As always, I'm loving all the reviews! Thank you all, Lulu x
~VM~VM~VM~VM~VM~VM~
A pile of spare sun lounge pillows in a quite storage room provided Logan with the comfort and solitude he was looking for to wait out the rest of the cruise, and he hid himself away from his father's creepy fans and anyone else that would hound him, given half the chance.
His face still hurt and his chest stung in agony every time he breathed in too deep, but that was nothing compared to the ache in his heart.
In the silence of the musty smelling room, Logan unfortunately had time to dwell on what he'd lost, and even though he'd rebuilt his tough bad boy armour, inside he was crying in grief. Eventually though, with his head down and sunglasses hiding part of his face, he left the storage room and made the long trek back to his suite, luckily without being accosted by the busy passengers filling the ships interior, just in time to join the procession of Echolls luggage off the ship. Logan caught a glimpse of his parents, but neither looked back, nor did they look like they were concerned about his absence or whereabouts, and he felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment wash over him, until he shook it off and felt nothing again.
Not having brought much in the way of personal possessions for the cruise, other than his favourite pair of sunglasses and his wallet and clothes on his back, Logan didn't bother going back into the suite to check his room to see if everything else had been packed for him, and simply followed a porter struggling to carry two of his mother's hefty Italian suitcases off the ship. He could see the waiting limousine at the bottom of the walkway, with his mom already getting inside while Aaron supervised the loading of their luggage, and tried hard to prepare himself for the inevitable shitstorm his father was going to unleash on him once he got in the car too.
Taking one last look back at the place where he'd found happiness for a fleeting moment, Logan nearly tripped over his own feet when his eyes suddenly found hers.
Veronica was stood on her balcony watching him, her dad standing next to her, and Logan stepped off the gangplank and stopped walking for a moment. He saw her smile at him and a small twinge of hope flared in his chest. Maybe it wasn't all lost... and when Logan watched Keith put his arm around his daughter and nod in his direction, his heart speeded up at what that could have possibly meant. He dared himself to hold onto that hope, and was smiling when he climbed into the limo and sat next to his mom.
-vm-
Keith and Veronica spent the final moments of the voyage leaning over the rails on their balcony watching the ship slowly moor against the dock. It was done efficiently and smoothly and eventually the Neptune Princess stopped moving, and gangplanks were extended for the passengers to disembark.
Of course it was in order of class, and they watched as the first class passengers were given priority and were followed by their entourage of baggage handlers as they made their way down to their waiting limousines. Veronica kept her eyes peeled for Logan, and quickly got her dad's attention when Aaron and Lynn appeared.
"I can't see him," she muttered worriedly watching the Echolls' stroll down the gangplank. Keith frowned until he spotted the kid in between two porters carrying cases.
"There. You see him?"
Logan was still wearing the orange shirt and olive cargo shorts he'd worn the day before. He was walking a little stiffly and Veronica immediately bit her lip with worry. Had they just missed Logan earlier? Had he returned to his suite just after they'd left, and his dad had hurt him again? From the distance between the walkway and the balcony, Veronica could clearly see the bruise colouring Logan's cheek under the edge of his sunglasses from the fight with Lyndon, and couldn't help wondering what his ribs looked like too.
"He looks okay," Keith noted cautiously. He couldn't help but notice the deliberate distance Logan had put between him and his father, and frowned hard.
"But he's not," Veronica shook her head. She followed his every step hoping that Logan would look up, even if just once, to see her, and was about to give up when he did. Their eyes met for a moment and she smiled feeling something inside her flutter and heat up when he smiled back before climbing into the back of the waiting limo. Her smile faded quickly though when Aaron followed him inside, the door slamming closed behind him, and the car then drove away.
"Hey, is that the boy who assaulted you?"
Veronica blinked at her dad's darkly spoken question, and looked back at the walkway to see Lyndon and his parents leaving the ship.
"Yeah," she murmured, pointing to the family following them, "and the two ginger haired kids, too."
Keith glowered hard, his stare penetrating, but the Price's all sauntered off the ship oblivious to the menacing metaphorical daggers being sent their way.
"Don't worry, dad, I have their names," Veronica reminded him, "They'll get what's coming to them."
Keith pulled his daughter to him and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around her dad and sighed. What had started off as the perfect weekend break for them had ended with them both feeling stressed and miserable.
"Hey," Veronica pulled back and asked hesitantly, "What're you going to do about Logan, dad?"
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Keith regarded her seriously, "It's my duty as an adult to report Logan's circumstances to the authorities, honey. You know that. He's is still a minor and in a potentially dangerous situation-"
"You can't do that, dad," Veronica quickly interrupted. "I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone!"
"Veronica..."
"No, listen. If you go behind his back and report Aaron, what do you think will happen, huh?" She leaned on the rail and sighed heavily. "Logan told me that his dad has paid off paediatricians before, and has enough influence and money to easily make Logan out to be a liar. And as soon as he's left alone with him again, Aaron will kill Logan!"
