Thanks for all the reviews, they came in lightening fast! I still have a few chapters written and ready to go so if you guys are as awesome with this chapter as you were with the last one I could probably get one or even two out before I leave for Palm Springs... Just ten reviews....
One thing i am surprised no one ever mentioned was Don's comment to Mr. Manning after he found Veronica and Duncan in Grace's room. After Don cuffed V and Duncan he went back to the bedroom and started looking around. Mr. Manning said that Don couldn't just barge in and start poking around like that. Don replied with how he had heard his father give the exact same speech. Obviously Mr. Lamb is not going to be abusive in my story, but i am not ignoring the comment, i'm changing it a little... you will see what i mean in this chapter...
We find a lot out in this chapter, it is longer than all my other chapters, I considered breaking it into two but i really wanted all of Don's flashback kept together... i would really really really like to hear what you think... so please review...
Chapter 37
Kate heard the phone ring and she opened it quickly before anyone around her noticed. Veronica and Charlie were an aisle over looking at the movies while she looked at CD's. She made sure they weren't paying attention to her and then she spoke into the phone. "Hi."
"You're whispering, I promise you that is the quickest way to get Veronica's attention."
"Sorry, she can't hear me, she's looking at DVD's with Charlie. We are at Costco and it is plenty loud in here. Wait until you see everything we bought for this weekend. Too bad you won't be with us Thursday night, we picked out some awesome steaks to barbecue. We are going to make the marinade tonight and by the time we cook them they will just melt in your mouth."
"You can't save them until Friday?"
"Friday we are making barbecued chicken with a homemade chipotle and lime marinade. Veronica was watching a cooking show while I got ready this morning and she got the idea. The steaks need to be frozen or cooked by Thursday so sorry. I'll make an extra and maybe you can have it for lunch or something one day."
"I bet you have all the lunches planned too?"
"We do, but I always like to be flexible. How was your breakfast?"
"I can't believe you made me homemade breakfast burritos that could be warmed in the microwave. Breakfast was astounding just like you. Your directions were perfect. I am afraid I'm going to have to start exercising with or without you if I keep eating so well, and please don't think I'm complaining, but how many eggs were in that burrito, should I be worried about my cholesterol?"
"Everyone should be worried about their cholesterol. I made you a burrito for each of the next three days, I used a total of nine eggs but only three yolks, and believe it or not but the sausage wasn't really sausage. I made it myself from ground turkey. The burrito may have tasted decadent and sinful, but I assure you it was very healthy. The tortilla may have looked like boring, bad for you white flour but it was whole grain and contained forty seven percent of your daily recommended grams of fiber. If you stick to everything I left for you, you will complete the day with all of your needed vitamins, well within your recommended allotment of fat, plenty of protein and six servings of vegetables. Add a couple pieces of fruit and you will have had a perfectly balanced day according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Pyramid."
"I told you absolutely astounding. Hey if Veronica is with you, then she isn't at work. Why isn't she at work?"
"I'm not really sure except that she and Charlie keep referring to him as my 'manny' so I think either Derek is taking Payton's desire to talk to me pretty seriously, or he rearranged things so we would have more time together. We are all good though. Charlie is a great 'manny', he is treating us both fairly and not showing favoritism at all. He is teasing us both equally, although right now he is giving me a look. He took the phone away from Veronica while she talked to Logan earlier, you should have seen her jumping up trying to get it. I'm afraid I will break something if I have to do anything like that."
"Can't you just stop him with that magic look of yours? The one you used on Don anytime he stepped out of line that last night we all had dinner."
Kate laughed and Keith's heart stopped as it did every time he heard her. "I don't know, it's been a while since I had to use the look on Charlie, let me try." Kate turned to look at Charlie he glanced up from the movie he was looking at to catch her eye. She gave him her 'magic look' and then sighed at his reaction. "I don't think it's going to work. He laughed at me."
"Is he headed your way?"
"No he just went back to the movie he was looking at. Now he's showing it to Veronica."
"It worked. Not only is he leaving you alone, but he's continuing to keep Veronica occupied so we can talk. See you are more powerful than you thought."
"Hmmm, maybe so, but I think it has more to do with what Paige will do to him if I tell her he interfered with you and me."
"We are very lucky that we have so many people on our side. I shudder to think what would happen if Paige decided she didn't like me."
"You are terrific, and Paige is an excellent judge in character. Well except with Payton. You aren't going to turn out to be a psycho stalker are you?"
"I promise, but it doesn't sound like Paige was the only one who was fooled. He got past Derek too, Derek said he was young when they met but he still had him checked out, and regularly, he never had anything pop up. It wasn't just your family he had fooled either, he has a good part of America fooled too. Or at least I think he does, I'm not sure he has actually done anything illegal yet. I'm still hoping we can stop that from happening. I'm changing the subject, Payton Turner isn't what I want to discuss with you during this late morning stolen moment. How are you Sweetums, you've been gone almost twenty four hours, have you forgotten me yet."
"I miss you too Peaches. It's going to take a lot more than a few hours to make me forget you. I'm doing well. Staying busy helps and having Veronica helps too. She makes me feel like you aren't really so far away. How are you?"
"I agree, staying busy is working for me too, that and knowing that I can call you if I want to chat. We are making some headway on the murder investigation, I'm mostly just supervising that one. I have two of my best deputies on it, and a bunch of other ones are helping them. I'm mostly working Paige's case solo, I know she doesn't want anything to get leaked and the best way to make sure that doesn't happen is to keep it all to myself."
"She will appreciate that. Are you stopping by there today?"
"Sometime later, I called this morning just to check in but Don said she was interviewing a potential nurse. I told him she could call me if she wanted me to do a quick background check, but I haven't heard anything."
"I'm sure she'll have one done. She had Derek run it last time. It helps him feel like he's contributing even if he can't be there himself."
"If she had one run on Martha Darton, why did you ask me to do it? Kate Knight, did you just stop by the office to flirt with me?"
"Actually no, well maybe a little, I stopped by the office to ask you to call Eli. I was also curious about Martha Darton and I didn't know Paige had already done a background check. I was just expecting to get a referral from you for someone else to look into it. I had no idea you would be so diligent and sexy all at the same time. I never saw your report, but Paige gave me the one Derek gave her. Martha checked out in ours, I'm assuming she did in yours too."
"She did, but we must be missing something. I'll try and look into it when I get some free time. So you thought I was sexy that first day in my office?"
Kate glanced up and made sure that Veronica was still well out of earshot and then she walked even further away. "Why Sheriff Mars, I thought you were sexy the moment you showed up knocking on my door. You were in your uniform and you gave me that smile that turns my insides to goo."
