Shattered Forgotten and Treasured

Chapter 20:

Veronica

After the emotional day of testimony I felt so worried about Logan this morning. Aaron's lawyer demanded him at the prison this morning. The judge even signed the letter pretty much leaving Logan with no choice. I hated that even after all this Aaron was still affecting our lives. I slowly turned on my side only to find Logan fast asleep. I quietly got out of bed and picked up Gracelynn before she made any noise and left.

"Its 5 o'clock," my dad mutters as I walk into the kitchen area. He had Wyatt up and in a high chair feeding her.

"I was awake so here I am," I say as I look outside to see a flash of sandy blonde hair. Of course Dick wouldn't be missing the waves. I walked to the back wall of windows and watched as he ran into the water with his board in his hands. I hated to admit that he had grown on me. I was worried he would end up hurting me again but he really stepped up and helped me more than I would like to admit.

"Morning," I hear whispered in my ear as I turn my head to see Logan beside me.

"Did I wake you?" I asked as he laughed touching our little girls nose with his finger.

"No, I set the alarm to go off. I thought I would hit the waves for a little while before we had to head out," he says as I see him tense up a little. I knew this meeting was going to shake him up. I just hoped it didn't do anything else.

"Well have fun with your buddy," I say smiling as I see Duncan coming from the corner of the property. I guess they invited him, but it was still odd sometimes to see him inter mingling with us. I watched the three of them surf for a while after feeding and burping Gracelynn on the patio. I was about to get up when I felt two wet arms wrap around me.

"Did you enjoy watching us?" Logan asks as I nod my head. He was chilled but it felt good on my warm skin. "I'm always in awe of you," he whispers as I am let go and he moves to the side of me.

"Are you two heading out after you change?" dad asks as Leo takes our daughter and places her in one of the three play pens in the living room. I hear one of the other babies before I see her. Wyatt was wide awake kicking her feet babbling on as if she was talking to someone else. I was amazed at how much she looked like Logan.

Logan and I change out of our clothes and get clean ones out. I pull on a sundress which had become one of my favorite articles of clothing since meeting him. I looked around for a pair of simple flats. Logan was taking a shower still when I walked into the bathroom to brush my hair and pull half of it up. I put a little sheer powder on and then some lip gloss.

"You know you don't have to go with me. You'll just be waiting while I go in and all," he says as he dries off. I knew he was right, but I felt like I needed to be there. I just wanted to protect him.

"I know," I say as I kiss his cheek and head downstairs to get something to eat. Logan comes down about 10 minutes later dressed and ready. He pulls a slice of toast off my plate and eats it. I pass him a banana as I clean up my dishes and we follow Leo to the Range Rover.

It was quiet the whole way to the prison area in San Diego, but nothing that was horrible. I watched Logan the whole way as he fiddled with his shirt sleeves. I knew this wasn't the easiest thing for him to do. I knew the horror of what he did go through probably hasn't really sunk in, but at least he has been able to move forward. This visit with Aaron might set that all back. I get out of the SUV as he does to show him my support as he kisses my forehead and heads for the entrance.

***LoVe***

Logan

"I'll be right waiting for you when you get done," Veronica says as I look from her to the prison in front of me. I had been doing a good job of avoiding Aaron since I left his house, but I didn't like having him hanging over our lives. I followed Leo as he started to walk toward the entrance of the prison. I had to walk through a metal detector, and leave all my personal items in a box before getting a plastic badge.

As I entered the room I noticed the guard standing off to the side. He points toward the tables where I see Aaron sitting in an orange jump suit. The color looked horrid on him, but his actions got him here.

"Mr. Echolls sit there," the guard says as I sit down on one side of the glass wall. I see Aaron taking his seat in front of me. He had been standing off to the side until I sat down. He picks up the phone attached to the wall and gestures for me to do the same.

"Hello, son," he smirks at me as I feel like slamming him into the wall.

"What the hell did you need to see me for? Unless you plan on changing your plea to guilty there was no reason for me to be here," I snap as he begins to move his wrist as if he was twitching to hit me.

"I wanted to talk to you before you testify," he says rigidly all I could was nod my head. "We both know the D.A.'s gonna ask what you saw on those tapes. I think it's in your best interest that you don't tell him," he continues as I flinch at how even his voice was.

