Summary: Begins with the missing scene from 1x19, just after LoVe's kiss, and before she breaks up with Leo. AU from there.
A/N: Thanks for all the awesome feed back., you guys have just made my week with all your love for this story. Thanks to my muses, lex83 and forcedmovement. Italics are VMVO and feedback is muchly appreciated. Also, we've now moved onto 1.20, in case you can't tell. Aslo, many lines of dialogue were taken from the VM transcripts at www twiztv com.
Cars were honking as Veronica made her way to the front of a long line of cars, interested to see who was responsible for the hold up. She surprised to come face to face with Logan. He had the hood of his yellow Xterra up, and was starting quizzically at the engine. He glanced up as she approached.
"It's called an engine." Veronica teased. "That's how the car runs."
"Gee, and I was so lost without you." Logan replied, giving her a little grin.
"So what seems to be the problem?" She asked, pushing the sleeves up on her pink sweater.
"I honestly have no idea, other than it's not working right." He sighed, staring at the car. "I'll just have to have it towed to the shop."
"Let me take a look at it." Veronica insisted.
"That's ok, really." Logan said. She ignored him, walking over to the drivers side window, leaning and attempting to turn over the engine. It refused to catch, and she walked back around to peer quizzically at the engine. "Really, I can call..." he trailed off as she reached in and pulled up a disconnected hose.
"It's your alternator." She told him, shutting him up. He pulled an apple and his knife out of his bookbag and leaned against the Xterra to watch her work. Dick and Beaver walked up as she was inspecting the hose.
"Ooh, someone's got her eye on that Miss White Trash title." Dick sneered, staring at them. Logan opened his mouth to reply, but Beaver beat him to it.
"You get a solid effort in the talent competition, but I'd like to see that car up on some cinder blocks." Beaver insulted, earning a glare of his own from Logan.
"Guys, come on..." Logan started to say, angry now, clutching the knife tightly in one hand. Veronica cut in to keep Logan from saying or doing something he'd regret.
"Guys, come on." She mocked Logan lightly, throwing down the rag she'd picked up a second ago to wipe her hands. "The talent is making a grilled cheese sandwich on the engine block." She walked over and swiped Logan's knife out of his hand, earning her a smirk. "Guys, come on." She said, a little more sarcastically this time. "You can't put your car up on blocks in the yard if you don't have a yard." She cut the hose while she was talking, and then attached to it's correct engine component. "Of course, if I were ever to try my hand at a white trash pageant, I'd make sure your step-mother wasn't entered first. Competition and all." Veronica shrugged as she tossed Logan's knife back to him. He caught it easily. Dick and Beaver were staring at her, open mouthed. "You know, I think I can do both sides of this little act now." She told them, walking back around to the driver's side of the Xterra. She reached in and turned the keys, and the SUV started up with no problem. "So next time, don't bother." She smiled falsely. "I've got it covered." She slammed the hood as they walked away. Logan was nearly gaping at her. She shrugged as she picked up her bag and slipped it on her shoulder. Veronica gave him a peck on the lips.
"I'll see you in class." She walked towards the school, Logan staring after her.
Logan pulled her into his arms and pressed against her tightly as they kissed fiercely. They whirled around, Logan bumping his shoulder against the paper towel dispenser of the bathroom they were in. He lifted her up onto the edge of the sink, and kissed her harder, if that was possible. After another moment, he broke the kiss.
"What?" She asked breathlessly, gripping the collar of his button down shirt. "I barricaded the door. I hung and out of order sign." She told him.
"This is just wrong." He said, his face solemn. "I mean, a boy in the girl's bathroom?" He smiled.
"So wrong it's right?" Veronica questioned coyly.
"Yes." He whispered, kissing her again. They separated after another few moments. He sighed, getting serious. "I'm sorry about Dick and those guys."
"Dick and those guys don't bother me." She replied. He laughed softly.
"I have a funny feeling that this is somewhere near what it's like to be you." Logan tried to play it off as funny, but Veronica knew he was upset by the loss of some of his friends. "Karma's a bitch, I guess."
"Don't I know it." She agrees, glancing at his watch. "Damn, we're going to be late." She slipped off the counter. He walked over and picked up their books.
"And if I remember right, time travel is not yet possible." He gave a little hop as he headed for the door.
"What's your next class?" She asked.
"Physics." He answered as she peeked out to see if anyone was in the hall. She turned around and leaned against the door, and Logan took that as an invitation to lean against her. He propped himself up by putting his hand on the wall by her head.
"Good luck in Physics." She told him, pulling him closer for a kiss. Just as their lips are about to meet, she begins talking again. "Remember..." They laugh and then kiss. "Force equals mass times acceleration." He kissed her again. "Light is a particle that can exhibit properties of a wave." They kiss a few more times.
"I'd learn more staying here with you." He said, touching his forehead to hers. She grinned and pulled him in for a kiss, only to push him away at the last minute.
"I have things to do." He smiled back at her before kissing her on the cheek.
"Well, come on then." They exited the bathroom, heading down the hall.
"Hey, how well do you Tad Wilson?" She asked him, as they headed to her locker.
"Not well, really." He answered. "Why?"
"I'm trying to help his girlfriend Carmen out with something." Veronica told him, opening her locker and setting a couple of her books inside. She pulled out her bag, and put the strap on her shoulder.