Logan left the class totally energized. Tom Blakely was a genius and Logan was going to love every minute he got to spend with him. Just like he told Veronica, he left his first day of school with stacks of homework to do. He was a little surprised that Tom wanted the assignments emailed by Friday and that their next class meeting was actually going to be Sunday Afternoon at Tom's house in Beverly Hills, but it's not like he had plans for the day, he most likely wouldn't even be able to spend the time with Veronica on the phone, she would be spending her last few hours with her dad before he left to come back home.
He called her as soon as he got settled into his Range Rover. He immediately started gushing about his new assignments but she interrupted him. She told him she really, really wanted to hear all about it but she was having lunch with Charlie and Kate at the Seal House on the end of Pier 39. They were inside right by the window and had a fantastic view of the hundreds of Sea lions that were sunning themselves on the big docks arranged just for that purpose. She told him they had a couple of stops after lunch and then they would be headed home, she and Kate had a lot of kitchen prep work to do but she promised to call him as soon as she could give him one hundred percent of her attention. Logan told her he was glad she was having a good time and he hid the small amount of selfish disappointment that he felt creeping up. He asked her to send him a picture of the sea lions and promised to not forget any of the good details about his new class and then they said good bye and hung up.
He had noticed he had two missed calls and two messages from Dick but he felt calling Veronica was more important. Now that he had talked to her, he dialed in and listened to those messages. The first one was quick, Dick just said he hadn't heard from Paige and could he please call her again when he got a chance. The second one said that Paige had just sent him a text and had said she would call him later that afternoon. Dick thanked Logan for following through and told him he would be at his new house if Logan wanted to come check it out. Logan cranked up his music and drove the rest of the way back to Neptune thinking about his homework he only had two days to complete.
The assignment was to read the abbreviated screenplay that they were given and then cast each of the parts. They were told that it was up to them, completing the assignment would be a part of their final grade but there weren't any right or wrong people. They were told that non-traditional choices would need to be justified. Tom Blakely assured his students that he would know if they just plugged any old name into the cast. Logan had every intention of reading the script carefully and then choosing who he thought would best be able to give justice to the screenplay that Tom Blakely had co-written. This assignment was only a small part of the class. On Sunday, the students would be meeting some of the actual actors that had been cast in the movie. They weren't given the movie's title and the screen play had been altered to insure no one could cheat and look up on the internet who was really in it. On Sunday they would be given their final project. They weren't told anything about it yet, but Logan guessed it must be huge if it was the only project they would be working on.
Logan stopped at a light on Main street and noticed Paige's green Mini Cooper parked in the lot of a strip mall that held Java the Hut, a deli, a small Mexican restaurant that Logan never ate at because the one time he did he got food poisoning, and a small furniture store. Logan figured Paige was there with Dick and he thought she was a fast worker if she already was meeting with Dick. His light turned green and Logan made a split second decision to pull into the lot and say hi. He found a parking space and was maneuvering into it when he saw Paige approach her car. The man she was with definitely wasn't Dick but Logan still recognized him even though he only saw the back of his dark haired head. He was still going to get out to say hello, but then he saw the guy lean in and Paige hugged him and then Logan saw her give him a kiss on the cheek. The guy helped Paige into her car and then leaned in the window. Logan couldn't see from his angle for sure what the guy did once his face was in the car but Logan could only think of one thing he would be doing if he leaned in a car window like that. He watched the man come out smiling and then saw as he winked down at Paige. Logan continued to watch as the man walked over to his car still smiling and then drove away.
Logan sat dumbfounded as he debated what to do.
Don had gotten up after Paige left for her interview with the potential nurse. She had told him the recommendation was from Casey Gant and he was okay with that. He had met Casey a few times, he'd talked to him a few days after his Grandmother's funeral. He had been slightly arrogant but nothing like the other 09ers Casey usually hung out with. The other times they had met were always in a group setting, Casey had been at parties that Don and his deputies had had to break up, He had pulled Casey over once or twice for speeding and Casey had been a passenger in several cars he had pulled over for similar infractions.
Don had gone into the kitchen to put his breakfast dishes in the sink and Lefty had walked in. They had a cup of coffee at the table and talked a little. Lefty asked about Paige, but Don had clammed up. Lefty asked if Don needed anything while he was still there, he got the plate that Paige had made for him and then he left for work.
Don was tired, always having to be on guard exhausted him, and with the way Paige made note and analyzed every little thing he said, he felt he really had to watch it. He figured that is why all the mean personal comments came flying out of his mouth, as long as he kept Paige on the defensive she couldn't be working her offense. They had had a good night the night before, he knew she loved him, he knew she only wanted him to be happy and healthy and strong again. He wanted all those things too, he just didn't think he had the same faith that Paige did that he could really be all those things again.
The house phone had rang on Don's way back to his room. Charlie had called looking for Paige, he was surprised when Don answered the phone but then he realized he had hit the wrong speed dial on the cordless phone he rarely used. Don told Charlie where Paige was and that he wasn't sure when she would be home. He agreed to let her know he called. Don resisted the urge to be rude to Charlie, he had no reason to be but it seemed to come so naturally. Don answered a few questions about his condition and then told him he was tired, he blamed it on Paige keeping him up most of the night and he wanted to go lie down. He realized it was probably a mistake the second the words came out of him mouth. Charlie tried to ask more questions but Don cut him off and they said goodbye. The phone rang again and this time it was Keith Mars, Don talked to him briefly and then hung up.
Don laid back down in his bed and debated between watching the fourth episode of season one of Gilmore Girls or going to sleep. Both options had appeal. He did want to see the show and if he watched it now, no one would know, not even Paige. He had rolled his eyes numerous times during the three episodes he said Paige tortured him with, but knowing Paige she probably saw through his false dislike. As much as he would never admit to liking the show, if he was going to watch it with someone that someone would only be Paige and it might give them some common ground where they could be in the same room and enjoy some of their old closeness.
Sleep would be good too. He had woken up early in the morning to use the bathroom and had seen lights on, he had gone out to see what Paige was up to in the middle of the night but he didn't see her in the living room or the kitchen, he checked the Den where her bed was set up but it was empty, although it did look like she had at least laid down for a while. He saw the sliver of light under the front bathroom door and called out to her. She didn't reply so he went up to the door with the intention of knocking, but then he heard her crying. He wasn't sure if she had heard him and chose to ignore him or maybe she had headphones on or something, but he decided if she was in there crying it was because she didn't want him to know about it. He left her alone and went back to bed but then he couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about his baby sister all alone in the bathroom with tears streaming down her face. He wanted to kill whoever caused those tears but he was afraid that that person might have been him. He'd tossed and turned until he heard the shower go on and then off and then Paige had come out. He heard her come in his room but he'd stayed still and hoped she would think he would still be sleeping. He listened as she quietly walked about the house and then he heard the front door close. He got up and went in search of the note he knew she would leave. He found it and read that she had gone for a run. He wished news like that meant everything was good, but even though he didn't know Paige as well as he used to, he still knew that running was one of her escape mechanisms. He wished rather than believed that it wasn't him she felt the need to escape from.
