I don't own VM or any of the whole VM franchise, but I'll admit that Jason Dohring would fit nicely into my portfolio hehe. Or bedroom, whatever. *blushes*
Unbetaed because neither of my betas are returning my chapters at the moment, and I just want to give you guys something, seeing as I've got a lot on my mind that distracts me from writing.
A/N So, we're finally at the stage where the old readers become new readers along with the rest of you, because this is a completely new chapter. As such I'm dying to know if you like it or not. Therefore please review, and I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to reviews this time either. Busy busy and also becoming ill due to a vast amount of snow (check Denmark on Google and you'll see how it is right now.) Anyway, sorry for the rambling, I'm on drugs *Grins*. Enjoy!
Chapter Nine: Unexpected
Veronica sat dumbstruck watching her old friend casually eating his food with obvious relish. He didn't seem to care that his words had caused her a minor meltdown.
Eventually she felt calm enough to speak. "Wallace, I know I broke a promise and that you hate my guts, but I swear that as soon as I'm done with my job here, I'll leave and never set foot in Neptune again."
She almost flinched away when Wallace abruptly looked up from his plate with renewed anger in his brown eyes.
"Are you really that stupid Veronica?"
Feeling like she'd just entered the twilight zone Veronica swallowed hard before speaking, "E-Excuse me?"
Wallace rolled his eyes at her, took a napkin and wiped his mouth. "I simply asked if you really are as stupid as you seem, 'cause I honestly didn't expect that."
Swallowing hard one more time, Veronica thought about what to say to that statement, but Wallace didn't give her a chance before simply adding. "I don't like the person you became back then and by the looks of it still are. I would have done anything for you and you just barely got me out of that car before leaving me on a road all alone while you went ahead with your own plans."
Veronica looked away, knowing he was speaking the truth.
"That is reason enough for my hatred," Wallace continued a moment later, "but then I wake up paralyzed and you barely acknowledge my pain before weeping like a wimp about how much pain you're in because of my new state of life or whatever." Wallace grinned, his eyes gleaming with old anger. "I- like anyone would have been – was caught up in my own anger and lashed out Veronica. And then you have the nerve to abandon me, leaving me to face my new worldview alone and that's what I can't forgive."
Veronica quickly looked back up at Wallace, who looked calmly back at her. "I'm sorry, what?"
Wallace rolled his eyes, wiped his mouth with a napkin again and elaborated, "I don't like what you did to me Veronica, but had I known that you'd be so weak, I wouldn't have demanded that you left town. You were my best friend and you abandoned me at the first sign of trouble. I never heard from you again, I didn't even know you were back in town before Logan got in touch with me. I don't hate you Veronica, but I sure as hell don't like you."
Veronica was flabbergasted; her whole worldview had momentarily shifted. "Okay," was all she managed to say, but Wallace didn't seem to expect anything from her. He simply sighed and put some money on the table before wheeling out from the table.
"Veronica, I'm not as dumb as I look, so I know that you're here because of that past of yours, but trust me on this." Wallace's dark brown eyes turned dead serious. "I will not let you hurt Logan Echolls. That man has done more for me than you'd ever imagine."
In stunned disbelief Veronica watched her old friend expertly wheel around and leave the restaurant without another word. When she could no longer see him, Veronica shook off her emotions for her to concentrate on driving back to the safe house.
So Logan has been helping Wallace out? I can't believe it, they weren't even real friends back then. Wallace hated him as much as I did. Veronica bit her lip as she pulled up to the safe house. Or was that just an act? Did he just play along to keep me satisfied?
Her head full of conflicting emotions, Veronica exited the car and made her way over to the front door. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Dick's car and swallowed a groan. The groan was more out of practice than any real annoyance, but still one had to keep up appearances.
A moment later Veronica opened the door and froze at the sight in front of her; Mac was standing with her arms crossed looking extremely angry and the look in her eye clearly said that she wanted nothing more but to grab her gun and shoot the object of her annoyance, which just so happened to be Dick.
Veronica rolled her eyes and carefully closed the door and was about to remind them that she was in fact in the room, when she realized what they were saying.
"…plan! He can't go about switching our plans like that and you should know better than to stomp in here with that smug grin and announce it to the world. What do think Veronica's gonna do when she finds out, eh?"
