Season 1 Episode 13: I care about you and all that shit

Episode Guide: An apology, a steamy distraction technique and looking for something that might not exist shift Logan and Veronica's relationship.

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

a/n: so again im playing around with the POV...i know it's probably annoying but I like using fanfic to practice writing technique so im exploring options. I think im going to stay in third person though

Veronica is silent for a moment as she debates her options. Very few people fake suicide, even less get away with it. Then again it isn't hard to see the determination in Logan's eyes and she knows if she dismisses him without hearing him out she'll risk losing him forever.

"What makes you think she's still alive?" It's not a refusal and, judging from the look of uncertainty on her face, Logan should be grateful for that. He muffles the urge to tell her to just trust his instinct for god sake but she's Veronica Mars and trust, even of something as basic as instincts, does not come naturally to her. Instead he opens her fingers and curls them around his mother's lighter.
"She always had it in her purse. The night she disappeared she left it on her dresser." This is the moment Veronica would gently tell her client that more proof would be required for her to take the case. Then again, Logan is her boyfriend not a client. To be honest Veronica isn't sure what to think about Lynn leaving the lighter. It could be a sign of hope but it could also be a sign of resignation. Lynn's admittance that the only way she'll be free of Aaron is in death.
"Is there anything else besides the lighter that makes you think she is still out there?" At the realization she is pacifying him, Logan drops her hands angrily and jumps up pacing. He knows that she's looking out for him, trying to save him the pain of a wild goose chase, but he needs her to believe him. The only other person he has told is Duncan. Not wanting to upset Logan further Duncan just said slowly that he wished Logan's mother was alive and if he truly believed that she was he should talk to Veronica. Unfortunately, Logan has known Duncan since kindergarten and it wasn't hard to see the disbelief in his eyes. "Logan?" Veronica prods gently. "Is there anything else?"
"They didn't find her credit cards or a body." Logan snaps defensively. Knowing he is lashing out, Veronica doesn't bite back and simply waits for him to continue. "Isn't that like a clue or something?" Veronica is about to open her mouth to respond but Logan cuts her off quickly. "Look I know my mother. If she was really going to do the deed it would be chardonnay and sleeping pills. She wouldn't risk being found bloated and bug-eyed in some fish net." The rage has dwindled with his tirade and Veronica just nods slowly. Lynn does have a lot of money. Enough, in fact, to make disappearing possible if not plausible and Veronica kicks herself for not thinking of that before. The fact that credit cards and her body are missing does raise a few questions. Sure the chances are slim-to-none but she knows, more than most people, the importance of closure.
"Ok." Veronica says firmly much to Logan's relief and he plops down beside her gratefully. "I'll do everything I can." Logan is not an idiot. He knows Veronica isn't completely convinced but she doesn't know Lynn like he does so he's not upset or disappointed about it, after all she is still looking. There is no way Lynn would leave Logan alone to deal with his father. Lynn never abandoned Logan. Even though 

she rarely stopped the belt from crashing on his back, even though she was medicated to the point where she barely cared that Logan looked like something out of an old Pirate movie, she was always there. Sometimes she'd manage to distract Aaron: seduce him so he screwed his anger out with her, drug his drink so he'd sleep the rage off, invite people over so Logan could escape to the Kane's for the night. If she couldn't stop the punishment, something she was less successful with every passing day, she would come to his room after. Usually Logan would tell her to leave , too hurt and angry to deal with her. Sometimes though, when it was really bad and he felt exceptionally needy, he would let her sit with him and took comfort in the maternal fingers patching up his back and she told him, drunkenly, but truthfully, how sorry she was. His mother would never leave him, not like that, not so permanently. The scent of his mother's perfume and the look of her clothes finally begin to cause his throat to tighten and his eyes to water. Unwilling to cry in front of Veronica for the third time in two days he blinks them back, rights himself and offers her his hand.
"Let's get out of here." He says with a forced smirk. "We have important guests to impress." Veronica takes his hand and they walk out the room. Before the staircase approaches, Veronica leans up and pecks Logan on the lips. Suddenly feeling the tremendous need for this kind of distraction, Logan deepens the kiss, catching Veronica by surprise. She catches on quickly though and returns the kiss with equal fervor. Passion is something both Logan and Veronica have excess amounts of and this is illustrated by the fact that she is currently pinned to the wall as Logan grinds his hips against hers and slowly works his hands under her shirt.

"Logan, Logan stop." Both panting they pull away breathless. Her hair is mussed like she's had at least four rounds of very acrobatic sex and Logan's combusting gaze is being perfectly executed.
"Yeah we should probably get back to the cocktail weenies." Logan says with a smile not wanting her to feel the need to make up and excuse for yelling at him to stop. The moment she had timidly, but firmly declared that she was not going to have sex with him he knew that she was going to be setting the pace and he had decided then that he wasn't going to make her feel like she had to justify stopping anything.
"We don't have to go back down there if you don't want to Logan." She assures him peeking down the stairs uncomfortably. "I just don't want your best friend to find out this way." She says pointing to their ruffled clothes and mussed hair.

The day Veronica chopped off all her hair and traded her pretty pink clothing for heavy boots and edgy t-shirts was the day she decided she was not going to let her rape effect her. She never shied away from boys, went to the odd 09er party with Duncan, Logan and Wallace, and had forced herself to be physically close with Troy. It was the best decision she made. Forcing herself to endure the feeling of Troy's hands on her waist and tongue in her throat until she craved touch and intimacy again was the smartest move she ever made and, although the guy turned out to be a drug-dealing bad boy, he managed to give Veronica her libido back. Both her and Logan thank him.

Logan picks her up bridal style and carries her to his room taking Veronica's mind quickly off of Troy and Shelley's party. Jokingly, he pops his head out the door and pretends to look for Duncan before closing it again. He pushes the lock in and Veronica feels her heart rate increase. Logan would never touch a woman against her will she reminds herself as he comes towards her and kisses her. She responds 

tentatively and, noticing that, he backs off slightly. Logan would never hurt me, not like that. It's Logan you can trust Logan. She commands herself to believe this but being locked in a room with a guy makes her stomach twist in a million wrong ways and the slight tremble of her lips betray this to Logan.
"You ok?" He asks as he softly tucks her hair behind her ears. There are many faults that Logan possesses but there has never been a girl who has complained about how he treated her. Even with his bad boy rep he still had a respect for women that his mother had ingrained in him at an early age. Sure he didn't open doors and buy roses for one-night-stands but he never purposely made a woman feel cheap and he certainly is chivalrous, or at least tries to be chivalrous, with the girls he dates. Veronica knows all this. Lilly told her many stories of Logan's hidden tenderness and his insistence to wait until she was ready to sleep with her. Obviously, being Lilly Kane he didn't need to wait long, but like every girl she had to have a first time and Logan was light-hearted and reassuring throughout the whole fumbling process telling her to tell him to stop if she wanted him to. Lilly, of course, took that as a challenge and they promptly became the most sexually active 16-yr olds on the planet. Logan has always been patient and respectful and Veronica knows there is absolutely no reason why she should be feeling like she's about to be assaulted. Get on with it Mars, you can trust Logan.