He went back to bed after that and managed to sleep but it was fitful sleep and certainly didn't leave him feeling refreshed.
He hadn't heard Paige come in but he was awake when she brought in breakfast and took care of his wounds for him. He hated that she was being so nice and that she was so sincere. He was nice too but he knew the words came out sounding fake. He wanted her to call him on it, but was thankful she didn't. She'd tousled his hair before she left and told him she still hadn't forgotten about getting him a haircut sometime soon.
Don decided to hold off on Gilmore Girls, Paige had asked how he wanted to spend Friday, he thought he would ask her if she could rent the rest of Season One and they could spend all day in front of the TV, just the two of them. He had been dreading Friday. It was the hardest day of the year for him, but rather than getting him down he had always used the pain as motivation to make sure Lana wasn't ever forgotten. He had always channeled the pain into action, stretching the day into days that he spent pushing the detectives on her case to follow the slightest lead, and searching for new ones on his own. But this year was different, this year he couldn't do that. This year he was stuck in Neptune, cooped up with someone who said she still loved him but openly admitted she didn't like him very much anymore. Don was hoping he could push the pain away for a while, not forever, he had vowed to never give up and he wasn't going to, but if he could push it aside for a few months until he was strong enough to make a short trip to Las Vegas, as long as he knew that he wasn't forgetting her completely, he could get through Friday.
Don knew pushing the pain away wasn't going to be easy, he could already feel the angst creep up inside of him as he always did in the days leading up to the anniversary date. He tried to find a comfortable position to lie down in but nothing was working for him. He tried to close his eyes but every time he did he was faced with his pretty and innocent Lana calling out to him, begging him to find her. He saw her with her long blond hair and her big blue eyes as she pleaded with him to not leave her out there all alone.
Charlie was having a good time with Kate and Veronica. They were fun to be around and watching them together was hilarious. Veronica hung on every word Kate said and was in awe as she listened to all the knowledge Kate shared so freely with her. Kate asked Veronica tons of questions about what she liked and what she didn't like and although a lot of it was about food, Kate asked about a lot of other things too. Charlie knew neither one of them would forget the things they were learning. Veronica because she had a naturally great memory for details, and Kate because she made it a point to never forget the things that were important to the ones she loved. Charlie was pretty sure that Kate would love Veronica even if she wasn't Sheriff Mars' daughter, but he figured that only helped.
Charlie did his job and he followed the two of them around everywhere they went. He made sure no one was watching them and he helped both of them get stuff down from places that were too high for them to reach. He kept one eye on Kate and one on Veronica, and he kept his phone in his hand, wishing and hoping that Paige would call him back.
He had woke up this morning when his phone beeped to let him know it was out of battery power and was shutting down. He plugged it in and then looked at the clock. It was after seven so he knew Paige would be up by now no matter how late she went down. His iPhone still didn't have enough juice to power up so he used the cordless phone he kept by his bed to call her. He had reprogrammed in all the speed dials the day she left to go back to Neptune so he had her cell and Don's house phone in there too. He had meant to call her cell but he hit the wrong button and Don answered. He had tried to casually pump Don for a little information when Don said he got up in the middle of the night and Paige was up, but Don wouldn't tell him anything. Don said she was on that interview so he decided to wait, he figured she would call him when she was done. He gave into his impatience around eleven and called her but it went to voicemail. He left a message and told Cooper 'hi' and asked him to give him a call when he had a moment.
Cooper called him back almost immediately and Charlie asked how the progress with the messages was coming along. Cooper reminded him all questions were to go to Paige and then made the comment that he was going to need a vacation when he was done transcribing everything. Charlie asked if Cooper was interested in taking a break from the hard stuff and then asked if he would change Paige's ringtone for him. He told Cooper what he wanted and was pleased that after Cooper finished laughing he agreed he would take care of it.
Charlie tried again just before he went into the Seal House for lunch with Kate and Veronica, but still just got voicemail. He had just placed his order with the waitress (Veronica and Kate had both insisted that he skip his 'ladies first' rule and order before they did so that he would actually get to order) when he got a text from Paige.
From: Paige, darling
love u, cant talk
I'll call u on my way
home love u love u love u
Wed June 28 12:06PM
Charlie was a little surprised that Paige hadn't said anything about her new ringtone, but he figured either Cooper hadn't done it yet or perhaps, Paige had her phone on vibrate still. He knew her interview was set for eight in the morning so he didn't think she was still there, but he didn't know what her plans were for after that.
Charlie enjoyed the rest of lunch with Kate and Veronica and he pretended to be shocked when Veronica asked if she could eat his corn on the cob. He told her no, but ended up cutting it in half and letting her have one of the pieces. He pretended to be shocked again when both Kate and Veronica ordered dessert despite the two entrees they had both ordered and finished completely.
They made a quick stop at Paige's favorite resource for cheap sunglasses and they each picked out several pairs they thought she would like. Charlie had planned on paying for them but Kate pulled out one of Paige's credit cards and reminded him how Paige liked to pay her own way.
Charlie had asked if they wanted to hang out and people watch or maybe check out the historic ships at the Hyde Street Pier but both women said they wanted to go home. They both said they had lots to do, but Charlie was pretty sure they both wanted a little private time in their rooms to call the special someones in their life. They walked back to the police zone where Charlie had parked the SWAT truck and both women waited while Charlie opened a door and helped each of them into the truck.
He drove them back to the house and teased them both mercilessly the whole way, then Charlie and Veronica helped Kate carry in her purchases. He made sure the garage door had closed securely and then he went upstairs to make a few phone calls. He had just closed the door behind him when his phone rang, it wasn't his special ringtone so he knew it wasn't Paige, he glanced quickly at the caller ID and then hit the button to connect the call.
"Logan, you must be psychic, Veronica and I were just arguing about who could get a hold of you faster. We just walked in the door, Veronica ran upstairs to call you but I guess I won."
"Charlie, I just saw something. I'm not sure I should tell you or not, but if it were me I would want to know."
"Okay, then tell me."
"I was driving home and I saw Paige's car in a parking lot. I decided to stop and say hi, but then she walked out with a guy. They hugged and she kissed him-"
"Kissed him, kissed him or kissed him on the cheek?"
"On the cheek, but I've only ever seen her kiss you on the cheek too. The guy helped her get in the car and then they continued to talk through the window for a minute. The guy leaned inside for a few seconds and then winked to Paige right before she drove off."
"Okay thanks for telling me. Do you want to discuss our date now? Our date with the girls."
"Are you sure we still have a date with the girls? I know Paige said you guys aren't really dating yet, but if she is out with other guys-"
"You are right Logan, Paige and I aren't dating yet, but we are talking and she says she loves me. She isn't ready for more yet, but she says that when she is ready it's me that she wants to be with. Right now I have to trust her."
