A/N: Mam, this chapter has been a long time coming, hasn't it? This one gave me much trouble, and it took forever to write - as you've probably noticed. I apologise. Hopfully I'll manage to write the next one before my borthday (August 26th, Baby!). I would love to hear what you guys have to say.

Also, just because I don't reply to all of your reviews in the new chapters does not mean I don't read them. I do, and they are the greatest things I can ever hope to read as a writer. One liners, or even bad reviews, I love getting the feedback. I like knowing that people read my work, and have something to say about it.

As always, you readers - You Rock!

Zeppelin forever

Roni

Chapter 8

When Veronica got to work the next day, she was feeling fantastic. She felt happy, alert, well rested and giddy. She was feeling high on life. The little things she witnessed on her way to work made her smile brightly: Kids playing baseball in the middle of the street, a teen walking his dog, a bunch of street performers playing noisily…

She was partly aware that she was only this happy because for once, she made an exception and decided to accept Logan kissing her without reading into it at all, or trying to analyze it. She was basking in the feeling of being on semi-friendly terms with him. They weren't enemies. And he was right. After ten years, a handshake really wasn't enough.

All thoughts of happiness flew out the window as she started reading the autopsy results of the Craig Martins body. She was right about one thing – a lot of questions were answered from the autopsy results. The guy was high. Heroin. Somehow, Veronica doubted it was his first fix. The coroner agreed with her opinion: Craig seemed to have several marks on his arms, indicating drug use. The amount of drug in Craig's blood was unbelievably high. She sighed. Why would such a good kid do drugs?

She wasn't that naïve. She was well aware of the usage of drugs among teenagers. She helped that kid who's name she couldn't remember get out of trouble for losing a ton of steroids back in high school. She dated Troy, who was a dealer (and according to Logan, she recalled, he still was).

And, also, she was drugged and raped at Shelly's party. So sure, she didn't remember being raped, but the thought of her unconscious body being entered, the thought of someone using her body, robbing her from her virginity and the last remains of innocence she had had… it disgusted her. She wasn't against sex, but she was overly careful about actually having any. She had to trust someone almost completely and love him very much before she was able to agree to sex. Maybe it was a phobia.

She knew she was lucky; she didn't have to live with the memory of someone actually doing the act while she couldn't resist. But the not knowing… it hurt. And the thought of some stranger using her like that… or worse: someone she knew. She shivered, and forced her mind to refocus on the matter in hand. Kid, using drugs, must find drug dealer, must get to the bottom of this.

Veronica decided that this whole thing was too unorganized. Papers and pictures were jumbled, pieces related to the case everywhere: in her computer, on her desk, in her bag, her apartment. So, Veronica spent the most of her day in organizing her investigation, by topics. It wasn't as neat and tidy as Lilly's case had been, and also, it wasn't on her computer, it was in a manila file. She swore to always keep the file in sight, or just the opposite, hidden from anyone else. She could be on the edge of something big.

Around noon Jenny, the mail girl, came with today's mail. She dropped a few envelopes on Garret's table, one on Rose's and three on Veronica's. They exchanged smiles.

"How are you Jenny?"

"Better. Mark finally stopped calling me." Veronica nodded sympathetically. "I think I'm going to like being single. At least for now."

"Hey, single is better than having to share a man with three other girls." Reminded her Veronica. Jenny sighed. "Men are jerks." Added the reporter. Jenny could only nod her agreement. She said goodbye and went on with her work.

Veronica looked through her mail. There was a letter from Kerrie, a friend of hers from college. Another one was from FBI agent Leonard Webb. She met him on one of the cases she had been handling, back when she was a senior in high school. He was the only Fed she had ever met that had actually liked her. They helped each other every now and then, when they needed. Whatever it was, she'd look into it later. As she picked up the last envelop, a small note that lay on top of it fell to the ground. Veronica, who was sitting down on her chair by her desk, bent down and stretched her hand as far as she could to get to the note. After a few more stretches she finally managed to catch the note with two of her fingers.

Veronica read the note, and couldn't help the bright smile from spreading. The note contained a very small number of words. But those words, combined with the oh-so-familiar handwriting made her heart skip a beat. She hated being so corny, but, hey, all in all - Veronica Mars was a marshmallow, a Twinkie. Wallace had it right. She was tough on the outside, but just like any other girl, she loved those little, sweet gestures. Some things were unchangeable.

Veronica read the words a second time:

Pick you up from your place. 9 PM. Dress nice.

She folded the note and stuffed it into her bag. Does this mean she had a date with Logan Echolls? Was this his way of asking her out? Or maybe he wanted to make things clear about the two of them? What was between the two of them, anyway? Maybe it's just about the publicity, because of the interview and all. What if it isn't?

