A/N: I own nothing to do with Veronica Mars

Episode Description:

Season1Ch2:

"Hey Cliffy" I say leaning on the door to my dad's office. Cliff was a seedy but loveable public defender who traded favors with my sheriff-turned-PI father. He quickly fills me in on case details explaining that Weevil's grandmother, who worked as a maid for the Echolls, has been arrested for stealing unlimited credit card offers from the Echolls trash, an accusation that neither the Echolls nor the Sheriff believe.

"It got to be the kid Weevil Navarro." My father says ruffling through a pile of files before landing on Weevil's. "The first time I picked him up he was 12." I was about to protest when my Dad told me to take point on the case since I went to school with him.

The second I got in school the gossip was a buzz. Logan Echolls had been sniffing around Caitlin Ford for the last few weeks and now she finally snagged him. Everyone expected a reaction from me. Lily Kane's boyfriend had moved on, would her best friend avenge the new relationship? Personally I thought it was ridiculous if Logan had seriously moved on and was ready to get serious with another girl more power to him. I hate Logan but not enough to wish for him to be forever plagued by a dead girlfriend who caused him enough pain alive. Personally it is my belief that Logan hasn't moved on. Every time Logan looked at Lily it was like he was seeing her for the first time. His eyes held amazement and wonder because Lily Kane was never predictable. She challenged Logan causing him to love her so fiercely that he allowed himself to be played like a poker hand. Caitlin was blonde and filled the stereotype completely. She and Logan were a business arrangement, a way for Caitlin to have status and a way for Logan to forgo having to deal with girls he may have deeper feelings for. They walked towards me in the hallway hand-in-hand and Logan held my eye as if daring me to say that this act was betraying Lily. Part of me knew it was the perfect way to inflict pain on him, to mock him about having so easily replaced Lily Kane. However Lily was never a part in our war and I knew better than anyone that Logan has not replaced her, he was trying to survive. I guess this realization made me remember his pain and remembering his pain made me lock eyes with him and give a nod of solidarity which to anyone else would have looked like me lowering my eyes in avoidance. He held my eyes and almost smiled before Caitlin pulled him away to look at her new pink vespa scooter. Oh yeah this was Logan officially taking the easy route.

The rest of the day was uneventful exempting, of course, the fateful flat tire. When I previously mentioned that Logan, although venomous, was at least mildly entertaining in his attacks, I should have clarified that the same cannot be said for the 09er goons who don't understand that letting the air out of my tires is only semi-funny the first time.

"Bummer" Logan said not attempting to hide his smirk. Unimpressed and pissed off I yank the tire iron out of my trunk and try to imagine exactly what Logan would do if I smashed in the headlights on his precious Xterra.

"Flat?" A boy I recognized as a new 09er asked. Great get the new kids to come rub it in,

"Just as god made me" I fire back. He kneels down beside me and somewhat gently takes the tire iron out of my hands.



"Here let me help." The last time an 09er was nice to me was Lily's funeral. Considering that was a hell of a long time ago I'm not too sure how to react. "I'm Troy by the way." I reluctantly shake his extended hand watching as Caitlin throws me a look that could be construed as jealously and Logan just looks confused.

"Veronica" I watch as Logan drags Caitlin closer to him and whisper something in her ear the way he'd always do to Lily whenever he got possessive.

"Ah that does make more sense." He says with a smile. "You should never listen to those guys I mean who names their daughter Trampy McBitch?" This actually manages to make me laugh and I can help but notice that he is actually kind of good looking. "So are you always this persnickety"

"Sometimes I'm even persnicketier" I sigh audibly as he continues to work the tire iron. "I am supposed to be taking pictures in Gold Coast in an hour and with the deadline…"

"Veronica you need a ride?" I look up suddenly to see Duncan standing over me looking neither happy nor upset to have to spend a ½ hour drive with me. This is the first time I haven't instinctively known he was there and I wonder if that means something. That I, like Logan, need to try to get past last year.

"Go ahead I'll take it from here" Troy says earnestly and although trusting an 09er with my car is probably not a smart move he seems nice enough.

"Chivalry not dead, good to know." Duncan laughs smacking Troy in the back as I smile in thanks. "Common I'm parked over here." I feel all eyes on me as I walk across the parking lot but none quite so piercing as Logan's. I refuse to turn around and acknowledge the snickers and I climb in to the car to endure what may well be the longest 30 minutes of my life.

To make time go faster and to avoid the building tension in the car I start pouring over Weevil's permanent files, class schedule and browser history. Finally I find what I'm looking for.

