Veronica Mars (Wait, Don't Go)

Chapter 2: An Eventful Day

"The only way I'm not going to spend the day obsessing about my dad is by nailing Gia and Luke to the wall. Let's go make em sweat."

That's what she had told her earlier this morning, and now, Logan was in his convertible, driving behind Luke, who was exiting the Los Angeles/Pasadena freeway, while Veronica was back at Neptune, keeping a close eye on Gia.

For the first hour of tailing Luke on the road, Logan felt like it was finally time for his GET OUT OF JAIL free card to work.

But almost 40 minutes after they got off the freeway, with Luke stopping at his destination, the Navy pilot began thinking differently.

Well, this is great... wouldn't be surprised if Veronica was doing better than me.

As if it was an answer from above, Logan got a phone call from his... well... ok, his girlfriend, and he could already tell that she was being more successful.

"Yeah?"

"I just made the call to Gia, she immediately freaked out, and called her partner in crime. Any sign on Luke yet?"

Now it was time for the bad news. "I can't really see Luke right now. Apparently he needed to make a pit stop for some hot man-on-man action."

"What are you talking about?" Veronica asked, in disbelief.

"Luke is inside a West Hollywood bathhouse," replied Logan, desperately wishing that he didn't need to go in.

"Why would Luke be... Ohhh..."

Logan raised his eyebrows up and down, giving a "uh-huh" look. Now it felt like they were back to square one.

"Wait, someone's at the door... whoa... it's Cobb... he answered the door."

Him? Seriously?

"Why, does she need someone to empty out her cat box?"

Veronica shushed him, and Logan couldn't help but smirk. It's not like anyone else could hear him.

Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, Logan watched as Luke came out of the bath house, but didn't even bother to follow him since he wasn't a valuable asset anymore.

After a while, he heard Veronica scoff, and say, "It's called curiosity."

What did that mean? Logan thought, starting to get more confused.

Then, he heard her say, "No freaking way."

"Update, please," exclaimed Logan, getting a tiny bit frustrated.

"Yep, Gia and Cobb are definitely about to do it," replied Veronica. "She seduced her lapdog into killing Carrie."

Logan sat up, switching his phone to a different ear. "Are you serious? Can you see them?"

She said that she didn't, thanks to God, and let out a noise of disgust and complaint. "What is it?"

"Dad had all the good listening devices locked up, so I had to go with an old school FM jambox radio," explained Veronica, clearly sounding not exactly 100% pleased. "It's mixing signals with the station I thought no one listened to... uh, 88.6."

"You mean, like ROCK HARD ROCK 88.6?"

"Tell me you're joking."

"Neptune's new solid hard and classic hit rock station."

"Well, I should be fine... it only transmits a couple hundred yards or so... um... hey, was Carrie's tablet one of the fat ones or the small ones?"

"Small and white, why?"

"Because there is one matching that description right on the coffee table."

Logan chuckled, and said, "Well she'd be pretty stupid to have kept it with her this whole time."

"I sat behind her in algebra, Logan," replied Veronica. "This doesn't surprise me."

Logan added, "Well, Carrie's was inscribed with a message... uh... 'Rock you very much from MTV' or something like that."

He listened to Veronica trying to get a closer look, but was failing. "I need to get a better view inside."

Uh-oh... I know that tone. "Veronica..."

"I'm not gonna BREAK IN," replied the young woman. "I'm just gonna, you know, drop by for a hang."

Logan was starting to feel a bit worried now, also noticing that he'd have to move fast soon to beat rush hour on 20th freeway if this plan went south.

"Veronica, she could be a murderer."

"Child, please, it's Gia Goodman," scoffed Veronica, doubting that was true. "Day I can't handle Gia Goodman..."

"Well, call me if anything happens," said Logan. "I'm heading back since Luke is obviously out of the murder picture."

"Okay, don't worry," replied Veronica, before hanging up. "Besides, we're talking about Gia here. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Veronica..."

"I meant if she's NOT a murderer."

Logan replied, as he turned on the car, "Well I'd hate to find out. I'm coming right now. Be careful, Veronica. Please."

#################

He definitely would not be going back to Los Angeles anytime soon.

Just as Logan had feared, rush hour had begun, and it wasn't until almost two hours after talking to Veronica that he was back in Neptune, making his way to Gia's home.

"Veronica, pick up, please," exclaimed Logan, after having called her for the 5th time. "Don't scare me like this again. And I definitely don't want to find your hair partially shaved off."

Hanging up, the young man desperately wished for her to be safe. He knew she would not be exactly in a perfect condition, but he couldn't lose her again.

A few minutes later, Logan was now running up to the apartment building that Gia was at, but for some reason, there was caution tape placed around the entire building, along with cops, an ambulance, and worst of all, no sign of Veronica.

His temper was starting to rise, and Logan felt like grabbing a cop by the front of his shirt, demanding to know where Veronica was, but thankfully, that didn't have to happen.

"Are you Logan Echolls?"

Logan turned around, seeing a middle-aged police officer. "Am I getting arrested?"

This was definitely going to be a long night.

