As our eyes start to close

I turn to you

And I let you know

That I love you

---On your porch, The Format

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a chilly Thursday with an overcast sky, when Veronica got out of her Le Baron. From behind her she could hear a loud whistle and someone calling out, "Mars!"

Reluctantly, Veronica turned around to come face to face with Dick Cassiblanics and his cronies, Sean, Beaver and even Logan.

"Hello fellas." Veronica said with a smirk on her face, "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to know what it felt like when you won Neptune's 'Little Miss Trailer Trash' competition."

"It probably felt the same way it would to win the 'Ho-Bag of the Year' competition; something your stepmother knows a lot about Dick."

"Come on you guys, let's get out of here." Logan said giving Veronica an apologetic look

"No way Logan." Sean said, "She tried to send your dad to jail. We're not going to just leave her alone."

"She didn't do anything." Logan said before turning around and leaving.

It had been over a month since everything had happened with Logan's parents. A week after Lynn was put in a coma Veronica's father arrested Aaron. This sent the whole town into an outrage. Even though Aaron had admitted to sleeping with a minor and he was under investigation for making child pornography he was still Neptune's golden child and the thought that he could try and murder his ex-wife was just insane. Almost the entire town ended up siding with Aaron and this led to Keith being thrown out of office.

"What was that all about?" Lilly asked walking up to Veronica with Duncan

"They were just harassing me. Nothing unusual."

"So, we tried to call you last night to see if you wanted to go see a movie with us but you weren't home." Duncan told her.

"Yeah, I was out helping my dad with a case."

"Ah yes, Mars Investigations. How's that going?"

"Pretty good. We've only been open a couple days and we've already got a few clients."

The three teens began walking across the parking lot talking about random things.

"So, I think I'm going to need to talk to Rooks about one on one tutoring with him 'cause I bombed my last two history tests." Lilly said.

"If he asks you to meet him at his house just say no." Veronica instructed her.

"Why?"

"He sleeps with his students."

"How do you know?" Duncan asked almost in shock

"Donut, come on. This is Veronica Mars. She knows everything about everyone. You don't ask how she knows something you just believe her."

"Lilly's right. Plus he tried to get me into bed."

"What!" Duncan exclaimed

"Yep. Black silk sheets and all."

"Black silk sheets? How tacky." Lilly said disturbed

"This coming from the girl who slept with Aaron Echoll's."

"Let's change the subject now." Duncan said, feeling very uncomfortable, "So Valentines day is Saturday."

Both girls let out a groan and Veronica said, "Please do not remind me."

"So I'm guessing that if I ask you if you're going to Casey's Valentine's Party the answer will be no."

"I never said that." Lilly spoke up

"I did." Veronica said.

"Why aren't you going?"

"Well for starters I'm probably not even invited. And secondly it's just an excuse for 09-er guys to drink and have sex with their girlfriend or the first available girl."

"Oh come on Veronica." Lilly joked, "Don't you just stay up at night dreaming about getting drunk and losing your virginity to some guy you won't remember come morning?"

As soon as the words had escaped Lilly's mouth she regretted it, and Veronica could tell.

"It's okay."

"I meant it as a joke, I wasn't..."

"I know. It's okay."

"What am I missing?" Duncan asked as the first bell rang.

"Nothing." Veronica said shaking her head, "Now come on let's get to class."

That afternoon instead of getting ready for a date like the rest of the Neptune High student body Veronica was happily parked in front of her laptop at Mars Investigations waiting for AIM to load up. When the window finally finished loading Veronica felt her heart flutter when she saw that Logan was away. As she clicked on his profile she smiled when she saw his away message: "I'm now poor. When I say I'm poor, I mean we may have to share a helicopter with another family." It was a part of the secret code they set up, a way to let each other know if it was safe to call or not. Veronica grinned happily as she picked up her phone and dialed Logan's cell number.

"Hey babe." He said answering after only two rings.

"Hey yourself. What's up?"

"I'm just chilling here outside of your dad's office waiting for you to invite me in."

"You are not!" Veronica exclaimed as she turned her Swivel chair around and hurried to the window.

"I so am." He said as he stuck his head out of the driver's side window.

"Come on up." Veronica told him before hanging up the phone.

She sat back down in her chair and began to check her e-mail until she spotted a male figure standing in the doorway.

"You got up here quick." Veronica said as she shut her laptop and then realized that it was not Logan standing at the door, "Wait a minute you're not my boyfriend."

"Hello I'm..."

"Cliff."

"You know of me?"

