WARNING: This part is R. Contains violence and noncon sex. Skip if you can't read that. It's integral to the story.

Part 5

iVeronica hurried into the café where Logan had asked her to stop by. Finally, after ignoring her for weeks Logan had contacted her. He was going to speak with her. Veronica could only hope that he had reconsidered his decision.

Right before entering, Veronica looked at her reflection on the door and smoothed her hair back. Her gaze wondered to the inside of the café and she saw Logan staring at her from one of the booths. Veronica waved at him and he looked down at his coffee. She made her way inside.

As she stopped beside his booth, Logan gestured to the seat in front of him. She slid inside and gave him a small smile.

"I'm glad you finally decided to talk," Veronica began.

Logan held up his hand for silence, then brought the cup to his lips to sip. When he placed it down Veronica followed with her eyes and she looked down to the dark liquid ring on the table. "I didn't want to just leave without saying goodbye."

Her gaze flew to his eyes and she frowned, then shook her head, confused. "What?"

"I'm leaving, Veronica."

"When?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Logan looked up to see if people were watching. He turned back to her. "Lower your voice."

"No, Logan! When?"

"My bags are packed and in my car. I'm leaving the moment we're done here."

She let our her breath in disbelief. "They're still investigating Duncan's murder, Logan. If you leave now, they'll focus on you!"

He shook his head. "I'm a grieving best friend. I decided to forget. And you, I want you to move on with your life."

"Without you?" she breathed.

"Veronica, we were a secret fling. You'll survive."

"A fling," she repeated.

"You shouldn't have put too much stock into it," Logan told her. "Right now, the best you can do is move on. You're seeing Casey Gant, aren't you?"

If possible, he had become even more unreadable. "Casey's my friend," she said softly. "He's helping me come to terms."

His voice sharpened. "Did you tell him anything?"

She shook her head. "No. But he can tell how much I need to be with someone right now."

Logan nodded. "Well I'm glad he's there to pick up the pieces."

Her eyes closed and she took deep calming breaths. Casey was helping her pick up the shattered pieces of herself, the ones Logan scattered when he made his decision. He wasn't Logan. He wasn't the one telling her that their relationship was nothing but a fling. "You're a liar, Logan," she said firmly.

When she opened her eyes, the cup of coffee sat on the table with a couple of bills tucked underneath. Logan was gone. /i

The moment Casey left, Veronica scrambled to her bedroom and turned on her computer. She had no idea if Logan was still using the same email address since he had not responded to any of the emails she had sent him. Still, having left her like the asshole that he had been or not, she owed him. She was going to owe him forever and she realized that the moment he took that knife from her hands and told her he would take care of it all.

"Logan," she wrote, "You have ignored me long enough. I've heard the news, disturbing and terrifying as it was. They're investigating you. If you get arrested, promise or not, the decision is no longer in your hands. I will step forward. You will not pay for a crime you didn't commit."

She sent the email with bated breath, hoping that this time, if he read the letter, he would respond.

Suddenly feeling very tired, Veronica crawled into bed. The entire day weighed heavily on her. Whatever happened to the days when Casey's return meant movies and carnivals and shopping and just loitering around? Now it was all too fast, all too suffocating, all too draining.

She had not felt this rushed or pressured in a relationship since she found out who had been sending her the letters.

i"Can't you just let me be happy?" she demanded, the pile of letters in her hands. "Duncan, we've been over for such a long time. Please don't ruin this for us."

He glared at the correspondence she was holding. "I don't know what you're babbling about, Veronica. What – are you going to accuse me of some grand crime again?"

"Duncan, stop it! I know, ok? I've traced them all back to you. Even the emails I got. They all came from your IP address." She sighed and placed the letters down. "Listen to me. I won't trade what I have with Logan for anything in the world. Not even for what you and I used to have," she finished softly.

He shook his head. "Sooner or later he's going to turn to you and say that it's over."

"He didn't do that with Lilly. What makes you think he'll do that with me?"

Duncan's lips curved. "Lilly was his first love. You know how powerful first love is, Veronica," he reminded her.

"Oh I know. But you just negated yourself, Duncan. It's not first love that won't just turn around and stop. It happened to us remember?" Veronica turned to walk away.

"You'll come back, Veronica. I swear you will."

