Bright diamond eyes with daggers beneath them

She carries the chains of a million decisions

That weren't even hers to begin with anyway

But she carries them all

All the people around her

Never even notice that she's very very tired

---Angel, James Marsters

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"Veronica." Veronica could hear Aaron Echoll's call out.

The room was pitch dark but Veronica was sure that he was close.

"Where are you? What do you want?" she asked trying to figure out where he was.

A red light illuminated the room and Aaron was right in front of her, his hands around her neck.

"You." He whispered.

Suddenly Veronica's eyes opened and she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. She looked around to make sure she was still in bed and not in the cabinet under the kitchen sink, a place she had woken in many times after one of her all too familiar Aaron Echoll's dreams. She kept looking around, making sure everything was okay.

That afternoon Veronica sat at a lunch table with Logan, watching Lilly go around talking to all the O9-ers

"V. Mars!" Lilly said sitting down at the table, "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine. How about yourself."

"I am perfect. You want to know why?"

"Jude Law moved next door and asked you to be his nanny?"

"I wish. No, the parentals are trying to save their marriage so they're staying in a hotel tonight. You have to come over 'cause we're having a huge blowout! Logan, you're invited too."

"Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to end well?" Logan asked.

"Because parties never do." Veronica told him

"Come on, you have to go. Guys, please?"Lilly begged

"I'll have to talk to my dad." Veronica told her.

"Veronica he grounded you, what, six weeks ago. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I'll let you know by the end of the day, okay?"

"Okay, but I really want you to go. Now I've got to go spread the word. Talk to you guys later."

As Lilly hurried to catch up with Madison and Dick Logan turned to Veronica.

"Does this have anything to do with me?" he asked

"What?"

"Your not wanting to go to the party, is it because you don't want to go to a party that I'm at?"

"Logan, I can honestly say that this has nothing to do with you."

"Why then?"

"Do I need to remind you about Shelly's party? What happened to me? I think that right there should be a good reason why I shouldn't go."

"You'll be fine. I'll protect you."

"You'll protect me? I don't think you have the right to protect your ex girlfriend."

"Veronica, we've been doing so well. I thought we agreed---"

"You're right, I'm sorry." Veronica sighed

"Logan!" Sean exclaimed coming up to the table with Duncan and Case

"Hey you guys. What's going on?"

"We're just talking about the party tonight. You're coming right?" Duncan asked

"Probably."

"How about you Veronica?"

"I have to talk to my dad, but I bet I will."

"Awesome." Duncan smiled "I hope to see you there."

That night Veronica stood in her room trying to decide between many different outfits.

"Veronica?" Keith asked pushing her slightly open door even further open, "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah." Veronica said throwing a tee shirt on the bed, "Lilly asked me to stay the night, is that okay?"

"I don't see why not."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean your episodes are getting less and less severe every day."

"Dad, don't say episodes. It makes me sound like I start foaming at the mouth or something."

"Well they are getting better aren't they?"

"Yeah. The medicine really seems to be helping."

Two hours later Veronica pulled up to the Kane driveway and parked her car. She was surprised to see how many people had shown up already.

"Veronica!" Logan called out as he walked up the drive way, his arms filled with bottles of alcohol.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat drug in." Veronica said stepping out of the car, dressed in a short red skirt and tight black sweater

"Whoa." Logan said licking his lips, "Can I just say that you look hot?"

"Well, thank you." Veronica pointed to the liquor bottles, "Are we planning on invading a small country by getting them drunk?"

Logan laughed and headed towards the house.

Inside Madison, Meg and Lilly all stood around laughing and telling stories.

"Dick and I went to Hollister last night and I told him that he would look hot in a pink shirt. Then I managed to talk the sales girl into telling him that she would sleep with any guy in a pink shirt. Then he went around the store trying on every pink shirt he could find." Madison laughed, and then turned her attention towards the door, "Oh my god. Look who's here. Veronica Mars and Logan Echoll's."

"Veronica! Logan!" Lilly exclaimed hurrying over to them, "I'm so glad you guys came."

"Hey Lilly." Veronica smiled, "Logan brought booze."

"Thank god. We're running low. Come on let's take it to the kitchen."

"I'll be right back." Logan said as he followed Lilly

Veronica stood around feeling very awkward until Duncan came up to her.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" he asked holding out a cup of what looked like Rum and Coke.

"No thanks I think I'm gonna stick to water." Veronica said as she brushed past him and headed to the kitchen.

Veronica opened the door and walked in, but stopped suddenly when she saw the worst thing that could happen. Her ex boyfriend and her best friend were kissing.

"I am so sorry!" Veronica exclaimed as she turned on her heels and headed back to Duncan.

