Hey Guys! Isn't life a peach? No? Yeah, I didn't think so... but hey, cheer up! Season 2 is approaching finally! Yay! I practically have to stop myself from flooding you with my thoughts and concerns for the sake ofeveryone who's spoiler-free (I mean, Teaser-free, because I don't read spoilers either...). 7 days guys!
Secondly, a humangus thanks to everyone who took the time to review this story. Since you asked so nicely and all, this will NOT be a Duncan\Veronica fic, though in the usual review plea in the end (this time it's Logan's turn) I've come up with a fresh threat for y'all (insert eeeeevil laugh - mua ha ha!).
Thanks as always to wildhorses's who beta reads my story but my massege in a bottle from last week continues - I still need a new beta reader for another story I'm dyingto post - can anyone please, please, please be my beta-reader? I'll love you forever. And if Iever getrich you will be the first ones to get a house with a pool. Promise :-)
So, as always, hope you like this chapter.
Lily,
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"So, you wanna tell me how this happened?"
Keith shrugged, "What do you mean?"
Lianne wanted to choke him, seriously, "I mean, how did a situation arise where my daughter makes it a habit to stroll around and chase after murderers?"
Keith looked at the floor. She had a valid point there, he wasn't to proud of himself on that subject either, but it was widely known that the best defense was offense, so he shot back with, "Your daughter? Where the hell have you been all this time? At least I tried to be there for her. You have no idea how hard this year has been."
"What?" she asked disbelievingly, "are you saying this is my fault? You were the one who started all this, with your stupid conspiracy crap!"
He rolled his eyes, "All I'm saying is that maybe you shouldn't be blaming me when you've been absent for the past year!"
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"That's a good point, actually," Logan said, not really caring about the Mars's right to have some privacy, "where did she come from, anyway?"
"Rehab. Veronica put her there a few weeks ago, she just came back," Wallace answered shortly, thinking about how absurd it was that the four of them were sitting together in a hospital, eavesdropping on a family argument, and how absurd the circumstances were which led them to said situation.
Logan chuckled to himself and leaned back in his seat. He was thinking about how he had been sort of dating Veronica for the past month or so and he still didn't have any knowledge about all of the cases she was working on. Not to mention little things like her life.
"Is he here?" Weevil asked, emphasizing the 'he'. They all knew who 'he' was and collectively shuddered as their thoughts rested on what he had done to Veronica and Lily.
Logan nodded, "Two floors bellow, last time I checked."
"What's that?" Wallace asked, "Emergency?"
Logan shook his head, "Recovery."
"I left to protect her!" they heard Lianne yell, "For her own good! The Kane's were blackmailing me!"
Duncan lowered his eyes while the other stared at him.
"Do you think they know we can hear every word they're saying?" Weevil asked no one in particularly.
Logan shrugged, "They probably thought we'd have the decency to go away."
They exchanged looks, asking each other if they should maybe actually leave and agreed without words that they were curious and screw it all; they would stay. It wasn't like Veronica ever respected anyone's privacy.
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Keith got up and rolled his eyes, "Oh please, with what?"
Lianne went silent for a few moments before finally breathing out: "They took photos of Veronica with a bull's-eye drawn over her face, what was I supposed to do?"
"Oh, I thought maybe they threatened to tell Veronica about how you're such a drunken whore, you're not even sure who her father is!" Keith screamed harshly, unable to contain himself. "But if you say they threatened her with murder, sure that makes sense. Why wouldn't they just go around killing high-school girls?"
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"Ok," Wallace said nervously, tensing up, as the words got louder and nastier, "maybe we should just have the decency to clear out."
Logan and Weevil rolled their eyes. They knew that if one of them expressed feelings of guilt for eavesdropping, they'd all have to become righteous and leave too.
"Fine," Logan murmured, getting up, "whatever."
Weevil also got up, "Man, that's sheriff Mars," he muttered with awe, "I didn't even know he knew words like that."
The three took a few steps before noticing that Duncan had remained permanently rooted in his seat.
