokes.
She hits his arm and shrieks, "YES!"
"Hey!" he replies and begins tickling her.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry I hit you, now take me home boyfriend!" she orders.
"Yes ma'am." He says sarcastically.
"Come on!" Veronica grabs his hand and drags him to his Xterra.
-------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
"Where were you Veronica?" Keith Mars asks when Veronica walks in the door a while later.
"At the beach." This is her way of explaining things to him.
"With who?"
"Logan."
"Logan, as in Logan Echolls? But I thought he hated you."
"If my boyfriend hates me, then we have a serious problem." She snarked.
"Boyfriend?"
"Yes, and he will be here to pick me up in about 45 minutes, so I have to go get ready for school."
"Well I have to head out of town for about a week, Logan can't stay past midnight, understand?"
"Yes sir!" she said sarcastically, "Bye Dad." She kissed his cheek and he left.
-------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
45 minutes later there was a knock on the door. Veronica smiled.
Ahhhhh, Logan, always punctual, not like Lilly, Lilly was always 'fashionably' late, and forgetful. God, she forgot to change the tapes in the camera out by the pool all the time. The camera! Lilly's murder should be recorded on there! Please say you remembered to change the tape on the morning of October 3rd Lilly!
Veronica opened the door to her smirking boyfriend, "I thought you were gonna leave me out here."
"Drive us to the Kanes' Logan!" Veronica ordered.
"Uh, why?"
"Because Lilly had this camera she used to spy on Duncan out by the pool, and it will show her murder and the real killer, I know it wasn't Abel Koontz, I found a parking ticket in the glove compartment of Lilly's car that proves her death occurred two hours later than the Kanes said it did."
"Let's go Nancy Drew." They got into the Xterra and headed to the home of the oh so lovely Kanes. Not!
-------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
"What are you doing here Logan?" Duncan asked, not even acknowledging Veronica.
"Veronica has a way to find proof of who really killed Lilly, because she found a parking ticket in Lilly's car saying her death occurred two hours later than it supposedly did."
"Alright, come on."
They followed Duncan to the pool where Veronica ran to a corner of the patio and started searching for a button, which she found and pushed revealing a hidden camera.
"What the hell?" Duncan and Logan both said at the same time.
"Lilly set it up to spy on you."
"Why?" Duncan asked.
"It was after we broke up. She did it because she didn't want you bringing other girls to our special place."
"Oh." Duncan looked shocked.
"Besides, I figured out why you broke up with me." He looks nervous, "God, who knew that Jake Kane was capable of that."
"What's going on?" Logan finally said after watching the interaction.
"Duncan broke up with me because Celeste told him that I was his half-sister because Jake cheated on her with my mom. Anyways after I realized this, I was curious as to whether it was true, because there was a possibility it wasn't, so I had a test run."
"Seriously? You guys might be siblings. Ew." Classic Logan, he was in obligatory psychotic jackass mode.
"Yes." Duncan said.
"Yeah, we're not siblings, so Thank God, I didn't date my brother."
"Alrighty then, shall we get to school?" Logan asked.
"Uh sure." Veronica and Duncan said.
---------------------Nobody's POV----------------------
On the way to school Veronica plugged the camera into her laptop and put her headphones on. When she saw Aaron kill Lilly she screamed causing Logan to swerve and park on the side of the road,
"Ronnie, what happened?"
"He… he… he… I can't believe he kill… killed her." She stuttered.
"Who?"
"Her murderer."
"Who is it Ronnie?"
Your… your… da… dad."
"My dad, sorry scratch that, Aaron killed Lilly."
"Uh, yes."
"We have to go to the sheriff's."
"Logan…"
"Please, he needs to go to jail V."
"To the sheriff's."
"Hoo-rah!" Logan said sarcastically before turning around.
--------------------------Nobody's POV-------------------------
"Lamb." Veronica greeted the idiotic sheriff.
"Miss Mars and Mr. Echolls, aren't you supposed to be in school?" Lamb asked.
"We would be, but you know, we thought we would do your job for you." Veronica retorted.
"Meaning?"
