Author's Note: Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! You guys are amazing and I'm so glad you like the story. This one makes me nervous. I graduate next weekend so more will be soon. I hope everyone is enjoying. The next few chapters are going to be good, I just finished planning them out so I hope you guys enjoy. Please review!
Thank you to: C. Elder, Sunkissu9, Princesakarlita411, MarshmallowMore, Aubreylovesthegame, minimoon16, Lunky, sassywriterchick, Guest, AngelPete87, nikatsu, guest, BrowneyedGem, Kayte, Ali-Cat, Kerali, Lovefan1123, nuttnitnat83, irma66, & Mirandaanw!
Enjoy!
Chapter 3 Darkness Falls
The darkness casted shadows over the room and Veronica snuggled closer to Logan. He had fallen asleep close to four in the morning, but she had stayed away too afraid to close her eyes. Every time she did she saw Cassidy on the rooftop of the Grand mocking her with the truth about her rape or the death of her father. Or else she'd see Mercer from earlier in the night advancing toward her. Even worse she'd be back in Shelly Pomroy's guest bedroom waking up to an ache between her thighs and anger swirling within her. As much as she tried to shake the images, she couldn't. So instead she stayed awake and turned onto her other side to face Logan in the narrow hospital bed.
She watched him sleep, studying the relaxed facial expression on his face. She enjoyed seeing him so tranquil. It was a rare sight, especially in recent years and she frequently wished she could give him back so many of the things he'd lost. In sleep he looked so much younger, like when they were thirteen and had sleepovers with the Kanes.
She wanted to feel jealous of him for actually getting to sleep, but all she could feel was adoration for this man in front of her. He'd stayed with her. He'd taken care of her. And the mere presence of him was slowly bringing her back to reality and making her feel calm once again.
She wished she could show him how important he was to her. She wished she could let him in more and tell him her true feelings or at least prove to him that all she wanted was him. But her issues got in the way. As much as she told herself she trusted him, that she could rely on him, her actions spoke louder than her words.
She traced his features as lightly as possible so as not to wake him and pressed soft kisses to his lips, eyelids, and forehead. She wrapped him up in her arms and watched as he pressed himself closer to her. She let her hands trail up and down his side and she ingrained the image of Logan's face in her head wanting to remember this moment for the rest of her life. She needed to imprint him in her mind, instead of the horrors she saw beneath her eyelids she imagined his face caressing her, teasing her, making love to her, and eventually she fell asleep.
Veronica awoke to soft voices and a coldness in her that she didn't like. She blinked against the sun streaming through the window and saw Logan standing in the corner of the room with a phone pressed to his ear.
"…asleep now, but—"
"Yeah that's fine." he said glancing over at her and seeing that she was awake. He listened for another moment, muttered a soft goodbye, then hung up the phone.
"How're you doing?" he asked coming to stand beside the bed.
She frowned and eyed him warily. "Who were you talking to?"
Logan gave her a sheepish look and began to rub the back of his neck uncomfortably. Her eyes narrowed knowing that he was getting ready to reveal something he knew she didn't want to hear.
"Your dad." He finally admitted and Veronica let out a loud groan.
"Seriously? Logan! I don't want him knowing—"
"That's going to be a little fucking hard since – If you weren't aware, you spent a fucking night in the hospital." Logan snarled angrily at her.
Veronica crossed her arms and glared at him. "That doesn't mean you can just call my dad and tell him things about me! You aren't dating him! You have no responsibilities to him!"
"But I'm dating you and I care about you! So I need to have some type of relationship with your dad!" he yelled back.
Veronica gritted her teeth and looked around the hospital room in search of her clothes. "I'm changing." She stated sliding out from the bed and grabbing her neatly folded clothes.
"Veronica, stop." Logan requested running a hand through his hair.
She turned around and stared at him waiting for him to go on.
"What?" she finally asked when he didn't say anything.
"Why don't we sit down and start this morning off right?" Logan asked gesturing back to the bed.
Veronica hesitated and then sighed hating herself a little for giving in to Logan's pleading look. She sat down on the bed and he sat beside her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked staring at her in concern.