"Hey, that was quick." Duncan said as she walked up to him

"Yeah, I decided that I'll take you up on your offer."

"Here you go." Duncan handed her the drink and she quickly guzzled it down.

"Want to go with me to get another one?"

Shortly around midnight Veronica sat by the pool talking to Meg when she spotted a familiar face walk by.

"Oh my god." She whispered.

"Who's he?" Meg asked

"Weevil." Veronica said standing up, "I've got to go talk to someone. I'll see you around?"

"Yeah."

Veronica quickly hurried over to Logan who had obviously already seen him.

"Come on bud." Veronica said taking a hold of his arms, dragging him to the study.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He yelled as she shut the door.

"Saving your ass. And by the way, you're welcome."

Logan took a seat behind the desk while Veronica chose to sit on top of it.

"I didn't need you to rescue me."

"Yeah you did. And besides why did you think that you had to protect Lilly? And don't say you weren't 'cause I know you were. I mean it's not like she's your girlfriend anymore."

"Lilly's drunk and we both know that she doesn't think when she's drunk."

"You think that Weevil would take advantage of her?" Veronica asked shocked, "Weevil loves her."

"I know that!" Logan exclaimed as he grabbed the bottle and poured himself a glass of whiskey, "But she doesn't deserve a guy like that."

"And what kind of guy does she deserve? Your father?"

"No!" Logan yelled and then lowered his voice, "Someone normal. Someone who's not fucked up. Someone who comes from the perfect Dan Quail two parents, three kids, white picket fence and a freaking dog family. Not anyone from here."

"I think we both know that Lilly could never get with a perfect guy. She's to screwed up for that."

Six cocktails later Veronica finally had Logan cooled off. Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just being around him but Veronica had almost forgotten about seeing Logan and Lilly together in the kitchen. Until she realized that it was almost gone, then it all came back.

"Logan can I ask you something?" Veronica asked as she took a sip of her drink

"Ask away." he slurred

"What did I walk in on in the kitchen?"

"You're going to have to elaborate on that."

"Earlier. You were kissing."

"Kissing who?" Logan asked playing dumb

"Lilly dumbass. What happened?"

"She was drunk and she kissed me."

"Did you feel anything?"

"Well I am a sixteen year old boy so, yeah. But it wasn't as good as before."

"What was wrong with it?"

"She wasn't you."

Shortly after three AM the last of the party goers had left and Duncan and Lilly were left with the only down side of throwing a party: trash duty.

"Do we have to do this now?" Lilly whined, "I'm sick and tired and sick and ready for bed. Please let's just forget this until the morning."

"It is the morning. Now you take the first floor and I'll take everything else. Okay?"

"Fine." Lilly sighed as she began walking out of the room.

"And don't forget the study!" Duncan called out after her.

"Don't forget the study." she mimicked even though truth be told she never would have remembered it if he hadn't said anything.

Lilly pushed open the door and was surprised to hear the crackling of wood coming from the fireplace.

"Is anyone in here?" She called out and then stopped in her tracks. There lying in front of the fireplace were her best friend and ex boyfriend sleeping together, both dressed in very little and covered in a blanket.

Three hours later Logan woke up with a hangover that would take Superman down. He slowly managed to get up without waking Veronica and before he got out of the room he spotted Veronica's purse.

"Perfect." He whispered and quickly picked it. He began digging through it and wasn't coming up with anything that could help him until his hands grasped two prescription pill bottles.

"What do we have here?" He asked himself as he pulled them out. He couldn't pronounce the name of the first one but because of his mother's long running love for pills he knew that the second was a form of sleeping pills.

Logan suddenly forgot all about his hangover and focused directly on why Veronica would have these pills.

He was awake for another hour and a half when Veronica's cell phone went off and she quickly tried to shut it off.

"Morning sleepy head." Logan said as he handed her two large white pills and a glass of water.

"What the hell are you doing with those?" Veronica whispered after being frozen for a minute.

"They're your pills aren't they? And this is how many you need to take right? I mean I gave you what the bottle said."

"You went through my purse?"

"I was looking for some aspirin, pain killers, something to help with my hangover. I found these." Logan held up both bottles. "Tell me why you have them."

Veronica grabbed the bottles out of his hands and quickly stood up.

"That is none of your business." Veronica hissed, tears forming in her eyes

"Veronica, just tell me what's wrong."

"Why do you even care?"

"Because you may be my ex girlfriend but I still care about you."

"We never dated. Remember? We both agreed on that." Veronica quickly pulled on her sweater and began to look for her shoes.

"Then you're my friend. Veronica I'm worried about you."

Veronica slid her shoes on and stood up.

"Don't be." She told him before hurrying out of the room.