The anguish in his daughter's eyes made Keith's heart ache, and he moved to comfort her again. He already knew what she was saying was very possible; Aaron Echolls was well respected and held in high esteem in California. To bring him to justice for everything he had done to his son would take more than just a single report to the CPS. It was going to take vigilance, shrewdness and careful investigation to build an airtight case against him. But Keith was determined to make sure Aaron paid for his crimes.
"Okay, honey, okay," he murmured softly. Veronica looked up at him.
"You're not going to report Aaron?"
"Not yet," Keith said holding up a finger to quiet her when she opened her mouth to object. "Of course I won't do anything without first talking with Logan, and I'll make damn sure there's enough incriminating evidence against Aaron Echolls to have him arrested and put away for a long time before I take anything further. Deal?"
Frowning, still unsure and afraid for Logan, Veronica looked down. Keith lifted her chin with his finger, "Veronica, I won't endanger Logan any further. Cases like this are complicated, especially high profile ones. But I'm not going to sit back and do nothing. I can't, honey. I won't."
"Yeah, I know," Veronica sighed already knowing Logan was going to be furious that her dad now knew about his abuse too. Getting Logan then to talk with Keith was definitely going to be nothing short of a miracle, especially after overhearing the heated conversation in her cabin earlier that morning.
They waited a little while longer on the balcony until the departure rush died down, and then they left the Neptune Princess themselves, carrying their own baggage to the car in the harbour car park, before finally driving home.
-vm-
As soon as the ship's porters loaded their luggage into the limo, Aaron climbed into the back and pulled the door shut so hard and abruptly that Logan had to yank his fingers away to save them being crushed. Still, the smile stayed on his face further aggravating his father.
"What the hell have you got to smile for?"
Logan just ignored him and turned to look out of the window as the car left the harbour. A moment later, he gasped as a he suddenly received a face full of ice cold water.
"Very mature, dad," he snarked, taking off his glasses and wiping a hand over his shirt. It was a futile action as Aaron then shot forward and twisted his fist in the material, jerking Logan from his seat.
"I'll show you mature, you little bastard," he hissed and roughly threw him back. Lynn pressed herself against the door and tried to wipe away the cold water from her sundress without being noticed. She saw Logan glance at her but ignored him. It was for the best, she convinced herself, but the familiar feeling of guilt ate at her like a cancer.
"And where the fuck did you get that shiner?" Aaron demanded to know staring at Logan, "Like I didn't already know."
Logan snapped his eyes up, fear creeping in and making his insides twist uncomfortably. What did his dad know? He watched Aaron sit back and pour himself a whiskey, any sign of anger now disturbingly morphing into something Logan wasn't too familiar with.
What was that? Pride?
"Yes, son, I know about your little confrontation with Lyndon Price," Aaron told him with a twisted smile, "And what's more, I'm proud of you for standing up for what is right."
Blinking in disbelief, Logan's mouth dropped open. He wiped a hand over his wet face and shook his head as his dad carried on...
"Whatever that little stuck up Brit had in store for poor Veronica, I'm glad she has you in her court protecting her."
Wait, what? "How, how did you know-"
"What?" Aaron scoffed, "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
The leather seat of the limo stuck to his back as sweat rolled down his spine, and Logan shifted uncomfortably. He was already a little disturbed and concerned that his father knew Veronica had been on board, let alone the fight they'd had with Lyndon and his cousins. Just what else did he know?
"How did you find out?" he asked curious to see just how much Aaron did know.
"Dorian confronted me, but don't worry, son, I set him right," Aaron said and took a sip of his drink. "I told him his boy had to have given you a damned good reason to beat the crap out of him, not that you'd need one, right, Logan?"
The way his father winked at him made Logan bristle. He'd almost believed that Aaron had supported him, stuck up for him, but then Logan realised it was all to save his own face.
"I raised you right, son, you're a chip off the old block," he raised his glass to Logan in a toast, "Here's to being just like me!"
"I am nothing like you," Logan growled and Aaron just laughed at the way his son glared defiantly at him.
"Oh, Logan. When are you going to learn?" he shook his head, hard stony expression quickly replacing any hint of pride. Aaron leaned forward in his seat and spat hatefully, "You never learn."
Logan licked his dry lips and swallowed awkwardly, looking away from his father's cold eyes. He could feel the anger vibrating off him and knew that when they got home, Aaron was going to carry on this conversation, and all Logan could do was wish for the day to end quickly.
Lynn opened her purse and pulled out a small compact mirror when the silence in the limo nearly stifled her. From the corner of her eye she could see Logan staring blankly through the window, his mind clearly focussing on something other than the scenery flashing by, and she yearned to pull him to her. Hug him to her breast. Give him the comfort a mother could only give. But when she looked up and saw Aaron narrowing his eyes at her, she visibly withered back into the corner of the seat.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror, absently checking her makeup, and studiously ignored the misery that reflected back in her eyes, trying to commit to memory the precious few fairytale moments of actually being a loving family. Lynn knew the last few days were all a lie, just an act for the cameras, but the dream was too alluring to let go.
