Season 1 Episode5:

A/N: Due to more LoVe interaction I decided to switch up the POVs throughout the story. Let me know if you think it works. I am not connected with Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas, anybody of importance really.

Episode Summary: A stolen car leads Veronica to uncover surprising information. Duncan gets back some very important test results and confronts a long time friend about his recent behavior before surprising Veronica.

Logan POV

"Isn't this where we parked?" Tell me this is where we parked and the heart attack I'm having right now is for no reason." Troy looks around panicking.

"Maybe it'll be like Brigadoon. If you come back in 100 years it'll be right here." I quip before lying down in the empty parking spot.

"Troy did you lock it." Luke said his voice bordering on hysteria. Idiot had left his drug filled Piniata in the car.

"Did I lock it?" Troy asked incredulously and I wasn't sure if that meant obviously he did lock or that he couldn't believe he was such an idiot for not.

"How are we going to get home." I sit up from the parking spot a half-hearted smirk in place. "My parents are out of town." It was a lie but I'd rather be stuck in Mexico with Luke and Veronica's boy-toy Troy then have to deal with my father's punishment for a quick trip to Mexico. Troy's parents were out as they didn't even know he took the car so saying that he lost would end up with him in some catholic boarding school. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad after-all. Luke's parents were in Europe so that left us getting comfortable in Mexico…or…Veronica. Troy seems to be one step ahead of me a goofy smile on his place as he dials Veronica's number.

"Hey babe." It irks me a little that he sounds the same as Duncan when he says that. The thought of sitting in a car with Veronica Mars for hours causes all sorts of different thoughts to run through my head. The uneasy truce that was called during Lily's funeral caused her to avoid him like the plague. Not that he minded that she wasn't around. Sure it had been entertaining to watch her revenge and her presence was such a fixture in his life that without it he feels like he is slowly losing any connection he once had with her. They had once been connected by the Kanes, then hatred and now nothing was stopping her from stepping completely out of his life, which she did with unnerving ease after the memorial. On the other hand her perpetual avoidance made everything easier on me. I don't have to look at her and see her betrayal, see the pain in her eyes every time I cut her down and I certainly didn't need to see her increasing acts of kindness. Giving me Lily's tapes, making sure I ate while I tortured himself with videos of Lily, her comment about how proud Lily would have been were all from this new Veronica. Sometimes I try to think of what it would be like if Lily lived. In a way I think things would be remarkably similar. Duncan and Veronica would make up because Lily would have made them that is for certain. I think about the old Veronica, the sweet, naïve girl who was surprisingly good at picking up the pieces every time Lily smashed my heart to the ground. She was changing even before Lily died. I think I saw it before she even knew she was changing.

flashback



"So what do you think for my next boyfriend?" Lily piped up from her locker causing me to hide in my classroom and listen with anger to the rest of the conversation. "Colin Ferrall type or Aston Krutcher type?" My anger deepened when I heard Veronica giggle beside her. So much for being my friend too.

"What's wrong with Logan?" At least she asked the right questions.

"Uhm he's insanely jealous and it's getting on my nerves." Lily replied tossing her hair and checking her make-up in the mirror. How could she not expect me to be jealous? Hurt and anger mixed in my stomach and the only thing that stopped me from running out there and yelling at Lily for being a heartless bitch was my masochistic need to hear Veronica laugh about her stringing me along.

"Wait you'rd serious?" The smile and all other signs of joy are wiped off Veronica's face and she's staring at Lily like she has three heads.

"Yeah I mean Logan's great and all but I'm young I want options and Logan just doesn't get that." That's cause I love you, you idiot I want to yell at her. I can feel angry tears pick in my eyes at the realization that all I was to Lily some other guy that was "great and all".

"Lily that's because he loves you." Veronica is now full on scowling at Lily who is looking back at her with something akin to surprise on her face. "You're going to really hurt him." It helped more than it should that Veronica was quick to defend me, I wasn't sure whose side she was on. I wasn't even aware we needed sides.

"Whatever Veronica Logan is a big boy he can handle it." The story of my life. Logan can handle the pain so let's just heap more on I thought bitterly.