She looked away, out toward the window, and sighed. "Fine."
"Veronica—"
"Fine-ish." She said hating that he saw through her lies so easily. She looked down at her crinkled hospital nightgown and sighed heavily. She'd barely gotten any sleep and she was still a little shaken from the night before. Compartmentilizing seemed to be much harder with this situation for some reason than the others.
"I'm not fine." she finally relented.
There was a beat of silence and then she felt his hand slide across her shoulders to begin to massage the tense muscles beneath his fingers.
"I'm just so…" she trailed off and leaned into his hands.
"Angry?" he suggested.
She nodded slowly.
"I don't know why. I caught the bad guy. I saved the damsel. I shouldn't feel this way." She mused her tone melancholy.
Logan let out a soft chuckle and pressed on a particularly tense spot on her back.
"You're only human, Ronnie." He muttered.
"I know."
"Do you, though? I mean, it's ok to be angry about what happened. It's ok to be angry at the situation." He said softly.
Veronica didn't reply and instead let Logan continue his ministrations. A short while later there was a knock on the door and Veronica got back under the covers as Logan put her clothes back on the table.
A nurse came in with a tray with breakfast, some pills, and began to check Veronica to make sure she was ok. When she was finished, and Veronica had her pills, she gave Veronica a perky smile and announced Sheriff Lamb was outside waiting to come in.
Veronica scowled and looked over at Logan who began to fidget with his shirt uncomfortably.
"Do you want to sit down?" she inquired moving over.
"How polite of you." he remarked smirking.
"I'm always polite." She said back giving him a tender smile.
"I remember multiple times you haven't been." He recalled wrapping an arm around her and moving her closer.
"Only because I had some jackass bashing in my headlights." She mumbled and wincing when she felt Logan stiffen beside her. She looked up and saw a pained expression on his face. She hated herself more in that moment for reminding him of a time when they weren't exactly on the best of terms. She had meant to say it to lighten the mood, but it just seemed to make the tension worse.
"Hey, you know I adore you, right?" she said tilting his head toward her.
She searched his brown eyes hating the look of pain and self-loathing in them. She leaned up and kissed him hard on the lips wanting to erase all of the pain they'd caused each other with a single kiss. She knew it wasn't going to happen, but she knew that as much damage as he'd done to her she'd repaid him in kind. Breaking up with him the way she'd done last summer was one of the more memorable times, something she'd regretted off and on all last year.
"How cute. Very teenage Rom-Com." Lamb said clapping slowly and stomping into the room effectively ruining the moment.
"Thanks, Lamb. We were actually going for angst ridden Rom-Com mockumentary, but I guess that's close enough." Logan said recovering quickly.
Lamb frowned and made a motion with his finger toward the door.
"Echolls, out. I'm not as stupid as the doctors to think you two would ever get married." Lamb commanded jerking again toward the door.
Logan frowned and mocking said, "didn't you know we're already engaged."
"Mars, wouldn't want to be associated with a family of killers. Although her reputation isn't much better; daughter of an ex-Sheriff turned Private Dick." Lamb said smirking when Logan clenched his jaw. "I guess you could be dysfunctional together, but really when has that ever worked. Can we say second generation fucked up kids?" Lamb added just to put the icing on the cake.
Logan was frozen beside Veronica so she quickly jumped in not wanting to watch her boyfriend get arrested by Lamb, but then again she wasn't feeling particularly keen towards Lamb for his nasty jabs.
"Logan's not a killer and never has been. Why don't you just ask the questions you had Inga make up for you and let's be finished. I have places to be." Veronica snapped reaching for Logan's hand and uncurling his fist so she could properly hold his hand. She chose to ignore the dysfunctional comments or the ones about their family because she really couldn't think about that right now. Maybe she had thought about hers and Logan's kids, maybe not, but right now was not the time to dwell on Lamb's malicious words.
"Echolls has to leave." Lamb said again.
"No he doesn't. I want him here. He's staying." Veronica responded glaring across the room at Lamb.
"Are you wearing a badge, Veronica? I don't think so. He's not your husband or your relative so he needs to leave." Lamb said again.
"Lamb—" Veronica began.
