~~Sunday Morning: Mars Investigations~~
Veronica was filing some paperwork when her cell phone rang, she glanced at her mobile and Mac's name blinked on her screen. "Hey Mac-Attack, what's up?" Veronica asked as she shuffled through more paperwork
"Veronica, you need to come to the Casablancas Estate," her friend's urgent voice came through.
Veronica frowned at Mac's tone and instantly stopped all movement. "Why? Is something wrong?"
Mac was hesitant to reveal the reason over the phone but she knew that it needed to be said so Veronica could help her defuse the situation before the guys did this terrible thing. "Dick and Logan are orchestrating a bum fight."
Veronica's mouth dropped open as her eyes widened in shock when her voice screeched, "Logan and Dick are doing what now?"
~~Casablancas Residence~~
Veronica swung the Casablancas door open and stormed into the room, the sound of her heel clicked onto the tiles, her fingers were clenched in a fist, her teeth gritted together and her eyes narrowed in a glare that spited any and everything that came in her line of sight. "Where are they?" Her frosty tone demanded answers.
Mac wondered if she'd made a mistake in calling the petite blonde detective, Mac had never seen her look that angry before. She looked a little scary to be honest.
"What's got your panties in a twist?" Dick laughed as Logan and he came through the door behind Veronica.
Veronica spun on her heel to face them, "Stop," Her 'Keith Mars' voice made Logan and Dick freeze on the spot. "Are you two freakin' insane?" Her wide eyes and flying hands made the boys wary of being near her so as she moved closer with her finger pointed at them like a gun, they moved backward. "Bum fights?" She yelled with fury.
Their first response was shock but a nanosecond later their eyes narrowed as it drifted to a nervous looking Beaver. He squirmed at their gaze and ducked his head; it had been Mac's fault for his tiny slip of the lip.
"Bum fights?" She repeated in her high pitched voice. Mac wanted to intervene before Veronica's clenched fists started to fly at the two boys but she feared that she'd get hurt in the crossfire.
Logan didn't seem to have the common sense or ability to take Veronica's anger without word. "Looks like we have some 'splainin' to do?"
Dick looked at him like he had a death-wish and wide his wide eyes he silently conveyed, 'what the hell dude? Do you want her to kill us?'
Veronica blew out a breath of frustration. "God, what a cliché! Poor little rich boy with a death wish!" She glared at him, her eyes pierced his and he knew what she was talking about – his father.
"Well, then I guess I should feel grateful for having such a devoted ex-girlfriend looking after me," he quoted the very same words she used when he'd warned her about the PCHers. "My very own guardian angel." Her icy glare only made Logan feel more stubborn toward rectifying his mistake.
Dick feared that Logan was only making it worse for himself and decided that he couldn't make it very much worse if he tried and defended them instead of aggravating her like Logan had done.
Mac and Cassidy sat with silent wide eyes as they watched the scene unfold.
Dick put his arm on Logan's shoulder to get him to stop talking. "Come on Ronnie," Dick tried to sway her from her anger. "It's not like we were gonna point guns to their heads and force them to fight each other. They had freedom of choice."
Veronica's icy glare chose Dick as her new target. "What is wrong with you?" Her hardened tone made him gulp.
His voice much quieter and confused, "What's wrong with that? It's like street wrestling."
Veronica's eye brows furrowed, it sounded like Dick truly believed that he hadn't done anything that bad. "No, it's not Dick." She objected. "You were forcing them to fight for their livelihood and money. Betting on people who have no food or shelter is disgustingly immoral and illegal. They only did it because they would be making money out of it but they don't realise that they might not even live the next day to see it." Her glares shifted between the two boys. "How do you not see how fucked up it is?"
Everyone's except Logan's eyes widen at the sound of the naturally good girl cursing. Their gazes didn't affect her as she continued to chastise them, "It's exploitation of people who have nothing. How does that not make you sick? You think that they have fun fighting to see the next day, to full their stomachs? How can anybody be entertained by exploiting the misery of others for their own personal entertainment?"