She whirled around and stalked over to Duncan, jamming her finger into his chest. "I've not told Logan because I know he'll kick your ass. But believe me, Duncan, if you don't quit that, I am telling him that it's all you," she warned.

"You think I'm afraid of Logan Echolls?" he cried in disbelief.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You should be. If you're not, then be afraid of me." Veronica walked over to the door and left. /i

Veronica whimpered as she curled into herself on the bed. She sat up then pulled a blanket over herself. That had been the beginning. She should have been more aware. She should have seen it coming, should have noticed that something was wrong. Instead, she had been in blind rage and simply hung up on the idea of seeing Logan that she had let her guard down.

The knock on the door startled her. With an unsteady voice, she called, "Yes?"

"Veronica, Casey's on the phone for you?" came her dad's voice.

She sighed. He had left only ten minutes ago and by now, given the speed with which 09er boys drove and the short distance between her house and his, Casey would likely have just then parked in his own driveway. Veronica opened the door and saw her father holding the phone out. The mute button was lit. "Dad, can you tell him I'm asleep?" she requested.

Keith nodded and patted her cheek. "What's the matter, honey? You guys had a fight?"

She smiled and reassured her father, "No. I just really want to go to bed now."

Keith pushed the button to speak into the phone. "Sorry, Casey, she's already dead asleep. Do you want me to wake her up? All right then. Goodnight, son. I'll see you soon." He turned off the phone and faced Veronica. "Now honey, I know you said you're tired but I need to talk to you. I want you to learn it from me than anywhere else, which you will soon if we don't discuss it tonight."

Veronica read the somber look in her father's eyes and knew what he was pertaining to. She stepped to the side and let her father inside her room. Keith settled in one of the chairs. Veronica walked over to the bed and as she sat down, she stated, "You want to talk to me about Logan."

Keith seemed surprised about her assumption. He nodded. "Do you know where he is?" She shook her head. "Honey, my sources at the sheriff's office tell me they are reopening Duncan's case. Logan is one of their prime suspects."

"What evidence do they have?" was her first question.

"I don't know, honey. But if there was any possibility that Logan was linked to this murder then I know somehow they'd find a way to tie you in – whether as a suspect, an accessory or a witness."

"I don't know what you mean, dad," she said with a poker face.

"Veronica," Keith said gently, "sometimes I wonder if you forget that your dad told you all you know about being a PI. I know you and Logan were in a serious relationship when Duncan died. You were also not home." Keith grasped his daughter's hands. "I want to be prepared if they come after my daughter. Veronica, help me out."

She so wanted her father's help. But if she accepted it, Keith would become an accessory. She won't let that happen. In a strangled voice, she managed, "I can't do that, dad."

Keith nodded and stood up, brushing his pants back to smoothness. He closed the door behind him at his exit.

Veronica crawled back into bed and this time, she finally slid into a restless sleep.

i"Logan?" she whispered into the phone, her heart pounding. "Logan, I need to see you. Where are you?" Veronica stopped the car in front of Logan's house. She slammed the door shut. "Okay. I'm going to wait inside your house."

Veronica looked around to make sure that no one would see her. She ran to door and let herself in with the key that Logan had given her. In the darkness she made her way to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She took out a bottle of cold water and twisted off the cap. Veronica raised herself on tiptoes to reach into the cupboard for a glass.

"And off you go running back to him."

Veronica gasped at the sound of the familiar voice. She dropped the glass and it hit the sink, shattering. Shards flew everywhere, into her clothes and on the floor. She whirled around and saw Duncan leaning against the island counter.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

His eyebrows rose. "So possessive," he murmured. "As if this was already your place, Veronica."

Veronica's eyes roved the place, assessing. He was in the way of the only exit. "Duncan, Logan's on his way back. I suggest you leave right now."

He stepped forward. "You already called him?" he asked. She nodded curtly. "Then you know how long it's going to take him, coming all the way from Meridian Point."

Veronica flushed with anger. Duncan was not going to control her actions just by outplaying her. She walked up to him, showing him that she was not afraid. "Get out of here, Duncan," she said firmly.

"No way," he breathed into her face. She stumbled back. It was so evident from his breath that he had been drinking, probably had been since she left his house hours ago. Duncan was completely drunk.

"Ugh!" she cried. "You stink."

