Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars, UPN does.

Summary: Who knocked on Veronica's door? Well, that's not really important to the plot of this story. But that is where it starts off. Post season one, so spoilers up to "Leave It To Beaver."

Prologue

…Duncan didn't smile back at Veronica.

"Thanks" he said, giving his usual brooding stare. Veronica's smile faltered then.

"I won't ever forget her." Duncan moved closer to veronica, but she backed up.

"Even the thought, of, you know, was enough to put me off. I'm not in love with you anymore Duncan, we can't go back in time."

"Logan's not answering his phone."

"It's three in the morning what do you expect? You can stay on the couch; I guess I'd rather not be alone."

Veronica moved away from the door and went and shoved backup of the couch.

"Don't mind the dog hair." Duncan flopped down, and Veronica left him. As she lay down in her bed, Veronica tried to find that sense of relief she had before Duncan knocked on the door, but it never came. Instead, she thought of her father, asleep in the hospital with Alicia -and her mother, god knows where, drunk, alone. It was supposed to be perfect now. But she told Duncan herself, you can't turn back time.

Logan rolled over and coughed, blood spewing from his mouth. He heard a siren, and saw flashing lights. The sound of a dozen bikes starting up and speeding off filled the air, one engine left idling. Logan felt something wet hit his eye, then heard the sound of one last engine speeding off, before a man's voice told him to stay calm, that the ambulance was on its way. I'm near mom, was his only thought, I'm going to die right near my mom.

Chapter one

Veronica woke to Backup barking and the phone ringing. She glanced at the clock above her bed. 11:30. Veronica reached for the phone, and pulled it to her ear.

"Hello?" she croaked. Her throat burned and her mouth tasted like smoke and gasoline.

"Veronica? Its Alicia, I'm sorry to wake you, Keith… your father said to let you sleep, but he woke up around three last night. I can send Wallace over to pick you up, if you want to come see him."

"Mrs. Fennel thanks. That would be really great."

"Great, I'll just phone Wallace, and tell him to come in about an hour, does that sound good?"

Veronica agreed to Alicia's plan, and went to tell Duncan where she was going, as well as get dressed, and maybe brush some of the god-awful taste out of her mouth. Duncan was snoring fitfully on he couch when she found him, so veronica wrote him a note and told Backup to look after him, before showering, brushing, and waiting for Wallace outside, to avoid questions that Wallace wouldn't expect answers from, but that veronica was too tired to think up witty avoidance tactics for.

Wallace was in an pensive mood when he arrived. He told her that his mom woke him up in the middle of the night, to explain, but he fell asleep, thinking it was a nightmare, until this morning when he woke up to find his mom gone. He had phoned her, and with his mind able to understand the situation, was happy to help out his best friend. He seemed to understand her silence, and said nothing while driving, until they reached the hospital. Veronica had closed her eyes, and was drifting off when Wallace shook her awake.

"Paparazzi! Look out mars, you're a celebrity!" veronica opened her eyes to see hoards of reporters outside the hospital, ignoring them until they got out of the car, and one of them recognized her as the daughter of Keith mars.

"Is it true you had a major role in the take down of Aaron Echolls?"

"Do you have any comment on the state Logan Echolls was found in early this morning?"

"Your father beat Aaron Echolls to a pulp, who beat up his son?"

Wallace helped veronica into the building, and as soon as they were safe inside she paled and whipped around,

"What's up with all the Logan questions?" Veronica suddenly seemed to register what she had been asked outside...

"You're the detective." Wallace was attempting to find the room number on a piece of paper in his pocket. Veronica started walking towards her father's room, and Wallace realized she knew where she was going and followed.

Neptune had a medium sized hospital; the burn unit was just past intensive care. Trina Echolls was sitting in a chair beside her half brothers bed, her eyes red. She had been woken early this morning by one of her "friends" asking if it was true that her father was a murderer. She had rushed home to find the maid frantically searching for a way to contact her with the news that her father and brother were both in the hospital, her father in police custody in an inconspicuous room somewhere in the long term care ward of the hospital. Trina knew her father was ruthless, and though she had appreciated his help with her boy trouble, had been slightly scared of him afterwards. Logan, on the other hand, had been showing more that usual kindness towards her, with half his usual amount of sarcasm. So it was to her unconscious brother that she went when she arrived at the hospital, not her criminal father.

Trina was thirsty. She was walking towards the pop machine when veronica mars and some boy stepped out of the elevator and ran almost right smack into her. Veronica looked like crap, not that Trina could comment. She had scratches and some minor burns on her face, and was crying.

"Trina! What's going on? Where's Logan?" Trina stared at her, and vaguely recalled someone telling her that Keith mars had apprehended her father, and had sustained some burns from a fire in the process. Trina felt a spark of her hereditary sarcasm coming on, and barely managed to hold back a biting edge when she commented that veronica should probably be with her father.

"I was on my way to see him! But there are reporters outside talking about Logan, and him being in here, injured or, beaten, or something. Just tell me what's going on!"

Trina looked at veronicas confused overwrought face and took her by the elbow and led her to Logan's room.

"A trucker saw some guys on bikes beating him up on the bridge, he called it in, and the cops showed up just as they were riding away. They brought him here. He's unconscious." Veronica stood by Logan's bed and looked as though she was about to burst into tears again. Logan was unconscious, and weevil was most likely going to be caught and put in jail for a long time.

At that moment, Veronica Mars truly did not think her life could get any worse.