Chapter 4

Logan isn't sure how he got there. Some inexplicable force compelled him to go on the beach once he saw her lone car parked by the road. He isn't prepared for the sight that met him. Veronica was sleeping on a blanket but she is crying while she slept. Immediately, he felt guilty for the things he said to her. Logan took some time to observe her. Even though she is crying, there is something almost peaceful about the state she's in. His eyes traveled the length of her tiny body. She wore a t-shirt and cargo capris but in her sleep sate the t-shirt has ridden up a little and her capris have been pulled taunt to her hips. He noticed something on one of her hips that's caught in the glow of a light off one of the beach houses. He realized it's a tattoo of a setting sun with a surfboard imposed on it. There was writing on the surfboard. He leaned closer to see what it said. He felt like a perv but he's too intrigued to stop himself. Not enough light. Grabbing his keys and careful not to make a sound, he turned the light on from the chain. He could now read it now, "Duncan". He backed away from Veronica but continued to watch her. At first she only cried in her sleep but now she started talking. He caught some words most notably "Duncan" before she suddenly woke up clearly saying "I love you, Duncan". Logan can't help himself. He asked, "Who's Duncan?"

Veronica's spine stiffened in shock. She slowly turned to Logan and spitting out each word said, "None of your fucking business." Veronica rushed to wipe away the tears that remained on her face. "Okay, touchy subject", Logan said complacently, "What the hell are you doing here alone at night?" "Sleeping", she glibly replied. "Are you crazy? Anyone could come here and attack you or worse", Logan shouted. "Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea", Veronica mumbled under her breath. "What?", Logan asked. "Nothing", she said clearly not wanting to get into it. "Get up. Let's get your stuff and go", Logan ordered. Veronica obeyed although she wasn't sure why. Maybe, she's just too tired of it all. She got up while Logan gathered her blanket and other paraphernalia. They walked up to the parked cars in silence. Their cars were illuminated by the street lamp. Logan dumped the blanket in the backseat. He went to drop everything else in the back but realized that there is a folio of pictures. He slipped those in his pocket and stepped back from the car before he saw that her car had been vandalized. "Who did this to your car?" Logan said with barely controlled anger. "As if you didn't know and FYI, it's not my car. It's Duncan's", Veronica said with rising anger of her own. "So are you going to tell me who Duncan is?" Logan asked. "No", Veronica plainly said. "Son of a bitch. You frustrate me so much. I just can't take you", he shouted throwing up his hands in the air and pacing while continuing to rant at her. Veronica is fascinated by his behavior. It's almost animal-like. He kept shouting at her and pacing for another five minutes before finally coming to a stop in front of her. He stared down into her eyes and in an instant swooped her up in his embrace. His lips crushed down on hers. She tasted like a mixture of strawberries and the ocean. His lips desperately wanted more once they made contact with her lips. A thousand thoughts and feelings went through his mind. He wanted to brand her, possess her, ravish her, cherish her, excite her. He stopped as he realized that Veronica has stopped responding to him. Logan let her go to study her. Lips are swollen with passion, cheeks tinged with pink but in her eyes he saw anger. "Get away from me", Veronica threatened. He backed away. Veronica got in her car and started it. She turned to Logan. "Logan, if your little bitch does anything to his car again, I will be forced to come after her. I don't care what she does to me but the car is off limits. Frankly, she can turn it up on me if she wants. Just get it over with already". With that she drove away not looking back.

She really did drive him crazy Logan thought. Don't touch the car, come after her. Was she really mental? Oh, of course. The car belonged to her precious Duncan, Logan thought snidely. So, sour grapes was the main course tonight. Who was he not to indulge? He needed something to make him feel better. Logan thought about the kiss. The kiss she responded to at first. He knew she had to have felt the same things he did so why did she stop? Veronica Mars, that one was a mystery.

Logan reached into his pocket to grab his keys and grasped the folio of pictures he had for all intent and purpose stolen. He got in the car, turned on the overhead light, and looked at the pictures. All of the pictures showed either a teen boy about his age or that same boy and Veronica. He was forced to admit that the boy had classic American good looks with wavy brown hair, brilliant blue eyes and an ever present smile. Two pictures grabbed Logan the most. In one, the boy was standing against a surfboard, his hair wet and his smile filled with joy; In the other, it was a close up of both of their faces. You could tell they had their arms around one another. Both were laughing, completely in tune with one another. Logan knew without a doubt that this was Duncan, Veronica's boyfriend. The only question that remained is what had happened? Well, that wasn't the only question but it was a start. A start at what he thought as he looked down at the pictures. Finding out what happened between Veronica and her boyfriend. What did he care? His mind treacherously flashed to the kiss and the need for her he felt. That was why he would take this insane course of action.