The words angered him. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her flush against his body. Veronica gasped as she tried to pull away but he held firm. "So you can take it when Logan's always drunk and pawing at you but not when it's your first love?"

"Go to hell, Duncan," she muttered. Veronica tried to pull her arms away again, but he would not budge.

His grip tightened around her wrists. Duncan slammed them up high above her head until they hit the wall. "You haven't been playing fair, Veronica," he said huskily. He bent down to capture her lips, but found her cheek instead. His lips roamed over her face as he searched for hers. Veronica turned her face away. Using one hand to keep her wrists fastened above her head, Duncan buried the fingers of his free hand in her hair. He pulled back until her head slammed on the wall. Dazed, she was unable to turn away when his tongue plundered her mouth.

Veronica felt the tears fill her eyes because of the pain and the helplessness. Regaining some control, she bucked her hips to throw him off her.

Duncan's hand left her hair and gasped her buttocks, pressing her hips to his.

"Stop it," she gasped out. Veronica panicked as firm hands pulled her down to the floor with him. "Duncan, stop!"

With the last of her strength, Veronica kicked at him until she hit him in his groin. She scrambled away, crawling towards the door. He groaned and cursed. Veronica screamed when she felt his hand wrap around her ankle. Veronica kicked her other foot at his face. He released her ankle and Veronica stumbled to her knees, then to her feet. Then a large hand covered her mouth. Veronica struggled. She pushed away.

He grabbed her hair, bringing tears from the stinging pain as he pulled her towards him. "Duncan, let go!" she sobbed. She turned pleading eyes to him and her heart sank when she saw the dead look in his eyes. Her mind flew back to the numerous times Logan had joked in bed, saying that his best friend was off in the head. "Duncan, please don't."

His hands reached around her neck and he tightened them. Veronica gasped for breath, seeing spots of blank dance around her vision. Her knees faltered and she fell to the floor with Duncan looming above her.

"Hold still," he soothed her.

Veronica's heart pounded at the calm way he said the words while his hands were around her throat. She glanced at his bloody arms, where the shards of the broken glass had buried and rubbed raw. "Get off me!" she cried.

Then he was frowning down at her, a red rage climbing up his neck. Veronica's heart thundered with fear as he raised his hand and backhanded her. Half-conscious, she tried to catch her breath as she felt his hands move from her neck to her skirt as she bunched it up around her hips. For a moment, his weight between her legs lifted and she tried to move. No sooner than she could twitch did she feel his bare hips pressing against her panties. "Don't," she whimpered.

She felt the tears roll down her cheeks, and it only made her remember how his teeth had cut into her lips and she had tasted the metallic bitter sweetness of her blood filling her mouth.

His hands now grasped her by her calves as he moved her into position. Veronica struggled under his weight as he raised himself up. With one hand he ripped away her underwear, bruising her lips where the stitching would not budge. Again, he pulled until finally it ripped away.

"Duncan, you love me, don't you?" she whispered.

His face mottled and screwed. He slapped her hard across the face. Veronica saw the burst of stars in her eyelids. Her breasts were flattened between their bodies. There was no use pleading with him. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled. Duncan caught her wrists and tightened his hold, cutting off the flow of blood.

"Logan!" she screamed. "Please help me," she sobbed.

The words incensed him more. He pulled apart her legs even wider, causing her to wince. He placed his lips right against her ear, licking, then murmured. "How long have you been screaming? He's not coming."

His hands groped for her breasts between their bodies and squeezed. Veronica felt the bite of pain in her scalp as he grabbed her hair, forcing her to look into his eyes. At that exact moment, she felt him tear inside her.

Her mind barely registered him pumping inside her. She had stopped moving, and lay open to him. Duncan thrust inside her, uncaring that he ripped her, or that she had slipped into oblivion. All she felt before the blackness was a raw, ripping, burning tenderness.

Minutes, maybe hours later, Veronica's eyelids fluttered open. Around her was darkness. She felt the heavy weight of Duncan's body weighing her down. She laid on her back on the cold floor and her thighs were still splayed wide around Duncan's bare hips. Bile rose in her throat. She turned her head and vomited on the floor, some of it dripping down her cheek because she could not move. The stench wafted to her nostrils and she struggled to sit up, trying to move Duncan off her. Trembling overcame her entire body. She pushed and pushed, but she would not move. Finally, she rolled him away from her. She raised her hand and stilled at the sight.