"Are you freaking serious? I was seated with Duncan and Veronica when we found the tapes. I was in the car when you freaked us out. I was there when her dad found her in a freaking refrigerator burning alive. She is my wife, I will never lie for you," I sneer at him as the guard moves a little closer to us.

"Damn it, you are my damn son. You better begin to show me some respect or I will have to show you how to," he sneers between his teeth.

"What, because I want so desperately for you to be free so we can be a family again?" I snap as he slams his fist down on the table causing the people around us to look at him. "Aw gee, Dad. You're always looking' out for me," I sneer as I go to get up but sit back down turning to look him square in the eye.

"Mr. Echolls five minutes," the guard says as I turn to him once more.

"I will only tell you this once. If you ever try to hurt me or my wife or family again, you'll wish they gave you the electric chair," I sneer at him as get up once more. "Thanks for the advice, but maybe you should call your lawyer. I turned over all the evidence of your abuse over yesterday after your testimony," I say smiling at him as I hang up the phone. I can hear him banging on the glass screaming as I walk out of the room. I felt free.

"Are you okay?" Veronica asks as I walk up to her while Leo walks behind me.

"Yeah," I say giving her an honest smile.

"We got to head out. Keith is giving his testimony later this afternoon and then you are Logan," Leo says as he waits for both of us to get buckled in. I decided before we left San Diego to feed Veronica again because she hadn't eaten much of her breakfast. We barely arrive at the courthouse in time. Keith was already in the witness stand being questioned.

"Veronica told me she and Logan were on their way home from the Kane house," he says as I squeeze her hand. "I got worried when I hated heard from them, so I drove the route I knew they would've taken. I saw their car, stopped, got out, I heard a commotion in the back of a nearby house and went looking for Veronica and Logan. Just as I was rounding the corner I was jumped," he says as I keep my focus on him not the scum in front of us.

"Mr. Echolls testified that after his son lost control of the car and crashed it, um, he was knocked out so he went with Veronica to knock on the door of a nearby house, asked the owner to call a tow truck, and they waited on the man's porch," I hear the overpriced ass say as I can see Aaron nod while Veronica muttered something under her breath.

"You arrived, saw your daughter in a compromising position, and started a physical altercation with Mr. Echolls. And this story has all been confirmed by the occupant of the house," he continues as I feel Veronica tensing up.

"Your honor objection. The homeowner has disappeared, and despite being subpoenaed, has never been questioned by the prosecution," the DA says as I look toward the judge.

"Sustained," the judge says.

"Mr. Mars has your daughter ever lied to you," he questions.

"I'm sure she's had an occasion or two to fib. She is a teenage girl, after all," Keith says as I knew this was some slim ball attempt to defilement Veronica.

"Did you know your daughter was being treated for an STD?" he questions as I shake my head.

"No," Keith says as I watch Lavoie looking over his papers.

"Did you know your daughter had been raped?" he asks as I begin to clinch my fists.

"No," I hear Keith mutter through clinched teeth.

"Is Veronica Mars your daughter?" he asks as I see Keith lose his cool grabbing Lavoie by his tie, pulling Lavoie's ear close to his mouth.

"What the hell does that have to do with this? Do you enjoy destroying my daughter because of that scum?" he snaps into Lavoie's ear. I so wanted to do that yesterday. I guess Keith and I had the same thought. I watch as Keith lets go of him as everyone in the courtroom babbles in shock.

"Bailiff, have this witness taken—"the judge starts but Lavoie holds his hand up knowing he already destroyed Keith's character.

"I'm fine, you're Honor," he says smugly as I watch Keith lower his head. I hated that he was put into a position like that.

The bailiff heading towards Keith pauses. The horrified murmuring continues around the room as I watch Keith glance quickly over at the jury uncomfortably. "Back to my point Is Veronica Mars your daughter or are you covering up a bigger picture because she is the other daughter of Jake Kane," he questions as more people murmur and I feel Veronica pull my hand into her lap. I looked over to her to see her barely holding it together.

"Veronica is my daughter. I had a DNA test done to prove it," Keith relents as I see Veronica shaking.

"Witness can be excused," Lavoie says know just how far he pushed Keith to damage him.