"That doesn't mean he deserves it Lily you can't string him along like that."

"Whatever Veronica Mars you know you're going to have to pick a side on this." Lily's eyebrows raise as in a challenge and Veronica's face goes stony.

"I'd pick his." Veronica said firmly before walking off to class leaving Lily in her dust.

That was the first time Veronica Mars every stood up to anybody.

end flashback

"Dude where's your car?" She flashes a smile at Troy who just shakes his head "Sorry." Troy heads for the front seat dragging his heels and looking around hopelessly one last time. "Uh you're monkey is going to have to ride in the back." Her snark had no bite and I'm pretty sure she meant it that way.

"Wow that must have been an awfully big cereal box." Troy steps in before things could get out of hand which they weren't going to anyways. I've made fun of Veronica's car since she got it which was when we friends and her own insult was more friendly than feisty.

I watch with gross fascination as Veronica and Troy sweet talk each other in the front seat. My feeling of disgust turns to one of satisfaction when Troy shuts Veronica's flirting up by asking her, rather sarcastically, if she was down for dating a guy who went to Catholic school in Albuquerque. She stares at the road letting her silence be her answer. Veronica may be dating Troy but she definitely wasn't in love with Troy. If Duncan had asked her a year ago she would have shrugged and come up with a plan to make it work. Deeming the silence awkward Troy reaches over and turns on the radio.



I've been lying here for like a million years in my bed

Get up, get up, get up.

flashback

Everybody says I should be moving on

"Logan care to explain why I am halfway across town driving with only my permit which, by the way, is illegal?" Veronica asks pulling out of my driveway being extra cautious. The sight of my father and some nameless bimbo in fibrante flashed before my eyes and I close my eyes firmly trying to get rid of the image. I always suspected my father was cheating on my mom but seeing it with my own eyes made me mad enough to smart off my Dad. Luckily, he never did anything like that in front of company but I knew I had to get out of there ASAP. That would have been fine but my car was getting detailed and the Kanes were at the Napa house for the last bit of the summer.

"No not really." If she hadn't been so scared of driving she would have immediately given me one of those calculating stares that meant she was going to make me tell her anyways. She doesn't say anything just nods as I lean my head against the window. I think of my mother and her possible reactions, think of the feel of the belt when he finds out I've told then imagine Lily's annoyance when I refuse to take my shirt of in bed or go swimming. Without my knowledge I have started pounding my thigh restlessly. Veronica shoots me a look then wordlessly places her hand on top of mine to stop my pounding. I expect her to pull her hand away. Stop the pain and leave, my mother's mantra. Instead she tightens her small hand around mine and drives one-handed even though it scares her.

end flashback

"I hate that song" Veronica grumbles switching the station before anyone can protest. I catch her eye in the rearview mirror but she looks away quickly and I know her mind was in the same place. Troy and Luke both fall asleep quickly which is impressive considering both of them have their ass on the line. My hangover turns rapidly into something akin to a migraine and every time I close my eyes I feel like I'm spinning. I breathe with relief when Veronica pulls in for gas Troy whips out his credit card to pay for the gas and Veronica uncomfortably goes to the convenience store as he fills up. Rule #1 with Veronica Mars, do not pay for anything she feels she should buy herself. Oh yeah, Troy was going to be gone soon. She returns quickly with Aspirin, water bottles and a wet washcloth looking thing.

"These are for the hangovers." She says perkily depositing pills in our outstretched hand. "This is for you" She hands me the wet washcloth and the smiles knowingly. "Put it over your eyes it will help with migraine." I try to cover my look of surprise. Not even my parents knew I got migraines when I was hung-over or stressed. I try to thank her with a smile but she has already turned around and we don't voice thank yous audibly. It's all subtext with us.

Veronica POV

The rest of the ride went surprisingly well. Logan offered to drive at one point which was his way of thanking me for curing his migraine and Troy only whined a reasonable amount about the missing car. Finally I pull up to Luke's house where Logan's car is parked.

"So does this mean you're going to play nice now."



"Walk in front of the car and we'll see." He steps in front and I jokingly rev the motor. Not surprisingly he didn't jump. Nice to know he is still certain I won't run him over with my car. The sound of my phone ringing brought me out of my trance.

