Title: Forever After

Legal: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned the characters or storylines of "Veronica Mars" If I did, Veronica wouldn't still be pining over her ex-loser get-a-life-Duncan Kane when she has a super cutie like Logan!

Personal Note: Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing. I love knowing people out there love Logan like I do, he's a great character and I've loved writing about him. Thanks especially to Cori, who wrote directly to me, not once but Twice, to tell me she was enjoying Forever After. Here's the last bits..I think. LoL AmandaSpencer

Chapter Eight

Leo looked over at Veronica, she was sitting so still he wondered if she'd gone into shock. "You okay, over there?"

Her whole body flinched, wide, startled eyes turned to look at him. "What? Oh, yeah. Fine." She looked back at the doors. "What do you think is taking so long?"

Leo sighed. "It's only been forty minutes..It takes a while sometimes. I'm sure he'll be fine."

She nodded jerkily. "I know. Logan's a strong person."

He nodded back at her with an uncomfortable smile. When the sheriffs' department had responded to Veronica's call, he'd gone in with his heart in his throat. They found Veronica crying over the still figure of Logan Echolls. Aaron Echolls lay dead several feet away. He'd leaned down to check and found Logan's thready pulse, calling for the paramedics. EMT's rushed into the scene, working quickly to pull Logan back, while Leo had been forced to pull Veronica away from Logan's side.

"What happened?" he'd asked quietly.

Her eyes stayed where they were working on Logan. "Aaron Echolls killed Lily. He tried to kill me, he shot-" she swallowed. "He shot Logan. I have to go with him. Logan needs me." Veronica told him pushing at him to get closer to the younger man.

"Your not going anywhere until we figure this out. Except to lockup." Sheriff Lamb snarled walking up behind them. Leo had watched Veronica stiffen, preparing to attack the sheriff and he'd stepped in quickly.

"I'll go with her to the hospital and take her statement. I'll take responsibility for her."

"Right." Lamb had sneered. "Like I'm going to let you save your little girlfriend. I'm charging her with murder."

The EMT's loaded Logan onto a stretcher, preparing to take him away and Veronica was already tugging at his restraining hand, trying to follow them.

"Sir, you might want to wait on those charges. Logan Echolls will make a statement, if there's no evidence and he clears her, her old man will sue the department." Leo warned.

"She's here, there's a gun. One man's dead, his son is shot. She's covered in blood for Pete's sake!" Lamb waved toward her hands.

"She was holding her jacket over Logan's gunshot when we arrived. We all saw her. Let me go with her to the hospital." He repeated.

The sheriff looked at everyone watching the three of them, finally shouting in disgust, "Fine! Get out of here!"

Leo had grabbed Veronica pulling her toward the door but she had quickly moved ahead of him, running to follow Logan's stretcher. There was a short scuffle as he convinced her to ride with him to the hospital until he'd explained the EMT's needed room to work. At another time she would have laughed in his face but with a strained fearful look she'd jumped into his car and urged him to hurry. The ride to the hospital was tense as she stared intently at the back of the ambulance as they raced along. An hour later, here they were; she was perched on an uncomfortable grey plastic chair, watching the ER surgical doors just as intently as she had stared at the ambulance.

"Why don't you go clean up?" he suggested, looking toward the bathroom door two feet away. "I'll stay here if anyone comes."

She looked down at the blood caked to her hands and crusting on her clothes. Logan's blood. Oh God, please. "No, I-I have to stay-"

"You have to clean up. Logan shouldn't see you like that. It'll worry him. Go wash up, I'll see if I can borrow some scrubs for you." Leo told her gently. He rose to pull her to her feet as she shot another look toward the double doors.

"You'll call me?" she asked anxiously, walking toward the bathroom reluctantly.

"Promise."

As soon as the door closed behind her he found an accommodating nurse. She found a small pair of scrubs and agreed to check Veronica for shock while she helped her clean up.

In ten minutes Veronica was back, starring at the double doors as she sat back down on the horrible plastic chair. He was just about to tell her to relax when the doors opened and Veronica popped back up again. A doctor headed toward them and Leo rose to stand beside her.

She darted forward. "Is it Logan? Is he all right?"

"Are you family?" the doctor asked.

"We-" Leo interrupted.

"Yes! I am." Veronica nodded emphatically. The doctor eyed her with disbelief but Leo nodded to back her up.

"Very well. I expect Mr. Echolls to make a full recovery." The doctor smiled but Veronica slumped forward and Leo grabbed her, pulling her into his arms as she cried.

"Is she all right?" the doctor demanded, alarmed.

"It's just shock and relief." Leo explained.