"God Ronnie we didn't mean it like that," Dick felt ashamed and Logan did too, it had also seemed as though Veronica was about to cry but being Veronica she would have kept it in until she was alone because she was angry. "It's like we were giving them work, and we picked guys who were butch and we would have stopped it if it got too far and-" Dick felt stupid for trying to defend himself but he didn't want to be the horrible person Veronica described and it was more of him justifying himself to himself than to her. "I'm sorry, we're sorry," he settled with.
"We'll call it off," Logan said with a layer of guilt thickening his voice. He also felt regret and remorse. He also knew that the homeless people weren't the ones Veronica was entirely concerned about. She was worried about him because if Aaron found out he'd be in for a beating of a life time and because he hadn't been beaten since Keith wanted to testify against him Logan knew that it would hurt a whole lot more.
"Good," Veronica breathed out as she composed herself and walked out the Casablancas mansion but Logan followed her out.
The entire room was silent, Dick stayed still in his position, Cassidy tried to hide behind Mac and Mac wasn't sure what to do because Veronica had already gone off on them and she was pretty sure that was enough but she didn't want Dick to feel like she was okay with it. She decided that silent treatment was good for now. And of course she had to protect Cassidy from his brother's wrath for revealing their plans.
Outside the Casablancas residence Veronica was by her car when Logan grabbed her arm.
"Veronica…" His voice was barely a whisper.
"You obviously haven't grasped the concept of me storming away from you," she said in a weary manner.
"I'm sorry I didn't think-"
"You don't get it Logan, you've been lucky thus far, what do you think he would have done when he found out about it, huh? Patted you on your back and said that a boy?" The sarcasm dripped out with bitterness. "Grounded you and explained why what you did was wrong? No Logan he would have hurt you and -" Her tears started to form in her eyes.
Logan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in while he assured her in a soft whisper, "Hey, hey, I'll be okay, I promise I'll call it off, okay?" She meekly nodded her head against his chest and hoped that she could just wrap her arms around him and protect him from every bad thing in the world.
~~Navarro Residence: Monday Morning~~
"Letitia Navarro," Lamb said as he stood outside Weevil's grandma's house. "I got a warrant for your arrest. You need to come with us."
Letitia is stunned at the announcement. Weevil stood next to her and instantly began to object, "Oh, come on. Where you gonna take her, huh? What are the charges?"
"Credit card fraud." Lamb responded monotonously as he began to walk away and left Sacks to escort the shell-shocked Mrs Navarro to the police vehicle.
"She doesn't even have any credit cards, man!" Weevil argued.
"Not in her own name, no." Lamb turned around and stood face to face with Weevil. "But somebody took credit card offers out of the Echolls family trash. They opened up accounts. They rang up charges. You heard anything about that? Hey! Nah, I didn't think so. 'Cause it would take a major league loser to let a sweet old lady like that do his time for him." Lamb slapped the warrant onto Weevil's chest and turned to get into his vehicle.
~~Mars Investigations ~~
Veronica was at her desk in the main office as she listened to the conversation between her dad and Cliff. "Listen to this list of charges to the card – half dozen video games, limo rides, Magic Mountain tickets, motorcycle gear," Cliff listed as he handed Keith the page. "It goes on like that. I sincerely doubt my client, Mrs Navarro, suddenly decides to steal from the Echolls after ten years of loyal service just so she can get herself a new piercing from 'Puddy Tats'."
"It's gotta be the kid, Eli Navarro," Keith stated and then turned to Veronica and asked, "What do they call him?"
"Weevil," she provided. She doubted it, from what Meg told her Weevil would do anything for his grandma. She might have believed it because of everything she heard from others but she trusted Meg and Meg trusted Weevil.
"Oh, clearly it's Weevil. Lamb doesn't even believe it's Mrs Navarro but the PO Box where the merchandise was sent is in her name plus she was wearing a diamond pendant purchased with one of the phoney cards."
"Lamb could have set Weevil up, he hates him you know," she suggested.
Keith sighed but there was a hint of a smile at her ability to see the best in people, that ability was usually reserved for her friends and he hoped that she hadn't picked the leader of the PCH bicker gang to be her friend. "Honey, I started picking up Eli Navarro when he was 12."
