So this is what hell looks like... Veronica thought miserably as she sat in her Future Business Leaders of America class without her usual buffer, her boyfriend Duncan Kane occupying the seat between her and Logan Echolls. He'd been dodging her mental police service like a seasoned pro all throughout her pre-lunch classes ever since their little encounter in the canteen when he'd been doing his best to get under her skin.

Her blue eyes surveyed the room, taking in the faces of the other students and doing her best to ignore the bone-jarring, teeth grind inducing, hot tamale sex fantasy fodder that was sitting beside her. He was so tall that she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes as he trailed his gaze over her body again.

Ugh…. Why oh why couldn't he have chosen today to go surfing?

"Surfing the big waves." Had been the excuse he had given Mr Clemmons for his constant absences over the last few months, and as an emancipated youth, with no parents available to report him to there was little the school board could do but request he attend his classes. She felt fidgety, what was it about him that made her brain go all jittery like that? No way she could get through her lesson with him so close to her… she was doing her best not to run her fingers through his tousled dark hair… and then she would trail her fingers along his high cheekbones and angular jaw. She wanted to trace the grooves that bracketed his firm mouth and the lines that fanned from his sparkling brown eyes… to have him cup her face and capture her lips with his…

Oh God… I have to move….

This was a woman who considered the pros and cons. She saw potential problems before she saw possibilities and she was doing her best not to look at him again, the thought was making Logan feel even more confident about his plan to ask for her help in finding out more about his mystery witness. He just wished that he didn't have to deal with coming to school as the only means to ask her.

I should have stayed home… he thought miserably as she picked up her bag and moved into the seat beside Beaver, putting an empty desk between them. Why did she have to be like this with him?

She avoided him everywhere else… School was the only neutral ground where she might actually listen to him. He hated sitting still. It gave you too much time to think about mistakes and regrets… Staring at Veronica was a distraction from dwelling on the troubles whirling around in his head, she was an intriguing puzzle. Her expressions fascinated him. He wanted somewhere quiet and private where he could explore Veronica inch by inch. Shed their clothes and...

She dipped her head and her long blond hair fell over her face like a veil. He needed a new tactic. It was time to rattle her cage. He stood up and took the empty desk next to her again. Her heart had thumped against her ribs when she met his piercing brown eyes.

He was so handsome that it almost hurt to look at him. Her blood was pumping through her veins harder than it had in a long time.

Stupid Logan… You have a boyfriend Veronica... or did you conveniently forget that part? No… you have a Duncan… Your first love… Lilly's brother... The guy you pined for most of last year until you figured out that it was really Logan you wanted…. please stop staring!

She had never been as relieved as when the bell rang and she could escape to her Health Class away from Logan, of course, it just compounded the torment when Ms Patterson had the class practise putting condoms onto banana's and discussing other forms of contraceptives one may wish to use to prevent pregnancy. Shiv and Thumper kept making obscene gestures at her most of the lesson and cracking jokes about needing no glove to get their loving until they were eventually kicked out of the class. Of all the PCHers… they were the two most likely to end up in a holding cell by 19, she would put money on it. Several of the PCHers had started wearing the Latin Blood colours in the most recent months, a sign that they were prepared to go the extra mile… and probably carried a blade or a gun.

Gang symbols and colours like that had lessened since Weevil had taken over the biker gang, but that was before he'd lost focus after Felix had been murdered. The worst people had to fear from the biker gang was the occasional beating, criminal damage to their cars or being duck-taped naked to the flag pole… well it used to be. The recent arson of the Echolls family home and the several knives confiscated from PCHers and kids who owed them something being taken by the security at the new metal detectors were a stark warning sign that Weevil's reign as the undisputed leader could be coming to an end.

It was almost fifth period before she decided to call Duncan again to find out where he was when she noticed the very familiar out of order sign on the girl's bathroom door.

What the hell?

Curiosity got the best of her. Several student's had commented on how this place was kind of like her office… more like her sanctuary, away from prying eyes and in the perfect spot a mere 5 minutes dash in any direction to all of her classes.

"Hello?" she called out as she walked into the bathroom.

No… No… No… Ambushed…

Veronica felt her heart stop as she found Logan Echolls standing there, grinning like a cat-that-got-the-canary leaning against the sinks.

