Wow. This one's long too. It wasn't intentional- I just started it tonight... hmm. Yeah so I realize that it's been 9 days or so since I updated with a chapter that stated I'd be posting every day, and here are my excuses: 5 tests in 4 days, over-time at work, and too, too, TOO much cold medicine to stay up late. But yes, I've always hated the school-oriented excuses. I'VE GOT 19 HOURS OF COLLEGE A WEEK! But only for a few more weeks. Then I've got 30. –falls over-

Now that I've rambled on about nothing at all, on to the point:

Sorry I didn't update nightly! But now I've got some LoVe in here, and I've got the phone thing done and I put Wallace in here a bit, and Cassidy and WHOOOT. So- I'll be going back to more often posts. (you can really tell I'm on the drowsy meds, huh?)

PHEONIXROSE: a while ago you said 'no sexual content please' and I just wanted to say: no worries. I used to be a queen of smut, but now I can't even READ it, let alone write it. I dunno. But yes. Lovely times ahead, in the most family oriented terms!

SHELLY: You, for a limited time only, get a Yellow Xterra with Logan in the passenger seat, and 500 points! ;-) thanks for the reviews, YOU ROCK

Thanks to wantingchino for the long review, and bklyangel, HANNA SHOULD DIE. 'nough said. ;-)

THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN TO: balefan31, your-my-bitch, luvlogan-sara, sarca666, shelly, fanficfairy514, sasha, Sammie, bklyangel, and wantingchino—and everyone else that viewed it! REVIEW MORE I LOVE IT!

Returning reviewers get a talking, witty Veronica doll and a bag of Doritos, flavor of choice!

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NEED A BREAK CH. 9
At Last

Wallace looked over his shoulder, feeling that what he and Veronica were up to was probably one of the most James Bond thing he'd ever done. Sure, they had bugged plants, busted monetary scams, and made tag-team recon trips. But somehow planning to secretly lift a cell phone from some PCH 'gangster' that looked capable of murder was ending up higher on his list of adrenaline producers.

He made his way up to the FBLA Slushie stand five minutes before Veronica was supposed to be done working. Slightly behind him was Shawn Nelson; an alleged kleptomaniac. No matter what the rap sheet in the Sherrif's Office said... Wallace had to admit that Shawn was kinda hot.

Veronica handed a Pina Colada flavored drink to one of the 09er cronies and gave him a bored smile as he removed the lid and added a substantial amount of Captain Morgan. "And that's precisely why your brain is so functional." She called to his back in a singsong type of voice before turning to see her visitors. "Ah, excellent." She said giving her best 'Mr. Burns' imitation before she untied the waitress pack from her hips and checked her watch.

Shawn opened her mouth to say 'hello', but was cut off by the terrible twosome: Logan and Dick. "Hey, Shawn, anyone tell you that it's January?" Dick teased, pointing at her basketball style shorts.

Shawn smirked and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Dick, anyone tell you that we're in California?" He gave her a mock-laugh and she sighed before shrugging.

Veronica watched, amused, as Dick joked with Shawn, who pushed him away after it seemed like she'd had enough. "Get away from me," Shawn joked to the Casablancas boy before turning to Veronica. "I've got a hot date with this Mars girl."

-------

The following Monday, Shawn watched from her seat in the back of her history classroom as Weevil was called out at exactly 10:35. She slouched down in her seat and pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. This had all been Veronica's stunning work; get Weevil out of the room, then swipe Thumper's phone. She had supplied Shawn with a brand new cell phone that was exactly identical to the one she was supposed to steal. She'd have to activate it so that Thumper's number worked with it, then pocket the old phone, and return the new one...

"Cake," she muttered to herself before snapping the phone shut. She had the directions that Veronica printed out from Thumper's phone company's Internet support site. It'd be easy enough to do during class, as long as she could come up with some sort of distraction to the alleged murderer.

Shawn heard a phone vibrate during a film on the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor and checked her own before looking around. In the seat directly in front of her, Thumper took his phone out of his pocket and opened it just exactly where Shawn could read the message. "meet at the can. now." He sighed and set the phone down on top of his black backpack as he slid out of his seat to go to the teacher's desk.