Veronica Mars was amazed how quickly her mood could change from giddy and chirpy to broody and slightly gloom. Her life had too many question in it. She'd rather have some answers.

And she'd probably get them, at 9 PM.

Her eyes widened, as another question popped into her head:

What am I going to wear?

But, there were bigger issues to worry about. Such as her already rather pissed off editor. Veronica got up and walked towards Connor's office. She knocked on the door, and at his muffled invitation, entered, and closed the door behind her.

"Veronica." He acknowledged.

"Hi Connor."

"How's that investigation coming up?"

"I'm still working on it."

"I see. And the Echolls interview?"

"Typing all the pieces together as we speak."

"Good, good. Very good." Veronica grinned. "Well, how can I help you?"

"You could let me leave work earlier, say around eight?"

Connor looked at her for a few moments with a raised eyebrow. "And why do you need leave the office early today?"

"Oh… I…" she bit her lip. Should she tell him? "I have a date tonight."

Connor was struggling not to let his surprise show. Veronica has a date. She is actually giving up work for a social activity? It wasn't like her. She hardly ever let anything interfere with her work and investigations, and she avoided social gathering of all sorts as a rule.

"C'mon Connor, please. I never ask stuff like this from you. It's a one time thing, really."

With a sigh he nodded. "You can leave, but you be careful, if you're late tomorrow…"

"Thanks Connor" she said with a bright grin. She got up and left the office, returning to her desk. That was easier than I thought it would be.

Veronica was just putting her shoes on when the intercom buzzed. She looked at the clock. Nine sharp. She was slightly impressed. She ran on her high heels to the door and buzzed him in. She grabbed her purse and checked for her things: cell phone, lip-gloss, taser, and money. Check all four.

She glanced at the mirror, just to make sure her hair is okay. It was.

There was a knock on her door. Veronica grabbed her keys, and opened the door.

"Hi" she greeted Logan. He was looking at her intently.

"Hey… you, you look amazing." He said. Veronica wasn't the type to blush; she never did, but that moment was the closest she ever got to blush.

"Thanks." Honestly, she didn't think she looked all that amazing. She wore a simple spaghetti-straps dress that reached her knees, with pale-pink dots all over the fabric. She had simple black heels to her feet, and a black purse. Simple, but elegant.

Logan smiled and offered his arm. "Shell we?" Veronica smiled and took his offered arm. It was so corny, but it was such a sweet gesture. They went down the stairs and out of the building. Outside was a black BMW.

"Black?" Veronica asked teasingly. "I'd figure you for a Mountain Dew green."

Logan smiled. "Black is helpful when you don't want to be noticed."

"You mean there's a situation where you don't want everybody to notice you?"

"Ha ha, very funny." He replied. Veronica smirked. Logan opened the door for Veronica and she slid into the car. He then went to the other side and set on the driver's side. The drive was silent for the most part.

Finally Logan parked the car. They both climbed out of the car.

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's a restaurant. You see, people go there and pay money and in return-"

"You know what I meant." She cut him off.

"This is "A Room With A View", a wonderful little place in which we are going to eat."

Veronica smiled, and the two walked towards the entrance. A hostess met them inside.

"Reservation under Echolls." Said Logan. She nodded and motioned for them to follow her. She led them to the VIP room, a separate part of the restaurant. The three stopped next to a table for two. Logan and Veronica set down and the hostess places menus on the table and told them a waiter would be there soon. With that, the hostess left.

"See anything you like?" Logan asked after a moment of reading the menu.

"Yes, I do." She replied, not lifting her eyes from the menu. "Unfortunately, I can't afford a single thing on this menu."

"Dinner's on me." He said. Veronica looked up from the menu.

"Well, that's very…" she considered for a moment before saying "nice, but I refuse"

"Well, in that case – I veto your refusal"

"You can't do that." She protested, but Logan simply smirked at her in that annoying way, that made her question his right to veto her words.

"Look, I asked you to come here, so I get to pay. And don't even try to argue."

She sighed, almost angrily, but nodded. Still, when they ordered, she chose one of the cheaper dishes on the menu.

"Wine?" The waiter asked. Logan looked at Veronica, looking for her reply.

"No, thank you." She told the waiter. "Just water."

"And you, Sir?"

"Ice tea." Veronica raised a mental eyebrow. Logan refused Alcohol? What could that mean? She pondered that: It could be 1 – he doesn't want me to feel uncomfortable 'cause I didn't order any. 2 – there's a really important thing he wants to talk about and want to be sober for it. 3 – maybe he isn't as desperate for alcohol as he used to be. The waiter scampered off to deliver their orders.