"And trust is that easy for you?"
"No, but I've tried pushing her too hard and too far in the past. It backfired and I pushed her right into someone else's arms. I won't risk doing that again."
"What if she decides she wants to go out with this other guy?"
"Logan you saw a small snapshot of something, neither of us knows the whole story yet. I trust Paige and I am pretty sure she will tell me what is going on even without me asking, but to answer your question, if somewhere along the way Paige decides that it isn't me she wants to be with then I have to respect that. I won't like it, and it won't make me happy, but I learned a long time ago that Paige's happiness is more important to me than my own. I see that as the true definition of love."
Flashback
Don first spotted the beautiful blond girl while he and an almost twelve year old Paige were flying kites by the bay on the big grassy area known as Crissy Field. He had never been shy about introducing himself to girls but this day was supposed to be about him and Paige getting to spend a little time together before he left in a couple weeks for college in Texas. Paige had just got back from summer camp and this was the only day they would get to spend together just the two of them before things really started to get crazy. Paige's birthday was in a few days and that was always a busy time, but Kate had all sorts of extras planned for what she kept referring to as Paige's last year as a 'kid'. Next year Paige would be teenager and Kate was making this year's celebration one Paige would never forget. He had friends he needed to spend time with, and his parents. He was dating a couple girls from school casually, they were both relationships that he didn't see going anywhere but he knew they both wanted a little time before he left too. He thought the girl flying the big purple colored stunt kite was hot, but he didn't see the point of trying to start something when he wouldn't have time to finish it.
Paige started teasing him when she noticed that not only was Don checking out the girl, but the girl seemed to be checking him out too. Paige told him she didn't mind if he wanted to invite her to join them, but Don insisted he wasn't there to pick up girls, a wicked grin then spread across his face and he added that the only girl he was there to pick up was Paige. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and then swung her around a few times while she squealed in delight. She begged to be put down and finally Don did, but then he tackled her to the ground and tickled her until she was ready to wet her pants. He knew it was only a matter of time before Paige turned the tables on him but before she got the chance they heard Paige's golden retriever yelp. They both hopped up to see what was happening and they saw that the blond girl hadn't been watching where she was going and she had backed into the dog, causing her to trip and land on her butt with her legs over the big red dog that Don called Clifford but whose name was Reba.
Don and Paige both rushed over to help. Paige figured Don could handle the girl and she went to check on her dog.
Don reached down and took the girls hands and pulled her up. Don started to apologize, he wasn't sure for what, the girl had tripped over the dog, none of it was his fault, none of it was even the dogs fault, but still the words 'I'm sorry' came tumbling out of his mouth. But that was all he managed to say, one look into her pale blue eyes and he found himself completely tongue tied.
The girl wasn't as tall as she looked from far away and for the first time in his life Don was glad he was the shortest of all the boys in his family. She had long straight blond hair that cascaded down her back. He loved her hair, it was a styled simply, it was parted on the side, but what he loved most about it was that it gave a clear view to her large round light blue eyes.
They stood staring at each other for a minute and then Paige came up and introduced herself and Don. Paige invited Lana, who had finally managed to whisper her name, to have lunch with them and the dog that she assured them was fine, even though neither of them had bothered to ask. When neither of them had moved, Paige tugged one of Don's hands from Lana's and then dragged both of them over to where Don had set all of their stuff.
Don and Lana managed to sever eye contact and both helped Paige spread out the large quilt and then they all sat down. They both sat quietly as they watched each other and listened as Paige rambled on about all the goodies she and Kate had packed into the picnic basket. Lunch was mostly silent, with Paige doing all the talking. Amused by the silence, Paige pulled out a piece of paper from her ever present notebook and wrote down the number to Don's cell phone he had gotten for his eighteenth birthday and folded it into Lana's hand. She told Lana it was really nice to meet her and she hoped to see her again later. She told them both she was taking Reba down to play in the water and she promised Don she would be careful, and then she walked away.
They watched as Paige walked down to the mellow looking but dangerous surf and then finally they turned back to face each other. Lana spoke first, she kept it casual with just a nice remark about what a good kid Paige was. Don replied in agreement and then asked if Lana had any brothers or sisters. She didn't and she let him know how envious she was when he said he had four brothers in addition to his little sister. After that the conversation came easier. They talked about school, Lana had just turned sixteen and would be a Junior. Don told her he had just graduated and he told her about the huge party his family had had in Sonoma. He told her he was leaving for school in Texas in a few weeks. He asked about her parents but she said they weren't close, she blamed it on her mom working all the time. She didn't say anything about her dad.
They talked for a long time. Don felt bad, he was supposed to be hanging with Paige, but Paige gave them lots of space and didn't seem to mind. When Paige started going through the picnic basket for scraps that he knew weren't there he told her they could go soon. He got up and helped Lana do the same. Together they packed up. Don tossed the keys to his Jeep to Paige and she began loading the car. Lana started to help, but Don grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
Don told her he knew he was leaving soon, he told her he knew that starting a relationship when they would only have a couple of weeks before he left probably wasn't the smarted thing to do, but then he told her that he had felt a connection with her unlike any he'd ever had before. He told her he would like to see her again before he left and he would really like to be able to call her while he was gone. Lana told him that she felt something too, and that she would really like to hear from him. She told him her parents weren't real cool with the idea of her dating so maybe the fact that he would be far away wasn't such a bad thing. She told him she did a lot of babysitting and had just gotten a new cell phone that she was paying for herself. She gave him the number and then said she needed to get home. He offered to drop her off but she said her parents wouldn't like it.
Lana walked Don to his car and seemed a little surprised when Paige hugged her, but it didn't seem to faze Don at all so she tried not to show her astonishment. Lana had stood and watched as the car carrying her new friends drove away.
Don had spent the next several hours trying to make it up to Paige for ignoring her for most of the afternoon. Paige told him he was nuts, she had had a good time and she really liked Lana. He took her out to dinner to the Rainforest Café anyway and let her eat all the good parts of the brownie volcano they ordered for dessert. When he got home he called the two girls he had upcoming dates with and he cancelled both of them. Then he called Lana.
Lana hadn't expected to hear from him so soon but she was glad she did. He called while she was working and she promised to call him as soon as she put the baby to bed. They spent hours on the phone that night, not hanging up until she had to go because she had just heard the garage door open and she didn't want to be on the phone when the baby's parents got home.
They managed to have several 'not dates' before Don left for school. Don didn't know it at the time, but Lana had lied to her parents and told them she was tutoring a girl she met while flying kites. When Don found out, he told her he didn't want her to lie, then he teased her that Paige could probably tutor them both. Her lie worked though and she got to spend lots of time at the Lamb house in the weeks before Don left. Penny and Derek and Kate all liked her too, and told her that just because Don wasn't going to be around didn't mean that she wasn't welcome to hang out there.