"Out Echolls."
"It's fine, Veronica I'll be right outside." Logan said making a move to get off the bed, but Veronica tightened her hand in his hand needing to keep him there with her.
"I won't tell you anything unless Logan stays." She threatened.
Lamb frowned, "Mars, I thought you knew what the term obstruction of justice meant."
Veronica glared at him and Lamb glared back. Logan half sat and half stood on the hospital bed watching the two of them. Finally Lamb let out a loud sigh and waved to the bed.
"Tell me the story." Lamb said as Logan sat on the bed beside Veronica.
Veronica glanced over at Logan and tightened her hold on his hand never letting go. She began the story and Logan was surprised to hear how little her tone wavered in comparison to last night.
When she was done Lamb sat quietly finishing up the last of his notes and then began to ask a few questions, like about the time, where Mac was, and a few other questions Veronica answered quickly.
Lamb stood when he was done speaking and looked around the room. He narrowed his eyes at the card on the table that neither teen had touched since the night before when Dr. Shaw had sat it down. He reached for it and skimmed the business card before setting it back down.
"So are you doing to talk to this doctor?" Lamb asked casually.
Veronica scowled, "I don't think that's any of your business."
Lamb shrugged and looked around the room.
"Is there anything else you need?" Logan asked noticing how he wasn't asking anything else, but was still wasn't leaving.
Lamb ignored him and continued to walk around the room. "Listen, Mars, we haven't ever really been friends even when your dad worked at the station."
"How can you say that? We used to braid each other's hair." Veronica quipped.
Lamb rolled his eyes and settled against the chair he'd been sitting in. "Listen, Mars, before…when you came to me before—"
"And you told me to go see the wizard?" Veronica asked bluntly making Logan stare at Lamb.
His eyes were cold and piercing as they leveled on Lamb. She could feel him moving away and she knew he was going to demand to know what exactly Lamb had done and said about Veronica the first time. She'd told him she'd been raped, but never that she'd gone to Lamb, or that she was told to go to the wizard. Her grip on Logan's hand tightened to hold him still, but that didn't stop him from talking.
"What did you say to her?" Logan growled.
Lamb had the decency to look ashamed for a minute, but the look was gone after a few seconds and he scowled at Logan.
"Watch it kid, I'm the Sheriff remember."
"And what a stand up job you're doing. Arresting innocent people, letting murders run free, not capturing rapists, and ignoring important evidence just so you can continue to be the Sheriff of Neptune." Logan snarled.
Lamb glared at Logan and then swung the glare to Veronica. "You should get help, Mars. No one can—"
"Should I ask the wizard for help?" Veronica snapped back.
Lamb gritted his teeth and moved away from the seat he was leaning against. "I could tell your father, you know. I could tell him about how you came into the station—"
"Are you doing to tell him what you didn't do? Or what you actually said?" Veronica replied the tremor of anger evident in her tone.
Lamb opened and closed his mouth a few times before glaring at the two of them.
"I don't know why I bother." He muttered and then made his way toward the door. "If I have any questions I'll contact you." he said before leaving.
"Can't wait." Veronica muttered glaring as the closed door.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Logan asked breaking Veronica's glaring contest with the door.
"Tell you what?" she asked glancing over at him.
"Oh I don't know, maybe about Lamb being an insufferable prick."
"You already knew that."
Logan let out a frustrated sound and began to pace the length of the room. Veronica watched quietly knowing he was trying to keep his anger at bay.
"You know, Veronica, I'm your boyfriend—"
"Color me surprised. I had no idea that the guy that I spend almost eighty percent of my time with, whose house I sleep over, and who makes love to me is my boyfriend. I just thought you were a really good friend." She said rolling her eyes.
He glared at her and continued to pace the room. "Why didn't you tell me about Lamb?" he asked again.
She shrugged and looked down at her hands that were tightly gripping each other. "It didn't make sense to. I figured you'd act like you are now."
"And how am I acting? Like a concerned boyfriend? Like a guy worried about his girlfriend because she isn't dealing with anything?"
"I am dealing with things! I'm not running away!"