Cliff felt that this conversation was about to lead to one of their 'father-daughter' talks so he interrupted them, "Yeah well I've got a grandma in jail and I'd really like to get her out."
Keith nodded, "We'll dive in, thanks Cliff." He shook Cliff's hand before their trusted lawyer left the office. "Honey, he goes to your school. You mind taking point on this for a few days at least. I'm working on something."
"I'll see what I can find," Veronica assured him.
~~Monday Morning – Biology class~~
"You know the last time I checked you were dating Cole," Veronica remarked as she settled beside Meg in class. Meg was her safest option. Dick sat behind Veronica and Logan sat behind Meg. Veronica felt Logan's stare on her and was adamant on talking with Meg to seem oblivious of his gaze.
"I am dating Cole," Meg replied in a whisper.
The two boys in the back seemed curious to their conversation and Dick was obviously trying to eavesdrop while Logan leaned back on his chair but he was clearly trying to strain his ears in on their conversation as well.
"Then why is the beetle buzzing around you?" Veronica inquired and her eyes warned her taller blonde cheerleading friend that Dick and Logan were eavesdropping in on their conversation.
Dick was confused, there were no beetles in class unless Veronica really did have super powers and could see invisible beetles but that would mean that the beetles had powers to be invisible. So Veronica could have the power to see dead beetles. Dick shuddered; ghost bugs, that's creepy. And Veronica was scary; he didn't want to test her abilities.
Meg blushed at the mention of their code names but had quickly recovered and tiled her head as she peaked at Veronica, "What about you Veronica? You seem to be playing with fire and I heard that you got burns." Meg lifted her eyebrows as she challenged the blonde pixie.
Dick frowned in confusion; when had Veronica got burnt? He glanced at her; she seemed fine and completely bruised free.
Logan's eyes narrowed, Meg's voice was way too playful to be literal. He watched their exchange and realised that the girls were playing on puns and possibly innuendoes according to Veronica's pink tinted cheeks.
Veronica did a light shrug and smirked, "What can I say Meggie? I'm so hot I get burns."
Logan's lips curved in a grin while the statement seemed pompous on the surface, he knew there was an underlined meaning he just didn't know what it was. Yet he agreed with the words, she was that hot.
Dick grinned, that was a good line to use.
Meg's lips hinted at a smile as she attempted to keep a straight face when she said, "And I'm just so sweet that bees buzz around me."
Logan grunted; he started to get annoyed at their punned conversation. Once again the statement was true; Meg was the sweetest girl anyone could ever meet but Logan knew that they weren't really talking about each other's qualities but rather something that they didn't want him or/and Dick to know and this irritated Logan.
Dick quickly got bored with their conversation but noticed that Logan seemed agitated and lifted an eyebrow as he continued to listen to the weird conversation between the two blonde girls.
Concern entered Veronica's features as she said, "Really? Are the bees not angry at you for stealing their honey?" Translation: Has Weevil forgiven you? Are you both okay with each other?
Logan realised that the bees was a referring to a person. There was a person that was mad at Meg but they weren't mad at her anymore. Logan felt proud of himself as he realised that the person must be Duncan. On Friday night Duncan had drunkenly broke up with Shelly – he wasn't sure if it was because he was drunk or truly wanted to break up with the girl but nevertheless the deed was done and Logan briefly recalled Duncan ramble drunkenly about Meg.
"Who can be mad at this adorable face?" Meg tilted her face as an adorably happy smile entered her face.
Logan had taken Meg's statement to mean that Duncan was no longer angry at her and they have made amends. Logan knew that Meg was dating Cole and wondered if there was a break up in the air. He also knew that Duncan had feelings for Meg and secretly hoped that Meg would break up with Cole. Even though Cole was somewhat a friend to Logan, Duncan was his best friend.
Veronica smiled sincerely and voiced, "I'm glad but just be careful not to get stung."
"Oh don't worry about it, bees die when they sting someone." Meg laughed as she dismissed the thought of Weevil turning against her again. She knew that he was hurt by her actions but he finally understood why she had stayed with Duncan. Her features turned concerned as she glanced at Veronica, "You should be careful of burns though; once you get them they leave a mark for life."
