AN: This is a one shot, set after You Get What You Give, from my Veronica Mars trilogy. It's about Violet Echolls, Logan and Veronica's second daughter, and James Casablancas, Mac and Dick's eldest son.

*Warning for a few curse words*

Everything I Do

Violet Echolls was fuming, she was so mad she could barely see straight, which was not a good thing, especially because she was driving.

She pulled to a stop out the front of the Casablancas' house, jumped out of the car, and walked quickly across the lawn.

"James Casablancas, who the hell do you think you are?" Violet demanded hotly.

James was standing on the front steps, with his back to her, his school bag slung over one should. He turned slowly around at the sound of Violet's enraged tone.

"Hi Vi," he said calmly. "What's the matter?"

"You damn well know what the matter is!" Violet exclaimed. "You had no right to threaten Connor, and then punch him!"

"Sure I did," James retorted.

"What, because he said something you didn't like?" Violet asked indignantly.

"Yes! I didn't like the way he was talking about you. I called him on it, he was a dick, so I punched him. I mean, what do you expect I'm going to do? Let him get away with it, just because he's your boyfriend?" James asked with a scoff.

"It's none of your business," Violet protested.

"I think you'll find it is my business, you're my friend," James countered.

"Friends don't beat up other friends boyfriends without asking them first," Violet retorted.

James grinned at her amusing wording, she always had trouble making sense when she was mad.

"Violet," James began softly. "I'm not going to repeat what he said, but I suggest you ask him about it, then get back to me. I have a feeling you mightn't be quite so mad then, you might even thank me."

Violet looked a little taken aback by that suggestion. It was all well and good to yell at one of your oldest friends, but confronting your boyfriend, who happened to be a senior, and the quarterback, was another thing.

"Fine, I will," Violet said quietly. "But you still shouldn't have done it Jamie."

"That's a matter of opinion," James replied. "Just be glad Ollie and Tom don't know what he said, or your dad for that matter. If he did I doubt Connor would see the sun rise tomorrow."

This elicited a small smile from Violet, Logan's fierce protective streak, and his temper, was the stuff of legends.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Violet said softly. "Yell first, and ask questions later, you know me."

"That I do," James agreed, dropping his backpack on the ground. "Come here."

James held out his arms, and Violet smiled and walked towards him.

James wrapped his strong arms around her small frame and gave her a warm hug.

"Are you going to be alright, talking to him?" James asked.

"I'll be fine," Violet answered, nodding and stepping out of his embrace.

"Well, call me when you have, or something. Just let me know if you're alright," James said. "Or tell me that I was right, and you're sorry for yelling at me."

"Or that you were wrong, and a jerk, and I can yell at you some more," Violet countered with a smile. "Thanks, Jamie. I'll talk to you later."

With that she placed an uncharacteristic light kiss on his cheek and walked back to her car. James watched her go, his eyes lingering on her appealing figure, and they way her hips swung as she walked.

He shook his head and sighed. He was so screwed.

James picked up his bag, then went inside.

Meanwhile, Violet had driven the short distance to her own home, and had gone inside.

"Where did you storm off to?" Aubrey called from the kitchen. Aubrey was sitting at the bench, dressed in her cheer practice clothes, and eating an apple.

"To see James," Violet said grimly. "I suppose you noticed Connor's bloody nose after you finished cheer practice?"

"No, I was too far away, I just saw you talking to him," Aubrey replied. "What happened?"

"James punched him," Violet said shortly.

"Whatever for?" Aubrey asked.

"Well, apparently they were all talking in the locker room after football practice, and Connor said something inappropriate about me. James called him on it, then Connor was a dick, so James punched him. This is all according to James mind you," Violet said. "Connor didn't tell me anything except that James punched him."

"What did James say Connor said exactly?" Aubrey asked.

"He didn't. Said he wouldn't. Told me that I had to talk to Connor myself," Violet replied, sitting down and grabbing an apple.

"Confrontation is hungry work," Aubrey commented.

"Or maybe cheer practice just is," Violet retorted. "Oh Aub, I don't want to talk to Connor about it. What if he doesn't say what I want to hear? Or what if he lies to me? Or what if Jamie punched him for no reason, and I have to yell at him again?"

"That's life Vi," Aubrey said gently. She looked around quickly, checking the coast, then said, "Shit happens. You deal with it, you move on. It's about growing up."