Veronica laid in her bed crying that night. Why did people continue to bother with her? She just wanted to be left alone to do what? Nothing. Think about Duncan. Anything else was not important. Keith stopped at his niece's door. He could hear her crying inside but had no idea of how to soothe her. If she wasn't crying then she was walking around like a zombie. Keith almost preferred the crying. It let him know that Veronica was still with them in some capacity. He knew that Veronica was not getting enough to eat and although she spent most of her time in her bed, he knew little time was spent sleeping.

A knock on the front door startled him. What surprised Keith even more was who was at the door, Logan Echolls. Keith knew Logan from several cases Logan's parents had hired him for and thought that Logan had turned out extremely well given all the crap that he had to put up with from his movie star parents and their fans. "Logan, what brings you out to our neck of the woods?", Keith asked as if he didn't already know. "Veronica left something back at..umm", Logan drifted off, "umm.. and I wanted to return it." Logan made a move to hand Keith the pictures but Keith deflected. "Veronica's in her room. Go right in. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you", Keith encouraged. "Not likely", Keith and Logan both thought.

Logan wanted and didn't want to see Veronica. He almost refused but he was curious about the inner sanctum of Veronica Mars. Well, curiosity only killed the cat Logan thought as he opened the door slowly without knocking. Hey, he didn't want Veronica to have a chance to tell him to go away and anyways Keith had said to go right in. So he was just following orders. Logan fully opened the door behind him. Veronica was not in the room. A door was off to the side which Logan supposed was the bathroom.

Logan took his time looking around the room. He was shocked. There were literally hundreds of pictures of the guy, Duncan, around the room. Duncan alone, Duncan with Veronica, Duncan and groups of people. Logan carefully studied a couple of the pictures of Duncan and Veronica. They looked at each other with complete love and devotion. Instantly, Logan felt inadequate. He knew that no one in his entire life had ever looked at him the way these two were looking at each other. They looked like they couldn't live without one another. Logan felt infinitely sad not only for Veronica but also for his own situation. He didn't even know if he was capable of loving someone the way that these two had so obviously loved one another.

Even though his back was to her, Logan was instantly aware of Veronica when she entered the room. He hadn't so much as heard the door open but he felt her presence in the air. Logan turned around. Veronica just stared at him for a moment. She couldn't believe that he was here in her room. Invasion of privacy did not in the least describe what had just happened. Caught in Veronica's glare, Logan quickly explained, "I just wanted to give these to you. I found them on the ground." He handed Veronica the pictures. Veronica did not say anything and in her silence Logan grew uncomfortable and continued, "I guess this is Duncan" with a motion to the walls. Veronica could not take it and through gritted teeth she said, "Get out." Logan not one to be intimidated or one to know when to let things go engaged her. "I was just being polite returning something that was yours. I think you're supposed to say thank you. If I would have known that you obviously have the picture part covered, I wouldn't have bothered." Logan looked at a picture of Duncan. "He seems like a nice enough guy", he commented about Duncan. "Get. Out. You do not get to talk about Duncan. Not now. Not ever. You are not worth anything and he is everything. Don't you get it?" Veronica said steely. Logan, who had just for himself felt how inadequate he was and how there was truth to her words, reacted in the only way he knew how. "I wonder if Duncan would be pleased he has a stalker. Obviously, he doesn't care about you or he would be with you now. Gee, obsess much", he sneered. Veronica struggled to hold back the tears. "Get the hell out of here", she said as she turned her back to him. Logan struggled with part of him that wanted to stay and apologize, part of him that wanted to continue to antagonize, and part of him that just wanted to leave. In the end, he just walked out the door but he left with a parting shot. "I'd like to know what Saint Duncan would say if he knew you were slutting around with Weevil." He could tell Veronica heard him as she physically reacted to this words but did not say anything to him so he left the room strangely unsatisfied.

Logan closed the door and was walking out when he spotted Keith at the kitchen table. Logan paused, he had always liked Keith and didn't know what to say to explain or excuse his actions. Keith seemed to realize how uncomfortable Logan was in his presence since his encounter with Veronica. The guy needed reassurance. "Logan, I know that right now getting along with Veronica is not easy. She doesn't want to let anyone in and she's shutting herself down. I barely recognize her anymore. A huge part of how she's acting has to do with Duncan. He was everything to her. They were everything to each other. Without him…I'm just glad she still here", Keith choked. Logan nodded at Keith and walked out the Mars apartment.. He felt like total shit because now he knows something else. Duncan is dead. How could he have said all those hurtful things to her? He recognized a truth, that is, no one in their right mind would ever leave Veronica unless they didn't have a choice. He is determined to leave her alone this time.