"Maybe not physically, but mentally you are! Why can't you for once just admit you need help? Why is that so hard for you?"
She bit her lip not knowing what to say in return, but thankfully the door opened to reveal Dick and a frustrated looking Mac.
"We aren't interrupting your love fest, right?" Dick said holding up a bag.
Logan shook his head and grabbed the back from Dick.
"Your keys." Dick said handing Logan's keys over as well.
"Thanks." Logan said and then disappeared into the bathroom. Veronica started at his retreating back and then slowly brought her gaze back to Mac and Dick.
"How are you doing, Ronnie?" Dick asked sitting in the vacant chair as Mac sat on the bed beside her.
"I'm fine." Veronica said shortly and then looked over at Mac who was oddly silent.
"How's Parker?" she asked.
Mac gave her a small smile. "We visited her before coming here. She's good. Scared and sad, but really thankful for what you did. She keeps talking about baking you something. Her parents are coming in tomorrow." Mac said quietly.
"Good." Veronica replied and then tried to look anywhere, but at the two of them.
"Mac and I had a sleepover last night." Dick blurted out breaking the stiff silence.
"And how was that?" Veronica asked not paying much attention and instead focusing her attention on the bathroom door.
"She snores." Dick said.
"I do not. You're the one who blares the TV and talks in his sleep." Mac snapped back.
"I do not! No girl has ever told me I talk in my sleep." Dick said proudly.
"Well I'm sure no girl stays the night." Mac retorted.
"Dude, I at least like to get my cuddle on before I go bang her sister or friend or something. Its always good to get in a good cuddle so that you don't feel too bad about hitting and quitting it." Dick said grinning.
Mac rolled her eyes and looked over at Veronica who was staring into space.
"You're every girls dream, you know that." Mac said facetiously.
Dick smirked and leaned back in the chair putting his hands behind his head.
"I'm aware." He made a big show of stretching and showing off his washboard abs before winking at Mac who gave him a disgusted look.
The door of the bathroom finally opened and Veronica moved to get out of bed so that she could change. As Logan passed her he handed her the bag, but didn't make eye contact and she felt an odd tightening in her chest at the lack of acknowledgement.
She went into the bathroom and changed into the clothes Dick had brought from Logan's. There were a few yoga pants and t-shirts she had kept at Logan's when she stayed over so she was glad that Dick at least grabbed the right yoga pants, but when she saw the shirt she let out an annoyed sound seeing that it was one of Logan's. The shirt was blue and v-neck and one of her personal favorites on him. She brought the cloth up to her nose and inhaled his scent feeling the familiar stirrings of desire at the pure Logan aroma. Ocean. Cologne. And something distinctly Logan that always relaxed her.
She emerged shortly from the bathroom wearing the black yoga pants and blue v-neck.
"So are you guys ready to blow this popsicle stand?" she asked combing a hand through her hair.
"Are you all healthy again?" Mac asked curiously.
Veronica glanced over at Logan who was picking at the breakfast tray she hadn't eaten. She noticed he wasn't eating it either, but making art with the eggs and bacon.
"I'm perfectly fine." She said giving her a wide smile.
"Parker might be getting out tomorrow if all of her tests come back negative." Mac said as Veronica gathered the small amount of things around the room.
Veronica didn't reply to that and instead concentrated on packing the clothes neatly into the bag Dick had brought. She looked around the room one last time and noticed that the card on the desk wasn't there anymore. She looked over at Logan who was still playing with the food as Dick talked to him. She stared at him willing him to look her way, but if he felt her gaze on him he steadfastly ignored it.
"Maybe we could stop to get something to eat." Mac said filling the silent void.
"I'm not really hungry." Veronica said making everyone in the room look at her like she was insane. "Let me go sign out." She added and disappeared from the room to avoid everyone's gaze on her.
Mac looked over at Logan with concern written on her face and fidgeted uncomfortably before voicing her thoughts.
"Is she okay?" she asked.
Logan stared at her for a moment and then looked over at Dick who was watching him.
"What do you think?" he asked rhetorically giving them both a solemn look.
