Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Veronica Mars. Not even the tiniest little bit. It's really depressing.
"How about Cove's Canyon this weekend, V?" Veronica looked up, startled. Duncan was looking expectantly at her, and she smiled, wanly.
"This weekend?" She asked slowly, her smile still bright Duncan nodded, smiling back, she gulped. "I um-my dad was away last weekend, and he'll probably want me to be home this one." She stopped, suddenly hearing the tinny ring of her cell phone, and practically gasping with relief. "Hello?" She asked quickly, averting her eyes from his.
"Sweetheart, it's Dad."
"Daddy, hi." She responded, taking a few steps away from Duncan and the rest of the group that had congregated around them. "Is everything Ok?"
"Fine, fine."
"Then why the mid afternoon call, Dad? The GPS tracker in my shoe out of commission?" His rumbling laugh warmed her, and she glanced back at Duncan, who smiled encouragingly, and mouthed the words "Cove's Canyon". Veronica averted her eyes so he couldn't see her rolling them.
"I just wanted to see how my only offspring was doing. It isn't a crime, dear." But the teasing tone in his voice belied something else.
"Come on Dad, what's up?" She twisted a bit of fallen hair around her fingertip while she waited for his response. She hoped it wasn't too bad.
"Let me explain it like this, when I came into the office this afternoon, there was a bit more pile up than I expected." Veronica smiled, the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding was released.
"Well, I have a shift at the café, but I should be done by fi-"
"It's not the amount of the work, Veronica, but what the work is."
"Oh. Ok, Dad, what is it?"
"I'm going to be straight with you, Ok kid?" Veronica felt the breath being sucked back in.
"Yeah, Dad, of course. What, did you find a crack den in the penthouse of the Neptune Grand?" Keith was silent, and Veronica suddenly felt woozy. "You didn't really find a crack den, did you? Because Duncan would never do something like that. He doesn't even like the smell of cigarettes." She sighed. "Not that I do." She added quickly.
"No crack dens." Keith replied solemnly, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What then? Underage porn? Driving with a broken taillight? A wife and kids stashed away somewhere?" She felt herself smiling, as she looked back at Duncan. He would never do any of those things.
"It's not about Duncan, honey." And with his words, Veronica knew. Logan. She felt dizzy. What had happened to him? The last time she'd seen him, a few days before he'd seemed angry, angry at her, but what did he want her to do? Announce she'd cheated on her boyfriend in front of all of his friends? Or climb in the backseat of his truck and ride away in the sunset? She didn't want to be with him anymore. That was that, now why did he have to make everything so complicated-
"…him out."
"Hm?" She asked, still fuming. She turned to look at Duncan and smiled encouragingly. She was going to go with him to Cove's Canyon. They would make love beneath the stars, and she would forget all about Logan Echolls.
"Mr. Casablancas-you go to school with his sons, I think. Richard and...Cassidy? I signed him today and…" And Veronica knew. Her father knew. And if he told Mr. Casablancas of his discovery, Logan's life would be over.
"Daddy, you can't." She exclaimed, loudly enough for Duncan to look concerned. She waved him away. Swallowing, she reached up and wiped the tears that had started to formulate in the corners of her eyes.
"Veronica? Do you know-"
"I do. And you can't. Please."
"Sweetheart, he's not a kid anymore, and not your responsibility. Not anymore. Although I shudder to think that he ever was. He's a troubled kid, and maybe a confrontation on this will set him on the right path." The hallway had started spinning, and leaning against a locker, Veronica tried to catch her breath.
"Dad. Please." Her voice was low, but Keith could hear the tears in it. "If I never ask you anything ever again, it will be too soon after this favor, but please. Do not tell Mr. Casablancas about this. Please." She waited, and those moments felt like hours. If there was one thing Keith Mars wanted, it was to keep his daughter safe, and happy, and in his mind, Logan Echolls hindered both of those possibilities. She knew that her father would do anything to keep him away from her.
"Hm. What a pity my roll of film was destroyed. I think I had some good shots of Mrs. Casablancas with the dark haired pool boy." Relief coursed through her, and as she sunk to the ground, tears of happiness fell down her cheeks.
"Dad, thank you. Thank you so much. You don't know how much this means to me."
"It had better mean a lot. He was offering a lot of money, kid. Money that could've been added to the Veronica actually gets to go to college fund." Veronica laughed, wiping the corners of her eyes and stood.
"I'll talk to him, Dad."
"No."
"Dad, come on. He'll listen to me."
"Veronica, men are crazy when it comes to sex, they-"
"So did not want to know that." She responded, laughing.
"Veronica-"
"Dad. He loved me once. He'll listen to me when I tell him that he could've been caught, and then ceremoniously killed." Keith rubbed his eyes, sighing.
"Remember to stress the ceremonious aspect. Dick Casablancas is a powerful man. And be careful."
"He would never hurt me, Dad." She responded, her tone suddenly serious. Her gaze was trained on the ground, and on his end Keith sighed.
"Veronica, he could've hurt you-"
"He didn't. He wouldn't have."
"I want to believe you, sweetheart, but I've seen what that kind of anger does to people."
"Dad. I'll talk to him. I'll be careful. Mace and pepper spray, and lets not forget the personal GPS tracker that I have in my I pod. All the provisions."
"I only want you to be safe, you know that."
"I know. And I love you for it."
"I love you too, honey." As he hung up the phone, Keith gazed at the charred remains of the film canister in his trash can, and prayed that she had a plan.