Disclaimer – I do not claim to own any characters from Veronica Mars, just borrowing them for my amusement so don't sue me, okay?
Author's note – I apologize for not updating in so long. I think when the show is actually on I lose my will to write since I can just turn on the TV to get my fix, but now that we're back on hiatus here come the fics and its totally LoVe packed! This chapter is really true to the episodes between Clash of the Tritans and Ruskie Business. Those are some of my favorite episodes that contain some of my favorite LoVe moments so I didn't want to alter too much. You'll notice many similarities to the real episodes and even actual dialog from the eppys. Also, how would you guys feel if I introduced Parker and Piz?I don't really like either one of them that much so chances are I'd just dump crap lines on them or make them bad guys hehehe.
Before departing for Logan's house Veronica double checked the contents of her messenger bag. If she forgot something important during a job like this it could turn out badly, possibly deadly. She doubted that Aaron would hurt her but having the taser made her feel extra safe.
Once she got out into her car she tried calling Logan's phone to make sure he was ready. She realized he wasn't when she heard the inspirational message of the day.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo Da Vinci" Veronica scoffed at the words on the machine and wondered if Logan really believed in all that crap. What the hell did it mean anyway? She made a mental note to ask him later on and drove in the direction towards the 09 zip.
Once she pulled up to the house she realized that the maid that usually opened the gate was absent and she couldn't get inside. With a heavy sigh she turned off her car and walked towards the call box but before she got to it she seen the gate attendant coming towards her.
"Hello miss, what can I do for you?" The maid asked in a thick Spanish accent.
"I'm here to see Logan." Veronica told her and walked back towards her car, expecting to be let in now.
"Oh, I am sorry. Now is not a good time." She replied
"He's expecting me, isn't there a guest list or something? Look for Veronica Mars." Veronica snipped at her in a pretty irritated tone.
"Ci, ma'am, go on in." The maid said reluctantly and Veronica drove in and parked her car in the area intended for guest parking about 100 feet away from the main house.
She finally reached the door where she was greeted by another pesky maid that didn't seem too happy to be letting her inside.
"I'm here to see Logan." Veronica told the woman
"He is in his room, but you should no go up there." She warned Veronica.
"It's okay, he's expecting me." Veronica explained and headed up the stairs and down the hall. It was a little strange being here without Lilly for her but she continued making her way to his bedroom anyhow.
"Logan?" She called as she tapped on the door.
She heard a mumble or a shuffle behind the door so she assumed it was safe to walk in.
"Veronica?" He looked up at her with his eyes red and bloodshot like he was high or had been drinking heavily.
"Logan what are you doing in bed, we have work to do, remember?" Veronica said, annoyed.
"No." He replied.
"No? How could you forget, this was your damn idea!" She said raising her voice slightly.
"No, I mean. No you don't have to do anything, go home Veronica." He sniffled a bit and Veronica realized he hadn't been drinking, he had been crying and she immediately felt awful for getting irritated so quickly.
"What's going on Logan? Aaron did something didn't he?" Veronica implied but Logan shook his head no.
"Haven't you turned on the radio or television today?" He asked her.
"No, I was doing homework, then preparing do to P.I. Work for you. What's going on?"
"My mom... apparently she jumped off the Coronado bridge this morning. She left a note on her Blackberry."
She stood there speechless. Veronica felt her heart drop into her stomach and she almost cried.. Lynn was without a doubt the nicest 09er mom there ever was. She wondered if her and Logan would have done this sooner if she'd still be alive. Maybe her and Logan would be living in a nice house on the beach somewhere away from Aaron. Lynn loved the beach. Veronica remembered when her, Lilly, Logan and Duncan were kids and Lynn would drive them out to the ocean everyday when it was hot. It was funny the things you remember about people after they die.
"Logan... I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Veronica asked.
"Umm, actually there is. Maybe." He replied he glanced up at her with a hopeful look that just begged her to say yes to whatever he was going to ask her. "I don't think she really did it Veronica. Help me find her."
"What makes you think she's still alive?" Veronica asked.
"Come on Veronica. I know my mother she wouldn't risk being found bloated and bug eyed. If she was really going to kill herself it would be sleeping pills and chardonnay. And there is this." Logan got up and pulled a zippo lighter from out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Free at last it said
"Logan that's not much to go on." Veronica told him painfully but honestly.
"She took her credit cards Veronica. My dad has been looking around all day and he hasn't been able to find them. That's something. People don't jump off bridges with their platinum cards. Please believe me Veronica, I know my mom. I need your help I'll pay you whatever you want."
