Spoilers: Through 1.22

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 to my muses, lex and forcedmovement. Ialics are VMVO and feedback is muchly appreciated. Also, many lines of dialogue were double checked with the VM transcripts at www twiztv com.

and Logan walked down the hallway of Neptune High, arms around each other. Wallace walked next to them, holding their attention as he read aloud from the newspaper.

"Since his removal from office, Keith Mars, the ousted sheriff, has tirelessly and single-handedly continued his own investigation, despite being shunned by the community at large." Wallace read, glancing at Veronica who was smiling.

"You'd think it might be kind of gross to read a love letter to your dad, but I kind of enjoy it." She gloated.

"No way." Logan replied. "It would be much, much worse reading a love letter about my dad." Veronica grinned and Wallace shook his head. "Could you picture that?" All three of them visibly shuddered.

"All I know is if I were your dad right now, Veronica, I'd be I-told-you-soing all over Neptune." Wallace told her. She gave him a smile. They paused by the lockers, Wallace and Veronica both opening theirs. Logan leaned against Veronica's locker waiting.

"Just because we've managed to prove Abel didn't kill Lilly doesn't mean we know who did." Veronica reminded them quietly. Both boys looked over at her, wondering what had caused her sudden mood swing. She was holding a 4x6 photo of Duncan, Lilly, Logan and herself from Homecoming the year before. Logan's cheerful demeanor seemed to slip away as well, and Wallace took that as his cue to leave.

"I'll catch you later, V." He said, heading down the hall. Veronica shut her locker and leaned against it, using the wall for support as she slid to the floor. She stared at the picture in her hand.

"We were so..." Logan spoke up, sliding down next to her. He reached out and touched the picture gently.

Young. Happy. Innocent. Stupid. Foolish. Naive. Pick an adjective.

"I know." She replied, her voice low. "Have you talked to Duncan?" She glanced at him as he sighed.

"No." Logan answered. "He's refusing to take my calls...and he's not back to school yet, so I can't corner him here."

"I'm sorry." Veronica apologized.

"For what?" Logan asked.

"I never meant to come between you." Veronica told him.

"It's not your fault." Logan said, his voice firm. "Duncan's over reacting. He's got Meg and he's not given you a second thought since last year...and now he's betrayed because we fell in love while he was fleeing a potential murder charge?"

"When you put it that way, the whole thing sounds like it belongs on CBS daytime." Veronica replied. Logan shrugged.

"He'll come around, Veronica." He promised.

"And if he doesn't?" She asked.

"Then it's his loss." Logan gave her a small smile. "How are things at home?"

"Uncomfortable?" She offered up. "No, more like awkward." It was her turn to shrug. "Dad and I have gotten into this routine, and Mom is having a hard time fitting into it, I think...she's walking around on eggshells, as if she's waiting for my dad to kick her out at any second."

"Would he?" Logan asked.

"I don't know." Veronica pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. "I don't even know what he's said to Alicia." She resting her chin on her knees. "Two weeks ago he seemed to be ready to file for divorce, and now he's let Mom back into the apartment." She sighed. "One minute it's like she never left, and the next it's as if she doesn't belong."

"Does your mom know about us...you know, because of the other night?" Logan seemed nervous about the question.

"No." She gave him a guilty look. "I haven't found a good moment to tell my dad either." His face fell. "Hey, there's been a lot going on lately, and I don't know how he's going to react. He does own a gun." She teased. "I'll tell you what. I'll tell him today. You and me, we'll go to the office after school, and we'll tell him together." Veronica suggested.

"You want me to go and tell a man who owns a gun that I'm dating his daughter?" Logan asked in disbelief. She laughed at his expression.

"Relax." She said. "And just so you know, if he kills you, I promise to be very upset."

Veronica sat next to Logan in his Xterra, and they both stared at her father's office building.

"You sure?" Logan double checked.