"Refusing Alcohol?" she asked. Logan, she knew for a fact – wasn't an alcoholic, but he did like drinking and getting drunk. Oh, the number of times Rose wrote about one of his violent drunken outbursts at photographers, reporters and company. He will forever be one of Hollywood's bad boys. He has toned down since high school, and Veronica had a feeling that had to do with his mother's death.

"I do have some self control, Mars." He replied. "How about you? No wine?"

"I don't drink wine." She replied. It was no lie. She didn't like wine. As a teen she hadn't liked it either, but figured as she'd get older she'll grow to like it. So far, it hasn't worked.

"Yeah, I should have known you'd like something stronger."

"Oh, yeah" she replied sarcastically, "Tequila me up, baby." She added an eye-roll to that sarcastic tone. Logan smirked. They set a moment in silence. It was getting uncomfortable. God, Veronica wanted to ask him why he asked her here so bad, but held the urge back.

Their food arrived not too long after they ordered – Oh, the joys of being a celebrity – and they ate in silence. After a while, a light, pointless conversation started, but only to put an end to the uncomfortable embarrassing silence. After they finished eating the waiter returned. Both refused dessert. Logan asked for the check then. When it arrived he made sure he grabbed it before Veronica, and kept it out of her sight. Veronica could kill him for that.

After they paid, the two left the restaurant. Logan opened the car door for Veronica, who entered without a word. Logan climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. After a moment of driving in silence, Logan has had enough.

"What is it?"

"What?" asked Veronica. His voice tore her away from her thoughts, in which she was trying to figure out why in god's name he asked her to come.

"Why are you being so quiet."

"Unlike you, Logan, I am not quite as in love with the sound of my own voice."

"Well, let's be fair – no one is quite as in love with the sound of his own voice as I am." She smiled softly. "Why are you so quiet?" he tried again.

"I'm just thinking." She said, her tone making in clear she had no intension of talking about the subject any further. Logan simply ignored the tone.

"About?"

"Work." She replied. She didn't falter for a moment. It sounded truthful.

"Work?" Logan asked. Then he chuckled. "Of course." He shook his head.

"What? You have a problem with me thinking about work?"

"I'm just wandering if you ever think of anything else."

"I do." Her tone implied that the subject should be dropped within five seconds or she will get violent. Logan loved it when she was in that state. She was fiery in high school, and he had no doubt she was just as – if not more – fiery nowadays.

Finally Logan stopped the car on Veronica's street, in an empty parking space. Veronica didn't get out of the car quickly, despite how tempting that sounded. She set for a moment before speaking.

"Why'd you ask me to dinner tonight?"

Logan thanked god he was an actor, otherwise, he wasn't sure he could have stopped the jackass smirk that was trying to take over his face. So that's what's been bothering her.

"I just thought, you know, you did the interview for me, even though you didn't have to-"

"Didn't have to? You really didn't give me any choice."

"You're Veronica Mars. If you really wouldn't have wanted the interview you would have found a way to drop it." Veronica thought about that for a moment. Was it true? Was she that resourceful? Was there a way for her to not do the interview if she really wished it? Hadn't she wanted it enough? "And I know I wasn't the easiest person to handle." Veronica stopped herself from making a comment about how he was way worse in high school. "I guess, tonight was like a 'Sorry for being an ass' gesture."

Veronica had to smile at his words. It was sweet in a way, for Logan to do something. It was like there were no more games, for just one moment.

"I had fun tonight." She said.

"I did too. And I want to again."

He caught Veronica by surprise. That didn't happen often. "What?"

"I want to take you to dinner again."

"Logan, you were an ass alright, but not enough so you have to buy me two dinners."

"I really had fun tonight, Veronica." He sounded very serious like that. It was odd for her to hear Logan so serious about anything like that. Then his easygoing attitude was back. "So, Friday night, 8:30?"

Veronica sighed in an amused manner and grinned. "Sure." She couldn't help herself. She had more fun that night since… a very long time.

She had no idea what happened next, but somehow, Logan was not really close to her, and the eye contact they had the whole night was broken, because Logan was staring hungrily at her lips. She wasn't sure who leaned in just enough to make contact, but it happened and they were kissing. Sweetly, softly, lips caressing each other gently, as if more pressure would break something – the other person or the moment, or maybe both. Their hands weren't touching, no grabbing of hormonally charged teenagers. After another moment of tender kissing they broke apart. Things could very easily get very awkward, very fast.

"Friday, then?" she asked. Logan smiled and nodded. "Okay then. See you Friday."

She opened the car door and climbed out of the car, not looking back at Logan. He stayed there watching her walking down the street in the direction of her house, and checking her ass too in that process. Once she was out of view he smiled widely. He had to stop himself for crying out a loud happy 'Woo-hoo'. Instead he settled for leaning back and chucking.

Things were looking good.