Disclaimer: I'm not in any way affiliated with Rob Thomas or Veronica Mars.
"What?" The shock on her face is palpable. Her voice is rusty, and she blinks at him a few times, as if she's not quite certain of what he said.
"Veronica, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. Don't worry about-"
"Don't worry about it." Her tone is even, her demeanor icy. "Someone tried to kill me and you don't want me to worry about it?" He sighs, and looks away, his fists clenching in his lap.
"I won't let them hurt you," he murmurs, his voice quiet. He doesn't look at her, and deep inside her, she knows it's true. At the moment however, she can't deal with whatever warm and fuzzy feelings she has for him on the inside. On the surface, she's angry.
"Logan, someone tried to kill me. Kill me. Why would they-" Oh wait. She knew the answer to that one already. She glances over at him, and for the first time she notices that he isn't looking at her. His mouth is set in a firm line, and his knuckles are white from all the clenching he's doing.
"They didn't, did they?" He asks, and the words are so soft that for a second, he doesn't think she's heard him. He opens his mouth to speak, but she holds a hand up to silence him.
"No, they didn't." She responds, dragging her chair close to his bedside in sitting in it, taking on his white knuckled hands in hers. "And it was because of you." She leans in to kiss him, but he turns his head, and for a moment dread fills the pit of her stomach. "Logan-" She starts, but as he turns to face her, she notices the tears in his eyes. Biting her lip so she doesn't gasp, she stares at him in openmouthed shock. "Logan?" She asks, but the word is lost as he crushes his lips against hers.
"It isn't because I don't want to kill him for trying to hurt you," He breathes, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm just afraid that if I do anything they won't stop at me the next time." He coughs, and settles back onto the bed, and for the first time she really looks at him. His skin is pasty pale, and there are dark bags beneath his eyes. He did this for you, Veronica, she tells herself, and her heart breaks all over again.
"I-I have to go," She mumbles, standing so quickly the chair behind her topples over as well.
"What?" He exclaims, trying to sit up higher in the bed, and wincing when he can't. "Veronica, don't leave." He pauses for a second, swallowing roughly. "I love you." His voice is soft, and she pauses in front of the door.
"I know." She sighs, turning to face him, tears shining in her eyes. "And I can't accept that you got hurt because of me." He smiles wanly, motioning for her to come closer to him.
"You leaving-you trying to distance yourself from me," she inhales sharply, a protest on her lips, but he looks deeply into her eyes, and she hangs her head, knowing full well that's what she had been planning to do. "It won't work. We're better together than we are apart." She arches her eyebrows and tilting her head slightly shoots him an impish grin. "Ok, fine. I'm better when we're together. Me, Logan. I can't even bare the thought of losing you again." The tears that had threatened, fall, and in an instant she's hugging him, crushing his arms to his chest.
"I love you." She whispers again and again, cupping his face in her hands and kissing his lips repeatedly. "I love you so much." Neither see Duncan, face ashen, running, trying to get as far away as possible, their image burning itself on his eyes.
A/N: Well, that took a long time. I'm sorry, guys, it just didn't want to come out. I think it also has to do with how much last night's episode, and how completely it bummed me out. I hope you enjoyed it, because even though it wasn't easy to write, it's still nice and chock full o' dat wonderful V/L goodness.