There was the annoyance again; he didn't have a clue on what the fire remarks were about. Was this about another case? It frustrated him to no end.
Veronica had a soft smile on her face. "That's what I'm hoping for."
Meg smiled in return, happy for her friend.
Logan thought that it must have meant that she wants to solve whatever case she had gotten involved in now.
Dick was now beyond bored. Logan was being a creep and staring at Veronica. For once he turned his attention to the board. After a few minutes he lifted his hand up to asked a question, "If the Homo Sapiens, were in fact 'Homo-sapien', is that why their extinct?"
The teacher gave Dick a dumbfounded look while Logan sighed and whispered to the blonde, "Dick, Homo Sapiens are people."
"Hey, I'm not judging," he held his hands up.
Veronica and Meg turned to look at Dick with bemused expressions on their faces as they shook their heads at the blonde surfer.
~~Neptune High Lunch Quad: Lunch~~
Dick grinned as he handed Logan a file. "This is the lo-down on all the dude cheerleaders."
"Really?" Logan looked doubtful for a second but when he opened the file his expression turned to impressed. "How'd you get this?"
"Wallace is in office aid," Dick grinned with pride. "I bribed him with basketball tickets."
~~Neptune High Hallway: Lunch~~
"Hey Kimmy," Veronica called out and the girl looked at her with the face of panic. Veronica was beginning to get rather annoyed at her fellow cheerleader. "You have before the end of the day to get Meg's laptop back from Shelly and remember there's cheerleading practise after school and I still have your pom-poms or it could be on its way through the paper shredder machine."
Kimmy looked as though she was about to cry with fear. She didn't have any leverage on Shelly to get that damned laptop back. Except… Kimmy's terrified face relaxed as she breathed out a sigh of relief.
She went in search for Shelly. "Hey Shelly," Kimmy said, she tried to put on a brave face somewhat like how Veronica had looked at her – with fearlessness. "Gimme Meg's laptop or else I'll tell your parents that there were drugs at your end of the year party," Shelly threatened. Shelly's mouth dropped open and her eyes popped out.
"How do you know about that?" Shelly hissed in a whisper as she pulled Kimmy's hand.
"I saw Dick's little brother with some and Sean and Luke also had some and those Pan High guys wanted to give me some as if I'd do drugs," Kimmy scoffed with an eye roll. "And I know that you took some," she accused. "You were like buh-dah," Kimmy tried to impersonate drunken Shelly.
Shelly's mouth opened in offence at the unruly sight. "Urg, fine whatever," Shelly huffed. "Duncan already broke up with me so like whatever." She opened her locker and took out Meg's silver and pink coloured laptop.
"You kept it in your locker? Wasn't that how Meg's got stolen?" Kimmy asked a little confused.
"Yeah well, who'd think that I'd put it there?" Shelly remarked.
"Whatever, I gotta get my pom-poms back," Kimmy stated as she raced off in search for Veronica. Shelly regarded her with a weird look but shrugged it off; she closed her locker and walked off.
Veronica was stunned; Cassidy, Sean and Luke had drugs that night? She remembered seeing Cassidy before everything blanked from her mind. She didn't recall seeing Sean or Luke. She knew that the Pan High guys were punished for her being drugged but was it really them or did one of her 'friends' drug her?
"Oh hey Veronica!" Kimmy shouted and pulled Veronica back from her shocked state. "I got it," she gestured to the laptop in her hand. "Where are my pom-poms?" She looked at Veronica expectantly. Veronica started to walk to her locker and Kimmy followed with the laptop in hand.
"Kimmy, on the night of Shelly's party-"
"Oh you heard? Don't worry I left out the part where you had some, I thought if I told her you wouldn't give me my pom-poms back, that was smart right?" Kimmy smiled as though she'd done something good.
"The thing is I didn't take it, someone drugged me and I almost died," Kimmy's mouth opened in horror. "I thought it was someone from Pan but that was before I knew that our 09er guys had some as well," she kept her face straight and forced out any sign of weakness.