"Hey Duncan" I immediately curse myself for not covering Duncan's identity as Logan whips around and looks at me as though I am planning Duncan's kidnapping

"Hey Veronica." He sounds stiff and uncomfortable on the other line and I try to think of the last time he's called me. Our 'friendship' if you can call it that involves us leaving notes in each other's locker if anything seems important to the case. He asked me if I wanted to hang out the other day and I immediately refused. The paternity test just made everything too awkward. "The results are in." He says in one breath and I can feel my face paling.

"I'll be right there." I flip my phone shut and notice Logan is still staring at me his face caught between amusement and surprise. Immediately I break eye contact and tell Troy I'd have to come over later to help him because something came up.

"Something with Duncan?" He is trying to act like is just curious but if being friends with Logan taught me anything it was how to recognize the tell tale signs of jealousy. Part of me once to smack him upside the head and tell him that he has no right to be jealous we just started dating but rationality won over and I know I wouldn't want him running off with his ex.

"Just something for a case I'm working on." I reply kissing him gently. "No need to worry." That seems to appease him and moments later I'm dropping him at his mansion promising to call him later. Do I really want to know? I know I have to know there is no way Duncan will let this go unsettled. I pray to every deity that Keith Mars is my father basically holding my breath the whole way to the Kane mansion. If I didn't want the higher powers focusing on the paternity issue I would have sent a prayer that Celeste Kane had yoga or bridge or whatever extremely wealthy, jobless women have during weekdays. It seems as though I'm in luck Duncan is standing by the opening door tossing the envelope nervously from hand-to-hand.

"Hey"

"Hi" I breathe in response gesturing down at the package. "Let's uh, get this over with." Duncan is obviously as nervous as I am and takes a while to find a pair of scissors to open the package. He considers it for a moment then hands it to me.

"You do the honors. It's your paternity." For such a little package it is very ominous. To his credit Duncan is very patient. He sits there for the next half hour as I debate the merits of opening this envelope. "I should do this right I mean I have to know." For the third time in the last five minute Duncan answers my question with a sympathetic nod. "And me doing this doesn't mean I don't love my Dad."

"Of course not." Duncan reassures me yet again. I had forgotten how much I relished the calm, steady safe vibe he always seemed to exude. "Veronica it's just about the facts. Peace of mind." I've been pacing and debating for the past half an hour and as kind and patient as Duncan is he's going to get sick of my indecision soon.



"Ok here I go." Duncan raises his eyebrows in surprise when I rip open the package. I had said I was going to do it over 10 times and I guess the thought that I actually managed do it made it more real for him as well. Quickly I skim the results before bursting in to hysterical laughter.

"What?!" Duncan asks urgently a mix of concern and impatience in his voice

"Your mom's a bitch. I'm not your sister Duncan." Tears of joy start streaming down my face and Duncan is holding me close whispering apology after apology into my hair. I am stunned to realize he is crying too.

"Hey it's ok." I try to reassure him when I realize how panic stricken and mortified he is at the way he acted.

"I can't believe I treated you like that." He gets more and more worked up as he paces through the room recounting the events of last year. Whenever I try to reassure him I am cut off by another apology or reason why I should hate him and realize that this is something he has to get off his chest so I sit and listen content that nothing major has changed in my life. "I am sorry for everything." He looks me in the eyes when he says it this time and it's my turn to make a decision. I could cut him out of my life. I certainly have grounds to. He didn't tell me about my paternity, didn't give me a reason as to why he broke up with me, didn't actually break up with me and then spent an entire year letting Logan Echolls and his bunch of goons drive me into the ground. Then again he lost his sister, thought he dated his half-sister, watched his best friend morph into a full-fledged jackass all while his mother manipulated him from behind the scenes. It's really not a hard decision.