Veronica frowned suspiciously when Dick suddenly paled. "She doesn't have to know, give Logan a few days to get things in order before you tell her."
"Tell me what?"
Veronica's voice was like ice as she walked over to the two arguing people. Her eyes burned into Dick, who seemed more uncomfortable than usual in her presence. "Tell me what, Dick?"
Despite herself, Veronica could feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest and she knew she wasn't going to like whatever it was that had Dick so scared of telling her.
Eventually when the silence grew too much, Mac rolled her eyes and pushed past the larger man, meeting Veronica's gaze cautiously as if awaiting an explosion. "What the coward won't say is," Mac hesitated before plunging right in, "that Logan apparently went all solo mission on our asses and went into a partnership with none other than Gory himself."
Veronica blinked. Her silence seemed to unnerve the others in the room. She was vaguely aware that in the midst of it all, Weevil had emerged from the kitchen with an apprehensive look on his face.
It took a while, but finally Veronica got control over her vocal chords. "Thank you for informing me. Excuse me." Veronica turned around and walked back out to her car without another word. It seemed like her abrupt departure had taken them all by surprise, because no one followed her as she started the car and drove off towards Logan's damned bar with squealing tires.
I'm gonna kill you, I don't care what Ripley says!
**
Mac and the two men looked apprehensively at the door that Veronica had slammed shut after her seconds before.
"Well," Weevil's voice brought them back to reality, "I'll call and warn Echolls, so she doesn't kill him and then I'm heading to bed. Later."
Mac watched him walk into the kitchen to speak privately to Logan. Yeah, right, she scoffed; I have a few things to say to that asshole my own self!
Just as she was making her way after the Latino, Mac felt Dick move next to her and gently grab her wrist. "Look Mac, I kindda need to talk to you for a minute. I talked to Ronnie the other night and she…well, apparently she doesn't despise me as much as I thought, but…"
Dick made a face, but then continued in a rush, when it looked like Mac was about to walk away. "I never really got a chance to apologize for everything and I really want to, you know and-"
Mac wrenched her wrist out of Dick's loose hold and walked towards the kitchen where Weevil was talking quietly to Logan. "I can't even comprehend that right now, Cassablancas. Let's worry about one thing at a time."
Dick sighed as she disappeared from his sight and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Well, he thought, at least she didn't punch me in the nose; I guess that's a start.
**
Logan yawned as he got out of the king sized bed in his old room at the Grand. Not that he considered the place home anymore, but it was a great place to take his conquests and fuck them enough to keep his own thoughts at bay. It's not like I'll take them to my house, Logan thought with a smirk and walked into the huge bathroom naked. A few moments later he stepped into the shower and let the warm water cascade down on him.
No one but a select few even knew where Logan's place of residence was. He'd bought several houses over the years, used them as a diversion for when someone inevitably tried to assassinate him in his home. Besides, Logan thought reaching out for his preferred brand of shampoo; hell will freeze over before I let any of those sluts into my home.
After his shower was done and Logan had dried himself, he walked calmly into the bedroom and picked out some clean clothes. He spotted the girl of the week sitting up with a yawn out of the corner of his eye and turned to leave. Not the least bit interested in polite conversation now that he'd gotten what he came for so to speak.
Fortunately for him, he'd had the girl before and she knew the drill. She simply stood up and began dressing slowly. A few minutes later she walked past him in the living room area with a small smile, "let me know if you're up for another round sometime."
Logan nodded without really looking at her; he was already in the midst of a business conversation on the phone. As she closed the door quietly behind her, Logan heard his cell phone ring and he ended the call on the landline once he saw that it was Weevil on the other end.
"What?" he greeted brusquely sitting down on the beige couches. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but remember the times he'd sat there with Veronica curled up on his side.
Weevil's voice brought him back from a pleasant daydream that had Logan wanting to go out and find the girl from the night before, and take care of some much needed lust. "Yo man, just calling to give you a heads up. You might wanna make an appearance at the bar before long, V.'s on the warpath."
Logan clenched his jaw briefly. "That was fast."