"Uh, Duncan?" Logan called cautiously, "Do you want to get some coffee?"
Duncan glanced at him and looked at his hands, "You guys go; they're talking about my parents."
They nodded and left him there alone.
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"What did you just call me?" Lianne snarled, "How dare you!"
Keith shook his head, "Oh no, I have every right to be pissed at you Lianne! You were only with me because he got married to someone else! I'm the cheated husband, so don't get all high and mighty with me!"
"Please!" she snapped, "It was once, we were drunk, he was the love of my life!" she took a deep breath, "But I love Veronica more, and I wouldn't have her thinking ill of me."
"Oh, because she hadn't done that already after you left? Come on, Lianne, you just left because you couldn't take the heat."
"That's not true!" she yelled, getting up and almost knocking over the chair, "I wanted to take her with me, but she wouldn't leave!"
"Of course," he said, smirking cruelly at her, "who are you kidding here? I know the Kane's weren't blackmailing you – you were blackmailing them! You told Celeste that if she didn't stop bothering Veronica you'd have a paternity test done and sue her for millions!"
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Duncan frowned, they weren't making much sense anymore, but that was understandable, no one could be levelheaded in that sort of situation. And anyway, all he wanted was to get information about everything his parents did to cover up for him allegedly murdering Lily. Apparently, blackmailing the sheriff's wife with threats to sniper her daughter by drawing targets over her head (and he believed those pictures existed) was one of the things they did. He should have felt proud that his parents were willing to do something like that for him, but instead, he just felt disgusted.
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Keith wasn't finished yet, "Oh, and by the way, it didn't work. Veronica found out that Jake might be her father, she knows everything."
Lianne nodded, "I know, she told me."
They looked down at their daughter, who was sleeping through their argument without any idea about what was going on, and suddenly the thoughts of screaming at each other over her unconscious, battered body seemed wrong.
"How did this happen, Keith?" Lianne repeated the question, voice breaking, trying to fight back tears, "Why is my baby lying here unconscious after almost being burned alive?"
Keith stroked his daughter's forehead, "You know Veronica, and there's no stopping her."
She smiled affectionately, "She doesn't deserve any of this."
"I took the test, Lianne," Keith said, wanting to get it off of his chest more than anything.
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Outside, Duncan pressed his ear to the door and felt himself tense up. He knew what the result was, Veronica had told him, but he wanted to hear it from the man himself, because, he had to admit it to himself, he and Veronica had the exact same green eyes. Granted, so did Lianne and Jake, so technically she could have received them from either one (oh, God, maybe Lianne and Jake were related?). Anyway, it still creped him out and if he wanted to start pursuing Veronica again, he had to know for sure.
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"Yeah, yeah, this is Logan speaking. Jeez ladies, stop ripping my shirt off! Ouch! Why are you stealing pieces of my hair? What would you possibly do with it? (beat) A clone? You wanna make a me-clone? Are you people sick?"
"Oh, right, the story thing. Look, I know we're all stuck in the basemeant and Lily (the author, not that Lilly) keeps trying to merry me, but I just have to be honesthere - I think this story sucks beyond the telling! Yeah, you heard me, I HATE IT! I mean, come on! Chapter 10 and me and Veronica haven't even shared one little kiss? Please! In other stories we'd totally be having sex by now! Hello? All I do hereis get drunk and beaten! And wait in hospital waiting rooms! I'm Logan Echolls, alright? I think I deserve a little hot, M-rated sex, don't you think?"
"Oh right, I tend to get carried away. The real reason Lily let me have the stage is so that you guys REVIEW her story. I know it sucks and everything, but please REVIEW it, because otherwise she says she'll make this a Logan\Wallace or a Logan\Meg fic. And nobody wants that, right? Well all want to see LoVe reunited, right? I know I do. So please REVIEW this piece of shi... shining literature!"
"And finally, here's Logan Echolls with todays inspirational note: REVIEW today, live longer tomorrow. Adios!"