Lana's parents were dragging her to some aunt's house the day Don left for school so she wasn't going to get to be there when he drove away. Don knew she was leaving early in the morning for the long drive to the small town up north where her aunt lived so he showed up at her house before the sun was even up. He tossed pebbles to her window until she opened it up and popped her head out. She snuck down the fire escape and Don kissed her for the first time. He gave her his class ring and begged her not to 'not date' any guys while he was gone. He promised to call her as often as he could and he promised to come home for Thanksgiving.
End Flashback
Paige left the deli after her lunch and headed home. She turned the volume of her phone back on and thought again for the millionth time that day about calling Charlie, but she didn't think she was ready to talk to him yet. Instead she called Cooper and asked if he had come up with anything else she could use she could use against Rob Thomas. Cooper told her that he'd pulled everything he could find including his financial records and had sent it all to her email. He said there were large cash withdrawals every Wednesday at four thirty in the afternoon. The amount of money withdrawn was always a large round number and varied between five and nine thousand dollars. Cooper suggested it was probably for something only slightly illegal like a weekly poker game but that he the fact the amounts varied was a little odd. He also told Paige that he often had credit card charges on Wednesday evenings too. The charges were never large, they ran the gamut from gas to a drive thru to a small quick stop market. What made the transactions jump out at Cooper was that they were all from a small radius in an area just outside of Neptune proper. The area was nowhere close to Mr. Thomas' house and was a rather seedy part of the county. Paige asked what else was in the area and Cooper did a little checking while she waited on the phone. He came back and told her the only things in the immediate vicinity was the gas station, the all night market, a few fast food places and a Motel 6. Paige asked Cooper to hack into the Motel's network and see if there were any reservations for Mr. Thomas.
Motel 6 had a surprisingly secure network and it took Cooper longer to get in than he thought it would. Paige gave him a hard time about this and asked if she should call Mac and ask her to do it. Cooper offered to read her some of Beth's messages while they waited and Paige eased up on the teasing. Cooper got into the network and told her there were no reservations for that night or any other Wednesday in the recent past. Paige asked him to send her a copy of all the listed guests for each of the nights Cooper had found cash withdrawals going back the last year. She asked him to send it to her and she told him how awesome he was and she thanked him profusely.
Paige hang up and her phone rang immediately.
'You got this room for two
One thing I've left to do
Discover me
Discovering you
One mile to every inch of
Your skin like porcelain
One pair of candy lips and
Your bubblegum tongue'
Paige smiled at the sound of her favorite John Mayer song, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone. She pulled over and sent a text instead.
To: Charlie Darling
I Love my new song and I
love you. I just added lots
2 Coops to do list so please
leave him alone for a while
I love u I'll call u soon
Wed Jun 28 12:47PM
Paige started to pull back onto the road but thought of something else she wanted to say.
To: Charlie Darling
I think your body is a
wonderland too. I'm
looking forward to our 24
hours in ur room so I can discover
me discovering you
Wed Jun 28 12:47 PM
To: Charlie Darling
I can't wait for my head
to hit the bed with
your hand behind it but
sometimes can I be on top?
Wed Jun 28 12:47 PM
Paige got back on the road and waited until she pulled into the driveway to read the texts that came pouring in.
From: Charlie Darling
I love u 2 I have room on
my to do list if you need
any help I miss you we
haven't talked all day
when will u call?
Wed Jun 28 12:48 PM
From: Charlie Darling
Damn Paige, do u have any
idea what u do 2 me hearing
from u always makes me tingle
but ur 2nd text made some parts
tingle more than others ur 3rd text
made those parts stand straight up
Wed Jun 28 12:49 PM
From: Charlie Darling
I love u darling and we can
try any and all positions u
want. I love the idea of u on
top… and on the bottom… and on ur side
Wed Jun 28 12:50 PM
From: Charlie Darling
and standing up in the shower
and on the couch and in the hot tub
and against the wall would I be pushing
if I mentioned the butcher block in
my kitchen? I have this fantasy…
I love u call me
Wed Jun 28 12:52 PM
To: Charlie Darling
u make me tingle 2 but nothing
stands straight up u must have
something I don't
Miles said no 2 ur plan so I'm
working on a new one
I'll call u when I can give u
the attention u deserve
I want 2 hear all ur fantasies
Wed Jun 28 12:55 PM
Paige hoped Charlie took the hint that she needed a little time to concentrate on getting her work done. She didn't want him to take her putting him off personally but she knew it was. She wasn't ready to talk to him. She didn't want to talk about how they went to bed the night before, she didn't have the energy to avoid the questions she knew he would ask and she didn't want to tell him she didn't sleep. She hadn't reacted to the postcards the way she thought he was thinking she would and she didn't want to talk about them either. Throw in that she didn't want to talk about how she was pretty sure Casey Gant had more in mind than just publishing her books and that she was positive that Logan had saw her in the parking lot and talking to Charlie was more than she could handle at the moment.
Paige let herself into the house and went to check on Don. She found him in his bed with his eyes closed. She got the feeling he was faking being asleep, but his eyes were suspiciously damp so she left him alone. She went into the kitchen and poked around. It didn't look like Don had eaten anything for lunch so she made him a tray. She carried it into his room and set it gently on his bed. Rather than stirring when his space was disturbed like he normally would Don remained perfectly still while Paige set everything up. She knew now he was faking, she kissed him on the forehead and left him to whatever he was thinking about.
Flashback
True to his word, Don called Lana every night after he talked to Paige. Thanksgiving came and they only got to see each other once. Lana had had to lie again to sneak out but they got a few minutes together before he left Sunday afternoon. They kissed again and Don told her he loved her. Christmas came and he bought her a necklace. She bought him a new wallet and let him touch her breast. Spring break came but he had baseball so he wasn't coming home. He begged her to come out with his family but she said it wasn't possible. They still spent almost every night on the phone but Don complained a lot that he didn't get to see her. Paige came back from her trip to Texas with a new found interest in photography, Lana was still spending a lot of time at the Lamb house and she seemed to be Paige's favorite subject. Paige would take tons of pictures of Lana and then send them all to Don. Lana spent time with Paige and together they watched hours' worth of footage of Don playing baseball. Lana didn't understand half of what Paige was saying when she picked apart what Don was doing, but every time Don threw the ball Lana's heart would beat a little faster.
Don blew out his knee and came home. Lana's parents finally said she could date, but after they met him they said Don was too old. Lana lied some more and continued to 'tutor' Paige, so they were still able to spend time together. Keeping his hands off Lana got harder and harder for Don but they were never alone. Finally Don convinced his parents and Kate that he would be fine for a couple days on his own and they went to Sonoma for the weekend without him. His mom cornered him the night before they left and let him know she knew what he was planning. She asked him to make sure Lana was really ready and she made sure he had plenty of protection for whatever they ended up doing.