"Hey Dad?" I say into my phone as Duncan looks sideways at me trying to pretend not to eavesdrop

"Weevil isn't our guy. I cross-referenced his browser history with the class schedule there's no way he could have done it there is no Internet connection in shop."

"What about Logan?" My Dad responds and I can see Duncan tense telling me he's heard my father over the phone.

"I can check but this isn't really Logan's MO. He has no motive and honestly I don't think he would steal from his parents especially not Lynn."

"Check him anyways ok sweetie you never know." I grunt in response trying to both assure my father I'd do the job and convince Duncan I didn't think his best friend was a thief. Duncan stops looking at me after that and the silence is as thick as the LA smog when we park at the beach. I snap pictures, Duncan asks questions and an hour later we are back to uncomfortable silence in the car. Suddenly the sounds of sirens in the distance catch my attention and Duncan grumbles under his breath and pulled over. He hands the officer his license and registration without having to be asked and shoots me a what-the-hell-is-going-on-look.

"I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car please." The officer asked giving us a suspicious once-over.



"Uh is something wrong officer?" Duncan was clearly frustrated and confused by this point.

"I have an impound notice on the vehicle." We both step out of the car. The officer was new and obviously didn't realize he had just pulled over the son of the most powerful man in Neptune or the ex-sheriff's daughter. That had more cache without the ex. Duncan goes to talk to the officer and I hang back respectively remembering the last time I had a run in with Neptune's finest. Shelley Pomroy's end of the year party was one of the biggest events of the school year. It was open to anyone but generally the non-09ers stayed away. I decided to go prove to everyone that their whispers and backstabbing didn't effect me. It was a mistake. I woke up the next morning sore and wondering why my underwear was on the floor. The searing between my legs answered that. Immediately I went to the sheriff's department to report the crime. Let's just Sheriff Lamb was less than understanding

flashback

"What do you want me to do you have left me without a shred of evidence to work with here but then again that doesn't matter to your family does it?" he sneers leaning back in his chair. "How bout I just round up the sons of the most powerful men in Neptune?" I could feel the tears collecting in my eyes and suddenly one slipped out puddling on my dress. I couldn't help but think that that dress now probably had every one of my bodily fluids on it. That made me cry harder.

"And she cries." Lamb said rolling his eyes. "I tell you what Veronica. How about you go see the wizard. Ask for some guts."

end flashback

"Can I ask you something?" I didn't even notice Duncan had slid up beside me. Grateful for the distraction I forced a smile and nodded.

"Of course." Duncan considered this for a second and I began to feel nervousness seep through me.

"Do you really think Logan is responsible for credit card fraud" Well at least I was kind of expecting that one. I placed my hands on the hood of the car locking my elbows as if I was going to jump off then slowly explained.

"Logan has access and most likely opportunity but he lacks motive." It was the right answer, detached and succinct, unfortunately it totally did not satisfy Duncan who just looks at me waiting for me to continue. Finally I give in"I don't think that Logan would steal from his own mother Duncan but that response doesn't satisfy customers or juries. I have to prove or disprove his involvement."

"You take this whole PI thing seriously don't you." Duncan seems to be considering something bigger and I really wish he would just get to it. I just shrug and nod.

"Do you think my father killed Lily?" Well that's an awkward question. I let out an exasperated sigh obviously showing my discomfort. Duncan just continued staring at me ,waiting for my response like before. That's the thing with ex-boyfriends they know you. They know how to make you smile, how to hurt you and most of all, they know how to make you talk.

"I don't know who killed your sister Duncan. I just know it wasn't Abel Koontz." Duncan nods slowly as if trying to decide whether this piece of information made the situation better or worse.



"I want to help" was his calm detached response. Actually calm and detached was the only way to describe Duncan these days and I'm pretty sure this was the closest he has come to making a decision since Lily died. I looked at him imploringly. "Lily's death you are still looking into it right." I gave a careful nod surprised he figured that out. "I don't think Koontz killed her either." For a moment I just stare at him bug-eyed and with my jaw almost hitting the ground. Duncan agrees with my father and he wants to help with the investigation. There were definitely problems with this. First off it was his sister, anything we uncover is going to upset him, he had no experience at investigating and he is a potential suspect. Then again I can say with 99.9 certainty that Duncan would never kill Lily. They were so different and they didn't always get along but they loved and protected each other. There were also benefits. Duncan could get information from his parents I couldn't dream of getting, he could bug the house, access files and be someone else to bounce ideas off of. Plus I couldn't help but notice the mix of hope and despair as he looked at me.