"Shh it's ok." I pull him in to a huge hug and feel him let out a relieved breath. It may not be ok but it will be. I don't want Duncan to lose another person from his life and his actions, though dramatic and stupid, were a little understandable. I tell him gently but firmly that for the time being there will be no relationship and I will continue to date Troy, whom, I may add, I forgot about the entire time I was with Duncan. The thought that we may have been siblings is too fresh and so is the memory of him cutting me out of his life. Trying to convince Duncan to continue to ignore me at school is pointless. He adamantly refuses saying that stopping me from be publically accosted is the least he can do. We both agree not to tell anyone the reason for our split or our reconciliation. My reputation is bad enough without adding potential incest and Duncan doesn't his father's infidelity public knowledge. Without any new leads on Lily's case we agree to meet up later and raid my father's safe. My hope is that Duncan's fresh eyes will missed something I have overlooked the million times I flipped through the files.

"I gotta go find my boyfriend's car." I declare realizing we spent the entire afternoon discussing how swell it was we weren't related. The mention of Troy wipes the smile off Duncan's face but he agrees diplomatically. School is going to be interesting.

Troy is more worried than helpful and I'd be more sympathetic aside from the fact that whinning about boarding school isn't going to stop him from getting shipped there, finding the car however, will. After a rather unsuccessful trip to the Beacon Company I leave Troy to ponder his demise at home before returning to my apartment to find my father, my actual, biological father. He is currently packing up boxes of my mom's crap to but in storage. He's trying to move on and that's good. Right? I dig through mom's stuff making sure there is nothing worth saving. There really isn't anything material she could give me to make her abandonment sting less, no answers among the cheap artifacts. I open a red purse to find a safety deposit box key. Maybe there are answers after all.



So that is how I end up spending my spare period in the journalism room wrongfully tampering with government issued documents aka. creating a fake death certificate for one Leanne Mars.

"Hey you're helping Troy find his Dad's car." A very nervous Luke stood over top of me. Luke was one of the more decent 09ers. I would like to take that as a testament to his character but I'm pretty sure it's just because he is too busy playing baseball to paint slut on my locker. Without taking my eyes off the screen I nod.

"I need your help." Right because I am in the habit of helping 09ers not to mention the fact that he's sweating on me.

"You're sweating on me." Ok that was supposed to be inner monologue.

"There is kind of more to this car thing than the car." Of course there was. Is anything in my life relatively straight-forward? He gives me a disturbing account of crossing international borders in my boyfriend's car with steroids. Did I mention the fact he hid the drugs in a piñata? Seriously could you be any less obvious.

"Wait what did Troy and Logan know about this?" I don't know about other women but I personally have a problem with my boyfriend violating international law.

"Nothing." Bullshit.

"Yeah. Alright Logan knew but he wasn't in on anything." Is it odd that I am more disappointed in Logan than relieved about Troy?

"It doesn't matter anyway. I don't help dealers find the lost product." Luke straightens up exasperated. I'd feel bad if he wasn't stupid enough to play delivery boy with druggies.

"Look don't think of it like that alright? Think of it like you're saving my life I mean that guy is built like a truck he will break one of my limbs" Ok so threats of bodily harm, even when directed at 09ers, does cause unwanted pangs of sympathy. Reluctantly I agree to help him on the condition he returns the penis-shrinking, scar leaving drugs to get his money back.

Logan's POV

I don't mind Duncan acting like a human being again, in fact I welcome it. I do, however, get annoyed at his sudden change in position over a certain Veronica Mars. First he nearly punches Dick when he makes his usual slut comment then informs the table under no uncertain terms that Veronica is no longer meant to be treated as a human punching bag. He then informs me she will be joining us for lunch tomorrow and that I am to make no comments regarding her mother, her zip code or her wardrobe. This, understandably, confuses me.

"Dude you make it sound like we're about to pour pig's blood on her." I say indignantly taking a few books from her locker. "It's not like that." At least it's not like that anymore I correct in my head. Sure some verbal sparring matches have gone a little further than they should've but it's not like she hasn't give as good as she got. "Plus it's not like she doesn't bite back."

"Please Logan take your head out of your ass for a minute and think about what you just said." This new-old Duncan is starting to freak me out. "You bashed in her headlights, insulted her mother, wrote a new degrading word on her locker everyday all while treating her like she is someone not good enough to 

breathe your air." My jaw drops at Duncan's tirade and I'm only half-surprised to see a small group of students watching us.

