Title: Something Happens – Chapter XIV
Rating: PG-13
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: This chapter is dedicated to queenhaq, who lent me her beloved naked!Loganmuse for the weekend. Thanks to my muses, lex83 and forcedmovement. . Also, many lines of dialogue were double checked with the VM transcripts at www twiztv com.
Veronicaand Logan stared at the ocean through the windshield of her car. An awkward silence had settled over them.
"Thanks for coming to get me." Logan spoke up, glancing at her. She rubbing the steering wheel with her hands.
"Thanks for calling me." She replied softly. "I wasn't sure you would." Veronica finally met his gaze.
"I almost didn't." He told her, running a hand through his hair.
"When I found out your alibi was..." Veronica trailed off. "I didn't want to believe it, Logan."
"But you did." It wasn't an accusation, just a statement.
"No." She answered, and he glanced at her. "I didn't believe it. I didn't want it to be true." She bit her lip. "That's why I asked you about it. I was desperate for you to tell me something to make it not true."
"Do you believe me now?" Logan asked, sounding as if he didn't want to know the answer.
"Yes." Her reply was simple, and their eyes met for the first time since she'd picked up him from the Sheriff's department. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew I was investigating...you knew I would find out eventually." Logan sighed.
"Why do you think I lied in the first place, Veronica?" He asked. "I was scared." The silence came crashing back into the car like the ocean waves hitting the sand.
A knock at her window startled them, and Veronica turned to see Weevil standing next to her car.
"Sorry for interrupting." Weevil apologized as they got out, Logan shutting his door loudly. "Oh, wait. I'm not."
"Weevil." Veronica said his name in a way that was both a warning and a greeting. Logan just glared.
"What do you want, Paco?" He asked Weevil, crossing his arms over chest. Weevil gestured towards the beach, and started walking. Veronica and Logan followed him to a more deserted area, away from the crowds.
"Got that thing you asked me for." Weevil held it out, and Veronica lit up. She gave him her brightest smile as she pounced on the piece of paper in his hand. Logan scowled at her reaction.
"Oh my God." Veronica breathed, scanning the paper frantically. She turned to Logan with tears in her eyes. "It's your letter."
"What?" He replied, staring at her.
"The letter you wrote to Lilly on the day she died." Veronica told him. "This is it." He took the letter with trembling hands.
"Dear Lilly." He began reading. "I'm writing this in my car..." Logan trailed off. "This is it! This is the proof we need!" Logan tugged her to him, and kissed her happily.
Weevil cleared his throat. They broke apart, embarrassed. "Dude, I'm grateful, but I'm not kissing you." Veronica took the letter back.
"Thanks." She said to Weevil. He smirked at her, and walked away, leaving them on the beach. Veronica took a closer look at the letter, and her hopes fell.
"What?" He asked, noticing her smile slip away.
"It's not enough, Logan." She told him.
"It's not?" He was confused.
"Now I know I was right to believe you." Veronica said, glancing up at him. "And I think I could probably convince my dad." She paused. "But now that Lamb is involved, it's going to take more than this to get their attention off of you."
"More?" Logan repeated. "What else is there?"
"I have an idea." She paused. "I want to search Lilly's room." Veronica announced. He stared at her. "Tonight."
"The Kanes'll never go for it." Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and scuffed the toe of his shoe over the sand.
"I know." She told him. "That's why we're going incognito." She gave him a bright smile. "The Kanes are hosting a political party tonight."
"Hmm." Logan said. "What does one wear to meet the Governor?" The sound of a horn blaring got their attention, and her mouth dropped open as she watched her father head in their direction.
"Get away from her!" Keith shouted. "You get away from her now!" He came running towards them. Veronica shared a look with Logan.
"I keep thinking things can't get worse, you know?" He said. "Maybe I should just..." He started to back away. Veronica reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Stay." She told him
"Veronica, what the hell are you doing with him?" Keith demanded as he came to a stop in front of the teens. "I told you to stay away from him."
"I know." She answered quietly, clinging tightly to Logan's hand. "I couldn't."
"You couldn't?" Keith repeated, sounding incredulous.
"Logan didn't do it, Dad." Veronica defended him. "He didn't kill her."
"Did you find new evidence?" Her father demanded. She shared a glance with Logan, who nodded. Veronica handed the letter to her father.
"Weevil gave this to me today. It was in the pen he stole from the Kane house a few weeks ago." Keith read the letter silently, giving Logan a cursory glance, noting that the teens were holding hands.
"It's not enough, Veronica." Keith sighed.
"It's enough to convince me to keep looking." She looked her father in the eye.
"Just because your dating him doesn't mean he can't be guilty of murder, Veronica." Her father exclaimed.
"Mr. Mars, please." Logan finally spoke up. "I didn't kill her, I swear."
"You lied to me then, Logan." Keith finally replied. "How do I know you're not lying to me now?"
"Dad, please." Veronica pleaded. Her father folded the note up and put it in his pocket.
"I'll hang on to this, because it's evidence...and it may be important." Keith told them. "Veronica, you're coming with me. " He ordered his daughter. Veronica's jaw dropped.
"I drove." Veronica replied, upset.
"Then I'll follow you." Keith said.
"But Logan..." She protested.