"Be careful, all right?" Logan said. "I don't know him that well, but Tad seems kinda off somehow." She nodded she shut her locker. The bell rang and students flooded the hallway.
"Hey guys." Wallace sprinted up to them.
"Hey Wallace." Logan greeted, trying as always, to stay on the other teen's good side.
"No offense, but you look odd." Veronica told Wallace as the three of them began walking down the hall.
"I just watched our parents cuddle on the couch last night...my eyes, they burn." He replied, gesturing to his eyes. Logan put an arm around Veronica.
"I though your dad was out of town." Logan asked her.
"He was, but the lead didn't pan out." Veronica answered. "Any idea what our parents do on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9 that requires an overnight bag?" She questioned Wallace like she really didn't want to know the answer.
"As far as I'm concerned, they play bingo at the VFW." Wallace said. Logan snorted as Veronica smiled. "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."
"Best way to deal with things like this?" She started. "Pretend they don't exist." She handed Wallace a slip of paper. "Do you mind calling this number half way through sixth period?"
"Sure, all right." Wallace agreed. "They don't exist?" He confirmed.
"Deal." She said, smiling. She spotted Tad walking their way. "Hey, you guys wanna help me with a bump and bait here?" The boys nod as she hands Wallace a cell phone. She turns so that she's walking backwards down the hall, and begins talking in her patented valley girl voice. "So I was all, 'no way' and he was all 'yeah, way' and-" She's cut off as Tad bumps into her hard enough that she stumbled, Logan put a hand on her arm as Tad turned around to face her angrily. "I'm so sorry." She simpered to Tad, as Wallace dropped the cell phone into his bag.
"Next time, watch what you're doing." Tad sneered.
"Next time, why don't you pay attention to the people in front of you." Logan snapped.
"It's ok, sugarpuss." Veornica said,still in her valley speak, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Totally my bad." She apologized to Tad, and the three of them shared a smile as he walked away.
"We still on for after school?" Logan wanted to know as they paused outside a classroom door.
"Totally, sugarpuss." She teased, before leaning up to kiss him.
Veronica walked into Mars Investigations with Logan on heels, and she wondered idly how she would explain his presence to her dad. She set her stuff on the desk, her dad catching of her from his office, where he sat leaning back, his feet propped on the desk in front of him.
"Hey, honey. How's school?" Keith asked.
"Oh, you know. Mean kids and different teachers. Crumbling infrastructure." She replied, heading into his office. Logan followed, hesitant. "Dad, you remember Logan." She gestured towards her boyfriend.
"Logan." Keith sounded shocked, as he stood up and held out a hand for the teen to shake. "I was sorry to hear about your mother."
"Thanks." Logan replied, awkwardly.
"So what's going on that you two are hanging out?" Keith wanted to know. Logan flushed guiltily as he knew why her father had asked that question.
"School project." Veronica replied with nonchalance. "So why are you smiling?" She questioned her dad as he sat back down and reclined in his chair.
"Cause I'm savoring the irony. Image the Mars family sending our heir, Veronica, to an Ivy League college with money from the bounty on the Kane heir." Keith turned the computer around so that both she and Logan could see.
"For information on the whereabouts of Duncan Kane." She read. "Fifty grand?" Her amazement was clear. "Not bad."
"Money for nothing." Keith crowed. "That's your first two years right there." Logan shifted uncomfortably.
"It might not be as easy as you think." She told her dad.
"Come on, honey. Duncan Kane?" Keith replied.
"You really think you'll be able to find him?" Logan wanted to know.
"I think I'll be able to track him down. I'm only worried about the other professionals. He's a very big fish in a very small barrel." Keith told him. Logan nodded. Keith spotted the doubt on Veronica's face.
"What is it?" He asked his daughter.
"You know that entertainment lawyer you've been looking for all year?" She began.
"Yeah." Keith answered cautiously.
"Well, I was telling Meg about how hard the guy's been to find and all the tricks you if you want to disappear, and Duncan was sitting right there, listening." She finally told him. Logan coughed to cover his laughter and Veronica shot him a dirty look. "But, looking on the bright side, all those other professionals probably won't find him first."
"What did you tell him?" Logan wanted to know, curious.
"Use cash, don't use credit cards, don't use your own car, you know." She replied.
"The basics." Keith said.
"I might of mentioned something about recycling passports on ebay..." She trailed off at the look on her father's face. "Come on, Dad. We can do it. Family project." Veronica said. "I have a friend who can play the ebay angle, might be able..." She is interrupted by the door to Mars Investigations opening and the sounds of humming filled the room. Wallace's mom appeared in the doorway.
"Hello, Mr. Mars." She said lovingly. "Hey Veronica." She caught sight of Logan. "Hello, Veronica's friend." She said.
"Hi, Miss Fennel." Veronica replied. "This is Logan." Alicia nods her head at Logan as Keith stand up and grabs his bag. He walks to the door and kisses Alicia on the cheek.
"We'll be back around eight or so." He told Veronica.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Out." Her father answered with a smile. "Why don't you get started on that passport thing?" Veronica shared a smile with Logan, as her dad and Alicia left the office.
Sure thing, Dad. I'll get right on that.