Chapter Two

Two blocks from hotel, and Veronica's locked in her car, fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel. She can see the room, the silhouetted figure that can only be Logan perched against the kitchen windowsill. He's watching her, waiting for her.

Waiting for her to what? She's terrified that she'll start moving and he'll disappear again. She'll take the elevator, he'll take the stairs, and by the time she's realized that the room is empty, he'll vanish like all of the promises they made each other.

She's not ready to let herself believe in Logan Echolls again. Something always winds up broken when she does. She's tired of being broken.

When are things going to be whole again?

But Veronica's never been good at sitting and waiting. So what if Logan runs? She's tracked him down before; she can do it again. Besides, while his car may have many off-roading capabilities that were far beyond the little Le Baron, the pompous yellow is never hard to find.

Of course, none of that matters much, since he's waiting when she lets herself into the hotel room.

"Took you long enough," Logan mutters from the couch. "And here I was, doubting your backbone. You sure showed me, Veronica."

"Go to hell, Logan."

"And what a comeback," he mocks. "I do think you could've done better." He pauses, his eyes appraising. "On a lot of things, as a matter of fact."

"You know why I'm here, Logan. I'm not wasting my time on this."

"Yes!" Logan says, bounding off of the couch and towards the doorway where Veronica hovers. "The tapes. Now, was I the first on your list, or have you already been by to yell at your little deputy friend? Because, for once, I think even you can admit that this was not all my fault."

"Logan, why did you buy them?"

"Well, the celebrity porn biz has been a bit slow lately," Logan drawls, his ever-present smirk stretched across his face, "and, would you believe that all of the other family videos were in storage?" He pauses, crossing the room again and leaning against the entertainment center. "I thought it might be a little tough to get the key, what with my house being ash and all." He smirks at her. "But you wouldn't care about that. After all, your specialty is getting the motorcycle gang out of jail. Your father would be so proud."

Veronica sighs. "I don't have time for this. Show your cards, Logan, or I'm leaving."

"I'm not giving you the tapes."

"So what am I doing here?" She sighs, running her hand through her hair in a show of pure exhaustion. She lowers her eyes, muttering to herself. "Why do I keep wasting my time on this?"

Her comment stings more than he shows as he carefully brushes past her and disappears into his room.

"I told you, Veronica," Logan answers, his voice dulled by the space between them. "You're not that much of a bitch."

"Very eloquent, Logan." She watches as he reappears, this time holding a small tin box. He sets it on the coffee table, and gestures for Veronica to move to the couch. Suppressing an eye roll, she obliges and watches as he pulls a chain from around his neck. A deadbolt key hangs from the end, and Veronica watches him fit it to the lock on the box. Four tapes lay inside, unmarked, but not unrecognizable. It would take her a lifetime to forget those tapes.

"And the copies?" Veronica questions.

"I had to delete something for you father."

"God, Logan, why?" Veronica's eyes find his, and her gentle plea almost cracks his detached veneer.

Instead, Logan abruptly snaps the box closed, pulling the key away and walking back towards his room. He's back in a second, and Veronica pictures the box, locked yet unhidden, sitting on his bed.

"You really want to know why, Veronica?" His question snaps her attention back to him.

The question, the look, the strange absence of a smirk on his somber face is enough to make Veronica wonder.

Do I want to know?

Really?

"Of course I do," she tells him, her voice masked with false bravado to distract from her pause. "Why would you want to help him like this?"

"It's not even about him." Logan smirks, but it's dark and foreboding. "It's about her. It's all about her." He pauses. "You, of all people, should know that."

"Lilly? You're trying to protect Lilly?" Veronica's brows knit together. "Logan, Lilly wouldn't care if those tapes got out. She would've wanted people to know the truth."

"Exactly," Logan murmurs, his voice low yet unmistakably hard. "This is exactly what she would've wanted. And she doesn't deserve it."