She smirks up at Logan, her eyes full of decision and determination, before grabbing his hand and leading him to the bed. Lightly, she pushes Logan on to the bed and gently loosens his tie before throwing it aside. The act seems to clue her in to something and she looks up a little embarrassed with herself.
"Is this really the time?" Whatever Logan needs from her he's not going to get in from – from whatever is about to happen and she doesn't want to be that girl who tries to paint over hurt with passion. Logan just smiles up at her and pulls her back down by her shoulders for a soft kiss. He has cried, talked and thought about his mother for the past week and really, all he wants to do know is make-out with his amazingly hot girlfriend and forget that there are 200+ people in his living room pretending to be sad about his mother.
"I'm pretty sure right now is perfect." Logan mumbles as he kisses a trail of sloppy, warm kisses down her neck. She looks down at him with uncharacteristic sexuality and starts to boldly undo the buttons of his dress shirt. Knowing from experience that kissing below the collarbone will make her freeze Logan starts to work his way back to her mouth. She pushes of his shirt and he's impressed, though confused, by this sudden increase in speed and he wonders for a moment if he should be slowing them down. Then again he did say he would let her set the pace. This the first time they've laid down on a bed while making out and though that doesn't seem like a big deal it puts the thought of the next step into both of their heads. Tentatively, Logan creeps his fingers up her shirt and is momentarily surprised when she doesn't tense slightly but instead guides his hand to the underwire of her bra. Now Logan is confused. When they first got in the room she was tentative and shy and now she's bold leading his hands to places he didn't expect to touch for weeks. For a second he remember her look of determination and realizes, with stunning clarity, what must be going through her head. For all the rumors Logan spread about Veronica he knew she was a blushing virgin. Logan, on the other hand, was not. Although he realized that his reputation as a bit of a man-whore, after-Lilly of course, was more or less deserved he didn't want Veronica to feel like she had to measure up. She wasn't another slide on the picture show of 

easy girls who's legs were programmed to open after a few wine coolers and he knew that and wanted her for it not in spite of it.

Her hands skim dangerously close to the waist-band of his jeans and she's straddling him, making out like she'll never get to do it again and Logan really, really hates the fact that he is going to stop this. He gently pulls back on her shoulders, breaking the kiss, and looks up in to her face that is flushed and framed with short waves of blonde hair. She gives a sexy smile and Logan thinks that someone up there really, really wants him to get blue-balls.

"Hi." The slight softness in her voice betrays the confident sex-goddess vibe she is trying to put out. Logan already dated a sex-goddess and, as much as he loved Lilly, he is not looking to replace there ultimately hellish relationship. Veronica and Lilly were perhaps the two women, besides his mother and potentially Trina, that really held the power to hurt him. The difference between Veronica and Lilly is that Lilly used this power. Veronica, alternatively, realized that the power to hurt also meant the power to heal and spent more times patching wounds than making them. Logan doesn't want another Lilly. Sure, if Veronica wants to push him on his back and screw his brains out he really is not going to object but she has to want to do it and right now, even though she looks sexy and enthusiastic, he can see in her eyes she does not want to go as far as she's planning on going. Logan desperately tries to find a way to tell that he doesn't want her to do this when she so obviously thinks she has to without trying to make it sound like he doesn't want her…or action for that matter.

"Hi." Logan responds breathily reaching up to run his hand along her soft cheek. "God you're beautiful." He murmurs taking in the bright blue of her eyes and the flush of her cheeks that is her only response to his compliment. Logan hasn't seen Veronica blush since the pre-Lilly days, not in that way at least, a blush that speaks of girly giddiness and warm love not of hot embarrassment. "I'm only going to say this once because they'll rescind my membership to the boys club if it gets out."
"Oh I like the sound of this."Veronica says with amusement. She stays straddling Logan but rests more comfortably back on her heels as Logan takes a breath to work out what he wants to say.
"I don't want you to be embarrassed around me." He starts and Veronica feels her heart speed up as she realizes the uncomfortable route this conversation could take. "I just don't want you to think you have to prove anything to me or you and I'd never want you to feel like I was forcing you to do something you didn't want to do." Veronica's jaw drops slightly and she wonders how he was able to hit the nail so directly on the head. Tiny tears of joy? Appreciation? Relief? fill her blue eyes and Logan worries momentarily over the upsurge of emotion. It is a rare event that Veronica's eyes water and he was honestly expecting a sarcastic comment accompanied by a little smile to let him know she understood and was touched. Logan automatically pulls her towards him causing her to lie prone on top of him instead of straddling him. For a moment they stay like that. Wrapped in each other's arms as Veronica realizes that she doesn't have to convince herself she trusts Logan, she truly does, and Logan wonders why his reassurance caused her eyes to mist. She slides off of him and looks up with adoration and true elation and he figures it's one of those chick things he'll never understand and settles for conjoining their noses.



"Are you ok" She smiles and nods as much as she can with the close distance between their two bodies. "Are we ok?" Logan smiles as she nestles her head into his chest and holds his hand while nodding yes against his skin. They lay there in peaceful silence for a while. Veronica allows herself to be hypnotized by the calming rise and fall of his chest and the sound of his steady heart-beat. Steady, now there's an anonym for Logan if she ever heard one. He was a roller coaster, thrilling, breath-taking, unpredictable but ultimately safe. They are each other's ups and downs but now Veronica's knows that they are also each other's seat belts. Veronica smiles to herself thinking that Logan is more steady than she gives him credit for, after all isn't the first rule of all roller coaster safety first?

"Can I ask you something?" The sound of his girlfriend's voice takes Logan out of his half-asleep daze and he smiles down at the blond head on his chest.
"Ask away." These are the moments when he hates having a private detective for a girlfriend.
"Your heart just sped up." Veronica laughs leaving her ear on his chest as she runs a reassuring hand across his torso. "I was just going to ask you what would happen if I were comfortable with…you know…the prequel to the Logan Echolls sexcapades?"