Shawn's heart started racing right then, as she knew that she only had a few seconds to get the phones switched. She kicked off her right flip-flop and used her toes to grab the phone off of the bag and put it on the floor next to her on the left. She grabbed it and opened it.

She and Veronica (along with Wallace, Weevil and Logan) had argued and debated for nearly two hours the previous Saturday at the carnival on the best way to take this phone from the new 'top thug'. This had been the only plan that worked, seeming as how Weevil supplied just enough information to get across that Thumper was pretty protective over his phone.

Shawn sighed quietly and followed all the printed directions as quickly as possible, but looked up to see that Thumper had finished pleading his case of a sensitive stomach that just didn't treat him right on Tuna Surprise day, and was waiting for the teacher to sign a hall pass. She bit her lip and looked back at the phone, it was doubtful that she could get this all done in time. The teacher scribbled on the back of the hall pass before opening her drawer to look for another pen.

Shawn clenched and unclenched her jaw and looked around. Dick's younger brother was sitting a seat up and a seat over from her- she decided he'd have to do the job. "Cassidy," She hissed and watched as he looked around before turning to face her. "Trip him." She told him, simultaneously taking the top cover off of the phone and pulling out a tiny tracking device out of an envelope with the directions.

"What? Are you nuts?" He whispered back. Thumper was already on his way to his desk, presumably to get his phone and leave the room, and Shawn gave the Beaver her most desperate look. Her hands were shaking as she tried to put the phone back together. This was SO much different than sneaking something out of someone's pocket, which is what she had been busted for. Veronica had turned it all SuperSpy, and Shawn hoped she could get it done.

Cassidy leaned back in his desk, feigning a stretch, and let his right foot get in the way of Thumper, who stumbled slightly. "Man, what up, huh?" He growled and leaned down to get into Cassidy's face.

"Dude... sorry. I just moved. You're the one that tripped." Shawn grinned at Cassidy- since when did he have enough bravado to talk like that to Thumper?

Shawn snapped the cover back on the new phone, flipped them both open to compare and make sure she knew which was which, then grabbed onto the front of her desk with the new phone in her right hand and Thumper said, "Oh, boy- you don't even wanna go-"

"Hey, excuse me," She said rather loudly, and dropped the phone onto Thumpers bag before he turned to look at her. "I'm trying to watch the Japanese dudes blast the living crap out of the American dudes, could you keep it down?"

Thumper rolled his eyes, and everyone in the classroom snickered.

"Alright guys, this isn't fun-time. Be quite and watch the movie." The teacher said, not amused with the outburst.

"That's what I'm sayin'!" Shawn called and sat back in her seat as Thumper reached for the phone and walked out of the room.

Shawn watched him go with a big smile before looking up at the clock- 10:40. She pulled a pink hall pass out of the sleeve of her folder that held the rest of her 'covert-ops' information. She got up and walked to the teachers desk giving the Beaver a smile-in-thanks as she passed. "Mrs. Holloway, remember how I told you this morning that I had to leave for a few minutes?"

The teacher nodded and held her hand out for the hall pass. It read that Shawn Nelson needed to be excused at 10:45 on Monday to the Audio/Visual room for an interview for the Navigator... most of that was true.

Shawn walked through the halls and entered the A/V room too see Veronica sitting alone at a computer, twirling a USB cord with a smirk. "Weevil kinda made it sound like he was hiding something, huh?" Shawn asked flatly and tossed Thumpers phone to her new partner-in-crime.

"Yeah. I've learned to trust him less and less lately. O figure I'll download it and not watch it unless I need to." Veronica said and connected the phone to the computer. "Or if I'm bored."

-----

As Logan drove Veronica home that day, he drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel of his Xterra to the music that was playing quietly. He had given her more than a few rides now, and each one was more silent, and more uncomfortable than the last. He made a show of looking left-and-right at a stop sign near Veronica's apartment just so he could look at her for a second.