"Come on Veronica, they wouldn't do that, I mean sure they like getting laid but we know them, right? They were your friends and you're like popular on your own right now 'cause you're a cheerleader so… Maybe it was someone from Pan those guys are such jackasses. They totally tried to drug me too."
Veronica frowned, if what Kimmy said was true then maybe it was just Pan guys. But it really did surprise her that Cassidy had taken drugs that night, he'd always been the quiet one.
"Thanks Kimmy," Veronica gave her a tight smile. Kimmy wasn't that bad, she just hung out with the wrong crowd and did things without questing it as much as she should. Veronica took out Kimmy's pom-poms and gave the now very merry cheerleader. Kimmy beamed and quickly exchanged the laptop in favour for her prized possession.
Veronica made her way to the lunch quad with Meg's computer in hand. When she arrived at her table, Mac, Meg and Wallace were already there.
"Here ya go Princess, make sure to keep that safe, will ya?" Veronica smiled as she handed Meg her laptop.
"Oh, thank you Veronica!" Meg breathed out a sigh of relief. "I guess this makes you my white knight huh?" Meg laughed.
"You're a two-faced manipulative whore!" Troy yelled out at Caitlin, who looked as though she was about to cry.
"What's going on there?" Veronica quizzed.
"Apparently Caitlin cheated on Troy," Wallace answered as he continued to watch the scene as though it was a badly written scene from a movie.
"Yeah," Mac nodded. "Madison said that it was a guy from the 02er side of the school, possible PCHer."
"Really?" Veronica quirked an eyebrow as she looked on with a thoughtful expression as she watched the couple fight and finally Troy say that he's done with her.
~~Computer Lab~~
"Dude, you're famous," Dick grinned as he showed Logan a video on the screen. Logan looked at him in confusion.
"What the…" Logan frowned and worry glistened in his eyes as he watched his naked form run through the streets and pass the homeless people with curse words falling off his lips.
~~Neptune High Hallway~~
Veronica yanked Logan's arm and pulled him into the girls toilet.
"If you wanted alone time with me all you had to do was ask," Logan said as he gave Veronica an amused look but Veronica was far from amused.
"What the hell happened last night?"
Logan's face drained of colour. "You saw?"
"Everyone did Logan," she sighed the anger in her was starting to drain and be replaced with worry.
"I didn't mean for that to happen, God, I messed up again," he hit his head against the wall and then exhaled a soft 'ow.' Veronica said nothing; she patiently waited for Logan to explain what had happened. After a few moments of silence Logan lifted his head but was unable to make eye contact with her. "I called it off like we promised," he started and Veronica nodded, somewhat appreciative of the fact that this wasn't a video of Logan hosting the stupid bum fight. "I thought about what you said and I felt like crap," he sighed tiredly. "I decided that for once I'd do something selfless and give away Aaron's money, they didn't get that part on camera did they?" He chuckled, everyone only wanted bad boy Logan Echolls, except for Veronica. She just wanted him.
Veronica felt proud of Logan, she didn't expect him to do anything but she supposed that it was his way of repenting.
"Anyway we decided to buy some beer, have a few drinks but I guess it kind of escalated and then there was a bet and I lost so I had to streak naked and run down the road. These guys started saying crap and then I said crap back. I was pretty drunk."
Veronica felt much better after listening to Logan's explanation, "And the video portrays an arrogant boy who is disrespectful toward the homeless." She sighed. It didn't matter that the video didn't depict the truth, Aaron would be furious.
"Yeah," he softly let out.
"Logan, you can't go home today," her panicky voice blurted.
"I gotta go there sooner or later."
Veronica briskly shook her head and frantically started to persuade him, "No, no, you don't okay? Please don't Logan. For a few days – barely by Wednesday he'll be gone."
Logan could barely make out her words because of her rapid pace but he made sense of it. "He'll be back, more pissed."
"No, no, he can't do anything then it'll all be over, I promise, please," she begged him. She felt the dread fill up in the pits of her stomach.
"Veronica…" His heart tugged at her concern. He shouldn't be pleased at seeing the sight of someone look so terrified but the fact that she cared that much about him made him feel warm inside.