Veronica's POV:

"Where were you yesterday? It was the cracker-jack funeral and then boom no more Logan and Veronica." Mac says with a suggestive eyebrow raise as she greets Veronica at her locker.
"Logan and I were…talking." In spite of being repulsed by girls who sit around and giggle about hooking up with boys Veronica can't help adding an incriminating smile at the end of her sentence.
"Sex at a wake. I'm not sure but I think they may close the pearly gates on both of you." Mac replies with an eye-roll as they walk towards their class.
"There was no sex." Veronica clarifies with a smile remembering the multiple ways she and Logan didn't have sex during his little break from Variety and crab puffs. "I was distracting him."
"Yeah well I was the one distracting Duncan as he was about to call a search party for you two." Between Logan and Veronica enjoying her almost-restored faith in men and the half-asleep cuddle session afterwards, they hadn't thought about the fact that both of them disappearing for multiple hours was a little suspicious. "Don't worry, I told Duncan you had a case and had to leave early and that Logan was holed up in his room wanting to be alone for the rest of the day." Veronica exhales gratefully and turns towards her history class.
"Thanks Mac." She waves off the thank you and cheerfully heads off to the computer lab.

When Veronica woke up this morning she knew it was going to be a bad day. None of her contacts had any information on Lynn and it was Logan's first day back since her death (real or otherwise). To make matters worse Keith got a botched lead on the entertainment lawyer he's been tracking forever putting him in a sour mood all morning. It was not the best day in the Mars house. Then again it was far from the worst.

"The answer is no, I am not pregnant. So you can quit dodging my calls and giving me your money to 'take care of it'. Oh and here's your key back. I won't be needing it anymore." The brash statement and all it implies stuns Veronica out of her pout fest and she quickly exchanges a disbelieving look with 

Wallace. Upon meeting her eyes he mouths 'file' at her and she nods grinning at her best friend's intuitiveness. Refusing to let another bad-things-happen-to-good-people scenario happen in Neptune, Veronica offers to help out Mr. Rooks. She scowls at Carrie's smug expression before stomping off in search of Logan.

The problem with being both an illicit girlfriend and a supportive girlfriend is that there isn't much Veronica can do to really be there for Logan without blowing their cover. Sure, their label as 'friends', or at least two people who are friends with Duncan and Wallace, allows for a reassuring word and the odd supportive back clap but that's not what Logan really wants from her. As much as he'll never admit it Logan needs her lace her fingers through his, give him reassuring kisses and scowl protectively at the people who look him like they're passing a car crash. He had told her a much less needy version of the previous sentiment as the cuddled in his bed. Wanting to give him something to hold on to she had kissed him all over and told him whenever he was ready to tell Duncan and everyone else she'd stand by him.

Veronica spots Logan across the hall sharing a beautifully genuine laugh with Dick. Unwilling to break his momentary reprieve, she turns away and goes to sit with Wallace.

"Hey Wallace." He dips into his pudding cup with a smile before handing me Carrie's file.
"Hey Supafly. Where's your rich boy? I was expecting to be ignored at lunch today."
"With Dick, probably talking about dames and horses." I say with an eye roll secretly pleased that Logan is at least trying to be social again.
"Who Logan?" Veronica commands the flush to stop crawling up her cheeks but, since she can't, she settles for staring intently at her pastrami sandwich. "What's going on with you guys." The tension between Duncan's two friends has been palpable. Logan never insults her anymore, unless completely in jest, and Duncan can't help but remember the incident involving Dick's nose. For a brief moment he thought he heard a hint of flirtation one day when the two were verbally sparring with her and this morning he was sure he saw a hint of some unspoken intimacy when Veronica sympathetically brushed his arm. Obviously he was being ridiculous. Logan didn't go for girls like Veronica. She was too much of a challenge for him and he hasn't gone for complicated since Lilly. Even if there was a possibility she had finally enticed him to move on there was no way she would fall for the guy who treated her with such unparalleled cruelty.
"What do you mean?" Veronica asks and Duncan breathes a little easier because her confusion seems to be genuine….Doesn't it?
"I don't know you guys seem closer lately." Veronica doesn't miss the slight build-up of tension in his shoulders as he tries to feign nonchalance.
"Well I am helping him with his mother's case." Veronica retorts as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. She is sure that even if they were still enemies some sort of new intimacy or reconciliation would happen if he had asked for her help with something like this.

Duncan just nods with obvious relief. There was no doubt he loved Veronica. He understood her initial hesitancy and they worked through it. People who aren't in love don't get past an incest scare. Now he 

knows it his time. She is smiling more, losing the dark cloud that used to accompany her around. There is no awkwardness when they interact.

"Duncan?" He looks up at Veronica for a moment who is giving him an odd look than just smiles admiring her beauty. Realizing this is not the place for fantasies involving Veronica Mars he quickly changes the subject.

"How is that going anyways?" Duncan and Veronica both have their own reasons for hoping Lynn is alive. Both remember Lynn the mother and family friend not Lynn Echolls the wife and movie star. Her glamour always appealed to Lilly who had made Lynn tell the tales of her scandalous young loves. Veronica had been enticed by the stories as well and Lynn quickly became the cool mom. When they were younger she let them play in the pool as long as they want and didn't yell when they dripped on the carpets. Years later she let them sample beer and wine as long as they only had one glass each and weren't planning on driving.
"I should hear more in a few days." Duncan nods and chews his pizza thoughtfully as Veronica pours over Carrie's file with Wallace

"Any news." Logan asks urgently, sliding in beside her. Both Wallace and Duncan shoot Logan sympathetic looks but their eyes are quickly averted when Logan shoots daggers back.
"The lady who has been clogging up the airways is giving a statement at the police station this afternoon. I'm going to go down and have a word."
"I'll come with you." How did she know that was coming? Veronica just raises her eyebrows
"Actually, contrary to popular belief you can't actually beat the truth out of someone." When Logan's self-control surpasses that of a raging tiger she'll take his requests seriously. Veronica is the only one who hasn't gone exceptionally easy on Logan since his mother's disappearance. Sure she was tender with him when he needed it and made a point to be more marshmallow then hard shell this week but she didn't treat him like a china doll and Logan loved it. She watched him break and she understood all she could do was ride the wave with him till he crashed again because she knows whether or not Lynn is alive a mother's abandonment gets more than one break-down.
"I'm coming" He pushes back
"No you are not." Wallace watches the exchange with amusement and all parties fail to notice the flicker of something a lot like jealously flash across Duncan's face. To everyone's confusion Duncan excuses himself from the table and mumbles something about journalism…which they don't have today. Logan and Veronica share a worried look before continuing to battle out whether or not Logan was going to get to watch the trailer trash give a fake interview. Logan wins, Veronica knew he was going to, and Veronica runs over to Carries and gives her the chance to renege her accusation. Carrie doesn't take it and, in Veronica's mind, this means war.

Logan casually leans against his Xterra as Veronica swings in with her LeBaron minutes later. She gives him a pointed look and he gives a resigned sigh
"I'm getting a safe driving lecture when this is all over aren't I."
"Yup."