She was sitting in his passenger seat with her elbow on the armrest, and her chin propped on her fist. Her other hand rested over the backpack in her lap and her legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles. The only thing Logan could think of was that she looked like a teen that was being carted around by a not-so-cool parent.

"Come on, Ronica," He joked as he pulled up to her apartment. "You're not that embarrassed of the yellow, are you? I think it gives this ol' thing character."

Veronica grinned ruefully before looking at him. "If the character you're going for is Big Bird, then... I agree. Plenty of character." Logan returned her grin and watched her put one finger up to her lips. "No- yanno... I like to think of it as one big rolling ball of sunshine." She clasped her hands in front of her and pursed her lips in mock emotion. "Spreading joy to the world of Neptune." Veronica relished in her own sarcasm for a moment before dropping her hands and turning to look at Logan. "Thanks for the ride."

Logan opened his mouth in shock, but couldn't contain a sideways smile as he said, "My word, Veronica, a 'thank you'! I was beginning to think I'm giving you these rides for nothing!"

Veronica smiled for a moment before looking away and grabbing the door handle. "Why are you giving me rides in the Sunshine-mobile?"

"Because, Oh Tiny Blonde One, I am your servant." He said gesturing with his hands from himself to her.

"Right." She answered and raised an eyebrow.

There was something on her mind today. She had been very successful with Thumper's phone situation thanks to Shawn, and the rest of the day had been fine. Finals were still far in the future, but she had to start thinking about studying if she planned on keeping the scholarship. Her dad had been rather cheerful, and she was beginning to think that the two of them were going to be okay...

Basically- there was absolutely no reason for her mind to be traveling the paths it was.

"Logan..." Veronica started and debated for several long moments before turning in his direction without actually making eye contact. "Do you remember that night... when we were..." Veronica looked down to her shoes, nothing a frayed shoelace. "And the biker drove by and..."

Logan remembered, but didn't answer. He wanted her to look at him, and he figured she would eventually turn her eyes on him if he didn't answer- so he stared at her as she spoke... or stuttered.

"You said... and well, something's been bothering me for a... a while now." She shrugged and shook her head a little bit as she picked at her jeans. "I guess I'm just in a mode to tie up all my lose ends. But... do you remember?"

Logan remembered vividly what he had said.

--

"I should go, because my dad is probably watching us through a telescope." Logan was slightly disappointed about the distraction from their make-out session but pulled back to look at her.

He grinned and watched her look over her shoulder at her apartment. "He's probably impressed with your virtue." He teased in a whisper.

Veronica let out a very un-Veronica giggle, and dodged his oncoming kiss. She looked back the apartment and whispered "And that telescope is mounted on a rifle."

Logan humored the joke (knowing that it may very well be true) and looked out the window to an imaginary Keith and held up his hand. "Five more minutes." His wit was rewarded by another giggle. "He should feel lucky." He told her in a slightly louder tone. "I mean, you could be out here with some pretty-boy jerk just looking to get laid."

"Wait." Veronica avoided another kiss and feigned seriousness. "What are you saying? You're not pretty?"

He'd been waiting for an opportunity, and this one seemed like a pretty good one. Logan plastered on his perfect grin and looked into Veronica's eyes. "Ah, what I'm trying to say is I'm in love with you."


The response she gave him then was one that had kept his mind reeling for nearly six months now. "The things guys will say to get past second base."

--

Logan had been left after the biker so politely interrupted their date with a shotgun to wonder what Veronica meant. Did she really think he was lying? Was that her own strange-Veronica-way of showing happiness after being told someone loved her?

Veronica finally looked up at Logan, and he had to swallow before he spoke. "Of course,"

"I never said it back." Logan's eyes slightly widened and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating. "I meant to- but-"

This meant she loved him- this ended his torment about what she meant that night. Logan didn't take the time to debate whether or not she still loved him, or if she could ever love him again.

Instead, he just reached for her and pulled her into an incredibly passionate and INCREDIBLY overdue kiss.