"I believe you. Come on, lets go see what we can find. Free of charge." Veronica said and noticed the look of utter relief that crossed his face. "first thing's first, I need credit reports. Anything that has credit card numbers, access codes, financial statements, basically whatever you think could be traced to her."
"This way, no one is here but me and the maids you can have free reign in the office." Logan said and hopped out of bed and led Veronica to the room where we would find out if his mother is indeed really dead.
Veronica only found a few of the papers they discovered to be helpful. She did manage to pull a few things and put a hit on Lynn's credit cards. If any of them were used she would get a text message containing the address of hopefully where Lynn was. There wasn't much else she could do at the moment so she tried to focus on something else and try to get Logan to do the same.
"Are you hungry or anything?" Veronica asked him.
"No, if anything I guess I'm kind of tired." He replied but Veronica hadn't need him to tell her that, that much she figured out on her own quite some time ago. .
"You should try to get some rest. I'll keep working in here in case anything comes up."
"Nah, I really don't think I could sleep right now if I tried."
"Well go turn on the TV or something. You've been staring at the same paper for about half and hour. Let me handle this, okay?" Veronica asked, more like commanded him actually.
Logan opened his mouth like he was about to argue but before anything sound came out he shook his head and sat down on the couch with the remote.
Almost as soon as she sent him his absence left her with a cold feeling. She was in total denial but it felt really good to have him near her, even at times like this. Hell, especially at times like this. They always had a unique relationship with each other. They were used to drawing strength from each other. Probably a side effect of dating the Kanes. Lilly and Duncan were heart breakers and Veronica found it easy to identify with Logan because of that.
Every five minutes or so she'd glance up at the paper she was reading for the third or fourth time to look at Logan. She did this until she looked up and noticed that he had fallen asleep. She thought he looked so cute curled up on the couch like that. She tried her damnest to stop looking now and it became harder not to. Damnit, you're not supposed to think about your best friends boyfriend that way. She thought to herself. In an effort to distract her from her thoughts she threw herself into the task at hand until she started feeling her own eyelids growing too heavy to keep open. It was a good thing Keith was out chasing bail jumpers because Veronica wasn't going to make it home tonight she thought as she put her head down on the desk to rest for a minute.
Suddenly she heard a door slam and sprang back awake and began throwing all the papers they had been looking back where they belonged. Logan was still dead asleep on the couch but she was about to wake him up. There was no way she was going to get caught in Aaron's office by herself.
"Logan. Logan! Wake up! Someone came home." Veronica said trying to shake him awake when the door opened and there stood Aaron looking down at her.
"Veronica Mars. What on earth are you doing here at this hour and why are you in my office?" Aaron asked her suspiciously.
She was unable to think of something quick enough and she began getting worried of the dark look that was spreading on Aaron's face. She left her bag with her friend Mr. Taser upstairs in Logan's bedroom. If Aaron decided he would rather have her dead than knowing his secrets she didn't have much of a chance.
As if god himself was looking out for her, her cell phone rang which managed to not only wake up Logan but get her out of explaining.
She didn't actually answer the phone. Instead of accepting the call she pushed the button to silence the ringing and pretended to talk to no one as if there was an emergency. She did the best job she could to look really worried and convince Aaron that she needed to leave right at this moment and take Logan with her.
She pretended to hang up the phone and looked at Logan and tried to silently tell him to play along.
"Come on Logan. We have to go there's been an accident." Veronica lied and walked out of the room in a fake panic.
Unfortunately Logan go the wrong idea from the fake phone call. "What was that Veronica? Was it my mom's cards?"
"Umm, no. It was Wallace. I didn't accept the call. I just wanted to get us out of there away from your dad. He creeps me out."
"Oh." He said in a tone that broke her heart. Maybe its not the exact same thing but Veronica knew what it was like to lose a mother.
"Do you want to come to my place? Or I can take you to Duncan and Lilly's. Wherever."
"If you're sure its okay I'd really like to keep hanging out with you. I mean you've got the phone that's going to lead me to my mom." He explained.
Veronica nodded and they made their way back to Veronica's apartment.
"You can stay in my room, I can sleep in my dad's bed. He's off chasing bail jumpers in Mexico all week."
"You sure? I can crash on the couch."
"No, go on and get some rest. I'll wake you up if I get any new news."
Logan looked at her for a moment. "Thank you for this Veronica. You have no idea..."
Veronica cut him off before he could finish. "Hey, we're friends right? That's what friends do."