"I don't want to grow up then," Violet said stubbornly.

Aubrey smiled soothingly at her and Violet sighed.

"I guess I should go call him," she said in resignation.

"No, you should do it in person," Aubrey countered. "Go on, I can hold down the fort here. If you're not back in an hour I'm sure someone will send out the Feds to look for you."

"Well, that would only be fair. It is my turn after all," Violet agreed, grinning. It had taken quite some time for them to joke about things of that nature, after the incidents in Aubrey's freshman year.

Violet picked her car keys and cell phone off the bench, and went back outside to her car.

She sent Connor a quick message to tell him she was on her way over, then set off.

When she arrived in his street, she parked at the curb opposite his house, and turned off her car.

She took several deep, calming breaths, then got out of her car, feeling as collected as she could under the circumstances.

Then Violet walked across the street, over to the house, then she knocked on Connor's familiar front door.

Connor opened the front door and said, "Hey baby."

"We need to talk," Violet replied seriously.

Connor looked a little nervous, but covered it quickly and said, "Okay. Come on in."

Violet caught his nervous look, and knew it didn't bode well for her. She had her mother's intuition and instincts after all.

"So, I went and yelled at James for punching you," Violet began, when they were both seated on separate couches. "He told me you deserved it. Do you know why he thought that?"

"Why?" Connor asked warily.

"Well, he seems to think he was defending my honour, of sorts," Violet replied. "He said you said some inappropriate things about me."

"Yeah, well that's his story isn't it?" Connor said with a sneer.

"Well, what's your story?" Violet asked.

"Sure, I was talking about you, but I didn't say anything wrong about you. You're my girlfriend, why shouldn't I talk about you?" Connor asked rhetorically.

"Well, how about you tell me what you said," Violet pressed. "That's the only way I'm going to know what actually happened."

"Oh what does it matter Violet? You're going to believe him anyway, and you should believe me, I'm your boyfriend!" Connor said irritably.

"I'm going to believe whoever is telling the truth, so I don't know what you mean by that Connor Morrison," Violet said hotly, her temper rising. "It seems to me though, that maybe you did say something you shouldn't have said, seeing as you won't tell me."

Connor looked sullenly at her.

"Well?" Violet persisted.

"We were just talking in the locker room about girls, it's what we do Violet, we're guys," Connor explained condescendingly.

"Oh my God? You're guys? I had no idea," Violet said sarcastically. "I'm not an idiot Connor, and up until now I thought you knew that too. I think it's pretty clear that you did say some things about me, and maybe Jamie was right to punch you."

"Oh, so you just know that, do you?" Connor questioned angrily. "You've got enough information to decide?"

"Yeah, I do," Violet retorted. "My information is that you haven't given me enough information, which makes everything pretty clear. You're a complete jerk."

"What because I talked about fucking you? About pounding into you until you were screaming my name?" Connor demanded. "Yeah, that makes me a complete jerk."

"Well that certainly does make you a complete jerk," Violet said, her tone icy cool with rage. "We're done Connor. Say what you want about me, but we're done."

"Little miss high and mighty Violet Echolls. You think because your father is Logan Echolls that it makes you something special? Well, it doesn't, it just makes you a stuck up bitch," Connor said nastily.

Violet slapped him across the face with all the force she could muster.

"If you're going to call me a bitch, I'm going to act like one, asshole," Violet said coolly, ignoring the burning sensation in her palm. "I'll see myself out."

With that, Violet breezed out of the house, holding her stinging hand to her side.

She waited to get to her car before she started crying. She wasn't humiliated by what Connor had said in the locker room, though she certainly was angry and unimpressed. She was angry that he'd lied to her, hurt by the way he'd spoken to her, and mad that her dad had been right. It turned out that some guys were in fact evil bastards who only wanted one thing. She was very glad that she'd kept her promise to her father, and had not slept with Connor. Not that she'd actually promised Logan that specifically, but that she'd respect herself and make sure the guy she was with respected her.

Violet drove around aimlessly, still crying. She didn't want to go home, she wasn't ready to face her family yet. She thought about going to see one of her school friends, but she wasn't ready to see them just yet either. None of them even knew any of the story about what had happened after school anyway, really.

She knew James would be waiting to hear how things had gone, so she pulled out her cell and called him.

"Vi, are you alright?" James asked, on picking up the phone.