"Of course, you're infamous."

"You must be Veronica."

"I prefer O' Holy One but Veronica works just as well. What can I do for you?"

"I would like your father to take a look at this case that I'm working on." Cliff said handing a file over to her, "A man filed for divorce because he thinks that his wife is cheating on him."

"Does he have any proof?"

"If he had proof I wouldn't need to be coming to you."

"My dad doesn't usually do divorce cases but I'll tell you what. I'll have him take a look at it and get back to you okay?"

"Thanks O' Holy One." Cliff said before turning and leaving, brushing past Logan on his way out.

"O' Holy One?" Logan asked as he walked over to the desk

"Don't ask. So how are you?"

"Sorry."

"Don't be. You can't control Dick and his toadies."

"I know, but I still feel sorry so I brought you something to make it up to you." Logan told her as he pulled out a small sundae out of the paper bag he had brought in with him.

"Ooh, gimmie! " Veronica squealed.

"Here you go." Logan placed the sundae on the desk along with a plastic spoon.

"You are the best boyfriend."

As Veronica and Logan sat talking about their day Keith walked a 30-something year old woman out of his office.

"I'll let you know the moment I have anything, alright?" Keith said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Mr. Mars." the woman said before exiting.

"What was that about?" Veronica asked as she took a bite of her ice cream

"Her husband left her and their three kids for the underage babysitter."

"Are you serious?"

"Unfortunately I am."

"Men are jerks." Logan said shaking his head.

"That we are." Keith agreed, "His credit card was last used in New Mexico which means..."

"You have to go check it out?"

"Yep. So you're going to have to stay with your mom---"

"Dad!" Veronica exclaimed, "Come on I think I'm old enough to stay at home by myself."

"And if you were single I would agree."

"So this has to do with Logan? You don't trust us?" Veronica asked exasperated, "Dad, Logan and I can keep our raging hormones in check for a few days. Right Logan?"

"I'm staying out of this." Logan said throwing up his hands.

"Logan you're my boyfriend you're supposed to back me up."

"I'm supposed to back you up? I don't think that was in the job description. Buying you ice cream and telling you that you don't look fat, those are. But getting in the middle of family arguments? No."

"I can't believe this."

That night Veronica sat in the passenger's seat of Logan's X-Terra as they drove back from the Camelot Motel after an uneventful stakeout.

"So, you want to go get something to eat or something?" Logan asked as he turned a corner.

"I'm not really hungry."

"Okay. We've still got a few hours until you have to be home though. Is there anything you want to do?"

"We could always go back to your place. Watch a movie."

"Watch a movie? We've never gotten through a movie together. And didn't you promise your dad that we'd 'keep our raging hormones in check for a few days'?"

"That was only if I got to stay home alone. Which I'm not. So all bets are off. "

"Alright, my place it is then."

An hour and a half later Veronica and Logan had given up on trying to make it through a movie and had moved upstairs to his room where they were in the middle of a heavy lip lock session with his ipod working as the soundtrack.

"I should really be getting home." Veronica said in between kisses

"Five more minutes."

"Fine, but you get to explain to my mother why I'm late."

"I'll just show her the bright side: You could have been with some pretty boy who just wanted to get into your pants."

"Logan!" Veronica said pulling away, "You are really pretty. I mean you should hear what the girls say about you in the locker room."

"Veronica I'm serious. I love you."

"I know you do." She said pulling him in for another kiss

"Is it really true? Did you save yourself for someone who could love you for you?" His ipod played, "So many times we just give it away to someone who can't even remember your name."

As the song played Veronica paid close attention to the words, knowing exactly what they meant, and suddenly felt like she needed to leave.

"Hey Logan." She whispered pushing him away,

"Yeah?" Logan asked as he rolled onto his back.

"I really should head home."

"You really should." Logan said breathless

"I'm going to go down stairs and get something to drink and when you cool down you can come meet me okay?"

"Okay." He said kissing her cheek.

Veronica headed out of the room and as she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen she could feel that something was wrong but she just pushed it aside. As she opened a cabinet and pulled out a glass her spider senses were still tingling and it was starting to scare her.

"Logan is that you?" She asked as she set the glass down on the counter.

She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as a door somewhere on the first floor creaked

"Logan, this isn't funny!" she said trying to keep herself calm.

"Right family, wrong Echoll's." A familiar voice snarled from behind her

"Aaron." Veronica whispered, her face turning whiter than snow.

Is anyone still reading this? If you are let me know, because if no one is then I'll stop updating.