The meeting was as bad as Veronica thought it was going to be and Logan took it as personally as she thought he was going to. The lying cake-faced bimbo represents everything Logan hates about the tabloids, being the son of someone famous, and the whole situation really. When he hears her snidely remark that she'll tell the magazine Lynn was drugged or beaten or whatever they wanted he shouts in her face only to be calmed by Veronica pulling him away.
"Logan enough." She demands and he walks away letting his head rest angrily on the wall. "Finding out what that woman is about it a good thing ok?" He just nods then speeds off in his car angrily and the only thing that stops Veronica from tailing him is her knowledge that he needs space and a little time to work out exactly how much he hates life. Veronica hates seeing people in pain. She is naturally a helper, sticking up for the defenseless, making plans to right the wrongs and save the day. The fact that there is nothing she can do for Logan kills her. Instead she trembles helplessly in the sanctity of her car and leans her head on the wheel cursing the injustice of the whole situation. Did that woman ever think of the family? Lynn was a real person, someone's mother, someone's friend, she deserved better.

flashback

Today has been the worst day since Lilly died. Lilly's crime scene video had somehow been leaked, the 09ers officially turned on her and Duncan did nothing to stop it. John Enbomn, another 09er, had sent her book flying all over the hallway and Logan had just laughed as she scurried to pick them up, kicking one further down the hall. The slash through her tire was the worst making escape impossible. It was even worse because she knew Logan had done it. Slashing tires isn't his usual form of torture but she knew he would have realized the worst thing he could do to her would be to prevent her from fleeing as soon as school was out.
Unwilling to let the school see any more of her tears Veronica had half-hid herself behind a tree in the visitors parking lot knowing no students would go that way.
"Veronica?" Veronica looks up in shock, tears still streaming down her face. Lynn's face stares down on her and Veronica quickly averts her eyes. No doubt Lynn feels the same way about the Mars family as Logan does and that is the last thing Veronica needs right now. "Veronica, what's wrong?" Lynn asks gently, turning Veronica's tear streaked face back towards herself. Keith did his best to make up for Lianne not being around but sometimes Veronica needs a mother to stoke her hair and assure her that it's not the end of the world.
"I have a flat tire." Veronica says as though that would be enough of a reason to sob behind a tree. Seemingly able to pick up on what Veronica didn't say Lynn nods understandingly and draws Veronica in to a hug. Considering it was the first display of tenderness that came from someone who wasn't her father Veronica wasn't willing to shun it.
"How about I give you a ride home?" Veronica nods weakly and tries not to think about the fact that this woman gave birth to the devil.

end flashback

Veronica turns on the radio trying to find something else to take her mind off the Echolls. When the radio doesn't work she pulls into Mars Investigations and tries to think of a way to clear Rooks and that doesn't work either. Finally she gives up and calls Duncan.



"Hey Duncan."
"Hey you." A warm greeting is such a change from the tone of the day. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Feel like spending guy time with Logan?"
"Always. Wait that sounded a lot more homoerotic than I meant it to." They both chuckle a bit, his lunch time stomp-off long forgotten.
"We interviewed the opportunistic hag today." Veronica hears Duncan sigh on the other line and she knows what he's thinking: Lynn Echolls jumped of the Coronado Bridge. "It didn't go well I just…"
"Yeah I get it. I'll go over now" On the top 10 reasons Veronica hope things with Duncan don't change for the worst after this, he's a good friend.
"Thanks Duncan."
"See you tomorrow V. Let me know if I can help on either case."

Lilly's case has come to a bit of a stand-still. It was Clarence Weidman who gift-wrapped Koontz but that doesn't tell the teenagers anything they didn't know except that the Kane's feel the need to cover up the truth. There is a very small number of people someone would want to protect enough to cover-up the murder of their child. On the short list themselves or their son. Duncan loved Lilly. No scenario fits not to mention he didn't have motive. Confused and exhausted Veronica crawls into bed knowing nothing further will come of Lilly's case until she can hear her Dad's interrogation tapes.

"Morning Dad." Veronica says groggily stumbling to the kitchen.
"Hi Honey" He replies through a bite of cereal. "Hey do you know a teacher named Rooks?" She freezes with the apple half-way to her mouth, looking back at him urgently.
"He's my history teacher Why?"
"Oh Good." Keith says through another mouthful of cereal, oblivious to the look discomfort and apprehension on his daughter's face. "The Bishop's hired us. Apparently he's having an affair with their daughter and they need proof for the hearing." It is a rarity at best that the Mars family disagrees on cases. Most of the stuff they deal with is pretty straight forward, cheating spouses, insurance fraud, and the kind of things that don't toe the moral line. Therefore Keith is confused, but slightly impressed, when his daughter blatantly refuses to help him on the Bishop's case before storming out in disgust. Fighting with his daughter is one of Keith's least favorite activities but if they are going to have a blow-out about something he'd rather have it be her sticking up for her convictions rather than pregnancy or drugs. So instead of dropping the case he returns to Mars Investigations fully expecting his daughter to relent, purely for curiosity sake, by the end of the school day.

Thirty minutes ago Logan kissed his girlfriend goodbye and drove back home the long way. Needless to say he is surprised to find Veronica sitting on the hood of her LeBaron outside the gate.
"Couldn't stay away huh?" He asks with a smirk leaning down to kiss her.
"My father is on a time-out." Veronica explains punching in his code in to the security system. She knew it all along but despite her comfort around Logan she still didn't feel that it was appropriate to just barge in, and she hated his father with a burning passion. Both return to park drive their cars up the driveway and park out front.



"What do you mean he's on a time-out?" Logan asks unlocking the front door. It was obvious to anyone who ever witnessed Keith and Veronica interact that their relationship was different than most parent-child relationships. He still didn't understand how Veronica had the authority to put Keith on a time-out and listened with pleasure at her story of stubbornly refusing to answer her Dad's phone or take messages until Mr. Rooks case was done.

"So you sent Duncan yesterday huh?" Logan says with a smirk before sinking a ball at the pool table they had started playing at.
"Uhh…I might have mentioned that there could potentially be a need to blow up animated characters." Veronica says off-handedly trying to hit a ball. Instead of connecting with the ball she sails right beside it eliciting a headshake and a suppressed laugh from Logan as he comes behind her to line her up properly.
"Thanks." He whispers in her ear covering her small hands with his large ones setting her up perfectly. The whole pool-game-turned-make-out-session is so overdone Veronica shouldn't even consider appreciating their proximity. Instead she hits the ball sending it perfectly into a sea of others. Logan smiles and touches his forefinger and thumb together with a little whistle.
"Beautiful…Anyways Duncan found this when he went to get gas." Logan knows she is going to have apprehension written all over her face the moment he hands her the tabloid and he smiles at the predictability as she regards it warily. LYNN ECHOLLS ALIVE stares back at her and Veronica thinks this is a lot like watching a horror movie, the ending going to be predictable and horrifying but that's not going to stop anyone from watching the scenes play out.