"Can find his own way home." Her father finished. He put an arm around Veronica, pulling her away from Logan. She reluctantly let go of Logan's hand. "And Logan?" Logan met Keith's gaze. "Stay away from my daughter."
Veronica and Logan pulled up in front of the Kane estate. She checked that all her hair was covered by her wig, and glanced at Logan. She was pretty sure he'd never done a day of work in his life, so to see him in the waiter uniform was startling. He'd pulled a dark baseball hat over his head, and she thought it would be good enough to get them past the crowd, if no one looked to closely.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Logan asked, as they got out of her car.
"I want to search her air vents." Veronica answered, heading around to the back of the Kane house, where the wait staff was wandering in and out with party supplies, and food trays. Logan gave her a look. "You gave me the idea."
They were quiet after that, each picking up a tray and taking them out towards the living room, where the bulk of the party seemed to be. Successfully avoiding the Kanes went well, and soon they were down the hall in front of Lilly's room. Logan set his tray down on the table next to the door, and Veronica set hers on top. The weight proved to be too much for the trays and they toppled to the floor. Cringing, Veronica hurriedly picked up the trays while Logan checked to make sure no one was going to come charging around the corner, demanding an explanation. She breathed easier when he gave her the all clear signal.
They entered the room, cracking the door. Veronica wordlessly switched on Lilly's desk lamp and pulled a screwdriver out of her pocket, while Logan pulled the chair over to the vent so she could climb up. Veronica gave the vent a once over, noting that one of screws was loose.
"One of the screws is loose, Logan." Veronica said. "We might be too late." Logan's face fell as the door to Lilly's room burst open, and Duncan entered.
"Who the hell are you?" Duncan demanded. "What are you doing in here?" He tackled Logan, knocking Veronica off her chair. She hit the ground with a moan, the impact knocking off her wig. Logan swept his hat off of his head.
"Dude, Duncan, it's me" Logan said. Duncan froze.
"And me." Veronica added, getting up. Duncan got up and backed away, staring between the two of them.
"What are you doing?" Duncan asked.
"Looking for something." Veronica answered.
"What's it look like?" Logan snarked.
"Shouldn't you be looking in my room?" Duncan asked, angry. "I mean, that's where all the clues would be, right?" He reached out and grabbed Veronica by the arm. "Yeah, yeah. Come on. You didn't put on a whole costume an-and sneak into my house, just to leave empty handed."
"Duncan, stop." Logan exclaimed, moving as if to help Veronica as she struggled to get out of Duncan's grip.
"No, come on let's see what you can find out. Really, I want you to. Find out everything. Uh, maybe I left a confession on my Etch-A-Sketch." He spat out.
"Duncan, calm down, ok?" Veronica pleaded. "I don't think you killed Lilly." Surprised, Duncan let go of her arm. She rubbed it gently. Logan scowled, angry that Duncan had hurt her.
"Relax, man." Logan said, walking over to Veronica. "The sheriff thinks I did it."
"No, no way." Duncan replied, staring at his best friend. Logan sighed.
"I wasn't in Mexico on the day she died." He admitted, watching as Duncan's face slowly changed. "Dick and Beaver lied for me." Logan couldn't meet Duncan's gaze. Veronica reached over and squeezed his arm. "I found out Lilly was seeing someone, Weevil probably, and I had to talk to her. I ended up writing her a letter and putting it in her car while she was at the car wash."
"We found the letter today, but it's not enough to clear him." Veronica replied. "We need to see if there is something else to prove his innocence." She paused. "I remembered that Lilly used to hide things in her air vents." Duncan gave them both a hard stare.
"You swear you didn't kill her?" He asked Logan.
"I loved her." Logan replied. "I would never."
"And you believe him?" Duncan asked Veronica. She nodded. "Let's see what's in there, then." He gestured to the vent. Veronica gave him a blinding smile, and climbed back up on the chair. She made short work of the screws and reached her hand in.
"Well?" Duncan asks. Veronica pulled out three video cassette tapes.
"There's just these." She held them out to show the boys. Logan sighed, hanging his head. Duncan took them from her as she replaced the grate.
"I've got a camera we can play them on." Duncan told them as she hopped down.
The three of them found themselves in Duncan's room. Logan and Veronica watched as Duncan popped the first tape in, and adjusted the tv. Duncan backed up so that he was next to them, and hit the play button on his remote. The video clicked on. Logan and Veronica are shocked as they recognize the pool house of the Echolls estate.
"Where is this?" Duncan asked.
"My house." Logan breathed.
"The pool house." Veronica added. All three of them inhaled sharply as Lilly walked onto the screen.
"That's her pep squad outfit." Veronica practically whispered. "This is the day she died." Veronica and Duncan turned their eyes to Logan as Lilly called out for her lover on the tape.
"It's not me." Logan said, sounding heartbroken. They watch as Lilly spoted the camera in the ceiling fan, and statue, and then the tape cut out.
"Let's see the other tape." Veronica said, handing it to Duncan to put in.
"This one is dated October first." Duncan observed, pushing it into the vcr, and rejoining them. He pushed play, and both boys visibly blanched as they realized that Lilly was on top of someone, clearly having sex. The camera changed angles a few times, and the person Lilly was with appeared in frame. Veronica gasped. Duncan cried out. Logan sank to his knees in disbelief.
"Oh my God." Veronica managed.
"Mr. Echolls?" Duncan said.
"Dad?"