"Logan please," she pleaded as she gave him a pout and head tilt.
"I have to face him sooner or later Veronica, I can't hide from him." As much as he'd love to take refugee with Veronica, he knew his father and Aaron would be more pissed off if he wasn't at home.
"Logan don't you get it? He's going to hurt you and I can't let that happen. I can't just sit and pray that you're not dead." The tears spilled down her face and Logan hated himself for ever feeling pleased that she was scared for him. He hated that this was the second time in two days that she cried because she feared his livelihood. He hated his father a bit more for being responsible for her tears.
He pulled her in a hug and tried to get her to stop mumbling and start calming down. "Babe," he said softly in her hair. "It'll be okay, I'll come over after school, okay? I'll be with you, okay?" His words seemed to sooth her. She pulled back slightly from his embrace and gave him a small smile as she nodded.
She felt relief flood her when Logan agreed. She didn't understand why but the thought of Logan being beaten and hurt so badly made her insides ache. All she wanted was Logan to be safe and sound.
~~Mars Investigations~~
"I should've known when you said home you weren't talking about the Kane Estate," Logan remarked as he followed her in.
Veronica put down her bag and firmly stated, "My home is wherever my dad is and I don't care what a piece of paper says Keith Mars is my dad."
Logan felt a smile curve on his lips. "Yeah, so what new case are you working on?"
"Sorry sweetie, but here at Mars Investigations we value our clients confidentiality," she sweetly said and he watched her with curiosity.
"Right-"
She sighed as though he'd twisted her arm into to telling him. "Well, it's the about your parent's missing credit card, Mrs Navarro was arrested-"
"What?" Logan's eyes widened. "They arrested her?" The shock and disbelieve was evident in his tone. "We don't even think she did it, mom didn't want to fire her but Aaron decided that after ten years she's not trustworthy," he huffed with frustration. He loved Mrs Navarro like she was his own grandmother, it truly cut his heart when his father made her leave, he always made the people Logan loved leave.
"She won't be in for long; I always get the bad guy," She assured him.
"Yeah you do," Logan gave her a small smile. "Veronica?"
"Mm?" She sounded out as she filed some paperwork.
"I-uh-" He stood nervously beside her and he really wasn't sure why he was nervous.
"Logan?" She curiously looked at him while she urged him to continue.
"What are we?" He blurted out. He needed to know, almost every conversation of theirs seemed to end in tears or turn out to be about everything but themselves and he just needed a definite answer right now. He needed her to confirm that she was his.
"Human beings?" She guessed with a smirk playing on her face.
"Are we a couple?"
"A couple of teenagers, a couple of people, a couple of human beings…."
Frustrated with her answers, he grabbed her hand and stopped her from her shuffling movement and looked her down and asked, "Ronnie, do you want me to be your boyfriend?"
She bit her lower lip and let her smile spread. "I'd like that."
He chuckled in relief and moved in closer to kiss her but stopped and asked, "Do you still like me?"
"You know I do Logan, I just can't tell you everything, I need you to trust me," she stared into his eyes and let her fingers roam in his hair as she hoped that he'd just agree and let it be for once.
"Okay, okay," he agreed and she let out a relieved sigh. "I just want to be with you without any drama," he admitted as pushed strands of her hair away from her face.
"Like normal people?"
"Yeah."
"There's some wishful thinking," Veronica gave him a small smile and closed the space between their lips. Logan smiled through the kiss at her eagerness and as she deepened the kiss. He broke the kiss with the fear of her dad finding them here.
"Where's you dad?" His eyes darted to the door to ensure that the man legally enabled to use a gun was not there.
"He's out chasing a bail jumper, he'll be back later," she assured him but couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. "Listen I gotta go take care of something, you can play X-Box with Duncan, like normal teenager boys." She tip-toed and gave him a peck, Logan gript her waist and pulled her into him as he turned her peck into a tongue-lock. He hugged her against him as he kissed her senseless. Veronica had to grab his shoulders just to ensure that she did not fall because of all the tingling in her body.
~~Kane Residence: Night~~
Logan had taken Veronica's advice and had gone to the Kane estate to play X-Box with Duncan.