"There was a woman who saw my mother get into a car with a mysterious stranger. She says my mother was laughing and having fun." The expression of joy and innocence on Logan's face right now nearly breaks Veronica's heart. He's smiling like he just found out Santa was actually real and Veronica hates it because Logan never opens himself up for disappointment like this. Veronica takes a deep breath and looks up sympathetically.
"There's also a jungle tribe that worships Donald Trump's hair. It's a tabloid Logan." Expecting that response Logan just smirks and brushes a light kiss across her forehead.
"What so the girl with the pig arm can't really bowl?" Logan asks sarcastically.
"I just don't want you to get your hopes up." The very real possibility that Lynn is dead is always with Veronica even if it's not with Logan. She knows Logan and the more excited and hopeful he gets the worse the fall-out is going to be.
"You let me worry about my hopes." Logan replies gently but firmly, pressing his forehead against hers. "She's alive Veronica, she has to be." The weight of the statement causes him to flush a little and remove his forehead from hers. Veronica's hand on his cheek causes him to lock eyes with her again. She says nothing but her look of understanding gives him more than words could anyways. "Can you track her down?" He knows she can track her down. He's really asking if still believes in his theory that, up to this point, has been based solely on his own gut feelings.
"Of course." Moments later they leave for the coffee shop for an impromptu follow-up interview with Sandra Bolan of Sunset Springs.

About 3 questions in, Veronica realizes the woman is a deluded fan. Logan realizes it in 4 questions and stomps away. He hears Veronica come up and reluctantly touch his arm.


"Logan?" he turns his head around and almost wants to die at the look of understanding and compassion he sees there. It's too much right now and instead of listening to her next words he storms out of the building bumping both Weevil and some nameless girl at the same time.

"Did he lose a pucka shell or something?" Weevil growls, unimpressed by the confrontation. Reluctantly, Veronica tears her eyes from the empty space her boyfriend just stormed through and looks at Weevil solemnly.
"No, just the last ounce of hope his mother is still alive." She replies sadly before walking out to where she knows he'll be.

The cheeriness of the day seems completely inappropriate to the dejected teenager standing uncomfortably in front of his mother's grave. Logan always feels awkward at graves. In movies or whatever they talk to the headstones and sit contemplatively for a while before walking away feeling a million times better. Logan tried that once, two weeks after Lilly died but all he could think about was the way that she was decaying and that he couldn't remember exactly what she looked like. Sure he remembered what she looked like but he didn't know where every single freckle was, the exact shade of her skin tone or the precise shape of her eyebrows. So instead of feeling absolved Logan walked away feeling guilty and even more distraught at the realization little parts of Lilly would forever be elusive to him. He hasn't been back since.

The graveyard gate opens and Logan sees Veronica wander silently to Lilly's grave. He exhales in relief, there are only so many times a guy can lose it in front of his girl. Logan turns back to the grave unsure of how he even ended up here. Could she be dead? Could she really be alive? He tries to strip himself of all hopeful prejudice and think clearly. Duncan is supportive. He knows if there was a chance Lilly was alive, however slim, he would investigate until the truth came out either way. Logan can see the apprehension in his eyes though. Veronica is looking and never denies that Lynn may be alive but Logan doesn't fail to notice her increasing concern as the leads dry up. In fact, the only person who agreed with Logan's belief that Lynn was in hiding was crazy. That doesn't make him feel so hot.

flashback

"Daddy where's Mom?" It was a rare event Logan's dad took him to kindergarten, as shown by him putting Logan's sneakers on the wrong feet initially, and Logan hasn't seen her all this morning.
"What's the matter? You're too cool for your old man to drop you off?" Aaron says lunging at his son before throwing him over his shoulder playfully as Logan howls with laughter. "You mother is in Neptune."
"Like the planet?" Aaron repositions his son so he is balanced on his hip facing at eye level. He smiles a little at the innocence of the question before beeping open his Porshe.
"No like the city. Remember where Duncan and Lilly live?" He clarifies as he straps Logan into the car seat. "Your mother's director is being a bit of a perfectionist so they're going to be filming quite possibly till the end of time."
"Is she coming back?" Logan asks suddenly overcome by fear and tears. Not being five years old himself, Aaron had forgotten how literarily children take things.
"Of course Logan. It's like when you away to your friend Duncan's house for the weekend and then come 

home." Appeased by this response Logan sniffs and runs his arm under his nose. "Mommy would never leave you forever Logan." Aaron reassures him gently before wiping the last tears of his face.
"What about when she dies? Johnny says all parents die." Even at 5 Logan was proving to be a stoic little boy and Aaron didn't really know what to do with such an emotionally loaded question. Lynn was usually the one to deal with these things, should the need ever arise.
"Now don't you worry about that. Mommy and I will be around for a long time." Aaron says placing a hand on Logan's head. "Now let's go to kindergarten so I can meet Johnny's parents."
end flashback

Mental note to self: Never promise children you will be around for a very long time and then be the cause of their mother's suicide. Logan rarely remembered the times from his Leave it to Beaver days. Oh yes, there was a time when the Echolls family was every bit the happy family they now pretend to be now. Sure, Aaron worked a lot, as did Lynn, Trina was a girl and that was a huge disappointment to a 5 yr old boy but no family is perfect. Back then their faults were simply normal family issues. Logan didn't remember when things changed for the worse, when he stopped liking his mother and only loved her, when his 'Daddy' became his 'Daddy Dearest' when Trina stopped being adorably bratty and became needlessly cruel. Firmly he shakes his head and walks over to the little blonde head staring solemnly at Lilly's headstone. It isn't going to do him any good to wax nostalgic over a time when his life was normal, pleasant even.