Seeing the image of her son smiling lovingly at his father almost allowed her the same escape from reality in her mind that a double shot of Absolut did, and it was just as well because, she tried to tell herself, Logan would probably reject any offer of comfort from her anyway.
When the limousine pulled up to the Echolls' opulent front door, Lynn gracefully climbed out when the door was opened for her by the driver, and greeted the house staff with a warm, cheery smile. She chose to take no notice of the harshly hissed words spoken by Aaron to Logan, and ignored the way her son looked back at her one last time before he disappeared into the house, his father three steps behind him.
"Welcome home, Mrs Echolls," Ms Alvarez smiled as she approached. "How was the cruise, ma'am?"
Lynn returned the smile to her house keeper. "Oh, it was just wonderful," she gushed happily... my dad's a great guy. I love you, dad... "Just wonderful."
-vm-
After a quick stop at the local convenience store for milk, Veronica and Keith arrived at back at Sunset Cliffs just as Wallace was walking Backup along the road. Veronica got out of the car and waved at him, smiling widely as her dog barked and wagged his tail wildly.
"Yo, BFF!"
"Supafly! So, how was the luxury boat ride?" Wallace asked as she kneeled down to give an excitable Backup a welcomed hug.
"Oooo, I missed you... Did you miss me? Did you? I bet you did..." she cooed at the dog. Wallace raised one eyebrow and pouted.
"Did you miss me too? 'Cause, y'know..."
"Jealous, Wallace?" Veronica smirked and stood up. "No need to be jealous because Backup doesn't get presents."
A huge grin lit up Wallace's face, and they both grabbed a bag from the car and made their way to the Mars' apartment, Keith and Backup following. Wallace loved his Neptune Princess chocolates and laughed at the non-alcoholic bottle of red grape juice Veronica gave him, with the word 'GROG' scrawled across the label with a black Sharpie.
"I wanted to get you a novelty mermaid pen, but it was slim pickings," she shrugged with a small smile. She'd fortunately bought the gifts the morning before she'd discovered Logan was on the ship too, and any thought of buying more had slipped her mind after what had followed. Thinking of that, her smile fell and Wallace frowned.
"Hey, you okay, V?"
She flung her arms around him and held on tight as Wallace, a little confused, wrapped his own around her.
"It's just good to see you, Wallace."
"You too," Wallace murmured softly rubbing his hand over her back. She let go and told him a little about the voyage, deliberately omitting any details about Logan, or the assault. Eventually Wallace had to leave after handing Veronica the notes on the school classes she'd missed, and she was alone again.
Sitting at the kitchen island with her dad, Veronica blew out a breath, "I need to see him."
"I know," Keith said looking up from the post he was sorting through. He stood up, "Let's go."
"Wait," she said biting her lip, "I'm not sure... I mean, I don't know what Logan will do if he finds out you know about... the abuse, and he will if you turn up there with me."
Keith sat back down with a resigned sigh. He knew she was right. Trust was a precious and fragile thing, and at the moment Logan trusted her to keep his secret safe. That didn't mean he was happy that his daughter was walking right into the lion's den without him though.
"Alright, but you take your taser and call me if anything happens," he insisted. "I mean it, call me."
"I will," she promised with a kiss on his cheek, picked up her bag and car keys, and left.
The drive to the Echolls' was quiet, her anxiety notching up with each passing minute, and she parked a couple of blocks from his house, grabbed her bag and walked the rest of the way. She reached a secluded corner of the street with low growing trees and thick foliage, and disappeared into the branches. It was a shortcut she and Lilly had often used, and Veronica never forgot it, climbing the wall surrounding the Echolls estate using the tree limbs to pull herself up, and then the same on the way down.
After a short sprint across the garden, she arrived at the back of the grand mansion and headed straight for the rose trellis that led directly up to Logan's bedroom veranda. Climbing up had always been a challenge with the thorny plant, but she grit her teeth and managed it with minimal bloodshed.
Logan's glass door was open, and Veronica quietly slipped into his room. "Logan?"
-vm-
The door to his father's study slammed shut so hard it rattled the framed pictures on the wall. The place was a shrine to the Great Aaron Echolls, with pictures, photographs, awards and posters adorning every surface and wall commemorating a career's worth of movies and TV work.
Logan just saw a room bursting with egotistical bullshit. He hated the place; it was the one room in the whole house that made his skin crawl, and not just because his father's face was staring back at him everywhere he looked.
Aaron leaned on his desk with one hip, lighting up a cigar. He puffed a few times filling the air with an acrid stench that as usual made Logan's eyes sting.