The doctor nodded wisely. "The bullet passed through his side, it nicked his ribs so he'll be plenty sore for the next couple months but we've given him a transfusion to offset the blood he lost. He's sleeping now, they'll take him up to recovery in a few minutes. You can visit him there."

Veronica turned her face to look at the doctor. "Thank you." She smiled shakily and Leo squeezed her.

The doctor nodded at her before turning to leave.

"He'll be okay." Veronica whispered, against his chest, like a benediction. He finally waved goodbye to the faint hope that she might change her mind one day and choose him.

"He'll be fine. I need to take your statement before you go up there to sit with him." Leo warned and she pulled out of his arms, wiping her tears away as she straightened her shoulders.

"Then let's get this done, deputy. I don't want Logan to wake up without me." She instructed, making him smile.

Being Veronica she gave him a lengthy statement, detailing Aaron's phone call to get her to his home, his confessions about Lily and the moment Logan had stepped between them. She started to choke up when she tried to tell him about Logan getting shot and he stopped her, letting her skip to the point where Logan had shot Aaron until the 911 response teams had arrived.

"That's it." She stood with a relieved smile and they headed toward the elevator. He rode with her to the recovery floor and told her to go ahead as he stayed back. He called in her statement and told dispatch to locate Keith Mar's immediately.

She was already sitting at Logan's side when Leo walked over to stand at the nurses desk and watch her.

"Are they really engaged?" a nurse asked, looking over to where Veronica sat, slipping her hand into Logan's.

Leo stared in surprise. "I don't know. Maybe. That's what she said?"

The nurse smiled understandingly. "We get a lot of that. Hospital's too strict sometimes. A girlfriend claims to be engaged just to stay close. She looked a little young though."

"Well-whatever they are, she's the one he'll want beside him when he wakes up." Leo told her kindly and the nurse nodded moving away.

Hours later Keith ran into the recovery room and Leo jumped up to intercept him. He watched the older man's face pale as he took in the story. Keith thanked him for helping Veronica before walking slowly into Logan's room.

Veronica looked up as Keith entered. She was curled up in a chair, Logan's hand pressed to her cheek as she waited for him to wake up. She pressed a kiss to his palm before laying it back on the bed and walking into her father's arms to sob.

In the end, Keith went to the sheriff's office to clear things up with Leo while Veronica sat at Logan's bedside. She curled up in the chair, again, with a spare blanket a nurse had brought her. She fell asleep holding Logan's hand under her cheek and when she opened her eyes again the dawn was breaking, spilling light into the room. She looked at Logan and found him watching her.

"You're awake." She scrambled to her feet to lean over him.

"Yeah." Logan winced. "What happened?"

She reached for his hand."Do you remember being shot?"

"Yeah. Is he?" Logan frowned and she touched his face gently.

"Aaron's dead." Veronica confirmed quietly. Logan nodded. "You're going to be okay, though, sore, for a while but..you'll be driving me crazy in no time." Veronica laughed shakily.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked, looking at her.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks to you. You saved me again." She told him softly, but he turned away.

"You saved yourself. I didn't even know you were there until you screamed." He pulled his hand away from her and she frowned.

"It's not your fault. None of this is your fault, Logan." She told him, rubbing his arm comfortingly.

"Sure." He looked back at her and she felt her heart squeeze painfully. His mask was in place. "You should go. You're probably tired. Get some sleep."

"I'm staying." She shook her head at him and he turned away, shutting his eyes.

"Do whatever you want."

"You go ahead and sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Veronica promised, ignoring the way he silently shut her out. Everything's going to be fine. Just fine.

Chapter Nine

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Everything was back to normal and nothing was right. Logan's recovery had been quicker then the doctors had anticipated. The sheriff had ruled Aaron's death, self-defense, thanks in large part to the 911 tape Veronicas' open cell line had created. The Kane's had revealed they had covered up the murder in fear over Duncan's memory loss. Duncan had returned to school quieter but closer to the Duncan of before Lily's death. The three of them had made their peace but Logan still kept his distance.

Aaron's will had been read and Trina had taken off with her half of their fathers considerable fortune. Logan was now a millionaire many times over, and while this made him wildly popular among the 09er crowd Logan didn't seem to care. Still, Logan didn't seem to care about much anymore. He walked through the halls quietly, his head down, he sat in classes without quips or doodles. He was in the process of moving from his father's house and building a new life but he seemed lifeless. And every day she waited for him to snap out of his odd mood and come to her.