Neither of them responded and when Veronica came back they silently made their way to Logan's car. They drove toward Hearst to drop Mac off and then toward the Grand to drop Dick off. Logan pulled into Veronica's apartment complex and turned the car off.
"Are you going to come in?" she asked.
"Do you want me to?" he asked glancing over at her.
She gave him an intent look and then grabbed the bag at her feet. Logan followed taking that as an invitation and they went into her apartment, greeted enthusiastically by Backup. Logan volunteered to take him for a walk so that she could shower and get comfortable.
She complied and when she was finished changing into her pajamas after her shower she heard a sound in the living room. She went to investigate and saw her father putting his briefcase down. When he saw her he hurried to her and pulled her into his arms.
"Oh honey, what happened? Logan called me—" Keith began, but was cut off by Veronica's sobs and he held her tighter.
"Honey, it's okay. Everything will be okay." Keith soothed trying to get her to calm down.
After what felt like longer than it should've been Veronica settled down and wiped her tears away. Just as she was beginning to relax the front door opened and Logan came back with Backup. Backup immediately pounced on Keith and Logan stood awkwardly in the doorway, much like he had when Keith returned after the plan explosion at the beginning of the summer.
"I'll let you two catch up." He said rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"How about you stay for breakfast and you to tell me what happened last night." Keith said looking between the two of them
Veronica and Logan shared a look and begrudgingly she moved to sit at the counter while her dad went to the kitchen.
"So spill, how did you end up in the hospital and why was Logan calling me instead of you?" Keith asked firing up the stove.
Logan looked over at Veronica who was staring at the fruit bowl.
"Veronica?" Keith prompted.
"I walked in at the right time and stopped the guy from raping another victim." She said her tone filled with susurration.
"You always have to be the heroine." Keith said shaking his head his voice torn between being impressed and worried.
"Are you hurt?" he asked looking over at Logan who fidgeted at the question.
"No." she lied.
"She has a concussion and was checked out last night. We have to watch her for a few days to make sure everything is ok." Logan cut in.
She glared at him and he shrugged.
"Anything else?" Keith asked eyeing the two suspiciously.
Veronica automatically said no, but Keith noticed Logan hesitated before remaining silent.
"Alright, but the bad guy is caught?" Keith asked watching Logan intently to see if any of his behavior could be a clue. He wasn't as adapt to reading Logan, but he was much easier to read than his daughter who seemed to be getting better and better at hiding the truth.
"Confirmed. Now I'm actually pretty tired. I think I'm going to go to bed." Veronica said hopping off the chair.
Keith eyed her warily, but she ignored him as she leaned in to kiss Logan and then disappeared into her room. Logan sat silently as Keith stood across from him watching him carefully. The bacon sizzled on the stove breaking the silence.
"Alright Logan, what's really going on? My daughter doesn't usually say no to bacon. I know something isn't right." Keith said.
Logan hesitated and began to play with a string on the sleeve of his shirt.
"Logan." Keith said and Logan was suddenly reminded of the many times he'd been interrogated by this man for various things when he was Sheriff, or even when he began dating Veronica.
"You should ask her." Logan said looking up at Keith.
"You think she'd tell me?" Keith asked incredulously.
Logan smirked and shook his head, "I think she should talk to someone."
Keith stared at him trying to read through the words he'd said.
"Why?" Keith asked finally.
Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out the white business card Dr. Shaw had put on the table for Veronica.
"The doctor gave Veronica this." Logan said sliding it across the table.
"A therapist?" Keith asked in surprise.
"I'll pay for it if that's the issue, I just…" he trailed off and ran a tired hand through his hair.
Keith nodded slowly and eyed the card. "Thank you." he said finally looking up at Logan.
Logan gave him a wobbly smile and moved to get off the chair.
"Are you going to stay for breakfast?" Keith asked waving to the bacon on the stove behind him.
Logan blinked in surprise and then slid back into the chair. "Sure." He said his voice sounding more shocked than he meant it.
Keith smiled and finished making the food before wrapping a plate for Veronica and putting it into the refrigerator. He handed Logan a plate and the two men ate in silence both of their thoughts occupied with the girl supposedly sleeping in the other room.
(A/n: what do you think? Please review! More will be soon!)