"Seems we always end up here, son."
Yeah, Logan agreed silently rubbing the scab on his arm, which had started throbbing again. He sucked in a sharp breath when Aaron suddenly stood up and perched his cigar in a crystal ashtray.
"You know, one of these days you're going to learn, Logan," Aaron growled coldly. Logan backed away as his father took a step closer to him. "You're going to learn your place."
Bright, sickening lights immediately filled Logan's vision as Aaron pulled back his fist and smashed it into his son's face before Logan could even react.
"That was for my jacket, you little bastard!"
Eyes streaming, Logan staggered backwards and fell to his knees covering his face with his hands, wincing at his father's yelling. He could feel warm sticky blood pouring from his nose, and fuck it hurt, but he bit his lips together and refused to make a sound as Aaron walked purposely towards him, unbuckling his belt and yanking it angrily from his pants.
Simply helplessly waiting for the rain of blows, Logan almost laughed when the shrill ring of the retro telephone on Aaron's desk rang loud in the room.
"Get the fuck out, Logan," Aaron told him coldly, and Logan didn't need telling twice as he scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room listening to his dad cheerfully greeting whoever it was that had literally saved him by the bell.
Once in his bedroom, he locked the door and sagged against it. He'd actually gotten off lightly for ruining his father's favourite jacket, and a sardonic smile worked its way onto his lips. But then his face stung with pain and he moaned pitifully making his way into his bathroom.
Looking in the mirror, Logan grimaced at the blood still steadily dripping from his nose. He looked like an extra from a really bad B-rated horror movie with all the blood and bruises, or the picture perfect poster-child for abuse... only in a perfect world, that was.
Logan chuckled, the sound more like a gurgle, and shook his head. Like anyone would believe he was a victim of child abuse.
But then, there was one person.
Turning on the faucet, Logan washed his hands under the cold water, watching the dirty rust colour disappear down the drain. Veronica Mars believed him, and a genuine smile graced his bloody lips when he looked up into the mirror again.
It quickly fell though, when his sharp hearing heard a gentle thud on his veranda, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Logan?"
"What the hell are you doing here?" he shot out of the bathroom and asked completely shocked and surprised to see Veronica standing in his bedroom. He was just about to demand to know how the hell she'd got in when he saw a couple of telling scratches on her bare legs. "Wait a minute, did you climb up the trellis?"
Veronica ignored his questions and stared wide eyed at Logan's bloodied face. His dad had hit him. Again. Oh, God...
"Veronica," Logan frowned seeing the look on her face, "Hey, are you okay?"
She heard that and immediately looked angry. Logan blinked at the sudden change and opened his mouth to speak again when she beat him to it. "Am I okay? Are you kidding?!" Veronica dropped her bag on the floor, quickly closed the distance between them and gently took a hold of his bloody face. "Oh, Logan, what the hell did he do?"
Suddenly self conscious, Logan pulled away and returned to the bathroom. He'd washed his face clean before Veronica appeared next to him in the mirror. She had tears in her eyes but he could see the anger she felt was directed at his father, not him.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly. Their eyes met and Logan nodded. Veronica looked at the bruise on his cheek, the discoloured skin stretching down his jaw to his chin, and sighed. He now had a red nose and looked like he'd done ten rounds with Mike Tyson.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Logan said and moved to pat the closed toilet seat, softly ordering her, "Sit down."
She frowned confused but sat down and watched as Logan pulled out a small first aid kit from under the sink.
"You don't have to do that," Veronica shook her head when she realised what he was doing with the iodine soaked cotton wool. Logan just rolled his eyes, kneeled down in front of her and gently cleaned her rose thorn scratches. She jumped and hissed at the sting.
"Big baby," he murmured teasingly finishing up applying a couple of band-aids. "There, all done."
"Thank you," Veronica smiled checking out his handy work. She looked up as he filled a glass with water and gulped it back. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, why not?" Logan shrugged. There wasn't much else she didn't already know about him...
"Why did you leave this morning?"
He closed his eyes as her dad's harsh words filled his head again... Logan Echolls is nothing but trouble. He spent the last year personally making your life miserable... "I think you know why."
It was as she'd feared. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "You should've stayed though, then you would've heard my dad say he wasn't going to stop me seeing you."
"What?" Logan frowned. "You told him we... that we..."
"He kinda guessed," she shrugged with a wince, and then added cautiously, "And he kinda guessed the rest, too."
It took a couple of seconds, but the weight of the meaning behind those words hit Logan hard and he stared in disbelief at her before walking out of the bathroom. She rushed after him.
"Logan, I didn't-"
"You told him? You promised, Veronica, you promised!" he shouted before quickly closing his mouth and throwing a panicked look at his bedroom door. When he was satisfied no one had heard him, he repeated quietly, "You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone."