Weevil chuckled. Suddenly there was another voice in the background, one that told Logan that Veronica apparently wasn't the only one pissed at his change of plans. "Is that Logan? Tell that son of a bitch that Veronica's gonna cut off his balls and force them through his nose so he can smell what a scumbag he is. You hear me Logan, you son of a…"
"Whoa girl, chill," Weevil admonished, "go harass Dick some more and leave me the fuck alone."
Logan smiled hearing the not entirely G-rated response Weevil's order got him, but then he turned serious again. "I'm heading out as we speak; I'll make sure she returns to the safe house as fast as possible."
Weevil didn't get a word in before Logan had ended the call. A few seconds later Logan was on his way downstairs to his car, he just hoped that he'd beat Veronica to the bar. I really don't want her to mangle my personal just because she can't wait to kick my ass.
**
Veronica stormed into the River Styx with fire burning in her eyes. She'd like to imagine that Logan was quivering at the sight of her, knowing he was about to get chewed out, but when she entered the bar and let her eyes fall on his smirking form in the corner, she knew it wasn't going to go down like that.
Fine, she thought and gritted her teeth, I'll just make you understand how frightening I can be, you asshole.
"Logan!"
Everyone in the bar looked over at her, the looks in their eyes varied from nervousness to vague bemusement. Veronica didn't' pay them any mind as she stalked over to the man she hated most in the world. Regardless of the way her heart fluttered when he turned to look at her with a charming smirk on his face.
"Veronica! What an unexpected pleasure." He held up a soda. "A drink for the lady? Pick your poison."
The fury grew inside her, pushing away the weird emotion in her chest and Veronica couldn't be more thankful. "Look you son of a-"
"My mom was a lot of things, but not that. " Logan interrupted and got to his feet. "I see that you're a bit upset and I'd like you to come to my office so we don't disturb my clientele."
Without a word Veronica followed him into the office she'd seen earlier, slamming the door behind her to make sure he knew he was about to get his ass handed to him.
"Look," she started, "I've had a really bad night and I have a lot to process before I can call it a night. Imagine my surprise when I got back to the safe house and heard that you were working together with Gory. What the hell are you thinking? Remember that Mac and I are the bosses right now, not you!"
Logan casually leaned up against his desk, crossing his arms while she ranted. When she stopped to take a breath, Logan shook his head. "Veronica, contrary to what you believe not everything is up to you."
Veronica mimicked his stance, crossing her arms as well. "I don't know what you're on Echolls, but yes, I do decide how we'll take down that so called human that Gory is. Me! Not you, not Dick, but me! Stop smirking like that you arrogant ass!"
Logan's smirk vanished as ordered and he straightened up, suddenly he exuded danger and Veronica had to stop herself from taking a step back. "I think you should talk to your superior before you say something that will land you in trouble, Veronica." His eyes narrowed, "If you can get a hold of him of course. I heard from Dick that he seems to be very unavailable these days."
Veronica's anger nearly boiled over, but she forced it back down. "Do you have something to do with Ripley going AWOL on me? He's my boss and if you hurt him just to keep playing king of the jungle then I'll-"
This time Logan interrupted her, his mouth set in firm lines showing his displeasure with her. "Thank you for the vote of confidence Veronica, but no I have not killed your precious lieutenant. I merely suggested that no matter what you think, you don't necessarily know all the details."
Veronica scoffed. "Like I'd trust a word that comes out of your mouth. You can't be trusted; I learned that the hard way, remember?"
Instantly Veronica regretted the words, she'd let her temper control her and had breached the subject of Keith without wanting to. The sudden dark look in Logan's eyes told her that he too knew she'd taken it too far.
"I do remember, Ronnie. " Logan took a step towards her and despite her best efforts; Veronica couldn't help but take a step backwards, needing the space between them. Logan didn't seem to care as he simply kept walking towards her until Veronica felt the door behind her and knew that, except for full out hightailing it out of the damned bar, there was nowhere to run.
"I remember a lot of things." Logan muttered, standing extremely close to her.
Veronica swallowed. The fluttering in her chest from earlier had developed into a wild thumping that she could literally feel in her entire body. "So do I," she managed to sputter forth, "and I don't want to."
Logan chuckled darkly, reaching out slowly and gently cupping her cheeks with his hands. Try as she might, Veronica simply couldn't move. Don't touch me, I hate you, don't stop, I hate you. The thoughts were jumbling around inside her head, making Veronica recall all the times where Logan had simply had to get into her personal space to shut her up back in the day.