"Hey… you remember when we made out in here, and you had your legs around my waist?" he smiled.

Like she'd been able to think of anything else since that day?

"Stop… you'll make me blush…" she said sarcastically before she took a step back towards the door to leave.

"I'm sure your insides are blushing like mad…" he teased as he walked closer, stepping right up in front of her.

How did he know that?

"Goodbye Logan…" she muttered as she turned to go.

"Honestly? How much easier would your life be if you were indifferent to me?" He asked as he stepped closer to her, putting on hand on the door, preventing her from leaving.

"What do you want?" she sighed.

"Hmmm… what do I want…? I am in need of your very special talents Veronica…" he confessed and took several steps away from him.

"Why are you doing this to me Logan?" she pleaded, turning away from him and rubbing the back of her neck.

Why? Why did she think? Who else could he go to? Were there any other teen Sexy Sleuths in Neptune High he didn't know about? He thought as his brows furrowed.

He needed her to help find out who this witness was who was trying to ruin his life…

"Because I need you Veronica…" he said in disbelief, his cognac-brown eyes betraying the deep hurt he usually kept hidden. "It's been 5 months and its only getting worse…."

"I know how hard it's been…. You think it's been easier for me?" she asked furiously. Don't you know how much being around you has been pure agony for me?

"I know I haven't exactly reacted in the best of ways… especially after…" he continued as he walked closer to her.

"NOW you tell me you need me…? You are running around screwing Kendall and I am trying to get over you Logan… but you won't let me!" she cried, her blue eyes giving him a cool-eyed tearful glare. Her emotional tone had stunned him into silence as her words filtered into his thoughts.

"What are you talking about.. trying to get over me?" he asked finally as he let out a rough sounding sigh, those blue eyes fastened on him.

Mortified she realised that he hadn't mentioned anything specific at all… he'd been trying ask her something and now he was looking at her in bewilderment.

"That's not what you brought me in here to talk about is it?" she asked quietly in horror, it wasn't in her psychological make-up to look for sympathy or pity, she was quite accustomed to fending for herself. The sudden constriction in her throat made it hard for her to speak; they stared at each other for several torturous minutes, only their breathing breaking the silence. The half-formed apology vanished from her lips and she decided to go with tough, one of her best characteristics.

"Veronica…" he in a whispered husky tone, staring broodingly into her artic blue eyes. She wanted to ruffle his hair, step closer and settle deep into that masculine fit and pull his mouth to hers but logic dictated that the smarter play was to run; she had learned the hard way that love was an over-rated commodity. "What do you mean you are trying to get over me…?" he questioned softly, his hand reaching for her face to make her look at him.

"Are you done with this? I'd like to go back to keeping our distance" she said in a strangled whisper. She was a master tactician but exposed like this, the slip of her hard crafted veneer was unsalvageable.

"Distance? Veronica… please just answer the question…" he pleaded as he cupped her face.

"I'm with Duncan…" she sobbed, a rebel tear escaping and falling down her cheek.

"What do you mean trying to get over me?" he repeated, his gaze lingering on her ripe full lips, his body stiffening in anticipation.

"Oh come on Logan… you aren't that stupid…" she begged. I have to get out of here…. It won't change anything….

Her heart skittered into almost cardiac arrest when he braced her face between his thumbs and held her steadfast, his brown eyes burning into hers. This was a bad idea… she was dating his roommate Duncan… she had a boyfriend…

"Pretend for a second I am…" he swallowed hard; his heart was racing as she broke eye contact and looked down at her feet. He needed her to answer him… had to have her to say it…

"It doesn't matter… because what we had… we are nothing now… we are through" she declared firmly and for long heated seconds their gazes duelled before he lowered his mouth and kissed her, a throaty moan of protest escaped her but that resistance only lasted a moment before she got lost to the taste of him, the feel of his lips against hers, the ferocity of that kiss rocked the very foundations of her world and when he broke the kiss, it was like walking out of a sauna into a plunge pool. Her pulse was racing and she stared up at him in stunned surprise.

Rational thought filtered back to her and she ran a finger across her tingling lips, glaring up at him.

"I really wish you hadn't done that…" she said weakly.

His voice was guttural and almost coarse as he scrutinized her with his unreadable brown eyes.

"You still love me…"