"I didn't," Veronica insisted desperately. "Logan, when you disappeared, we looked for you. I was so worried and I just wanted to explain... and it was your butler-"
"Wait, wait... The butler did it?" Logan laughed incredulously. He dragged a hand through his hair and grimaced at the grungy feel.
Wincing herself at the oft-used cliché, Veronica nodded. "Yes. He saw what your dad did to you and told us. My dad guessed the rest. I swear, Logan, I didn't tell him your secret!"
Deflated, Logan sank down on the bed and hid his face in his hands. Veronica sat next to him wanting to offer comfort but didn't know if it'd be welcome.
"What's your dad going to do?"
"Nothing without talking to you first," she said softly. "Logan, he's had experience with child abuse cases before. He's not stupid, and he won't confront your dad without first having enough hard evidence to back him up."
"It doesn't exist," Logan shook his head.
"What doesn't?"
"The evidence. I told you that money buys a lot of things, including paediatricians." He looked up, "You said your dad wouldn't do anything without my say-so?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Good."
Veronica frowned and bit her lip as she watched Logan stand up and strip off his shirt, the livid, angry bruise on his chest still dark against his tan skin. "Logan, my dad just can't turn a blind eye to what's going on," she told him. "I can't either."
"Well, that's too bad, Veronica, because this right here," he waved generally around his room, "stays right here. No one will ever know. Sorry, no one else will ever know. Clear?"
She just looked at him, her need to want to help consuming her.
"Veronica, understand something," Logan said quietly bunching his shirt up into a ball and tossing it in the direction of his closet, "I'll never give your dad my say-so to do anything. I'll never talk to him about it, so promise me, Veronica. I need you to promise me not to say or do anything. Just leave it be."
A tear fell from her lashes, but Logan resolutely stared at her until she finally nodded. He needed Veronica far away from his father, he needed to keep her, and her dad, safe, even if it meant breaking his own promise to turn to her when it all got too much, and lying to hide inevitable future beatings.
Keith Mars knowing was a dangerous complication, but he could work around that. He was the spawn of two award winning actors. He could act his way around anything.
"Okay," he finished. "I'm going for a shower. Are you... Will you be here when I'm done?"
The uncertainty in his question made Veronica's heart ache. She could feel the tenuous bridge they'd mended between them crumbling, and desperately needed to strengthen it again. Now they were back in Neptune, back in the hell they called home, the light of life and happiness was beginning to die away in Logan's dark eyes, and she wanted to make it shine bright again.
What they found together in the middle of the ocean, was something Veronica wasn't going to let fade into memory. She was going to fight it. Fight for them.
She stood up and moved her body right up against Logan's, reaching up on her tiptoes so her mouth was mere millimetres from his, and murmured, "I'll be right here. I promise," before she kissed his lips.
With a smile, Logan disappeared into the bathroom and showered in record time, even brushing his teeth as he shampooed his hair. It felt good to wash the day old chlorine and stink of Lyndon off his skin, and couldn't wait to replace it with the sweet marshmallow scent of Veronica, who was waiting for him. He never in his dreams imagined that he'd see her again so soon after the cruise, let alone standing in his bedroom after climbing up the rose trellis. A large part of Logan really wanted to believe that her dad was okay with her seeing him, that maybe they could make it work, but there was an insistent uncertainty that overshadowed that hope. It made Logan doubt himself, and once again, the walls Veronica was slowly crumbling down, started to build back up brick by cold brick.
Who was he kidding? On what perfect world could he ever live happily ever after?
"Hey, are you nearly done in there? Or did you wash down the drain with the bubbles?"
Veronica's soft giggles suddenly permeated his gloomy outlook, and he smiled flicking off the shower. On this world, his inner self whispered, and for once, Logan chose to believe.
"I thought you'd drowned in there," Veronica smiled when Logan walked out wearing a fluffy white towel around his waist. She was relaxing on his bed, leaning back on her elbows, legs crossed at the knee with her top one swinging casually.
Logan just grinned at her and pulled out boxers, a shirt and a pair of pants from his closet. He turned and raised an eyebrow at her, one hand on his towel, "You have three seconds to avert your eyes, Ronnie. One... two..."
She squeaked and quickly fell back on the bed and covered her eyes with her hands, laughing. "Okay! Okay!"
Comically jumping up and down as he yanked on his boxers and pants, Logan quickly pulling on his shirt and then carefully climbed on top of her, keeping his weight off her small frame with his knees and bulging biceps. Veronica moved her hands and smiled up at him.
"Hi."
"Hi," he returned softly, keeping still as she gently stroked her fingers over the bruises on his face.
"These are looking a little better," Veronica whispered. The shower had obviously done Logan some good; the swelling had gone down a bit and the puffy, sore redness was already starting to turn a sickly yellow and purple colour.
"Yeah, I heal fast," Logan murmured softly, his eyes dropping to her lips when she licked them.