"You watched and never said a word." We're standing nose-to-nose now and I am seriously wondering if I am about to punch the one decent person I have in my life over Veronica Mars.

"I'm admitting I was wrong and I'm not standing by and letting you use her father's judgment as an excuse to treat her as your whipping girl." The whipping girl comment causes all the color to drain out of my face. Considering I have spend majority of my life being my father's whipping boy, literally, the suggestion I could cause the same amount of pain make my stomach churn. Duncan is still standing over me threatening and I'm about to respond when I see a pair of blue eyes watching the scene with shock.

"Duncan he's not worth it." Her air of complete indifference startles me almost as much as the fact that she doesn't make eye contact with me as she steps neatly in between us. At least she doesn't think I'm going to physically abuse her.

"Apologize." Duncan says simply, gently pulling Veronica around so she's facing me. I notice for the first time how hard her eyes have gotten. She doesn't hold that air of innocence anymore, in fact the only thing that remains from the old Veronica is a diamond necklace she got from Lily which catches the light at that precise moment. I think that's Lily's way of agreeing with Duncan.

"I don't want his apology." This time she's not blurting it out to stop me from being beaten by a biker gang she is being honest. Duncan's whipping girl comment replays in my head and I wonder if I have really damaged her the same way Aaron damaged me.

"At least two of us are on the same page." I mutter with the same amount of spite I had in the beginning of the year and walk away from a very unhappy Duncan and a too tough Veronica Mars. I walk by the empty library silently reminded of the first time I faced off with Veronica Mars.

flashback

"Logan?" It's my first week back since Lily died and even the freshmen feel the need to give me condolences. I turn around to face the scrawny kid anger boiling beneath the surface.

"Do I know you?" Yeah so I was being a jackass. My girlfriend was just murdered, my best friend is acting like someone just sucked out his soul and my other best friend allowed her father to go after Jake Kane. I guess I can't really blame her for that and her gentle reassurance that her father was simply doing his job was enough to make me grateful I still have one person to count on.

"Uhm, I just, I thought you should see this." The freshman flashes me an apologetic look before typing in a website. "It's the Lily Kane crime scene video. I-I just thought you should know it's going around." Lily wasn't in the frozen frame at the beginning. It was just an shot of the Kane's pool and the leg of a lounge chair. I could still turn away and hold on to the one thing I hadn't suffered through. My hand hovered over the play button. "I don't think you want to watch that." The freshman was a good kid, one of those slightly gangly kids who had the freshman girls swooning. An up and coming 09er king biding his time.

"Leave." I commanded without an edge to my voice. I appreciate what he's done but I'm in no mood to have a total break-down in front of a freshman. He's gone before I can ask twice. With a shaky breath I start the video. Lily lies motionless by her family pool. Her eyes are wide open and remind me of a dead fish at the market. There is no color in her face and her lips are dry but still look just as soft as they ever were. I touch my own lips in horror when I realize I have forgotten exactly how it felt when she kissed me. 

Lily was never cold. When we slept together in the summer I used to peel myself away from her in the middle of the night and sleep at the edge of the bed because her body was like a furnace, full of energy and heat. The shot zooms past her cheek and it hurts to think about exactly how cold she must be. Finally I force my eyes to look at the gaping head wound. It looks like she is the victim of a bad horror movie and the puddle of blood beneath her matted blonde hair makes me want to vomit. Lily would be so pissed that this was the video the world would remember her by.

"Oh my god Logan." Veronica's voice rings out in sympathetic horror as she shuts of the monitor before I can torture myself anymore. I blink back tears forcefully as she gently takes my face in her hands her running mascara the unmistakable sign she has seen the same video. She presses her forehead to mine and I'm about to let a tear slide out when I realize something. Someone had to leak that video. Someone like the sheriff of Neptune. I immediately pull my head away from hers

