Chapter Ten

'I am lost, so I am cruel.

But I'd be love and sweetness if I had you.'

Logan's motto (okay, not really, it's 'Milk' by Garbage)

Logan pulled up to the gate of his home just as the valet service was setting up. A private security firm was keeping the press at bay and checked Logan's ID before letting him through. A catering van was parked out front, people running to and fro with flowers and buffet tables. It reminded Logan of his mother's wake. All pomp and circumstance. He looked down at the steering wheel suddenly and gripped it tightly, the unfamiliar sting of tears flaring up behind his eyes. He rubbed his palms roughly against his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew it out. Pocketing his keys, he stepped out of his SUV and headed through the front door, dodging a man carrying two gilded cages containing song birds. Logan stopped to stare and raised an eyebrow.

"Oookay," he muttered under his breath, "obviously something Trina dreamed up." He shook his head and continued inside where a cleaning crew was busy vacuming, dusting, and polishing. Trina was out by the pool, directing traffic and shouting orders. Before he could sneak upstairs, she spotted him and rushed inside.

"Just in time, little brother. I put a suit out on your bed and had your shoes polished."

"Wait a minute," Logan said, holding up a finger. "You went through my closet?" Trina rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, I left your Hustler collection untouched," she told him.

"Hardy har har," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. She smiled and grabbed his shoulders, turning him towards the stairs.

"Now go shower and change. Guests will start arriving soon." Logan clicked his heels together and saluted.

"Si, mon capitan!" Trina sighed and shook her head, then walked away. Logan walked up the stairs and entered his room where one of his least favorite suits was indeed waiting for him on the bed, shoes nice and shiny beside it. He stuck a finger in his mouth and gagged, then headed into the bathroom to shower.

Two hours later, the party was in full swing. Certain select members of the press had been invited and rubbed shoulders with the notable and powerful of Neptune. An interview here, a photo op there, everyone had a sound bite and an opinion to offer.

Logan was mingling his ass off. His cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing and his hands were practically raw from handshakes and slapping people on the back. He made sure he wandered over to Aaron every 15 to 20 minutes to show his family loyalty, his faith in the justice system, and his pearly whites.

He also did his best to avoid Katie Campbell, not that he needed to try that hard. A good percentage of the male guests seemed to be keeping her fairly well occupied. She and Logan exchanged occasional glares across the room, but managed to otherwise stay out of each other's hair.

Trina was the hostess with the mostest. The lighting, the music, the food, the atmosphere - sheek, refined, and classy, with a touch of glamour thrown in. Even the stupid twittering birds in their sparkling cages worked somehow. Logan had to admit she knew how to put together a smash bash.

As the night wore on and the alcohol flowed freely, people began to get louder and even more obnoxious than their stations in life usually made them. Trina and Aaron began circulating through the room, hinting that it was time for the guests to leave. It had been a very tiring day for the Echolls family, they hoped the guests understood.

Aaron, Trina, and Logan stood outside the front door with their arms around each other, waving as the guests departed.

'I feel like I'm in a fucking episode of 'The Beverly Hillbillies', Logan thought as the last set of car tail lights disappeared down the driveway. Trina turned to look at both of them.

"I think that went very well," she said, smoothing her dress with her hands and then stifling a yawn. Logan grinned at her.

"Trina, that was a fabulous shinding you just threw," he told her sincerely. Aaron nodded his agreement.

"Absolutely. Thank you, honey," he said, slurring his words slightly and giving her a kiss on the cheek, stumbling a bit when he pulled back. Logan supressed a smile.

When he'd made his regular rounds to his father's side during the evening, he'd brought a fresh drink every time. He'd also tipped a couple of waiters to maker sure Aaron's drink never dipped too low. Unlike his recently departed wife, Aaron Echolls was not much more than a social drinker. Aaron loved being in control and never willingly relinquished that.

Trina gave a little chuckle and patted her father's chest.

"Thanks, Daddy. I think it's time we all went beddy bye, huh?" she asked, looking meaningfully at Logan, who nodded his understanding.

"Right, I'm bushed. How 'bout you, Dad?" Aaron shrugged elaborately.

"I suppose I could use some beauty sleep," he joked. Trina seemed satisfied.

"Okay, see you guys in the morning," she told them, stifling another yawn. "Or early afternoon," she amended, walking back into the house. Logan chuckled and looked at his dad.

"That Trina, what a party pooper. How about the Echolls men have a nightcap? Just the two of us." Aaron considered Logan's proposal and a smile slowly spread across his face.

"I'd like that, son," he said finally, patting Logan on the back. In Aaron's office, Logan sat on the sofa while Aaron poured them drinks at the bar. "You know," Aaron said conversationally, "I could get arrested for serving you alcohol." Logan grinned despite himself as he accepted the glass that was handed to him.