Veronica nodded, her heart breaking just a little knowing that Logan had had too many opportunities to learn that about himself. She smiled when he leaned down and brushed her lips with his.
"So is, ah, is your dad really okay with this? With us?" he asked touching his forehead to hers.
"He's not totally opposed to the idea, but it'll take him a bit to get used to it I think," Veronica hedged, and then added quietly, "He still remembers the boy who made his daughter cry every day for months."
Logan frowned and sighed heavily, feeling the weight of guilt pressing on his heart. "I'm so sorry, Veronica," he breathed earnestly. "I'm so, so sor-"
Warm lips suddenly stopped his words, and he gasped softly as Veronica very gently licked her way into his mouth. "Bygones," she murmured and Logan moaned when her tongue stroked against his and quickly deepened the kiss, bringing one hand to her hair and tangling his fingers in the smooth golden strands.
Tilting her head slightly, Veronica opened her mouth wider and wrapped her arms around Logan's shoulders, fingers digging into the smooth muscles there when he gently lowered his body and pressed up against her. It was a lot to forgive and forget, Veronica knew that, but Logan was apologising for everything he'd done to her with every tender touch and gentle kiss, and she could feel her soul healing again.
"Is this okay?" Logan whispered pulling back to look at her. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the lust shining back at him. Veronica's face was flushed, her eyes dark.
"Very," is all she breathed before capturing his lips once more. Logan quickly reciprocated, the heat from her small body nearly driving him insane when she lifted one knee and hugged him with it, allowing his thigh to fall into the V of her legs. He could feel himself getting hard, and pulled back slightly, afraid of Veronica's reaction, not wanting to push her into something before she was ready.
"What's the matter?" she asked feeling Logan move away from her. His troubled, sheepish expression answered her, and she grinned. "Ohhhh..."
"Yeah, sorry," Logan muttered, lifting the hand from her waist to her face and stroking gently. "You're so beautiful..."
"You're not so bad yourself," Veronica smiled seeing past the bruises. Logan leaned in and kissed her nose.
"Thank you for being here," he murmured brushing her hair back. "I mean, after... I thought your dad..." He sighed and pursed his lips, "For a moment I thought that was it, we were done, that you'd..."
"Logan," Veronica whispered, tears in her eyes. He'd honestly thought after what he'd heard that they were over? Her heart ached for him and she pressed a kiss to his palm.
"But when I saw you smile at me from your balcony," he carried on quietly, a look of hope on his face, "I saw you smile and I kinda knew that maybe there was a chance for us." He kissed her gently, "You have no idea what you being here right now means to me, Veronica."
Sniffling, Veronica smiled and leant up for another kiss. "It means a lot to me too, Logan."
"It's not going to be easy," Logan winced already thinking ahead. He lay down next to her and stared up the ceiling, contemplating, "Maybe we should just elope. How does Bermuda sound?"
"Elope?" Veronica chuckled. She looked at him, "I doubt there are any corners left in the world where the paparazzi wouldn't find us. Two teenage runaways – one being the famous son of Aaron Echolls?"
It was going to be bad enough being in Neptune when the tabloids found out about Aaron Echolls' son's new girlfriend! and splashed it all around for the whole world to read about. Something Veronica wasn't looking forward to at all.
"I could dye my hair blonde, grow a goatee," Logan mused thoughtfully. "You could provide the fake ID's. We could be Mr and Mrs Peabody, live in the suburbs and own a station wagon."
Laughing loudly, Veronica rolled over and sat on Logan's hips, her fingers dancing lightly over his chest until they twisted his nipples. Logan jerked and growled playfully, tipping her onto her back with a bounce, his hands capturing her mischievous fingers and holding them above her head.
"Somehow I can't see you with a goatee and a station wagon, Logan," she told him drily.
"What? I don't seem the stoner type, huh?" Logan grinned waggling his eyebrows. "And what's wrong with a station wagon? John Lennon had one, and don't forget, he was the walrus."
Veronica rolled her eyes, "You do know the walrus was the bad guy, right?"
"Your point?" Logan smirked.
"And that Lennon wrote most of that song while he was high?"
Leaning in, Logan gently kissed the skin under her ear. "What I mean, Ronnie," he breathed warmly, "is that whatever happens tomorrow," another kiss, "the day after," nuzzle, "next week, we'll face it together."
"Yes, we will," Veronica agreed when Logan pulled back and looked at her. "We'll face everything together."
He knew that she meant facing Daddy Dearest's proclivities to beat the shit out of him too, and for a moment Logan was almost tempted to give in. Almost.
With a careful, soft smile, he nodded and ignored the cold, twisting feeling in his gut as the lie easily rolled off his tongue like liquid silk, "Yeah, everything."
"Are you going to talk to Duncan about us?"
Nodding, Logan stroked her hair behind her ear, "Duncan will be cool."