She sat with him, talked to him about inane things and tried to flirt, who was she kidding? She couldn't flirt with Logan it was just weird. However, the relationship that had started so simply seemed to have stopped with equal ease, at least on his part. She knew it was her fault because she hadn't thought she could forgive him until she almost lost him. Now he was the one running away but she'd finally had enough.

Time's up, Logan! Here I come.

She dressed carefully, preparing for battle in case she had to. Jeans, a beige V-neck with six buttons down the front, three already undone. Her hair she left down because Logan always seemed to like playing with it and finally she pulled out the tiny gold jewelry box she had found in Logan's jacket.

In the past month she hadn't been able to bring herself to open it but today was a brand-new day for both of them. She pulled the lid off and lifted the tissue. She stared incredulously at the gold charmed necklace and burst out laughing.

SCHOOL

He was walking down the hallway when a tiny blond figure streaked in front of him, shoving him bodily through a door on his left.

"What the hell? Veronica?" he frowned in confusion. She turned the lock.

"Shut up." She pointed an angry finger at him before ducking to look beneath stall doors. Satisfied that they were empty she turned on him again. "It's my turn to talk, you had your chance."

"O-Kay." Logan stepped back, leaning back against the sink.

"I-hate-you." Veronica crossed her arms angrily in front of her.

"Great! Welcome to the club, do you have the pin yet?" Logan quipped dully.

"Now you're a smartass? What is wrong with you? For the past month you've..been like a ghost. Every day you're just there. You don't laugh, you barely smile. Your so damn sad it breaks my heart just to look at you." She ranted and he sneered.

"Didn't you say you hated me? Why do you care if I'm dead inside?"

Veronica felt tears well up but she resolutely pushed them aside. "You're not dead and I'm not letting you pretend you are any more."

"So what do you want, Veronica? Do you want me to leave? Is that it? I can transfer out, just say the word." Logan demanded and she stared at him in shock.

"You'd leave? Just like that?" she whispered horrified.

"I don't have anything left." Logan told her flatly.

"What about Duncan?" she demanded.

"What about him? We can barely stand to be around each other any more." Logan looked away.

"What about me?" she brushed a tear away. "You have me."

He looked back at her with a bitter laugh. "You? I have you? You hate me remember? I never had you."

"I hate you because every time I think I've got you figured out, you change on me and every time I think, 'that's it, I can't stand him' you do something-and I'm right back where I started. I hate you because you made me love you and I can't stand being around you knowing you don't love me anymore."

"You don't love me. I raped you. I got Lily killed. I almost got you killed." Logan stared at her with torture in his eyes. "Don't you get it? I'm his son, I'm just like him, everything I touch is destroyed."

"No." She walked over to him to take his face in her hands, "no you're not. You didn't rape me, you didn't know about the drugs. I know that. And Lily..made mistakes that got her killed and you saved me. You saved me, Logan Echolls and I do love you."

A tear slid down his face but her kept his arms crossed in front of him, refusing to look at her.

"It wasn't your fault, but this will be, if you give up now. I'm standing right here, telling you it's now or never. I can deal with you loving Lily more then me, I'll learn to ignore the moronic friends you keep. I don't care who your father was or what you have in the bank. Just-tell me you want to be with me." She pleaded, wiping the tear away. When he stayed silent, she stepped back defeated. She stared at the floor as waves of pain washed over her, struggling not to cry.

For a moment she thought the touch on her hair was her imagination, until he tucked the strand behind her ear and her head shot up.

He was smiling faintly at her. "What are you talking about, me loving Lily more then you?"

The tears spilled as she slid into his arms, holding him close. "I thought-"

"I love you in a way I never could've love Lily. I trust you." Logan admitted and she squeezed him tighter."Ow!"

"Oh, sorry." She pulled back quickly but her held her still.

"I thought you weren't going to forgive me, for before and for what he did." He confessed.

"Forgive you?" she snorted. "I sat there, watching you bleed to death, and I thought; if I lose him, I'll have nothing left."

He kissed her gently, cupping her face tenderly as they savored the feeling of being close after too long apart. "Mm. I missed this."

"I missed you." She told him fiercely, tugging on his shirt.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." He told her softly, the guilt lingering in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I was so angry that I couldn't forgive you before-all this." She slid her hand over the spot where his bandage lay beneath his shirt.

"I'm sorry you think my friends are morons." Logan teased.

"I'm sorry your never going to kiss another girl as long as you live." Veronica quipped sweetly.

Logan raised his brows. "Never?"

"Not if you want to breathe outta your face for the rest of your life." She smiled evilly.

He smiled back at her and his eyes dropped to her neck. "You're wearing it."