"So you and Veronica dating again?" Duncan asked as his eyes were fixated on the TV screen waiting for a chance for his character to kill Logan's.
Logan looked at Duncan with shock and Duncan got his chance to kill Logan's character. "Ha!" Duncan laughed in triumph. Duncan turned to his friend and said, "Dude, it's cool. I'm happy for you. This is good, you can help me get her to forgive me for all the crap I pulled. I want everything to be okay again, with all of us."
Logan was still in shock by Duncan revelation. Duncan grinned and stated, "Dude, if you keep looking at me like that I'm gonna chop of your neck again." His fingers worked the buttons fast and Logan chuckled before and let a smile grace his face as he continued the rest of the game.
~~Navarro Residence: Night~~
Veronica pulled up outside of the Navarro residence, she got out of her LeBaron and walked over to examine Weevil's bike which was parked in the street. Veronica didn't believe that Weevil was guilty, and for Meg's sake she hoped that she was right because there was no way she'd let Meg date a guy in juvie. But Veronica firmly believed Weevil and his grandma were innocent.
"I've hospitalised people for less than what you're doing right now," Weevil's voice came through from the darkness.
"What? Admiring your paint job?" She remarked.
"I know what you're doing and admiring my paint job isn't it."
"I'm just following up on a few things for the lawyer who's representing your grandma."
"Yeah, I met the guy. He says I should confess."
"Well, who do you think framed your grandma?"
"You don't think it was me?" He looked at her with surprise, everyone but Meg had been telling him to turn himself in.
Veronica shrugged, "I don't think you'd let your grandma serve time for you. Actually I'm surprised you didn't fake a confession just so that you could take her place."
"You think you know me so well." He actually was gonna do that tomorrow.
"I know enough, and I know that I will find out who did it."
"Pretty confident aren't you?" He hoped that she was right though.
"Yes, I am."
"So if you're so sure, why'd you come by here, huh?" His defensive tough demeanour was placed back on.
"I said I'm sure that you didn't do it, I didn't say that I cleared all the other criminals that hang around you."
"What are you saying?"
"Get a clue Weevil, if it wasn't you and it wasn't your grandma, it has to be one of your toadies," she snapped at him.
He looked angry now. There ya go again Veronica blabbing those lips of yours off, she thought.
"Those guys are my friends, they're my family. Ever think that maybe it's your pretty little rich boy that's crying for attention from mommy and daddy dearest?"
Her face hardened and her voice was distinctive and stern, "It wasn't Logan. And if I was sure about you then I'm twice as sure about him." Veronica glared at him and turned around and marched to her car.
~~Echolls Residence: Late Night~~
The house was engulfed in darkness as Logan tip-toed quickly but quietly with his shoes in his hand. Unfortunately Aaron was awake.
"Hey, Dad," Logan said softly. Aaron was seated in the dark, as though waiting Logan's arrival. Logan's lips curve in an awkward semi-smile but it quickly vanished and Logan's features show he is nervous. "What are you doing up?" He swallowed. He hoped that his word to Veronica wouldn't break because he'd been afraid.
"I couldn't sleep. What with the phone ringing every five minutes. Access Hollywood," he said as he rose from his seat and walked toward Logan. "Entertainment Tonight," his father stated and Logan grew more cautious and afraid, for once he wasn't afraid for himself but for Veronica. "E". Any guesses what they wanted to talk about? My charity work? No. My latest Christmas movie? No." Logan sucked in a deep breath as he attempted to prepare himself for the worst. Aaron reached Logan and placed his hand with force on Logan's shoulder. "They wanted to talk about my son's latest public nudity scene and disrespect for the elderly and homeless," Aaron spat out menacingly as he bent his arm so his hand is on the back of Logan's head.
"Look, Dad, I, uh…I didn't know what-" Logan tried to explain but he should have known better. His father didn't care, heck he wouldn't have cared about this stunt if it hadn't been broadcast nationwide.