Before Veronica had a chance to say anything else, Aaron's loud booming voice echoed close to the bedroom door, and Logan immediately stiffened against her body. He quickly scrambled off her, eyes wide.
"Bathroom, now."
She didn't need telling twice, grabbed her stuff off the floor and rushed into the en suite, closing the door behind her as her fingers wrapped firmly around the taser in her bag.
"Logan! When I call you I expect an immediate answer," Aaron snarled as he hammered his fist on the locked bedroom door. "Open this fucking door!"
Logan pulled in a deep breath, composed himself, and then opened the door. His father was standing there, flushed and glaring hard at him, and Logan's heart started racing. Veronica was mere feet away... "Dad?"
"What the hell, son?" Aaron yelled shoving Logan back into his room. "Locking your door? This is my house, you worthless little prick. Don't ever lock me out again, understand?"
Grinding his teeth to stop the snide remark that would undoubtedly end with a severe reprimand, Logan simply nodded silently, very aware that Veronica was listening to everything through the bathroom door.
"Cat got your fucking tongue? Use your words, Logan, answer me!"
"Y-yes sir," Logan replied backing up until his legs hit the bed. Aaron closed the distance between them until he was inches from his son's face.
"Better." The actor gave Logan a look of pure disdain and shook his head when the boy lowered his eyes. "God, you're pathetic," he spat. "Thin ice, Logan. You're skating on very thin ice, and the next time you fuck up," he leaned in very close, his cigar stinking breath hot in Logan's ear, "will be your last."
Logan swallowed hard at the threat. He felt ice cold as Aaron practically loomed menacingly over him, and could barely breathe, paralysed and scared to move – not so much afraid for himself, but for Veronica, who would undoubtedly disregard her own safety and rush out to try and help him if he gave his father a reason to physically lash out.
"Your mother and I are going out," Aaron then said indifferently, stepping away from Logan and back towards the door, his whole demeanour changing so fast that it made Logan nauseous. "We'll be back sometime tonight. I expect to find you in bed when we return. You've got school in the morning, son. Sweet dreams!"
And with that, he was gone and Logan let out a shaky breath of relief.
In the bathroom, Veronica wiped her eyes and bit her lips hard just to stay quiet as she listened to what was going on in Logan's bedroom. It wasn't that she didn't believe that Aaron abused his son, she did, but everything Veronica had learned suddenly became horrifyingly real when she heard for herself the vicious threats Logan's dad yelled at him.
And then to wish Logan sweet dreams, like everything was okay? Aaron Echolls was seriously psychotic.
She slowly opened the door to see Logan sitting on the edge of the bed tugging the sleeves of his shirt over his hands. He offered her a tentative smile when he looked up.
"You heard?"
"Yeah," she whispered sitting down beside him. "I'm so sorry."
Logan shrugged with a lopsided sardonic grin, "No need. Anyway, when the cat's away... the lion gets to play."
"What?" She watched him take a picture down from the wall and pluck a small, brass key out of the back of the frame. "Logan, what're you doing?"
Ignoring her question, Logan just grinned at her. "C'mon."
Curious, Veronica followed Logan when he left his bedroom and headed down the stairs. Aaron and Lynn had just left, and Logan made his way to his father's study. It was locked, but he used the key he'd taken from his room and opened the door. Veronica followed him inside and looked around at the shrine to the famous Hollywood actor. She'd never seen Aaron's study before and winced.
"Wow," she muttered seeing all the posters and pictures of Aaron staring creepily at her. Logan smirked.
"Yeah, it's something, right?"
"You can say that again." She frowned when he started opening and closing the drawers of his father's desk, "Erm... should you be doing that?"
After rummaging around for a few seconds, Logan suddenly stood up brandishing a set of car keys. "Got 'em."
"Logan, seriously, what are you doing?"
"Taking the Maserati for a joyride. You in?" he answered with a dark grin. Veronica bit her lip worriedly. After what she'd just heard in his bedroom, she wondered what the hell Logan was playing at?
"I don't think that's a good idea," she told him softly, but Logan just ignored her, walked out of the study and headed down to the garage. She hurried along after him, "What if someone sees you... tells your dad?"
"I don't care," he muttered walking up to the cherry red convertible Maserati and flicking off the alarm with the key fob. The bleeps made Veronica jump a little.
"I care, Logan," she said. "Please..."
Spinning around abruptly, Logan glared at her. "Please what? What is this, Veronica? I told you nothing was going to change just because you know that my dad likes to use me as his own personal punch bag." He huffed out a humourless laugh, "I knew this would happen."
"Logan," Veronica started, stepping close to him, but he shook his head sadly.
"Nothing is going to change. He's still going to beat me no matter what I do..."
"So you're going to give him reasons to do so?" she said shocked.
"At least then I know I'm being punished for something," Logan shrugged and Veronica threw up her arms and turned away with a huff.
"What!?" he yelled angrily. "What? You're pissed at me now?"