"…but I mean seriously you were so awful to him alive you can make it up to him in the after-life." Veronica says to the headstone imagining the Lilly from her dreams somehow heard her.
"Does my fan club meet today?" Logan says with a smile coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Veronica leaned back in his embrace and Logan couldn't help but think of how much things had changed since Lilly's death.

flashback

"Hey lover." Logan quickly slips a shirt on at the sound of his girlfriend's voice trying to hide the evidence of his last 'discussion' with his father. "Donut says you are laming out about the bonfire and that just doesn't work for me." Lilly comments with a hair toss as she settles in to Logan's lap. On instinct, he begins caressing the expanse of skin between her shirt and low-cut jeans. The punishment was too fresh, too raw, from him to be able to completely mask his humiliation and anger. Not to mention that, in a moment of weakness, he had let a few tears trail down his face and he was sure the moisture tracks were still there.
"Lilly have a little faith. I simply stated that Ashley is a bitch. I'm not Duncan that doesn't give me grounds to refuse free beer." Lilly simply rolls her eyes and kisses Logan before drawing back slightly.
"God because if you lamed out…" Her jovial expression turns more pensive and she studies his face for a moment before lightly lifting his chin with a polished finger. "Baby have you been crying?" She asks with a softened voice before lightly tracing the tear tracks with her fingers then her lips. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing gorgeous." He replies, lightly nipping her neck. "Now where were we?" The attempt at distraction doesn't fool Lilly who immediately pulls away.
"Logan you never cry. Tell me what's going on or you'll have the worst case of blue balls ever." She 

demands with narrowed eyes. The funny thing is she's serious. Logan knows better than to lie. They've known each other since they were 5 and dated for nearly two years.
"Lilly just leave it." Logan exhales not bothering to take the edge of his words.
"Logan you aren't just some guy I'm fucking you are my boyfriend. I care about you and all that shit so tell me why you are sitting here looking like somebody died." Unable to resist Logan gives her a pointed look and an eyebrow raise. A look of pure horror crosses Lilly's face and she's about to stammer out an apology but is cut off by a wave of Logan's hand.
"It's nothing, fight with the parents you know how it is." Logan says with a bit of a shrug as if a verbal throw-down could make him cry. Something he can't quite place flashes across Lilly's face, something a lot like anger. She curls herself fully into his lap, nuzzling her forehead into the crook of his neck as she runs a hand up and down the opposing arm. It's so rare that Lilly is tender and the gesture nearly floors Logan who rests his head on hers and soaks in the comfort so rarely handed to him.
"What can I do?" She says after a few moments of silence. Her smile turns a little devilish and she turns herself towards before giving him a long, passionate kiss. "What can I do to make it better?" She pulls Logan on top of her, fully on to the bed and promptly spends the next while making it better. Logan never noticed she made a conscious effort not to let his back hit the mattress.

end flashback

Logan has many precious memories of Lilly. Some of them showed the part of her that was callous and quick-tempered, but most of them were the times she acted like the girl he loved with all his heart. That memory of Lilly, cuddled in the crook of his neck soothing his nerves patiently, was amongst his favorite. But that's all they were, memories and although Logan accepted that a while ago it wasn't until he stood in front of Lilly's grave with Veronica, kissing the top of her head, that he was ok with it.
"Are you ok?" I ask quietly, brushing a fallen tear away from her cheek. They weren't being very careful with their 'secret' but Lilly's grave was secluded and they could always use the emotional upheaval of the whole situation as an excuse if necessary.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Veronica asks with a little shudder remembering the horrid scene in the café. As expected, Logan just shrugs nonchalantly and plays with something in his pocket.

The day before the whole Yolanda situation Lilly had shoved her bubblegum pink lip-gloss in Logan's jacket pocket because she had left her purse in her locker. Lilly had a dozen tubes of her signature lipgloss and the tube was promptly forgotten. It wasn't until days after her death, that Logan reached in to his pocket to grab, what he thought was a pen, and came up with pink, sparkly lip-gloss. It hasn't left Logan's side since.

Casually Logan reaches in his pocket and takes out the old container of lip-gloss. He softly rolls it around in his hand before shakily placing it beside Lilly's headstone.
"Goodbye Lil." He whispers softly, acknowledging the finality of the gesture. Memories of silky hair, tequila shooters, PDAs, their own forms of tenderness delivered in a way only each other understood, secrets and future hopes all flood back as Logan shares one last moment with the first girl who managed to take his breath away. He stands with a smile and holds his hand out to the first girl he kissed without thinking of Lilly Kane.



"You ready?" Veronica nods and gives his hand a squeeze before forcing herself to drop it in case of being spotted. Part of her, the one who needs to know all answers, desperately needs to know what the significance of a tube of Lilly's lip-gloss is. But she knew that moment was for Logan and Lilly and she won't intrude on it.

Logan watches with amusement as Veronica storms away from Carrie shoving a track picture in her face. Naturally he's about to make a quip but at the last second he notices something by her ear.
"Veronica." He leans casually against her locker leaning forward to inspect the offending spot further. "You have blue behind your ears."
"I'm going to kill my Dad." She growls reaching deep in her locker for a make-up kit. "I tried to steal Carrie's diary and my Dad but an ink bomb, AN INK BOMB, in the safe." There is nothing Logan can do to suppress the laughter and moments later they are both snickering in the hallways. It's stupid and thats why it's so perfect. Logan's mom is probably dead, Carrie is setting up Rooks, they are supposed to simply be acquaintances and definitely not supposed to be losing it in the middle of the hallway.

"What's so funny?" The voice of reason, or at least of Duncan Kane, stops them and they both look up guiltily.
"Veronica had ink on her ear." Logan says in means of explanation and they both start laughing again because the whole situation is so absurd. The look of confusion, jealousy and something else of Duncan's face is enough to sober them though and for a moment the three of them just stand awkwardly.
"Here." Duncan takes a Kleenex pact out of his backpack and wipes gently at another forgotten line below her chin. The scene holds that everyday romance and tenderness Duncan used to bring to the relationship and Veronica freezes and connects eyes with Logan as Duncan swabs at her cheek. Surprisingly Logan doesn't look jealous or angry he just looks…amused.
"Prince Charming saves the day." He dead pans getting an aggravated look from both Veronica and Duncan. "Call me later if you need a sponge bath." Logan continues, adjusting his books before giving a mock salute and walking away.

"Did you hear about Rooks?" Duncan conversationally .
"She's lying." The disgust in Veronica's voice isn't hidden and Duncan can't help but wonder if her hatred of a Carrie has a colorful back story like Logan's.
"Rooks is a creep. Lilly said he hit on her." Veronica laughs a bit as they head to English.
"Lilly also said Aaron Echolls hit on her. I think she mistook conversation for flirting." Duncan remembers that day well. Lilly had ran through the front door, stood in front of the TV and proclaimed to Duncan, with a mixture of pride and disgust, that Aaron had totally tried to get in her pants. Being Lilly, she recovered quickly but the inappropriateness of the entire situation was never lost on Duncan who never let Lilly, or Veronica for that matter, alone in the Echolls estate. Duncan is about to make some comment about it being plausible but the teacher is talking and Veronica is taking notes rapidly.