Aaron grasped the back of Logan's neck with excessive force and in a dangerously soft tone he said, "I have to say that your performance was really impressive." The volume of his voice increased, "The way you play the ungrateful son determined to humiliate his father was," he began to shout, "utterly impressive." He flung Logan across the room and Logan landed face down on the sofa but quickly scrabbled up to face Aaron. Logan's expression is caught between fear and readiness.
Aaron continued to yell, "Do you have any idea what you just cost this family? Of course you don't. You never had to work for anything in your life." Aaron seemed to be calming himself down and softly stated, "Well, tomorrow, after school, you're going to get your first lesson in public relations." Aaron whispered, "Logan, don't you ever embarrass me again." And with that he walked away. Logan swallowed hard as he watched his father's retreating figure and he was visibly shaken.
~~Kane Residence~~
"Where's Logan?" Veronica asked Duncan when she saw him seated in the lounge watching TV alone.
"He went home, why?" Duncan lifted an eyebrow and then let a smirk appear on his face, "You wanted a midnight smooch?" He laughed while she looked at him in astonishment.
"Duncan!"
"What? I know you two are dating again, and I'm okay with it. I fully approve of you dating my BFF," he explained.
"Thanks," she said completely freaked out by the weird interaction. She sighed and went into her room to call Logan.
"Hey Sugarpuss, couldn't get enough of me could ya?" Logan answered with a sort of humour in his voice which made Veronica feel relief, he wasn't hurt.
"Logan! I told you not to go home," she scolded him.
"Sorry snoockums, it's frowned upon to stay with a girl without there being a marital ceremony."
"I'm assuming that by the lack of pain in your voice that he wasn't home?"
"He was here but he didn't do anything, well we had a talk, a real talk about what a disgrace I am and how he's gonna fix it by taking me to some charity thing after school tomorrow."
"Oh, okay, that's good. You're okay."
"Yeah so uh what are you wearing?"
"Logan!" She shrieked.
"I'm joking, but you know if you told me I'd be more than okay."
"Well, the same thing you last saw me with, I just got in."
"This late?"
"Cheating spouses don't catch themselves y' know."
"I'd know if you took me with you."
"Logan, didn't we have this discussion?"
"Yeah, but I worry y'know?"
"I worry too and it's human nature so we just gotta deal with it."
"Human nature?"
"We worry about the ones we care about. And I gotta cut this conversation short because I need to talk to Duncan before he falls asleep, and I'm tellin' ya the boy will sleep through the apocalypse."
"Yeah, thank god or else we'd have to actually look for a page to play tic-tac-toe when we're bored and he's asleep."
Veronica laughed, she kind of felt sorry for Duncan's skin. Logan, Lilly and Dick always do sin to his face when he's asleep, like draw a funny moustache or weird lips or play tic-tac-toe.
"Goodnight Logan," she softly whispered
"Night Ronnie, sweet dreams," he replied with a sweet and gentle tone.
Veronica disconnected the call and headed over to Duncan's room. She knocked on his door.
"It's open," he called out.
"Hey," she said, unsure of how to approach her questions.
"Hey," he replied.
"Yeah, why are you being nice to me?" She blurted out.
"Because I forgive you," he simply stated.
"Forgive me?" She cocked an eyebrow as she watched Duncan confusion.
"Yeah."
"I didn't do anything wrong."
"Well I've gotten past what I've thought you've done wrong."
"Care to enlighten me?" The edgy tone in her voice made Duncan think that Veronica had certainly gotten more aggressive over the months.
"Come on Veronica, it's late and there's school tomorrow and I don't want to get into it. Can't you just let bygones be bygones?"
"No, you know what? We'll talk about this tomorrow but you better be ready to give me an explanation." She didn't wait for a reply as she turned around and walked back to her room.
So he's a dorkus and he sometimes doesn't realise that people can't read his mind, he drinks out of the milk bottle and eats out of the ice cream carton, he's a heavy sleeper with chances of snoring and a light drool on occasion but Duncan's a good guy at heart and he loved Lilly. There's no way he'd hurt her, right? Always go with your instincts Mars.
Lilly, Lilly, Lilly you had so many secrets and knew so many secrets, if only… Oh my god, secrets? Lilly kept her secrets in her air vent!