"There are conditions." Duncan let out a relieved sigh. "First of all I need to know what changed your mind. " Duncan agreed and was about to grab something out of his pocket before I continued "Secondly I need to know why you broke up with me and why you did it that way." His face pales and he is about to interject but I cut him off again. "Duncan I can't work on a case like this with someone I don't trust completely." I wait for his reluctant nod of agreement before I continued. "Thirdly this case may, and probably will, take some pretty nasty turns. I need to know you can handle that." Duncan looks at his hands for a moment considering what I meant.

"I will do anything to find her killer." I took in a deep breath

"If it was one of your parents" I feel bad for even suggesting this knowing the loyalty he feels to both his parents and to Lily. He looks me straight in the eye with intensity I have never seen before and I was sure he was going to deny that his parents could possibly have anything to do with his sister's death.

"I'll help nail them to the wall." Is his only response before turning away as if he is embarrassed by this admission and for the first time in a long time I see the flicker of the Duncan I used to love. He hands me the impound notice on the car.

"She ran a red light at 6:52" There is a picture of Lily smiling and singing to a song on the radio. It didn't even look like she had noticed she ran the light.

"That puts her time of death 4 hours off." I say with awe tracing the picture of Lily with my fingertips as if the curve of her face would give me answers. Duncan nodds in agreement letting out a heavy sigh looking horribly defeated. Maybe it was the picture of Lily or the realization that Duncan was still a good person that made me put my hand on his back and rub it softly the way I used to when he got upset while we were dating. His shoulders relaxed at my touch and he looked more at ease then I have seen him in a while. For a split-second I wonder who was there to do this for him when Lilly died. Maybe not this exact method of comfort but something to try to erase the empty, hollow look in his eyes. Celeste was too busy writing thank you notes for the condolence casseroles and making donations in Lily's name. Jake was busy lying to the law and getting my father kicked out of office and Logan. Logan was a mess.

"I don't think anyone should know that we're working together." I said suddenly breaking the calm that broke out between. The gentle comfort was too much like when we were dating and nothing like that could happen if I were to remain objective about Lily's murder.

"Why?" Duncan was clearly confused and for a moment I was grateful that he was willing to tell the world that I was possibly right.



"First off your parents can't suspect it. Secondly if the guilty party is at Neptune and knows we're getting serious about solving this, things could end badly. Finally people don't like change and people who are more comfortable have looser lips." Duncan slides of the hood of his car and starts pacing almost angrily but his emotions don't exactly surface these days.

"So I'm supposed to sit there and let Logan and everyone else treat you like shit?" He clearly has a problem with this and kicks a rock to the side.

"Yes"

"I can't do that." That pisses me of and I slide of the car to face him.

"Apparently you can apathy is your thing these days." He looks like he is considering telling me something and then walks away thinking better of it.

"I'm sorry. It was just Lily died and Logan was so mad and he took it out on you and I was pissed too." He pauses to take a breath. "I didn't think it would turn out like this." If there is anything I've learned over the past year it's that people make mistakes. Forgiveness is not my thing. If you forgive easily people stomp all over because they know all they need are two magic words and they're back on track. Then again Duncan lost a sister and, recently, his assurance that his parents weren't involved. Logan was so wrapped up in hating me he failed to notice Duncan has reverted to shell of a person. If anyone deserved to be forgiven for losing their way this year it's Duncan.

"It's ok Duncan. It's been a hard year." He nods in agreement still staring at the ticket. "But you need to act the same at school." He's about to protest but I put up my hand immediately to stop him. "If it makes you feel better you specifically haven't done much. Just leave it alone I can handle Logan." He's obviously not happy about this but doesn't have time to argue as our parents pull up alongside us. They share awkward pleasantries and Duncan quickly shoves the ticket in my hand before we go our separate ways.

In the car I explain the whole scenario to my father, Duncan's plea to help, the ticket and the undercover nature of our strictly professional relationship. My father seems wary about Duncan but agrees that a Kane insider may be the only way to crack the case.

"Dad can we make a stop?" I convince him to take me to the Neptune Grande so I can check up on the biggest charge on the credit card, a hotel room. A tearful I'm-pregnant-and-don't-know-who-the-guy-is performance gets me a list of charges and there it is, a room service charge billed to Caitlin Ford. Maybe I was wrong about Logan being above credit card fraud.

"I know it was you." I say sitting down beside Logan. He looks up from the article he's working on and shots me a look of surprise with just a hint of hatred.

"What was me" If I'm not mistaken he actually seems confused. Logan was a crap actor. Most people thought he was mysterious and had the ability to mask all emotions. This proves how well his 'friends' know Logan Echolls. His eyes are an open book to anyone who understands the language. The 10 years of friendship has made me fluent and right now he honestly has no idea what's going on.