"Please…" she eventually managed to say, looking deeply into Logan's hazel eyes. Had someone asked her right at that moment, Veronica honestly couldn't say if she asked to be released or for him to proceed. Logan made the choice for her and suddenly his warm lips were on hers, once again awakening something in Veronica that she'd thought was long gone.
Unable to stop herself, Veronica felt herself respond to Logan's kiss. She opened her mouth, allowing him entrance and their tongues tangled in a dance of their own, making Veronica moan softly and Logan grip her tighter.
Suddenly, just as Veronica realized that her hands had made their way up into Logan's thick hair, an image of her father's body flashed through her mind, giving her the strength to push Logan away roughly.
"Get away from me!"
Logan looked as flushed as Veronica felt; his eyes were darker than usual and his lips were swollen after the intensity of their kiss. He took a small step forward. "Veronica, I-"
"No," Veronica hissed and ran a hand through her hair, noticing absentmindedly that Logan had somehow taken out her hairclip and that her long hair was now flowing freely down her back. "Don't even start. You make me sick; I can't believe I let you do that to me."
For one short second Logan looked crushed, but then he blinked and his face turned expressionless. Veronica was thankful; the dead look in his eyes making it easier to re-build her walls.
"Getting back to business, I obviously don't know everything that's going on, but you can be damned sure I'll figure it out."
Logan nodded. "Undoubtedly."
Veronica felt more conflicted then she'd ever been. Despite trying hard not to, her emotions showed on her face and Logan took advantage of that. "Veronica, trust me for once and leave things alone. I'll get you Gory, I swear, but just don't go doing anything rash. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"That's funny, coming from you." Veronica stated, feeling her crazy emotions turn even wilder. There was no question that the whole emotional day was getting to her and she was inches away from snapping. "You don't want to hurt me, I mean. I find that so amusing."
Logan blinked slowly and to her surprise, Veronica could see a familiar brightness in them, signaling that he too was extremely emotional. "I know you don't believe me considering what I've put you through, but I really don't like to see you hurting."
Finally Veronica's control couldn't take any more and she took a step towards Logan, who in turn looked surprised that she was voluntarily getting in his space. "Don't talk about me like you care, okay? Don't even start."
"Veronica, you don't understand all that's-"
"I hate this! I hate that I hate you and that I don't!" Veronica screamed and shoved him hard in the chest, making the larger man fall back against the desk. "You're in my heart, no matter how much I tried to force you out and no matter how much I despise you, I still can't go to sleep at night without desperately wanting these last years to be a nightmare. That, when I wake up again, I'll have my dad with me and I could still rely on you always loving me no matter what." Veronica blinked away the burning in her eyes, not allowing her tears to come before she continued harshly. "That your arms would be around me, warming me, protecting me like they always did…"
"Veronica I…" Logan looked broken and a lot older than his age as he listened to Veronica's unexpected confession.
"Don't say a word." Veronica held up her hand. "Just keep away from me, Logan. My heart might still want you, but my mind knows the truth. You killed my father and there's just no going back from that. No kiss or apology in the world will make that disappear…"
"I wish that I could tell you everything, Veronica and I 'm sorry you're hurting, believe me, I am."
Veronica turned away and walked over to the door to leave. "Just let me go on hating you. Let me do my job and leave. Just…"
Behind her, Veronica heard Logan take a couple of deep breaths and even though she knew she'd probably regret it, she let him have a final word. "One day we will be together again Veronica, somehow it'll all be okay."
The ache in her chest intensified to a painful level. "Don't…Don't make this harder on me please. When I see you tomorrow at the safe house to discuss our further plans, this never happened, okay?"
Taking Logan's silence as agreement, Veronica opened the door and hurried through the bar, eager to leave her former lover's charismatic presence.
This is just too much to process right now; Veronica thought as she stopped by a liquor store and bought enough alcohol for a small army of teenagers. I'm gonna need some help getting some sleep tonight and maybe I'll even manage to wipe out this whole day from my memory…
TBC…
A/N Hope this will appease you for the moment and should there be any glaring mistakes, please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as possible! Until next time
Ditte Mai