Lana told her parents she had an overnight babysitting gig. They ate dinner and made out on the couch. When Don couldn't wait any longer he led Lana up to his room. They kissed for a while and then they took off their shirts and shoes. They kissed some more and Lana let Don take off her pants. Lana slipped out of her panties and together they took of Don's pants. They climbed onto the bed and Don's mouth did some exploring but he kept his boxers on. Everything was going great until he took off his shorts and went to put a condom on. Lana burst into tears and he couldn't get her to stop. Don tried holding her but she freaked out when he touched her. She screamed at him that it was too much and then begged for his forgiveness. Don didn't know what to do, he didn't want to leave her alone but every time she looked at him she sobbed more. He told her nothing was her fault and he went into the bathroom. He was already so close he figured it would be faster to take care of things himself than jumping in the shower. He figured he'd been taking care of things himself for the last year what was one more time. He did what he needed to do and then cleaned up. He found Lana on his bed wrapped up in the sheet still crying. He quickly got dressed and then sat down next to her. He inched closer and closer until she let him pull her into his arms and he rocked her and told her it was okay until she calmed down and her sobs stopped.
When she was done crying he set her down and gathered all her clothes. He told her he would leave her alone to get dressed. He went outside to the hall and waited. She came out after a couple minutes and she apologized again. He told her he loved her and it was his fault, obviously he had pushed her too fast.
He took her downstairs and made her a cup of the tea she had become addicted to since she started hanging out at the Lamb house.
He sat down at the table next to her and asked her point blank how old she was when her dad started abusing her. She tried denying it but Don told her she could lie to her parents if she wanted but she wasn't going to lie to him. She told him her dad didn't do it anymore; she tried to laugh when she explained that she was too old for her dad now. Don wasn't amused. He asked why she never told him, he told her he could have helped. She told him she knew he would have helped and that is why she didn't tell him. She knew he would tell his dad and then all hell would break loose. Her mom would never believe it. She swore it had stopped. She told him she had less than a year until she was eighteen, and she begged him to just let it go. He asked if she'd ever told anyone. She said she told a teacher when she was in fourth grade but her dad was on the school board and the teacher was fired for false accusations. She told him how shortly after that they had left the small town of Willits where she grew up and moved down to the city. He asked her to tell him what her dad did to her but she refused. He pushed and she got upset. He backed off and told her they would figure some way to get past it.
She asked him to take her home but he asked her to stay. He offered her the guest room but told her he really wanted her to sleep with him that night. He promised he wouldn't try anything, he just really wanted to hold her.
They went back to his room and he held her until she fell asleep. When he was positive she was out Don gently released her and went downstairs to his parents' office to do some research. He poured through his mom's medical journals and some of his dad's manuals looking for something he could say to make Lana understand that nothing her dad did was her fault. He found a few things and then he went down to Kate's apartment and looked through the Psych textbooks she had kept after she had graduated college.
When he thought he had enough to at least get him through the next morning he went back up and slipped in beside her. He watched her tear streaked face for a long time before he finally surrendered to sleep. He woke up to Lana kissing him and telling him she was sorry. She told him she really did love him and she wanted to be able to do all the things Don wanted them to do but she wasn't as ready as she thought she was.
Don told her he loved her too and it didn't matter, they would wait until she was ready, but he wasn't going to sit by and not do nothing. He promised that as long as Mr. Arliss wasn't touching her that he wouldn't say anything to his dad, but the price of his silence was that the two of them were going to talk. Lana started to cry again, but Don told her she mostly just had to listen. He told her he had two questions, both only required a yes or no for an answer and no matter what she said he would still love her. He asked if she had ever touched her dad of her own initiative and if she had ever enjoyed anything he father had done to her. Her answers to both were a swift and decisive 'No!'
He told her he knew that would be her answer but she needed to know too. He told her that everything her dad did was wrong and selfish and completely about him. He told her the things they did weren't about love or pleasure, he told her it was about power and control and dominance. He told her that her father was sick and nothing Lana ever did with him was her fault. No matter what her dad told her she had done nothing to 'ask for it'.
Don told her he loved her and that he very much wanted to touch her and for her to touch him, but he promised they wouldn't do anything until she was ready. He told her that when she was ready the things they did would be totally different from what she experienced with her dad. When they touched each other it would be because they loved each other and wanted bring the other pleasure. He told her that when they were together it would be about both of them finding joy and feeling good about what they were doing.
They cuddled in bed for a while and then Don took her down and made her breakfast. He walked a fine line making sure she knew he still desired her but he vowed to take it slow no matter what she told him she was ready for. They hung out for a few hours, he told her if she could think of an excuse to be gone another night, he would drive them up to Sonoma and they could spend the day with his family by the pool. She told him she had promised her parents the family she was babysitting for would have her home by noon. Don drove her home and parked a couple blocks down the street so her parents wouldn't see him. He kissed her and told her he loved her and he made her swear that if her dad ever touched her again she would tell him.
The next day she called him and told him she got in trouble for not cleaning her room and she was on restriction for a week. That week led to two and the second week led to three. Each time she was able to get word to him about some new infraction but she swore she would find a way to see him soon.
Lana was finally able to leave the house for Paige's thirteenth birthday party. Don snuck out after the cake but before she opened presents and paid a visit to Mr. Arliss. He told Lana's dad that he knew what she had been subjected to by her father. Mr. Arliss tried to deny it, he told Don that his daughter was crazy and liked to make up stories to get attention. Don pushed past him and walked into Lana's room, Lana's spotless room that she kept getting in trouble for not keeping clean. Mr. Arliss told Don he couldn't just barge in making accusations and poking around like that. Don told Mr. Arliss that Lana wasn't a helpless kid any longer. She had friends, friends that loved her and would protect her. Don told Mr. Arliss that if he ever touched Lana or any other person under the age of eighteen in an inappropriate way again, Don would personally see to it that his next sexual experience would be inside a cell with a big hairy guy named Bone.
Don got back to the party in time to see Paige open the iPod he had bought her and the hand painted bracelet Charlie had made for her. When the party was winding down Don asked his dad to go with him to take Lana home. Derek had other kids to take home too, so he piled them all into the SWAT truck and dropped them off one by one. They got to Lana's house last and Don asked his dad to walk Lana up to the door with him. If Derek thought it was a weird request he didn't say anything. Lana insisted it wasn't necessary for either of them to go to the door but Don wouldn't take no for an answer. Don introduced Mr. and Mrs. Arliss to his dad as 'Chief Derek Lamb, Head of San Francisco's highly decorated SWAT team.'