"So uh, does your father still think Lily's father did this?" Veronica picks up in the anger in my voice and draws back in shock. Angrily I press the monitor back on and gesture wildly to the image of a prone Lily. "That's my girlfriend, Duncan' sister, you're friend." Her jaw drops in shock as she picks up on the accusation. "Your father is destroying the Kane family. What's the matter with you people huh?" I take another glance at my dead girlfriend on the web for the whole world to see. "What's the matter with you?" my voice breaks dangerously and I spin on my heel leaving behind a tearful Veronica.

end flashback

I had immediately felt bad afterwards but the damage had been done. I slapped Veronica in the face with the memory of Lily and knew I had to push her away before she did the same to me. To Veronica's credit she never used Lily's memory against him. Since I've never really consider this before I dig through my locker for a football glad to have a place to hide my face when I came to a very uncomfortable realization. Veronica has been pulling her punches. While he hit her full force digging leaving only Lily's memory untouched, an act that was mostly in his benefit anyways, Veronica had been playing. Sure she planted a bong in his locker but the evidence magically disappearing made it nothing more than a small prank in her eyes since she didn't know his father's reaction to 'small pranks'. I made digs about her alcoholic mother while she remained tight-lipped about mine. Veronica could have easily ruined me, not only could she have spread rumors about my father's infidelity and my mother's proclivity for valium to all of Neptune High she could have sold them to the tabloids. I don't know how to react to this new realization that Veronica protected me. I should be grateful but really I'm pissed that she thinks I can't handle her best shot.

"Time for a chat?" Veronica's faux cheerful voice quickly snaps me back to reality.

"Wow you think if hell froze over it would be in the news." It is way too soon after the whole Duncan confrontation scene to be dealing with her. She just raises her eyebrows not enticed by the challenge. Right she has Wallace Duncan and Troy now, no need to spar with Logan Echolls when she has three guys, four if I include Weevil, ready to treat her nicely.

"I just want to chat about the steroids you bought." Great now not only am I her own personal tormentor I am a drug-dealer. Did Veronica Mars not know me at all? Every since my mother first popped a valium to forget about the fact that her son was getting beaten by her husband I have refused to even look at drugs. Considering that happened when I was five it is pretty safe to say I am clean.

"You mean the steroids Luke bought." She raises her eyebrows and there is flicker of approval in her eyes. She knew it wasn't me. "Man you suck at this Nancy Drew stuff." The last thing I need is Veronica 

Mars' knowing looks and poorly hidden approving smiles. Veronica opens her mouth to reply before her face suddenly softens and her intense blue eyes focus on something over his shoulder. Realizing the shift in demeanor I look over my shoulder to find a grinning Troy. Right.

"I guess we're done here, Officer." I pointedly step in between the two of them. "Hey T." I waggle my eyebrows for good measure before allowing Troy to attempt to woo Veronica. As I walk away I hear Veronica immediately dismiss his presence to Troy. Guy? What guy? My back doen't stiffen resentfully because I particularly care that my once-friend once-enemy can so easily dismiss my presence. It stiffens because no guy likes to be cast aside. At least this is what I tell myself as I try to reason out why Veronica's comment made me feel like I had been sacked.

Veronica POV

"Hey" Duncan smiles shyly at me as he leans up against an adjoining locker before giving a nod to Wallace. The two guys had started hanging out more recently and I think it's Duncan's way of trying to make-up for last year. It's not going to turn back the clock and make everything the way it was but who knows maybe it'll make things better. Wallace and I discuss Lily's case and Duncan agrees to meet me at my office tonight so we can raid the safe, an act I know Duncan has been fearing for a while. Luke comes up to the table and awkwardly sits down getting weird looks from both Duncan and Wallace.

"Hey I have the 8 grand and a little slice of my soul." He adds with a groan. Wallace squeezes his shoulder sympathetically.

"Woo is you" I snark lightly and he just lifts his head dejectedly before picking up a slice of the pizza Duncan brought over.

"So what's the game plan now?" He mumbles through a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. The Enbom's can afford their own airplane hanger you'd think they could spare some chunk change to get their son etiquette lessons.

"I am going to go to the Zig-Zig gym and settle your account." I say simply gaining a bit of pleasure at Luke's jaw dropping.