"Aaron Echolls killed Lilly."
"No, Abel Koontz confessed."
"This tape proves otherwise." Logan told him.
"Let me see it." Lamb took the tape and went into his office.
-----------------------------Nobody's POV----------------------
A few minutes later Lamb returned and said, "Alright, Sacks, and Leo, you two and I are going to the Echolls' house with a warrant for the arrest of Aaron Echolls for the murder of Lilly Kane."
"Oh, oh wait." Veronica interrupted, "While we were at the Kanes' I also found these." She pulled out the three sex tapes.
"When did you…" Logan looked puzzled.
"When I said I had to go to the bathroom, I snuck off to her room and looked in the air vent."
"Have you watched them?" Lamb asked.
"Before I watched the murder tape I watched those. They're of Aaron and Lilly having sex in the pool house at the Echolls'."
"Alright, I guess we are arresting him with charges of statutory rape as well." Lamb, Sacks, and Leo left.
"Bye!" Logan and Veronica both headed off to school.
----------------------Nobody's POV--------------------
"Have you heard? Aaron Echolls was just arrested for the murder and rape of Lilly Kane." Some loser said when the two arrived at Neptune High.
"Here we go." Logan muttered.
"Come on." Veronica grabbed his hand and dragged him to his locker.
-------------------------Nobody's POV---------------------
Finally it was last period, journalism class, one of the few classes that Veronica and Logan had shared together. At lunch the 09ers had flipped when they found out about the two dating and wouldn't let Veronica sit with them, so Logan sat with her at her usual table with some new kid named Wallace, whom she had cut down from the flag pole when they arrived late that morning, as well as Duncan and Meg who didn't agree with the exile of their close friends.
"Hey babe," Logan said when he saw Veronica enter the room.
"Hey." She replied kissing him lightly on the lips before sitting next to him and waiting for class to begin.
"Hey guys, did you hear?" Duncan asked when he entered a minute later.
"Hear what?" They answered in unison.
"Aaron pleaded innocent even though the tape was playing on the screen in front of him when he did."
Logan shrugged, "You know, somehow I don't think his name will save him this time, not once your father finds out he did it."
"Oh, good old Dad knows already. I called him on the way to school this morning." Duncan told them.
"Oh." Veronica paused, "Did your parents get in trouble for lying about the time of her death?"
"Yeah. He said they did it because, you know how I was the one who discovered her body and couldn't remember anything?" They nodded, "Well that lead my parents to think I killed her. I have epilepsy, so they thought I had an episode."
"Wow. " Logan and Veronica once again spoke in unison.
"Apparently Kane Software paid off Abel Koontz."
"Again wow." Veronica said.
The bell rang signaling the end of the period and they all went to their lockers before Logan and Veronica went to his car and drove towards her apartment.
---------------------------Nobody's POV---------------------
A while later they were making out on Veronica's bed when her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" she answered while Logan just glared at the phone playfully.
"Veronica, I told you to stay away from the Lilly Kane Murder Case." Her dad replied angrily.
"Dad, I knew where to find proof, so I did, I was careful, I promise. How did you know I solved it anyways?" she reassured him.
"It's all over the news." Her dad told her.
"Oh, I haven't really watched the news yet today." She told him.
"Logan's there isn't he?"
"Yup."
"Then I'll let you go. Remember midnight."
"Bye dad."
"Bye sweetheart." They hung up.
"Can we continue now?" Logan asked once she had hung up the phone.
"Oh, right, the making out. Sure." And the kissing continued.
--------------------Nobody's POV-----------------------
2 months later…
"Hey V?" Logan asked Veronica in journalism class three days before the winter dance that also happened to be taking place on Lilly's birthday. (A/N: They don't ever say her birthday, so go with it.)
"Hmmm…" she replied.
"Would you like to attend the Winter Formal with me?"
"On one condition…"
"What is that?"
"We rent a limo, leave early, bring Duncan and Meg with us, and have a little after party in memory of a certain blonde who's birthday is on that day."
"Of course, that's exactly what I was planning."
"Great." They kissed before getting back to work.