After they got back in the car Derek asked his son how long he'd known Lana had been abused. Don lied and said he didn't know what he was talking about. Derek pushed and Don pushed back, telling him to mind his own business. Don told his dad that he'd hardly spent any time with him since he came back from school and he accused him of being ashamed of his 'injured' son. Derek told him he was being ridiculous and that he was there to listen whenever Don was ready to talk.
Lana was able to visit every day the next week. That Friday she accompanied his whole family to his doctor's appointment with his orthopedic surgeon. Don tried to hold it together as he was told he would never play professional ball. Lana was there the following Monday too, when Don received his letter from Southwest Texas University saying that they were revoking his scholarship. Lana had her first orgasm that night in the hot tub on the Lamb's back deck, Don had one too but his was in the bathroom after they got out.
Lana stopped lying to her parents and she started spending lots of nights in the Lambs family room having slumber parties with Don and Paige. The next week Lana had several more orgasms all brought about by what she started calling Don's 'magic hands'. Don had heard he had magic hands lots of times but it was always in reference to the way he threw a ball. He discovered the compliment from Lana meant a lot more to him. The week after that Lana and Don finally orgasmed at the same time in the same place and Don told his parents he wasn't going back to Texas. Derek and Penny told him he could go anywhere he wanted but he was going back to school.
End Flashback
Paige sat down at the kitchen table and reprioritized her 'to do' list. If Rob Thomas stuck with his weekly schedule that he had been on for the last few years she figured the best place to pick up his trail would be at the bank where he made his weekly cash withdrawals. She mapquested the bank and found that it would take her forty minutes to get there from the San Diego Airport. It would take her forty five minutes to get to the airport and another fifteen to rent the car she would need to be able to follow him undetected. That gave her an hour and twenty minutes to get dressed in something a little more appropriate for a probably late night of surveillance and learn as much as she could about Rob Thomas. Paige figured everything else could wait. She could finalize plans for Charlie's surprise over the internet in the car if she had down time while she waited for Mr. Thomas to do something worth photographing. She sent a text to her dad asking him to run a background check on Colbie Baxter and another one to Charlie asking he do the same thing but through the FBI database. She knew having her dad run one was overkill, but she couldn't very well tell him she was doing an FBI one and it made him feel like he was a part of the process. She went to the Macy's website and created a new profile. She filled a cart full of things she thought Mac would like and then she sent Dick a text with the username and password. She told him she wasn't going to be able to meet him in person to shop but that she had found everything they needed for one night in the new house and that with a simple click of the button the store would have it already to be picked up. The store guaranteed that if Dick made the purchase by tonight at eight they would deliver the bed by two PM the next day. She promised to call him the next day so they could plan the airport pick-up.
Paige packed her laptop and camera and checked on Don one more time, he still looked like he was sleeping but she wasn't sure if he really was or if he was still faking. He had eaten most of the lunch she had set out for him. She went back to the kitchen and left him a note. She told him Lefty would be by when he got off work. She wasn't sure when she would be back but for him not to worry about dinner, she would take care of it no matter what. Paige changed quickly into the darkest pair of jeans she could find and a black t-shirt. She swapped her high heels for a pair of tennies and then she grabbed her short white dress Charlie had bought for her and the orange pumps just in case she needed them. She made it out the door with two minutes to spare.
Flashback
Don enrolled at San Francisco City College and applied to the Police Academy. They took one look at his medical history and told him 'no'. Don begged Derek to pull some strings but Derek said there weren't any to pull. Don withdrew further from his father and went to Miles and asked if he had any ideas. Miles suggested he apply to the Sheriff's Academy. Don got in and he teased Lana that he would graduate before her.
Lana had always planned on going away to school, she wanted to be as far away from her dad as possible, but now that she had Don she told him that changed, he was local so that is where she wanted to be. Don told her to apply wherever she wanted to go, he would apply to the Sheriff's Department everywhere she got in and then they would make a final decision based on where he got job offers.
Don graduated in February and started applying for jobs in the counties where Lana had applied. Finding a job proved harder than he thought and when Lana graduated on June thirteenth Don was still unemployed. Lana told him it didn't matter, she had applied to UCSF and was happy to go there if Don wanted to stay and go back to school too. Derek and Penny had made it clear that they would happily support him as long as he was in school.
The next year flew by, Don took a couple part time jobs doing administrative work for his dad and Miles and he enrolled in some more classes at the city college and Lana started UCSF. The both still lived at home but most nights were spent together on an air mattress in the Lamb's family room. Don took Lana to his mom's clinic and she got put on birth control. They found creative ways to be together and Lana found out what it meant to really be loved, not just in a physical way, but really and truly loved, by a family. She made it a point to go home at least once a week to check on her mom, but she often went weeks and sometimes even months without having to see her dad. Lana didn't have quite the interest in cooking that Paige did, but when she realized how much Don loved to eat she made an effort to learn.
Lana turned nineteen the second week of June and Don gave her a trip to an all inclusive resort in Florida, they were scheduled to leave on the thirtieth. The day before they were supposed to leave Don got a call from the County of San Francisco Sheriff's Department. They offered him a job but he had to start right away. Don went shopping and maxed out one of his credit cards. He picked Lana up and took her to Crissy Field. He found the spot where they had met and he got down on one knee. He told her about the job and he told her he loved her and then he pulled out the ring. He told her he wanted to marry her, not because he was ruining their trip, but because he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He said that now that he had a full time job they could get a place and start their own family. She said yes and she told him she didn't care about the trip, she suggested they cash out the tickets and put them towards their honeymoon.
The tickets were non refundable. Don told her she should go without him. She resisted but he talked her into it. They got to the airport early and they made love one more time in the car before she left. Lana called him during her layover in Las Vegas and told him she loved him and asked him to wish her luck. She said she was taking the crisp twenty dollar bill her dad had given her for her birthday and putting it into a slot machine at the airport. Don laughed when the sirens went off and Lana told him she just won a thousand dollars. Don heard Lana talking to someone else and then she said she had to go. That was the last time that Don ever talked to her.
Don had come home from his first day of on the job training and waited for her to call, when she didn't he tried the resort but they said she never checked in. Don panicked. He called the airline but they said she never got on her connecting flight, they told him they had to hold the plane for an hour while they searched for her luggage because after 9/11 there was no way they were letting anyone's bags go anywhere without them.
Don went to his dad and together they flew to Vegas, the Las Vegas Police Department said officially nothing could be done until she was missing for forty eight hours but Derek was extended a professional courtesy and the search began. They had video of her at the airport winning her jackpot. They had the signed tax document showing she had received her winnings. They had pictures of her talking to someone but whoever it was, was off camera. They had glimpses of what they thought was her leaving the airport but they couldn't be sure. After a few days of searching Derek and Don flew home. Kate took Derek in the Library and handed him the postcards that had arrived the day after they left for Vegas. Both were from Lana and both were of pictures of Vegas.
June 30, 2003
I love you Don, and I can't wait to be your wife. I'm only at the airport in Vegas but I miss you already. Would you be mad if I used my winnings to fly home?
