A/N: This started out as a drabble-y ficlet inspired by the word Pulse, but then it just worked itself out into six written pages. It's AU for the third season only on the stand points that there was no Piz x Veronica or Logan x Parker. All other Season 3 things happened and what not. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac
Disclaimer: I don't own VMars.
Pulse
Everyone in her life knew that it would come down to this: Veronica Mars, bloody and broken.
She never knew when to back down, when to ask for help, when to say enough was enough. They knew that her stubborn-nothing-can-touch-me attitude would be her downfall. Eventually she would put herself in a situation she couldn't talk her way out of. They just never expected it to present itself so soon.
Veronica had been off their radar for a full twenty-four hours when Wallace made a last resort call to Logan. He tried to calmly explain to Logan that Veronica had been on a particularly nasty case and had yet to check in since she had left to follow a lead, with a panicked Mac babbling frantically in the background about if he had seen her could he let them know. As soon as Wallace had said "Veronica" and "missing" in the same sentence, Logan had been out his door, in his car and on his way to Hearst to meet up with him, Mac, and the few others who had gathered.
Once Logan was in Wallace and Piz's dorm room, he began spouting off questions. What kind of case was she working on? Who was involved? Were any of you doing anything to help? Did she tell anyone where she was going? Wallace immediately shook his head. Veronica had known they didn't approve of her taking such a high risk case on by herself, so she had kept most of the case details to herself.
"Typical." Logan took a deep breath, "Has anyone called Keith?"
The group shared an odd, knowing look, and this time Mac stepped forward to address him, "Mr. Mars is out of town working on a case. We tried his cell, but we keep getting his voicemail."
Logan swore, "Damn it Veronica! How can she be so stupid? I swear she's going to get herself killed one day—"
The room fell silent. No one wanted to voice the realization that one day might be today. Logan cleared his throat and changed the subject. As much as he wished that Veronica would plow through the door, safe and sound, and prove them all wrong, they couldn't risk wasting any time in case she happened to be out there hurt or God forbid dying.
"Is there any chance, she may have left a file or something behind that might lead us to her?" Logan asked. "Maybe at her place?"
"It's possible." Mac shrugged. "She tends to pack light when she does field work. If it's not something she absolutely needs, she won't take it."
"Okay." Logan nodded, "Let's start there."
Not long after they were standing in front of Veronica and Keith's apartment. Wallace and Mac crowded around Logan's shoulder. They had left Piz and Parker behind in case Veronica turned up at either dorm room. Wallace and Mac looked at each other briefly, then turned back to Logan.
"Um, how do you expect to get in?" Mac questioned hesitantly.
"I'm pretty sure they aren't the type to hide a spare under the welcome mat." Wallace added.
As an answer, Logan wrapped his sleeve around his clenched fist, "I'm sure Keith won't mind when he finds out why." With that, Logan slammed his fist through the glass in the door, before either of them could stop him. He cleared out a panel and reached through to unlock the door.
Once the door was open, they went inside, side stepping the broken glass. They made a bee line for Veronica's room, Logan leading the way. Standing in her doorway, they surveyed the room, unsure of what to do first. Not one of them felt comfortable going through her things, but they were going to have to. Wallace and Mac were glad that Logan was there to take charge, because they wouldn't have known where to start.
"Wallace, why don't you take that side of the room. Mac, check the board for anything new. I'll take her desk." Logan assigned tasks and they quickly went to work to complete them.
Logan sat in her desk chair and started to look through the various files stacked up on her desk. Wallace sorted through various papers that were strewn on her bed. Mac began to examine the photographs tacked on Veronica's bulletin board. There had to be something, somewhere.
"These are new." Mac commented, pulling a few photos off the wall. "Time stamped. Earlier this week. This must be the guy she was investigating."
"Let me see." Logan replied reaching out a hand for the photos. Mac handed them over and Logan flipped through them. Then something caught his eye in one of the shots. "We need to find something now. An address, a name, any kind of clue that can help us figure out where she is. This is urgent."
"What? What is it?" Wallace questioned, and picked up the photo Logan had been looking at last. "That's a gun."
"I'm aware of that." Logan nodded tossing another useless folder out of his way. "And if you notice, he's looking directly at the camera…that means he saw her. Whatever she went to do, he knew she was coming."
They continued to look for a few more minutes before Logan stood with a frustrated growl and shoved all the files away from him—sending some flying into the air to spill out onto the floor. "These are useless, nothing but cheating spouses and credit card fraud!"
"I've got something." Wallace announced, leaning down to pick a scrap of paper up off the ground. "It's an address, dated the day she left."
"Give it to me." Mac sat down on Veronica's bed and pulled her laptop out of her bag. She typed in the address and waited for the information to come up. "It's an old warehouse on the outskirts of Neptune."
Logan jumped out of his seat. "Let's go. Mac, you stay here. If Keith ends up coming home, fill him in."
Mac scribbled down the directions to the warehouse and handed them off to Logan. Less that thirty seconds later, he was behind the wheel and speeding off toward where he hoped to find Veronica. In the passenger seat, Wallace held on for dear life, and prayed that he could keep it together until he knew Veronica was safe.
Logan parked a good distance away from the entrance to the warehouse and they went on foot the rest of the way. When they reached the door, they hesitated, neither certain they wanted to know what lie on the other side.
"Are you sure we should be going in there?" Wallace asked, his voice low. "Maybe we should call the police and let them handle it. The guy could still be in there."
"If you thought Lamb was incompetent, the last thing you want to do is call in Vinnie Van Lowe." Logan responded. "We're going in, quietly, now."
Logan pulled open the door and they tumbled in. The place was deserted, completely empty, save for one still figure sprawled on the floor. Logan's heart stopped as he tried to comprehend what was before him. Veronica Mars, broken and bloody.
"Call an ambulance." He choked out and Wallace immediately pulled out his cell phone.
Logan used all the energy he had left to push himself forward. He kneeled beside Veronica and pulled her toward him slightly. His fingers seeking out her neck. And eh felt something that caused his heart to start again.
A pulse.