"Jesus" Veronica exclaims when an arm reaches out of the janitor's closet and pulls her in to the tiny space
"I prefer Logan. God and I aren't getting along these days." Logan quips before devouring her in a kiss.
"Mmm apparently not." Veronica mumbles in agreement. Considering Logan usually blows her interactions with Duncan way out of proportion she can't help but note that he is being exceptionally calm.
"You're not mad about Duncan?" She finally asks minutes later.
"Oh now you want me fighting for you?" Logan says, smirking at the blonde in his arms.
"No…but you acted mature. Last time I checked you don't like to share your toys." Instead of replying he hoists her up so she is sitting on one of the shelves and kisses down her neck.
"Hm well...first of all you are not a toy." She's a little impressed that he can make cute little comments while he barely lets his lips leave her collarbone. "second of all I am not sharing anything." The familiar possessive tone causes Veronica to smile and he stops kissing her long enough to look her in the eyes and bump their noses together. "Third of all I trust you." The bell for class rings just as his hand lays under her shirt and they both groan. He opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by Veronica.
"We are not skipping class Echolls." They quickly check that the coast is clear and run off to their classrooms without further acknowledgement.

Logan amazes Veronica, not because he could kiss her with enough passion to make her forget that a world outside of their lips existed, not even because he could pick up on her hidden insecurities and calm them without question. No, Logan amazes Veronica because he still has the ability to trust. His father probably loves him, Veronica can't imagine a world where a father doesn't instinctively love his son, but that love was cancelled out by dislocated shoulders and cigarette burns. His mother did her best for a while but she couldn't keep Logan safe and, ultimately, that is what children expect of their parents. To be kept safe from the dangers of the world. So the two people designed by nature to protect Logan let him down monumentally yet he still has the ability to trust Veronica.

"HI Honey." Veronica looks up to her Dad from her plate of cooling lasagna. "Something on your mind you've been staring at the food like it's a work of literature for the past 20 minutes."
"Logan." She says with a little smile. Keith loves his daughter. Logan, well let's just say love would be putting it a bit strong. He had their qualms when they first started dating remembering the times Veronica would come home in tears because of something he said or did. So when he found his daughter wrapped around Logan making out in the middle of Mars Investigations he was so shocked all he said was Logan…Veronica…Ok. Needless to say it wasn't a very stern treat-my-daughter-well-or-else talk. The worst part is that his past treatment of her isn't his prime concern. Logan has more issues than National Geographic, is known to be violent and Veronica looks at him lie he is the key to her happiness. The thing that scares Keith the most is he might just be.
"How's he doing?" The guys going to be around awhile Keith figures he should probably take an interest.
"Really wanting his mother to be alive." Veronica responds with a heavy sigh. It wasn't hard to tell that Veronica made some extra money on the side taking cases for her high school friends along with her Mars Investigation stake-outs. Truth be told Keith would rather Veronica deal who-stole-my-pom-poms cases instead of adultery and espionage. Keith knew Veronica felt something big for Logan when she had 

walked into Keith's office and demanded he help in any way he could. So he had spent hours tracking down old relatives, finding vacation properties and convincing his bank contacts to put notices on all of Lynn's credit cards. Upon finding nothing Keith reached the same conclusion Veronica seems to slowly be coming to. Lynn Echolls is dead.
"Maybe you should just leave it honey." The worst part of this business is doing favors for friends and telling them answers that they don't want to hear. Veronica's head shots up and before she can attack Keith breaks in. "I'm just saying, this is probably making it harder for Logan." At the mention of her boyfriend Veronica's face softens from anger to concern and Keith thinks that this boy is definitely staying for a while.
"He needs to know for sure. If I drop it I'm letting him down." Keith knows what that means. Veronica will have Lynn Echolls on the back burner until they find a body or find her alive
"Yeah I understand honey."

Veronica slings her arm around Wallace happily as they walk into school.
"Rooks didn't do it." She says in explanation of her attitude. "Weevil has information for Logan. Today is a good day my friend." Wallace smiles at the look of joy on his usually serious best friend's face. Between Lilly's case being very frustratingly on hold and Lynn's death Veronica has spent more time scowling and thinking than almost anything else. Not to mention Duncan was bound to notice the fact she only really lit up around Logan these days.
"What's this about Rooks?" Wallace asks trying not to think about his girl and Logan.
"Carrie was at a track meet in Sacramento the night she and Rooks supposedly slept together." Veronica's pride seems forgotten and Wallace looks over his shoulder to see Logan approaching.

"Hey." He nods at Wallace before looking at Veronica and giving a softer "Hi." School is always awkward for them. They can't hold hands or exchange mid-sentence kisses, little acts that have become so imperative to their relationship.
"Weevil has news for you." Veronica says with a smile as she adjusts her textbooks. The fact that Logan can't reach out and grab them is driving him nuts . "I'm not sure what it is…if it's good or bad or whatever." Veronica continues quickly not wanting Logan to get overly excited in case it's nothing. It's obvious the little nod Logan gives is just to appease her and he looks so adorable she can't help but lean in.
"I hear the main bathroom will be out of order in about 10 minutes." She whispers suggestively before walking to class without a second glance.
"Dude you need to pick your jaw up off the floor." Wallace comments, cuffing Logan on the back of the head. To infuriate him more Logan gives him a smile and a little wink only get an uncomfortable shiver in return.

Veronica's phone rings moments after their make-out session ends and she thinks it's a good think she has stake-outs to study in because she never works in study hall.
"Yo V it's Weevil. I've got the kid Hart."
"Ok what does he know."
"Say's he's got a video of Lynn Echolls jumping." The mood of the day abruptly shifts here and Veronica leans her back on the counter, distressed. Great Logan's hopes coming back to punch him in the face.


"Can you meet me by my locker with the kid and the disk?"
"Sure thing V."

Moments later she is with Weevil, who conveniently has her spare, and some freshman Weevil yanked out of class.
"Thanks Weevil I just don't want other people around when he watches this." Veronica looks down at the distressed looking freshman.
"This better never make it out into public consumption." Being in the business long enough Veronica is fairly certain that this isn't Hart's only copy of the disc and she doesn't want Lynn's suicide public domain. It is the least she can do for the woman she once looked up to.
"Don't worry about my boy Hart here. He knows if that happens his last performance will be a snuff film, and he'll star in it." Weevil menacingly tightens his grip on the back of the kid's neck and he nods mutely, his face full of fear.