Love, Lana (soon to be) Lamb
June 30, 2003
Paige, you would love Vegas, the lights are so pretty. When I come back I want you to help plan the wedding, after all you'll be in it.
Your (soon to be) sister, Lana
Kate told Derek she hadn't shown the cards to anyone but Penny, Penny said it was up to Derek if they should show them to Don.
Don took it hard, he blamed himself, if he hadn't planned the trip, if he hadn't insisted she go, if he hadn't taken the job… He called the detectives every day. He flew to Vegas on his days off to help search.
Don and Derek both investigated Mr. Arliss but he came out clean, he had been at home or at work all day with plenty of people to give him a solid alibi. When officially questioned Mr. Arliss told the detectives that his daughter was a slut and was probably off partying since she had managed to escape her controlling boyfriend. Don was investigated but he had been in sight of several Sheriff's department employees the whole day. Flights were checked, buses and trains were checked. Lana was nineteen and would have had a hard time renting a car but that was checked too. Derek and Don checked the papers for cars that were listed for sale and were in Lana's thousand dollar budget. Bodies were found and checked and dismissed. Phone logs were checked and double checked, but they couldn't find any calls that Lana could have made after the one to Don.
Don went back to Lana's house and tore apart her room looking for anything that might give him some sort of clue where she might want to go if she ran away like was suggested. He found a locked diary and he took it home. He stared at it for an hour before he broke the lock and started reading it. Lana had lied to him. Not about the abuse, that was spelled out in detail and began when she was five. Lana has lied about the reason she was on restriction after the night she spent with him. Her dad had told her he knew where she was all night. He called her a whore and a slut. He'd asked if she cried when Don 'stuck it in her' like she did with him. He'd asked if she choked on Don's cum too. He told her if she was going to give it away so easily maybe she could start charging. The diary went on to tell what else he did to her that day but Don couldn't read it.
Don took the diary to his dad and sat in the car while his dad and another officer brought Mr. Arliss out in handcuffs, and then Don went home and cried. He knew she couldn't hear him but he told Lana he was sorry it had taken him so long to do something but he was doing something now.
Mr. Arliss spent the night in jail but without Lana there to testify and since her mom refused to, the only thing they had was the diary. Don offered to testify but he didn't really know anything. Mr. and Mrs. Arliss still lived in the same house. Every once in a while they made a plea for the safe return of their daughter.
Don spent hours on the phone with anyone in Vegas who would talk to him. He paced around the house and tried to think of something to do. His knee ached constantly. Everywhere he went reminded him of Lana. Two months after she went missing Don got a small padded envelope in the mail. It was postmarked from Vegas and the address was printed on a generic label. Inside the envelope that his dad insisted be opened in his presence was the ring that he gave Lana when he proposed. There was no note, the only thing in the envelope was the ring and a few strands of long blond hair.
Miles approached Don that night with an idea. His old friend in Southern California was hiring Deputies. It was only a little over a four hour drive from Neptune to Las Vegas. The weather would be warm and much better on his knee. Don flew down that weekend for an interview, he came back long enough to pack up his stuff and pick up his car. He kissed his sister goodbye and told her he would call her every night just like he did in college.
End Flashback
Veronica tried calling Logan as soon as she got to her room but it was busy, that made her shake her head and then she tried again. This time Logan answered but told her he was on the phone with Charlie and told her he would call her back in a few minutes. She put away the couple things she had bought and checked to make sure her wonderful smelling clothes and pillowcase were still safely packed in her suitcase. She pulled them out and inhaled deeply, and then she put the pillowcase on her pillow and laid down to wait for Logan to call her back.
She didn't have to wait long and as much as she still loved her song she picked up as soon as it started to play.
"I miss you Logan and that's twice today you chose to talk to Charlie over me."
"I'm sorry Sugarpuss. Getting Charlie pinned down to actually talk to me on the phone has been so hard that once I got him on the phone I couldn't let him go until I took care of everything I needed to talk to him about."
"So your date is all planned?"
"Our date as in you and me, we don't have it all planned but we discussed a couple ideas."
"Do your ideas include a way for us to make out in the car?"
"I mentioned that to Charlie and he said we could make out in any of the cars in the garage anytime we wanted. He suggested the SWAT truck or the Rover for privacy or Derek's Mustang if we just wanted to go for pure sex appeal."
"Derek would let us make out in his car?"
"I asked the same thing; all Charlie would say was that the car had seen a lot more than that."
"Well if we really can do it any time we want all weekend I say we make it a goal to hit all three."
"I like the way you think."
"So I guess Charlie finally let you apologize if you talked for a while and you planned our date."
"Actually no, I think he may be more irritated with me now than he was before."
"What did you do Logan?"
"I'm not the one in the wrong this time. I would admit it if I were."
"What did you do?"
"I saw Paige on my way home from school. I stopped to say 'hello' but she was with a guy. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He helped her into her car and then leaned in, I assume to kiss her again. I thought Charlie should know so I called to tell him."
"Did you see who the guy was? Maybe it was an old friend or something."
"I don't think so."
"Logan you aren't answering my question. Did you see who the guy was?"
"I saw her kiss him and so yes I saw the guy, but-"
"Do you know who it was?"
Veronica waited and she heard the hesitation in Logan's voice when he finally did speak.
"I only saw the back of the guy's head, so I suppose in a court of law or the court of Veronica Mars I probably wouldn't have enough to get a conviction."
"Logan, why would you even call and tell Charlie something like this?"
"You are mad at me? I'm not the one who was off hugging and kissing someone else."
"It doesn't sound to me like Paige did anything wrong here. Paige is a hugger. You told me yourself she hugged that friend who stopped by Don's the day Payton showed up. We both saw her hug Charlie when he walked into meet us at the SWAT house. Hell Logan, she hugged ME when she left. You say all the time how since you were cheated on you would never do it, but you sure are quick to accuse Paige of something similar."
"I would want to know, if it were you and someone saw something, even if it turned out to be totally innocent I would still want to know."
"Don't you think Charlie has enough to worry about without the distraction of something you aren't even sure is a big deal?"
"Paige said Charlie doesn't get distracted, and he doesn't seem all that concerned so maybe it was just a false alarm."
"But still, now on top of everything else she is dealing with Paige has to deal with an awkward conversation. I can't believe you would do that Logan, especially after you were just saying how you saw them both as friends we could have for a long time. You said you wanted to hang out with them. You wanted to invite them camping. I can't believe you would go and interfere like that. If you wanted-"
"You are lecturing me on interfering? Take a look in the mirror Sugarpuss, you wrote the book on sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Isn't the whole reason we are in this mess and four hundred miles apart because you 'INTERFERED'?"
"I'm beginning to think the reason we are apart is because we can't be together. Goodbye Logan."
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