Her bloody hand gripped the handle of one of Echolls' kitchen knives. She glanced down at her body. Her skirt was still hiked up around her waist, her inner thighs messy with remnants of Duncan's violence, mixed with her blood. She winced, blanking out memories of what happened to her body. Her blouse was stained with so much blood. Her eyes went wide open as she glanced at Duncan. She reached an uncontrollable hand as she tapped the prone body. "Duncan. Duncan."

Veronica swallowed and saw her torn panties on the floor. She crawled over to it and pushed it inside her pocket.

Grasping the chair leg, she pulled herself tremulously onto her knees. Then, using the counter, she pulled herself up to her legs.

"Nothing happened to me," she whispered.

She stumbled over to Duncan's form and stared down at it. Then she started screaming. Time was immeasurable. Soon she felt the knife being extracted from her hands. She looked up to see Logan's stormy brown eyes looking her over.

"Shut up, Veronica," he said softly. Veronica's heart melted at the sight. She had screamed for him, called for him, prayed for him. Now here he was in front of her, however late. Ignoring the throbbing pain all over her body, Veronica threw herself at Logan. "I'm here. I'm here, Ronnie."

"Oh God, oh god!" she sobbed. "Logan, I've been calling for you."

"Shhh, it's alright. I'll take care of it." /i

People milled about at the launch party. When he could not contact Logan Echolls, Casey decided instead to launch the biography as unauthorized. It turned out to be more lucrative as the intrigue surrounding the Echolls son grew to a louder buzz.

Casey beamed proudly at the success of the event. He nodded at Veronica who was walking towards him. "I'm glad you came," he greeted.

Veronica smiled. "Well we're not yet completely ok. We have a lot of things to still talk about, Casey. Boundaries, expectations and limits. But this is your business and I still support you."

The emcee on the stage called for attention. Everyone clapped as the curtains closed in front of the band.

"Are they going to introduce the author now?" she whispered at Casey.

He glanced at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Just wait. It's a surprise."

Veronica clapped along with everyone.

"Now as you know, the person heading this event is one of the youngest publishers in the country." Veronica placed a supportive hand on Casey's back. The emcee continued, "And this new book is going to be another measure of his success. He has been receiving blessings left and right. Ladies and gentlemen, the CEO of Gant Publishing Inc, please welcome Casey Gant."

Veronica clapped and accepted the kiss that Casey gave her as the spotlight turned to them. Instead of directly walking to the stage, Casey grasped Veronica's hand and pulled her along with him.

Casey took the microphone. Veronica stepped back out of the spotlight as Casey spoke. "She's turning out to be shy, isn't she?" The audience laughed. Veronica shook his head. "She's got the idea that I'll be introducing the author of the book, which isn't completely wrong. I'll be doing that right after my own personal announcement."

Behind him, Veronica gasped. She had specifically said that they things to talk about. Certainly Casey would not do what she thought he would.

"Friends and colleagues, I want to take this moment to share with you one of the happiest events in my life," Casey said. "During a night of poetry, under the stars, Veronica Mars has agreed to marry me. Honey, come here."

Reluctantly, Veronica stepped into the spotlight amidst the applause of the audience. Casey grinned at her as he held her hand out, showing the expensive ring to the people below.

Finally the lights dimmed and Veronica could see those gathered around the stage. Her gaze wandered to the back of the room. Like magnet, her eyes were drawn to dark brown ones who intently studied her every move.

"Logan," she breathed as her eyes met his across the room.

Veronica made her way to the back of the room. As she neared, her footsteps slowed. He gaze her a curt nod to acknowledge her presence.

"You're here," she said.

Logan answered, "Your last email was a little threatening."

"I won't let you go down."

"They have nothing on me, Veronica," he assured her with a smile. "Besides, your fiance's making money out of the misery of my life. I might as well enjoy the free food."

There they stood, a few steps away from each other, looking, not speaking. Logan smiled, and so did she, as if they had no care in the world, as if they were two lost souls who had found their way back and no one would stand between them.

Casey walked over and stopped in front of Veronica. "There you are!"

"Casey," she said in surprise. She gestured over to Logan. "Look who's here."

tbc