"Hey Jamie," Violet said tearfully.

"Violet, what happened?" James asked in concern.

"You were right to punch him," Violet said sadly.

"Violet, are you crying, driving and talking on your phone?" James demanded.

"Yes James, I am," Violet answered shortly. "I didn't ring to talk about that."

"Well, pull over and we'll talk about whatever you want," James said gently.

Violet pulled over and said, "Okay, I've pulled over."

"Good. Now, are you okay?" James asked.

"No, not really," Violet said, crying anew.

"Do you want me to come and get you?" James asked softly.

"Yes. No. I don't know. I just can't go home yet," Violet said, now sobbing.

"Vi, try to calm down, and when you have, go to the Dog Beach. I'll meet you there, it should be pretty empty by now," James instructed her.

"Okay," Violet agreed.

"Do you have something warm with you? It's pretty cold out," James said.

"No, I'm just in my clothes from cheer practice," Violet said, sounding incredibly forlorn.

"Don't worry, I'll bring you something warm, okay?" James said comfortingly.

"Okay," Violet echoed.

"I'll see you soon," James said, then hung up.

Violet took a few shuddering breaths, then drove carefully to the Dog Beach, concentrating fully on the road in the low light of the late fall afternoon.

She pulled into a spot in the parking lot, and noticed that James' car was already parked there. She got out and walked over to the sand, and across to the seat where she could see James sitting.

Upon seeing James, Violet's eyes filled with tears again, and she tried to choke them back as she walked towards him.

She sat down on the seat next to him, then turned an burrowed her head into his chest, crying again. He stroked her back soothingly, and said nothing.

When she stopped crying, she sniffled a little, looked at him with a watery smile and said, "Well, all I seem to do today is fly at you and cry."

"You can cry all you want, especially after the day you've had," James said quietly. "You can fly at me too, if it's necessary. I mean, the yelling I could do without, but whatever."

This earned him a small smile, which pleased him greatly. Then she gave a little shudder, James rubbed his hand soothingly on Violet's leg.

"Oh, you're cold," he said, noticing the goose bumps on her legs. "Here."

With that he handed her one of his jackets from the seat beside him.

Violet smiled gratefully at him, and shrugged into it.

"I was going to get something from Care's room, but I didn't want to venture in there, not while she's away at college," James explained.

"No, this is good, big, but comfy," Violet said, snuggling into his shoulder.

They sat there in calm silence until Violet said, "He told me what he said, you know. Thanks for hitting him, he deserved it. I know guys talk like that, but I don't want any guy who dates me talking about me like that."

"I know," James agreed. "You know how your dad and my dad give you girls lectures? Well, Mom made Dad give me several talks over the years, and she's actually given me a couple of uncomfortable talks. I guess she figures that if you girls get lectured on how to behave with guys, I should definitely get a lecture on how to treat girls."

"I didn't know that," Violet said softly. "But it sounds like something Aunt Mac would think. Is that why you were so nice to me today?"

James looked a bit taken aback by her words and said, "What? You mean I'm not always nice to you?"

"No, I mean, well, you tease me sometimes, something dreadful," Violet said with a smile.

"So why are you smiling?" James asked gently. "You know why, because you like it when I tease you, you like the attention."

"Don't say that, that's what he said," Violet said fragilely.

"I'm sorry, Vi. What did he say?" James asked.

"He said I was a stuck up bitch and that I think I'm all that, but I'm not," Violet said.

"I should break his jaw," James said grimly. He caught Violet's alarmed look and said, "Don't worry, I won't. I don't want to get arrested, or suspended. When I said you like the attention, I just meant that you like our banter. You tease me too."

"Oh, yeah, I suppose I do. Sorry for overreacting," Violet said sheepishly.

"Never mind," he said, dropping a light kiss on her forehead, then immediately realised he was venturing into the danger zone.

"So, why were you so good to me today?" Violet asked.

"Don't you know by now?" James asked seriously, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead, and moving his face closer to hers.

"I, I, I," Violet stuttered, not moving her face back from his.

"I love you," James said simply. "And not in a sisterly way, not in a 'you're my closest girl friend' way."

Violet nodded slowly and gave him a tentative smile, so he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

He drew back from her and she looked dazedly at him.

"Oh," she said softly.

"Oh?" James asked in amusement.

"Kiss me again?" Violet asked.

The End