"Let's take a 15 minute break," the judge says as he hits the gavel onto his desk. I see the downcast look in Keith's eyes as he walks toward us ushering both of us out the side door to a room to wait.

"Dad, you did well," Veronica says as she wraps her arms around his waist. I lean into him as he pulls me toward him as well.

"Logan you need to control your anger. Don't screw up like I did?" he says as I nod my head. I knew this was going to be hard but I needed to stay strong.

"What was the point of asking if Veronica was your daughter or not?" I asked as Keith shrugs his shoulders.

"I would assume to see if he could rile me up. If I had an outburst it could prove or show doubt against what I say or have done," he says as I nod my head. The bailiff comes out to let us know time was up. I am ushered back into the courtroom to be called to the stand. Veronica gives me a quick kiss as I walk up to the front and promise to state the truth.

"Logan what did you see when you watched the videos with Veronica and Duncan," the DA asks as I look over to Duncan who was staring blankly nowhere.

"There was just some fuzz in the beginning, static, no picture. And then I saw Lily wearing only her bra sitting on top of someone moaning excitedly. I couldn't see who it was at first, and then they rolled over and I saw my father. He climbed on top of her and continued to have sex with her. He actually smiled at the camera a couple times. He was running his hands all over her body and laughing as he…" I stopped as I tried to clear my head of that picture.

"You're certain they were having sex," the DA asks me.

"Yes," I mutter.

"Can you tell me what happened the night your father attacked your wife and father in law," he asks as I begin to tell him how we found the tapes and headed home. We had been in a rush leaving without Leo. We were doing something when Aaron had scared me and tried to wrestle for the wheel as I ran into a tree. I told him how I was hurt, but watched Veronica make her way to the house, but must have blacked out because I barely remember getting out of the car to find Keith and Aaron wrestling while Veronica was screaming.

"Thank you Logan, no further questions, your Honor," he says as I see Lavoie and Aaron talking in hushed voices.

"Alright, your witness, Mr. Lavoie," the judge says as I Lavoie gets up making his way toward me.

"Mr. Echolls, you are claiming you saw your father trying to hurt Mrs. Mars," he says using air quotes.

"Yes, he had placed her in an icebox and lit it on fire," I snap as he just shakes his head not correcting him on her last name.

"Is it true you only married the girl for the money your dead mother left you?" he questioned as I grind my teeth to keep from exploding.

"No, I married Veronica to get away from him beating me," I say coolly as I hear the murmurs of the jurors. I train my eyes on Veronica as she smiles at me making me thank god for having her in my life.

"Mr. Echolls are you saying this to get back at your father for the lies you are claiming right now that he slept with your ex-girlfriend," he says as he turns back around to look at me with a smirk on his face.

"No, I know what he is capable of doing. I have no doubt that he slept with Lily and killed her. I can say that truthfully because he abused me for years with beating me with a belt to using me as his own personal punching bag," I snap. I can see the smug look wiped off Aaron's face.

"Honestly, Mr. Echolls why would you make up such lies. Do you really despise your father this much to hurt him like this when all he has ever done is love and try to protect you from people who would hurt you," Lavoie says as he looks from Aaron to the jurors.

"Right, the beatings and secret trips to the ER was him showing me his love," I snap as Aaron flies to his feet.

"You were always an ungrateful little brat who thought the world owed you something," he yells out as I hear the gavel and the judge yell order.

"Thank you. No further questions, your Honor," he says mumbling as he walks back to where Aaron was still standing livid. E rest of the day has various people who were friends with Aaron telling what kind of a person he was. I was getting exhausted as I heard Lavoie say he was resting. Veronica sat up straighter next to me as I knew she was thinking the same thing as I was, but no the DA made an announcement that sent the courtroom into a frenzy.

"We'd like to call our final witness to the stand," the DA says as Lavoie stands up.

"Your honor, the DA rested," he mutters as I see a smile cross Keith's face.

"Mr. Lavoie is correct you rested your case," the judge says as the DA asks to approach the bench. The two men are huddled closely as I see Lavoie getting agitated. He didn't like what the judge was saying. "Alright, call your witness," he says as the men walk back to their tables.

"I'd like to call Lynn Echolls to the stand," he says as I hear gasps and then chaos happened. I don't know what was happening other than Keith shoving Veronica and me down as I heard several shots fired and screaming.