"Veronica the guy is built like a wall." He sputters clearly concerned. "If he doesn't like what you offer he'll break you in half." An 09er concerned about my welfare, how completely odd. Duncan and Wallace both agree quickly and I'm beginning to think this three musketeers thing they have going on is not as cute as it initially seemed.

"I'll go with you" Duncan insists his face telling me there is little room for argument. Since when did Duncan start thinking for himself. Oh right probably when his mother tried to con him in to thinking he was dating his sister. "That or I'll tell Troy you're getting your father to run a background check on him." Wallace smiles approvingly at Duncan and Luke just raises his eyebrows surprised at the new development. I want to scowl but really I'm just happy Duncan is back to being a normal person again. So I nudge him with my shoulder and almost give him a detailed account on what I feel the appropriate punishment for blackmail is but then Troy comes up. I have been around Logan long enough to know when a guy is jealous.

"Hey babe." He kisses me firmly as if trying to tell Duncan to fuck off. Given my shiny, new friendship with Duncan is working itself out quite nicely I am not too pleased at the gesture. "So you wanna come over later? Play detective?" He smirks suggestively and that pisses me off because if there is two things I 

cannot stand it is people insulting my work and wasting my time and if Troy doesn't care about this car he is doing both.

"How are you do laid back about all this?" Sure the guy had an initial freak-out about the car and now all he wants to do is have me 'take his mind of his problems'. Something just doesn't feel right.

After school Duncan and I head to the gym and things actually seem normal between us again. I don't think I could ever date Duncan again. The passion was to abruptly cut off by his quick and cruel form of breaking up that it will never be able to be re-established but it's nice to have a friend who loved Lily as much as I did. Duncan pretends to check out the equipment as I give Ziggy the money and inform him that Luke will not be delivering his shipment. When this doesn't seem to teach him I snap a picture to send to the border patrol to ensure Luke does, in fact, finish out the season with all limbs intact.

Ever since Duncan found out about his mother's lies he has wanted to spend more time away from the monster. I don't blame him and any excuse to hang out with Duncan is fine by me and he is quickly becoming fast friends with Wallace. So that's how the three of us end up at Amy's stuffing our face with ice cream while I wait for my father to call me with the results of Troy's back-ground check. My phone rings and both Duncan and Wallace stop their basketball debate to listen in. Turns out I was right. Troy got kicked out school for drug possession and trafficking and had committed numerous other misdemeanors with his she-devil partner in crime Shelia. I call Weevil and convince him to make a quick trip to Mexico to retrieve the steroids which he would then flush down the toilet. Whether or not he actually did didn't concern me very much I just want to make sure Troy gets no possible benefits out of this deal.

"I am never dating again." I announce to the table slamming my phone down with enough force to make the other Amy's customers jump. "Ever." Wallace laughs at this and Duncan looks more than a little uncomfortable. I feel kind of bad about that but he made me feel more than a little uncomfortable for the larger part of the year. "Duncan we should probably head to my the office my father left about an hour ago for Texas." Duncan nods and I can tell he is getting nervous about having to relive the most painful day of his life so I don't argue when he wastes a few minutes getting another scoop of ice cream and having to ask Wallace about stats for the next game.

"So this is Mars Investigations huh?" Duncan looks around the tiny office taking in the scenery. "I like the back alley vibe."

"It's not a vibe Duncan it is in a back alley." I say with a laugh as he sits in the couch uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry." His voice shakes slightly and he we haven't even looked at the stupid pictures yet he can't be crying already. "About your father. The whole sheriff thing." He avoids my eyes and I realize the shake was caused by discomfort not tears.

"Bygones Duncan." He gives me a skeptical look. "Seriously I love helping out my Dad and I think my Dad likes working here so don't worry. Plus it was your father not you." This seems to pacify him a bit and I'm about to ask him what food he wants to order for dinner when there is a knock on the door. Duncan shoots his head up in attention and seems even more apprehensive then before. I understand his sentiments when I find Logan standing uncomfortably at the door a mix between self-consciousness and readiness on his face.

"Logan what are you doing here?"



"Duncan you didn't tell her." He growls at his abashed looking best friend. For the first time in a long time Logan and I are on the same side of argument as we both narrow our eyes at Duncan.