"I need to talk to you." It took her 5 painful minutes to find Logan at lunch and a few seconds of contemplating whether or not to do this.
"There you are. I was trying to find you so we could talk to Weevil." Logan doesn't miss her briefly squeezing her eyes shut in pain. Veronica motions towards a classroom and Logan enters skeptically.
"I did talk to Weevil." She begins gently and Logan feels his stomach clench painfully. "This is a video of your mother…" The sentence is to awkward to complete and Logan gets the implications anyways starring at the disc in her hand.
"Did you watch it?" Veronica nods solemnly. "Is it her? I mean are you sure?" Logan says in pained disbelief.
"You can't see her face. But you can clearly see a white figure falling and it's time-stamp is spot on."
Logan sinks back on to a ledge in disbelief and Veronica sits down beside him and intertwines their fingers.
"I want to see it."
"I figured you say that." Veronica says with a sigh, jumping off the ledge and opening up her laptop to reveal the video qued and ready. "Are you sure?" Logan just nods standing behind her and Veronica only hesitates momentarily before pressing play. Lynn falls into the ocean and Logan lets out a pained gasp despite the shock. He stumbles a little and Veronica quickly reaches out a steadying arm and gently leads him back to sit on the ledge before locking the classroom door.

"Logan I am so sorry." Veronica says quickly as she stands in between his legs.
"Me too." He says wearily, letting his upper body sag against the wall. The numb and shock are still preventing him from fully processing the situation so she wraps a hand in his and waits calmly for realization to set in. Moments later Veronica's phone rings breaking the silent intimacy. She goes to press ignore but freezes seeing it's a notification from Lynn's bank.

"Logan there was just a charge on your mother's credit card." His face slowly morphs from despair to hope.
"She's alive." He whispers in awe and for once Veronica is really, truly happy with the situation because dead people don't use credit cards.


"It looks that way." She knows she's being a little premature but she can't help but breathe a little easier knowing there is great chance Lynn is out there. "Ok boyfriend you go learn something. Come over later to see her print out. I have a trail to attend."

Hours later Logan is still caught between careful hope and wary apprehension. Impatiently he paces around the Mars apartment. Veronica assured him Keith was out for most of the night and told him to let himself in with the spare key. Despite her insistence that he make himself at home, Logan can't help but stare at the door in fear the Sheriff Mars was going to come rampaging in demanding to know what the hell he was doing in his apartment. He is rolling around on the floor with Back-up when an angry slam causes him to shoot up.
"He did it!" Veronica says red-faced and angry before taking a deep swig of water from the fridge. "That bastard did it."
"Who did what?" Logan asks noting with satisfaction that the look of unfiltered rage on her face has't been directed at him for a while.
"Rooks is guilty." If there is one thing Veronica despises it's being wrong and Logan doesn't get in her way when she storms past to get ice cream. "It was Susan Knight he slept with and gave money to." She says in disbelief before taking a spoonful of ice cream out of the jar and pointing at him with the spoon. "You know I fell for his whole routine. It was all he's a good teacher, a free thinker then BAMN there are the black silk sheets." Wait how does she know…
"Did he touch you?" Logan growls realizing the only way to know the color of someone sheets is to see them. Surprise registers on Veronica's face and Logan, in his anger, misreads it. "I'm going to pound his face in." Logan isn't sure if he is about to grab his car keys and go pound Mr. Rooks' face in or hold Veronica and never let her go. Realizing he can't leave her alone he is about to call Weevil, yes Weevil the guy can inflict the most damage, and get him and his biker gang to take care of Mr. Rooks. A little giggle stops him.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't be laughing at you." Veronica says sobering quickly. "He didn't touch me Logan. He didn't even try." Logan exhales gratefully and is still tempted to beat up Rooks for almost giving him heart attack. They lie on the couch watching one of Keith's old detective movies as waiting, impatiently, for the fax to come in. It isn't long until both exhausted teenagers are fast asleep on the couch. Veronica's head buried in the cotton of Logan's shirt as both his arms encase her protectively.

Needless to say this is an awkward situation for Keith to walk into.
"Traitor." He mumbles at a Back-up who is also asleep by Logan's head. What to do? These are the moments where he really misses Leanne. Personally, he wants to grab Logan by the scruff of the neck and ask him what he thinks he is doing pawing his daughter's hip. He settles, instead, for gently shaking the boy's shoulder

"Logan." Keith says quietly so as not to disturb his daughter. The peace Logan's face had in sleep molds in to horror at being caught in such a position and Keith can't help but find the situation amusing. The appropriately nervous expression on Logan's emotion-weary face causes Keith to feel a pang of sympathy for the kid who lost his girlfriend and his mother in the space of a year. "Go home and get some sleep son." He says surprised at the gentleness in his voice. Logan nods blearily then leans down 

and picks up Veronica. The look of Veronica contentedly letting her head rest on Logan's shoulder as he quietly carries her to her room is enough to make Keith want to re-evaluate his position on Logan. Instead, Keith watches them silently from the door to his own room

"Logan?" Veronica mumbles, half-asleep as Logan pulls a large comforter over her.
"Goodnight baby go to sleep." He whispers in response kissing her forehead.
"Tell my father I like you too much for him to shoot you." She says with a sleepy smile. "G'night". Veronica's breaths even out before Logan has even left the room. The sight of Keith in the hallway makes Logan nervous enough to want to wake the sleeping girl behind him so he doesn't get shot. For a moment he wonders if Keith heard Veronica's request not to bring out the gun. Not that he would ever admit it but Logan always liked Keith Mars. He was smart, funny and obviously loved his family. Oh no there was no belts or harsh words in the Mars family just goodnight kisses and fond hair ruffles. Logan's admiration of Keith died with the release of the crime scene video and his attack of Jake Kane. Needless to say it's a little awkward now when Logan's figures Keith is probably right and probably hates Logan not to mention the fact that Logan is definitely dating Keith's daughter.

"Mr. Mars." Logan says with a head nod.
"Logan." There is an awkward pause and Logan considers apologizing. After all the man did lose his job standing up for the love of Logan's life and all Logan did was back Jake Kane up in the only post-Lilly interview he gave. Realizing that he took long enough to apologize to Veronica Logan starts quickly.
"I'm uh sorry for the whole Jake Kane sheriff's department thing." Keith looks a little taken aback but Logan continues on, encouraged by the slight softening of Keith's eyes. "I can be pretty dumb sometimes." Keith puts a hand on Logan's shoulder and is momentarily surprised by the flinch. A mix of apprehension and humiliation crawl up Logan's cheeks and Keith pieces the Echolls family puzzle together with stunning clarity. Aaron Echolls film star, public benefactor and child abuser. Instead of pressing the topic Keith just gives Logan's shoulder a friendly squeeze and gives the boy a smile.

"Don't worry about it Logan. My reputation is so bad I barely allow me to socialize with myself." This gets a laugh from both parties and a tentative understanding is formed.
"So we're cool."
"If that's what you kids are calling it these days." Keith watches Logan go thoughtfully before the sound of Lynn Echolls credit report being faxed through interrupts his raging internal debate.

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