"You stole your mom's credit cards." Still confusion now with a splash of murderous intent and hurt. "But you made a mistake letting Caitlin sign for the room service tab." Logan seems even more taken aback by this but quickly covers it with a scowl.



"Great prove it." He growls picking up his books and stomping over to another computer. He didn't do it. The eyebrows flying up in surprise gave him away. So that leaves Caitlin and who. My heart constricted in a very nasty way. Logan's first girl was murdered and now the first girl he reluctantly opens himself up to is stealing and cheating on him. That's going to do wonders for him. I reluctantly start punching in the numbers charged to the hotel room. They lead to nothing and the last one is busy. Resigned I call my Dad and force him to run it through the system quickly.

"That number belongs to Chardo Navarro." Caitlin has been cheating on Logan with Chardo? Sighing I look over at Logan as he fake laughs at one of her jokes. He knows, or if he doesn't, he suspects it. I've seen that look before.

flashback

"Hey lovah" Lilly cooed sliding easily into Logan's lap before kissing him hard and passionately in front of the table. I shifted my eyes from the couple to Duncan's face and ran my hand down his cheek. Smiling as he wordlessly pressed his forehead against mine.

"Explain." Logan placed a pair of boxers in Lilly's lap his eyes flaring up in anger and hurt. Duncan and I nervously look away from each and focus on our best friends about to start World War III

"God Logan you are such drama queen we were broken up." Lily says still on his lap stealing a tater top off his plate. Logan stood up with Lily still on his lap almost causing her to crash to the ground. This was going to end badly.

"We break up for a few days and you sleep with another guy." Logan fires back the hurt and mistrust evident in his eyes. "And here I choose not to believe the slut rumors." Duncan shoots Logan a warning glance and he immediately looks apologetic.

"Look who grew a backbone." Lilly says coolly grabbing the boxers off the bench. "Someone's got to keep me satisfied. It's not my fault you spent all last week with mommy dearest." Logan's face turns red and he stalks off in anger.

"Lilly." I breathe disapprovingly. We all knew that Logan's mom had gone extra hard with the pills and alcohol since Aaron returned last week. We also all knew how much it hurt Logan. To her credit Lilly immediately looked guilty and upset.

"Duncan I want to go home" She barely whispers walking towards the parking lot without waiting for Duncan's response.

"I'll go find Logan." I reassure him at his apprehensive expression. He nods and kisses my cheek before following Lily to the parking lot. I sigh and run off after Logan. There are a few things that one does not bring up in front of Logan, his mother's alcoholism is probably number one. I find him standing by his locker in the empty hallway, head bowed as he breathes deeply desperately trying to collect himself.

"Logan." I tentatively place a hand on his shoulder. If there is one thing Logan hates it's pity and even the suggestion that he may need a sympathetic shoulder. The locker has a small dent and a couple flecks of blood on it. One look at his battered and bloody hand tells me the reason. I sigh and start rubbing his back suddenly more sure of myself. "Common let's get you cleaned up." He doesn't protest when I take him to the nurse's station or when I wait for him to get bandaged up.

end flashback



I corner Chardo before Logan can get to him. The last thing Logan needs right now is for his father to find out he's been fighting on campus. That man's lectures would put Logan in such a bad mood that he would completely shut down for a day or two before returning to normal. Turns out Chardo believes Caitlin Ford is the love of his life. It doesn't take much to get the truth out him and I race to Weevil's in time for the homecoming.

"I hear you're to thank for this Kodak moment" Weevil says before hugging me. I have never hugged the leader of a biker gang before, let's just say it's weird.

"Look Logan and the 09ers are out looking for Chardo." I don't know how Weevil is going to react in this situation. On the one hand I don't think he'd like Logan beating up a member of his crew they have too much of a Montague Capulet thing going on for Weevil to see Logan's side in all this so I figure it's best to stop it before someone gets hurt.

"He won't be the only one" Weevil says with a sad smile.

"Look I know you hate Logan." Weevil raises his eyebrows waiting for me to continue. "A word of advice let him get one punch in tell him that she's not worth more and Chardo betraying you is a bigger deal. He'll let you take him if he knows you can do worse." Weevil nods and I leave.

So all and all it's been a pretty busy day. Troy flirts with me incessantly, Duncan wants to help solve Lily's murder, Logan got what little he gave Caitlin thrown back in his face and I still need the answer to my billion dollar question. Why did Duncan break up with me?

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