"Yeah." She laughed again. "You're lucky I happen to love you. I feel like I'm wearing a property tag."

"What?" He touched the charm.

"You know? A heart with your name in it, like a tag saying: Logan's property keep away. You figured I wouldn't go for the brand, huh?" she teased. "Can I order one for you though?"

"Mm. Maybe later, darling. It's not a property tag." Logan told her with a kiss.

"It's not? What is it?" she kissed him back.

He touched her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's-" he looked away and when he looked back he was smiling foolishly. "It's my heart." He shrugged uncomfortably. "Veronica has Logan's heart. Stupid huh?"

She stared at him in opened-mouth shock. "I love it."

"I love you." He told her simply.

"I love you too." She kissed him again before pulling back to give him a stern look. "Now this is how it's going to work."

He laughed, leaning down to kiss her again. "Stop." She laughed kissing him back. "I mean it Logan."

"I know. I just love how bossy you get. You're what? Five foot nothing?" he chuckled.

"Five, five!" she answered indignant and he laughed harder. "Logan, I'm serious." She said after a moment. He nodded.

"I want you to trust me and I want to be able to trust you." She told him sincerely.

"I do trust you." He told her earnestly.

"And I trust you, but if there's anything you need to tell me, anything I might get upset about later you should tell me now. I'll listen and I might get mad but I'll get over it." She promised, hoping there wasn't anything left to forgive him for.

He stared down at her face, indecision in his eyes before he sighed in resignation. "I saw Lily the day she died." He admitted.

"What?" she shook her head. "You were out of the country."

"I came back early from Tijuana. I wanted..to talk to her. I caught up with her outside the carwash and I told her it was over. That I didn't want to be with her anymore. She was pissed but- I just walked away. I sat on the beach all night until I heard some guys taking about someone getting killed at the Kane estate. I didn't even know it was her." Logan watched her, waiting for her to run again. Instead she laid her head against his chest carefully.

"It wasn't your fault." She repeated, listening as his heartbeat sped up. "I'm sorry they hurt you."

"It doesn't hurt any more." He kissed the top of her head.

She pulled back to look at him. "If something comes up, if you think something's going on, anything, I want you to ask me. I won't lie to you and I want you to tell me if there's something going on with you. No more secrets okay?"

He nodded. "What about-"

"What?" she saw the insecurity in his eyes and wondered at it.

"What about Duncan?" Logan asked.

"What about him?" she frowned.

"Do you still love him?" he stared at her, watching her eyes.

"In a way, but I'm not in love with him." She cupped his jaw, smoothing the pad of her thumb over his skin. "My mother had an affair with Jake Kane." She searched his eyes. "Duncan may be my..brother."

She winced and Logan's eyes widened in shock. "Wow."

"It's gross. I know. We didn't know. And we never.." She explained in a rush.

Logan gave her a sardonic look. "My girlfriend slept with me and my dad. Somehow a couple kisses with a guy who might be your half brother doesn't really compare."

She winced in sympathy this time.

"Besides, I was Duncan's best friend, remember?" Logan toyed with her hair, thoughtfully.

"So?" she looked at him sideways.

"So I know how close your relationship with Duncan was." He smiled. "Might as well have been brother and sister."

"Hey!" she protested laughing.

He kissed her before pulling back with a groan. "We're going to have to find you a portable step or something, all this leaning.." He rubbed his chest.

"Are you okay?" she followed his touch with her own.

"Are you going to kiss it and make it better if I say no?" Logan teased and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Funny guy. Maybe I could just dig out my old soccer uniform and model it for you?"

He opened his mouth to reply and then shut it, his cheeks turning red and she laughed at him. "Don't worry. It'll be our little secret." She pulled out of his arms, taking his hand in hers. "We should go, we're already pretty late."

"It's okay. I know somebody who knows everybody." Logan quipped.

"Yeah?" she flipped the lock. "Maybe you could hook me up some time?"

He followed her out. "I'll hook up with you anytime." Logan leered.

"You're an idiot." She told him over her shoulder.

"But you love me." He reminded her as they walked down the hallway toward class.

"Yep. Guess that makes me an idiot too." She pulled him to a stop outside the door. "Ready?"

"Come up her and kiss me again first." He crooked a finger at her with his free hand.

Bracing herself against his waist, she leaned up to reach his lips. "You have my heart too." She told him when she stepped back.

"You still can't call my SUV Big Bird." Logan warned as she reached for the doorknob.

"Well see." She flashed him a grin as they walked into class together.

And they lived Happily Ever After..for about two minutes because fighting and making up was their happily ever after. What the hell, if it works, don't fix it!

THE END.