Blowing out a harsh breath, Veronica dragged her fingers through her hair and spun back around to look at him. "No, Logan, I'm pissed at him!" The thing was, even if she stopped Logan from taking his dad's precious sports car now, he would just find some other way to give Aaron the reason he didn't really need to beat him, and pursing her lips, determined not to let him do this alone, she walked over to the Maserati and yanked open the passenger door. "So, are we going for this joyride, or not?"
With a huge grin, Logan jumped into the car, revved the engine loudly, opened the garage door with the electronic opener, and raced down the drive to the gate. Moments later, they were speeding down towards the Coronado Bridge.
Veronica knew if Aaron found out that Logan had taken his car out without his permission, the punishment would be swift and severe, but she also knew nothing she said or did would stop Logan, and before Veronica could process how reckless and stupid it was, she was sitting beside him listening to the throaty roar of the engine as Logan broke the law without caring.
If it came to it, she'd tell Aaron she'd desperately needed a lift, and was extremely appreciative, and honoured that he'd let Logan use his absolutely gorgeous red Maserati, and that the totally awesome car suited the narcissistic abusive asshole down to the ground. She'd lay on the charm extra thick, playing the role of impressionable, star-struck teenage girl until Aaron was convinced his idea was the best ever, and hopefully forgot that Logan took the car without asking.
It probably wouldn't really change anything, and Logan would hate that Veronica had lied for him, but at least she could run interference and maybe had a way of helping him.
An hour and nearly eighty kilometres later, Logan pulled the Maserati up behind Veronica's LeBaron a couple of blocks from his house. He killed the engine and sat smiling at her.
"Thanks," she smiled back, "That was actually pretty cool."
"Yeah. Dad's an ass, but he's an ass with good taste. Sometimes," he added wrinkling his nose. He leaned across the middle and gently cupped Veronica's cheek with his hand. "The one thing I seem to have inherited from him. Good taste..."
She met him half way and they kissed slowly, deeply, tongues sliding languidly, until Veronica pulled away smiling. "Yeah, I agree you do taste good," she murmured licking her lips with a wink.
"Hmm, I do, do I?" Logan grinned moving in for another taste. Veronica eagerly reciprocated, licking into his mouth again. He sighed into the kiss, shifting in the uncomfortable seats until he jarred his ribs and his elbow caught the air horn. Veronica jumped back with a loud startled yelp.
"Oh my God," she gasped laughing. Logan sat back in his seat with a moan.
"Design flaw. Maserati's are not so great for making out," he grumbled. Veronica chuckled shaking her head. She picked up her bag from the floor and opened the door.
"See you tomorrow at school?"
"Yeah," he smiled softly. She looked a little nervous, but he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Together, Ronnie."
"Together," she repeated and climbed out of the car.
Logan watched her start the LeBaron and wave before she drove away. He waved back, and then took his father's one million dollar prized car back home.
No one was around, fortunately, when Logan reversed the Maserati carefully back in its place next to the Aston Martin, and he locked everything up, returned the car key back to his dad's desk, and went in search of food. The kitchen was quiet when he walked in, the place dark and eerie in the early evening light, but the illumination from the fridge was sufficient enough for Logan to make himself a sandwich. He grabbed an apple and a can of soda, and took his food up to his room.
Ms Alvarez passed him on the stairs, and seeing his bruised face, rolled her eyes at him with a look of contempt. Logan just ignored her.
"I hope you cleaned up after yourself in the kitchen," Alvarez remarked scornfully. When Logan didn't answer, she snapped, "Logan!"
"Fuck. Off. Bitch," Logan snarled at her from the top step and disappeared without another word. Ms Alvarez huffed angrily and stomped into the kitchen expecting to see a mess.
The open jar of mayonnaise wasn't really enough to constitute a real state of disarray, but she slammed the lid back on with a few choice words anyway.
In his bedroom, Logan opened his bedside drawer and reached in for his old cell phone. The eight month old Nokia was still like new, and was still under contract, and would have to do until he could go shopping for a newer model to replace the one that was lying at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. He blindly felt around for the charger amongst the bottles of painkillers, tubes of lotions from his mom, half opened gum packets, note books, pens and other general knickknacks in the drawer, until his fingers hooked the long wire and he pulled it free, plugging in the cell phone to charge by his bed.
Nothing worth watching was on the TV when he switched it on, so he fired up his Xbox and loaded in Halo while he ate his sandwich.
It was nearly midnight when his eyes started to ache playing his game, and he turn off his Xbox and picked up his cell. It was now fully charged and he scrolled through the contacts list, curious to see if he still had Veronica's number programmed in it. He did, and he smiled as he quickly typed up a text and sent it to her.
- goodnight ronnie
A minute later, he got one back; - night logan. Together. xx
Logan settled in bed with a smile on his face and slept well for the first time in years.
~VM~VM~VM~VM~VM~VM~