"I won't tell if you won't," Logan promised.

"Deal," Aaron agreed, raising his glass for a toast. "So, what should we toast to?" Logan considered a moment before smiling and lifting his own glass.

"To freedom. And justice." Aaron nodded sagely as their glasses clinked.

"To freedom and justice," he intoned solemnly. They each downed their drinks and Logan pounded the table with his glass.

"Another, I say!" Logan demanded. Aaron obliged, taking their glasses back to the bar and refilling them. He handed Logan his drink and raised his glass again.

"My turn to toast." Logan held up his glass and waited. Aaron thought for a moment and smiled at Logan.

"To one's children and all the joy they bring." Logan's smile faltered, but he managed to swallow the burning brew past the lump in his throat.

"I'll take your word for it, Dad," Logan finally said, chuckling. Aaron squeezed his shoulder.

"You'll understand some day when you have children of your own," he promised.

'Children? Me?' Logan thought incredulously. Unbidden, a vision of two children flashed into his mind - one blonde and brown-eyed, one brunette and blue-eyed. He shook his head to clear it and looked at his dad.

"Well, you kind of need a woman for that and I'm fresh out." Aaron waved a hand dismissively.

"Bah, women are everywhere. Although you should be a little more choosie with the ones you marry and have kids with," Aaron cautioned. "Others are just for fun."

"Like Lilly?" Logan asked. Aaron looked at him sharply, but Logan was smiling engagingly. "Don't sweat it, Dad. It's not like you were the only one Lilly was seeing on the side." Aaron eyed him a moment before grinning.

"Aha! I knew she couldn't have learned all those moves from just you." Logan's smile froze on his face, but he forced himself to laugh along as Aaron's eyes took on a distant gleem. "Oh, she was wild and uninhibited." Then he frowned. "A little smarter than I like 'em though." Logan clucked his tongue sympathetically.

"Found the video camera in the pool house, huh?" Aaron nodded morosely.

"Gave me a scare, let me tell you." Aaron pointed to his temple. "I knew the way her mind worked, you see. We were almost two of a kind." Aaron sighed. "She took the videos of us and I knew what she would do with them."

"And you had to get them back," Logan said reasonably.

"Absolutely, she wouldn't have thought twice about showing them off, especially to the press."

"Couldn't let her do that. Aaron Echolls in flagrante delicto with an underage girl. The scandal!"

"Exactly! I tried to reason with her, but she was so stubborn." Logan nodded in understanding.

"She refused to give you the tapes and wanted to tell the whole world about you two." Aaron grabbed Logan's shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Then you understand. It was an accident, I didn't mean to. I just wanted the tapes back, but she said she was gonna tell. Everyone. I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen. I picked something up from the patio table and I hit her with it. Not hard." Aaron let go of Logan and slid down to the ground, staring off into space. "But she fell. And she didn't move. And there was blood, so much blood." He looked imploringly at Logan. "It was an accident. You understand, don't you, son?" Logan nodded.

"Yeah. I do," he replied. And he did, really. Lilly's death was a tragic culmination of events resulting from Aaron's ego, Lilly's libido, and Logan's blindness. But what his father did was inexcusable. So what if people found out? Would that have been the end of the world? Maybe it would've been the wake-up call his father needed, maybe his mom would've finally left her philandering husband and still be alive, maybe Logan himself would've ended it with Lilly once and for all. Maybe . . . but maybes don't count in real life. Sniffling, Logan raised a hand to his face and was surprised to find tears. He set his glass gently on the coffee table and stood, taking a last look at his father before leaving the room. Instead of going to his bedroom, he walked out the front door, down the driveway, and through the front gate. A cargo van sat at the curb and he approached, knocking on the side panel. It slid back to reveal Sheriff Lamb, Assistant District Attorney Steadman, and a couple of others he didn't recognize.

"Get what you need?" he asked without preamble, unbuttoning his shirt. Anna Steadman nodded.

"Yes, we did. Thank you, Logan." He nodded and ripped the microphone and wire from his chest, handing it over to the A.D.A.

"He's all yours."

Chapter Note: Just in case some of the younger generation are confused, 'The Beverly Hillbillies' was a show that aired a looooong time ago. Doesn't matter what it was about, but during the closing credits of every ep, the cast would stand outside their front door and wave at the camera until the credits ended. I don't know why.

Author's Note: Okay, I honestly thought it would be only one more chapter, but it just kept getting longer and longer and longer. So I divided it. One more chapter. I'm pretty sure. On the plus side, it's already mostly written. Oh, and I'll be adding another little bit at the end about the Comic Con in San Diego, SUCH fun things I learned from the cast and Rob Thomas.