--------------------Veronica's Dream-------------------
The day of the dance…"Veronica…" Lilly said to her friend.
"Lilly?"
"Of course."
"What are you doing here?"
"I have a message about the dance for you."
"And that is?"
"Every girl should go skinny dipping once in her life."
"Happy birthday Lilly."
"Goodbye Veronica Mars. Never forget me."
"I won't, I don't think I could. Nobody could forget Lilly Kane."
And with that she was gone, and Veronica woke up.
-----------------------Nobody's POV----------------
"Hey." Logan said when Veronica came out of her room in a red satin strapless dress. Lilly's suggestion before homecoming.
"Hey." She replied before kissing him.
"Have her home by midnight, or call." Her dad said and they walked out to the awaiting limo that held Meg and Duncan.
---------------------Nobody's POV---------------------
"And the king and queen of this year's winter formal are…" The DJ paused for a drum roll, "Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars."
There was more applauding than most people would have expected for the girl who betrayed the 09ers by standing by her dad's accusation against Jake Kane, and the guy who betrayed the 09ers by dating that girl.
Over the past few months the 09ers had slowly forgiven them. Slowly. Some still hadn't but they were coming around.
"Now if our winning couple could come to the stage to collect their crowns and then make their way to the center of the dance floor for the annual king and queen dance."
Logan and Veronica made their way to the stage and got their crowns before heading to the dance floor. The song If I Never Knew You by The Cheetah Girls started playing.
If I never knew you
If I never felt this love
I would have no inkling of
How precious life can be
And if I never held you
I would never have a clue
How at last I'd find in you
The missing part of me.
The two began to sway to the music and were soon joined by more couples including Gia Goodman and Dick Casablancas, Duncan Kane, and Meg Manning, and Wallace Fennel and Jack Cook.
In this world so full of fear
Full of rage and lies
I can see the truth so clear
In your eyes
So dry your eyes
And I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever
If I never knew you
Everybody else seemed reluctant to join the betrayers as they were so fondly called.
If I never knew you I'm so grateful to you
I'd be safe but half as real
Never knowing I could feel
A love so strong and true
I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever
If I never knew you
Eventually a few more couples joined them, and in a way slowly forgiving the two for everything that they were mad about, and starting to accept them as the IT couple of Neptune High.
I thought our love would be so beautiful Oh if I never knew you
Somehow we'd make the whole world bright
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong
all they'd leave us were these whispers in the night
But still my heart is saying we were right
If I never knew you
I would have no inkling of
If our time has gone too fast
How precious life can be...
I've lived at last...
As the song came to a close Veronica realized that all was at peace in the world. Or as at peace as it could be.
I thought our love would be so beautiful And if I never knew you
Somehow we'd make the whole world bright
I thought our love would be so beautiful
We'd turn the darkness into light
And still my heart is saying we were right
we were right
If I never knew you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Empty as the sky
Never knowing why
Lost forever
If I never knew you
If I never knew you (oh)
If I never knew you
As the song ended Veronica, Logan, Duncan, and Meg left the dance and go into the limo before heading to the beach.
--------------------Nobody's POV-----------------------
At the beach…
"Why are we at the beach, I mean I could understand an after party, but the beach, in formal wear?" Meg sounded appalled, she didn't know.
"It was Lilly's favorite spot, and we spent homecoming here." Logan explained as Veronica was on her way to the ocean's edge. When she got there, she slowly unzipped her dress so she was in her underwear and strapless bra, and made her way into the ocean, and while Meg gasped, Duncan and Logan gasped.
"Why would she do that?" Meg asked.
"Because Lilly told her at homecoming that every girl should go skinny dipping once in her life." Logan went back to the limo and grabbed a towel before bringing it to her so she could dry off and put her dress back on.
They made there way back to the limo and Veronica laid her head on Logan's shoulder and finally felt as if she could be happy with Lilly's memory clear in her mind. She had finally realized that Lilly was watching over her from heaven and would always be with her.
A/N: So here it is. If you want me to write a sequel tell me. I had fun writing it, and it is pretty long for me. Actually my longest one. R & R.