"Yeah." Veronica replied, biting her lip. They got out of the SUV, and head up to the door, which was propped open. Voices sounded from inside. Veronica recognized her father's and Alicia's voices The teens stood there and listened for a moment, their gazes locking.

"I mean, believe me, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. If there's a chance to keep my family together, I have to take it. I just don't know what else to say." Keith's said, upset.

"You're really doing this? Is it really what you want?" Alicia cried. Logan gestured that was leaving and Veronica nodded...now was not the time to break the news to her dad. He kissed her quickly and headed back to his car as she entered the office. Veronica got a stare from Alicia as they passed each other. She walked up to her dad, concerned.

"Everything okay?" Veronica asked.

"Oh, it's fine. I just had to tell Alicia that my situation is changed." Keith told her quietly.

"She's got to understand, though, right? I mean with Mom coming back?" Veronica prodded.

"Yeah." Her dad answered, pulling her into a hug. She pulled away a second later.

"I've got a newspaper meeting to go to." Veronica said. "I just stopped by to pick up my notes. Tell Mom I'll be late, okay?" Her father nodded and watched her sadly as she walked out.

Veronica paced back and forth, waiting for her father to get off the phone. The last hour had seemed like a bad nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Beaver's...Cassidy's voice echoed in her head.

So he got up early that morning, the day that Lilly was murdered, he drove back to Neptune to see her.

"What's up, Veronica?" Her dad asked, shifting through some papers.

"I think I got a new lead." She said, her voice emotionless.

"A new lead on Lilly's murderer?" Keith clarified, focusing on her now.

"Yeah." Veronica answered. "One of the boys at school, Cassidy Casablancas..." He father looked blank. "He goes by Beaver."

"He was one of Logan's alibis." Keith replied, figuring out who the boy was. Veronica took a deep breath, trying to keep herself under control.

"He approached me after the meeting tonight." She began. "He said that the weekend Lilly was killed..."

"When he was with Logan and his brother in Tijuana?" Keith interrupted.

"Beaver said that Logan had bought Lilly a shot glass that he found in a tourist shop down there." Veronica continued.

"Does that seem odd to you?" Her father wanted to know, trying to understand what she was getting at.

"Not really. Lilly collected shot glasses. Beaver said it said "I got baked in Ensenada" and she would have loved it. " Veronica answered.

"I don't understand where you're going with this." Keith told her.

"Beaver said that Logan got so worked up he drove back to Neptune on the day Lilly was murdered." Veronica rushed out. Keith stared at her. "He lied about his alibi, Dad." She nearly choked out her words.

"Are you all right, honey?" Her dad looked concerned.

"Yeah, it's just...Logan." She replied quietly. Keith seemed realize something.

"'Baked in Ensenada' Veronica!' Her father cried out. She stared at her dad as he began searching through papers frantically.

"What are you looking for?" Veronica asked.

"This. It's an inventory of everything in Lilly's bedroom, everything in Lilly's car. Shot glass. 'Baked in Ensenada'. It's here, it was in her car. You know what this means?" Keith fairly crowed.

"Means Logan found Lilly."

Veronica entered Neptune High, glad that the halls were empty. She stopped in the hall as she caught sight of Logan who was leaning against his locker. She stared at him for a second and he must have felt her eyes on him, because he locked his eyes on her. She walked towards him slowly, her heart pounding.

"What's up?" Logan asked, as she stopped in front of him. "Why did we have to meet here so early?"

"There's something we need to talk about." Veronica managed to get out.

"Is it about Lilly's murder?" Logan wanted to know. "Cause I'm freaked out about the whole Abel Koontz thing if you really want to know." Veronica stared at him. "Knowing what we do about Duncan. I don't want to believe it could have been him but it's-it's like the only thing that makes sense, right?"

"I don't know." She answered, her voice soft. "I heard something yesterday, and I need to know if it's true."

"So I did do something." Logan replied. "I thought you sounded really serious when you called."