"No, Mr. Echolls," replied the officer. "I was told by a Miss Veronica Mars that you'd be here soon, and she wanted me to inform you that she's waiting for you at the sheriff's department."

Okay, well, maybe not that long... anyway, after talking to the officer for a little bit more, Logan went back in his car, and drove as fast as possible to the sheriff's department.

When he got there, Logan immediately ran inside, and stopped after seeing her a few feet away, coming out of an interrogation room.

She looked okay for the most part, but Logan could tell that she'd been through something terrible. Why else would there have been an ambulance at Gia's home?

As soon as Veronica saw Logan, the two of them went towards each other, wrapping their arms tightly around the other person's body, both praying that it wasn't a dream.

"You okay?" Logan asked, also taking a careful look at the back of her head.

"Now that you're here, I am," said Veronica, her tone just a little shaken up.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, but stopped when she felt his fingers trying to touch her scalp.

Looking up at him, she raised an eyebrow while giving a smirk. "Really?"

"Hey, you can't blame me for being cautious."

After a moment of silence, they were now sitting down on the bench, and Veronica said, "Gia's dead... Cobb shot her... he's in jail now."

Logan was not expecting that. But it did explain why her building had been a crime scene. "Cobb didn't hurt you, did he?"

Veronica shook her head. "No, but I got him in self defense. So no need to get a one-way ticket to his cell."

Before Logan could reply to that, another police officer came over to them, saying that they were free to go home.

"And as for you, Mr. Echolls," said the officer. "I'd be away from any criminal activity now that we've gotten Cobb's confession."

"Sure thing," nodded Logan.

So, as they exited the building, and got into Logan's convertible, Veronica told him what had happened as he drove, with her story making Logan wish he had been in her spot... but that might have gotten him in a deeper hole.

When they stopped at Veronica's house, Logan opened her car door, and should said, "You're coming in, right?"

Giving her a playful smile, Logan said, "Well, there was a bank I was planning to rob, but I don't mind spending time with you."

"Shut up, jerk," laughed Veronica as they walked up the steps.

Once they got inside, she asked him, "So, a bath house? Really?"

"Hey, that's all I needed to know," said Logan, sitting down on the couch. "No way in hell was I going in there."

Sitting next to him, Veronica said, "Oh, and I bet you didn't even think for a second about wishing it was a female strip joint."

Logan raised an eyebrow, giving his toothy smile that she hadn't seen since college. "Why do I need to go there? You're better than any of those girls there."

"Oh, really?" Veronica said, smiling in a sly way. "All of them?"

"Every single one." Logan said. "Care to prove my point?"

##############

Several hours later, they were making out on her guest pull-out bed, having had sex a while ago.

Once they stopped, Logan laid down, closing his eyes, relaxing as he enjoyed the feeling of Veronica in his arms.

"Logan..."

"Go to sleep," whispered Logan, even though he wasn't even tired.

"What happens after this drama is over?"

Oh, boy. It was time for the talk.

Logan opened her eyes to look at Veronica, who appeared serious yet sad. "Do you think I'm going to leave?"

"No, no, of course not..." replied Veronica, shaking her head. "I just want to know where we stand."

Looking her unclothed body up and down, which made her slightly blush, Logan said. "Well, considering that we're in this current... outcome or whatever... I'm definitely not giving this up. What about you? Don't you have that NY lawyer gig?"

That made Veronica look back on the previous night, remembering the fact that her dad was healing at the hospital.

"Actually... they, um... gave the job to someone else. Turns out answering your phone is suddenly super important."

Logan didn't know whether to laugh or not since he knew that had been a big deal for her. Then again, she didn't exactly jump for joy when she had told him that night at the 09er club.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

Looking up at Logan, Veronica said, "I don't know yet. You?"

There was something important that he needed to tell Veronica, but it could wait.

"I'm not entirely sure either, but I have a meeting with JAG Corp this weekend."

Not wanting Veronica to sleep while feeling afraid, Logan added, "Hey, this is definitely not a happy ever after... I doubt that could happen to us... but things are getting better. As for... 'US' us... we should deal with this the responsible way."

Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Responsible? Wow, the former jackass of Neptune High talking about responsibility. You feeling like spinning a web, Spider-Man?"

"Only to trap you in it, Disney princess," laughed Logan.

Veronica scoffed, and said, "Oh, please, as if the mouse house wanted my voice as one of their precious princess characters."

Logan shrugged. "Who knows? I could picture your voice as one of them."

Veronica raised an eyebrow at him. "We're really going to talk about this?"

"Hey, better than talking about me as a web head."

She rolled her eyes. "On the day they make a princess that doesn't wake up singing a sappy love song and looking beautiful... I will consider it. Now go to sleep."

Logan laughed, kissing the top of her head, and wrapped his arm around her waist a she laid her head on his chest.

A few minutes later, she was sound asleep, but Logan was still awake, thinking about how to tell her that they'd have only two weeks to spend together as a couple before he was set for deployment.

Soon after that, Logan was sound asleep, knowing a certain quote to tell her when the time was right. He had definitely not forgotten it after all this time.

He just hoped that she'd remember, as well, and if it was still true the whole way.