"I was told that you were in town on the day Lilly died." Veronica let that hang there for a second as Logan's expression changed. "That you came back, angry, with the intent to find her." She paused. "Is it true?" Logan's demeanor crumbled as he nodded.

"It's true." He whispered. "You know, I, I knew Lilly was seeing someone. It was driving me crazy. When I left for Neptune, I didn't know if I was gonna scream at her for treating me like dirt or beg her to take me back." His voice was full of emotion. Veronica let a tear spill over as she listened to him talk. "And I saw her at the car wash."

"I didn't see you there." Veronica pointed out.

"Well, I just parked across the street and watched her. And this feeling came over me, you know, I don't…I don't know how to describe it but I just knew it was over. So I sat in my car and I wrote this note to her, explaining it." Logan sighed.

"Did you give it to her?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"I left it in her car." Logan answered.

"With the shot glass?" Veronica wanted to know. He gave a surprised glance.

"Yeah, with the shot glass." Logan told her. "If you read that letter, then you'd know I'd never hurt her."

"Logan...I don't know what to think." Veronica replied. "I know...I know that you would never hurt her like that." She paused, swallowing. "But the evidence is pointing to you...and it won't be long before my dad will want to take this information to the police." He stared at her.

"I didn't do it, Veronica." Logan nearly shouted. "I didn't kill her." He turned around and walked away without a second glance, leaving Veronica staring after him. She sighed after a moment, pulling out her cell and dialing.

"Hey, it's me." She said to her dad. "I just ran into Logan. " Veronica paused while her father talked, wandering near an empty classroom. "I know, I know. I couldn't help it. He's trying to pin it on Duncan. Any news on Tijuana?"

"The Border Patrol got back to me. Logan's car crossed the border at 8:57am on the day Lilly was murdered. Beaver was telling the truth." Keith answered.

"He had plenty of time to get back to Neptune and kill her." She finished for him. "I'm not so sure it was him, Dad." Veronica broached the subject, her voice cracking. She didn't see Logan heading back in her direction, or his reaction to her statement. "I know it looks bad, but it couldn't have been him."

"Veronica, we've been over this. This is the first concrete lead we've had since Lilly was murdered. I thought you wanted to catch who really killed her." Keith replied.

"He would never hurt Lilly. He loved her." Veronica defended, tears threatening to spill over.

"Veronica, I don't have time to debate this right now. I'm late for my court appearance." Keith stopped the debate.

"Okay, I'll see you later." She said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Her father asked.

"No, I'm fine." She told him. "Love you too." Veronica hung up her phone, and jumped as Weevil appeared in the doorway of the classroom she was standing outside of . Logan silently ducked into the bathroom near by. "That's not what it sounded like." She said to Weevil, clearly desperate to calm him down.

"It sounded a lot like Logan killed Lilly. These rich boys think they can get away with anything, don't they." Weevil replied, walking away from her.

"Logan!" Veronica called, rushing up to him from the parking lot. He seemed surprised to see her.

"Got any more accusations to throw my way?" Logan asked, sounding tired. She blanched, but kept up with him as he walked away from her.

"No." Veronica replied. "I'm here to give you a heads up." He turned to look at her then. "My dad turned the evidence over to the Sheriff's department." She put a hand on his arm. "Before you say anything...I tried to talk him out of it, I swear."

"Veronica..." Logan began, trailing off.

"Logan Echolls?" A voice called, getting their attention.

"Call me." Veronica said before ducking behind one of the buses.

"Yeah." Logan answered Deputy Sacks. "What's going on?"

"We'd like you to come with us down to the station, please. We have a few questions we'd like to ask you." Sacks told him. Logan silently followed them. Veronica peered out from behind the bus as they walked away. She barely noticed when Weevil joined her.

"You really love him, don't you?" He asked, getting her attention She glanced up at him.

"More than he knows." She told Weevil. "Can I ask a favor?" Veronica tilted her head, and Weevil sighed.

"What?" He replied.

"Tell me what was in that pen." Veronica said. Weevil smirked, backing away.

"I'll think about it."