Season 1 Episode 15: Flash Credit Card Now, Think Later

Episode Guide: Veronica crosses a line, Duncan takes a stand, a surprise couple begins and picking puppies was never so illegal.

"This looks like the place." Logan says pulling up in front of a ratty bar. Veronica had tried to convince him that he didn't need to come along but Logan wouldn't hear of it and an hour later they had both boarded a first class flight to Barstow. Veronica had initially been wary of allowing Logan to accompany her to meet her mom. When they were wrapped up in kisses and cutesy talk it was easy to forget that a few months ago it was Logan who was tormenting her endlessly but, as they boarded a plane to collect her drunk, runaway mother Veronica couldn't help remembering the year of drunken mother slurs. Sure he has apologized and Veronica was doing her best to not think back to those days but she can't help but wonder if he really thinks her mother is a drunken hag. If so, Veronica isn't sure if she wants him here.
"Logan maybe you should wait in the car." Veronica says as he reaches for the handle. Logan looks at her oddly but Veronica gives him a tight smile and is half-way across the street before he can object.

It takes Veronica 20 seconds to find her mother. She looks at a woman, broken and plastered leaning on the countertop like she's molded there and Veronica momentarily thinks 'thank god that's not my mother'. When she looks at her the second time she realizes it is.
"Mom?" Veronica says tearfully. She has thought about this reunion for months. Every time it began and ended with Veronica asking all the right questions which her mother answered honestly before coming home. All times Veronica imagined herself rational, strong and efficient. Here she was now blubbering like a baby holding on to her mother like she did when she was 3 and a bee stung her.
"Veronica." Her mother breathes. Veronica can smell the whiskey on her breath but she at this moment she could care less. She has her mother back. Leanne runs a soothing hand over Veronica's head, as if that is still enough to comfort her, Leanne then catches herself and pulls away. "No. You have to go away." The stumble Leanne takes away from Veronica hurts more than seeing her drunk. "They'll hurt you." For a moment Veronica is relieved because her mother is trying to protect her and that's what mother's do. She mutters something through her excitement about the threats not being relevant anymore. That's when she sees Clarence Weidman. Her heart stops but maybe it will be ok because she has her mother back and what would Weidman do exactly? Somehow she manages to drag her mother over to a booth.
"Veronica you shouldn't be here." Leanne cries.
"I've been searching for you for over a year. I'm not going anywhere." This seems to register with her mother who remembers the daughter she left and immediately realizes that she isn't looking at the same girl.
"I've missed you so much." This beautiful girl sitting in front of her no longer danced to spice girls with Lilly Kane or curled the ends of her long blonde hair. She didn't blush at Logan Echolls' innuendos or pine over Duncan Kane and really what does she do these days? Leanne doesn't know anymore. She's sobbing whole-heartedly in to Veronica's shoulder and Veronica can't help but think this is more awkward than when Logan broke down. It's more awkward because this isn't how it's meant to go. Leanne is supposed to hug Veronica and Veronica is supposed to cry and hurt and tell her how awful the 

past year has been while her mother hugs her and promises that it will all be ok because she is coming home now. There isn't supposed to be loud, drunk sobs and her mother's insistence that Veronica shouldn't be here. A steaming hot cup of coffee is suddenly in front of them and both of them look up to see Logan with a look of…is that humility on Logan Echolls face?... because it suits him as well as a ketchup stain would.

Logan didn't know what he was expecting when he flashed his black AmEx and hurried Veronica on a Red Eye flight to Barstow. His thought process tends to be flash credit card now, think later. Before Lilly died Logan spent many a night at the Mars residence. One night, while Veronica was in the bathroom, Logan saw Leanne stumble to the kitchen and take a long, heavy swig of water before slurring a goodnight to him. He knew that stumble-grab act well, his mother had perfected it. The curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't resist the urge to smell said water. He was right in his initial assessment, it was vodka. Logan didn't know if Veronica, or Keith for that matter, knew and he surely wasn't going to be the one to dump the load on his friend. The first time Veronica knew he knew of her mother's alcoholism was when he taunted her with it in the parking lot. He shouldn't have done that. There are lots of things Logan Echolls shouldn't have done to Veronica Mars but mocking her mother is quite possibly his biggest regret. He had expected a response, some knock about his mother's taste for Valium and Merlot but it never came. Of course he hadn't meant what he said. He's knows better than anyone that a parent being an alcoholic doesn't mean that the parent doesn't love the child and vice-versa he had simply wanted to hurt her. It occurred to him in the car that she didn't know that he understood and that he was sorry not just because he hurt her but because he truly hadn't meant what he said. He had debated going in initially but decided that he didn't want to intrude on the family moment. It was when Clarence Weidman, the same guy who had been stalking Veronica, exited the seedy bar that Logan said fuck-family moments and stormed in to make sure his girlfriend was alright. He spotted her in a booth, patting her mother's head awkwardly as her mother wailed out drunken comments about Jake Kane and death threats and how she shouldn't have tried to find her. No, Veronica Mars was not ok. He was didn't know how to apologize to and help his girlfriend at the same time so he did the only thing he knew how to do, sober a mother up quickly, and bought a cup of strong coffee.

The prime emotion that registered on Veronica's tear-stained face when she saw Logan staring down at the scene, looking apologetic and confident at the same time, was embarrassment. Veronica does not cry, especially not like this in public. Not to mention the fact that her mother's drunken state wasn't the best jumping off point for a meet the parent's moment. Then again Logan already knew her mother didn't he?

"Logan?" Her mother says confused taking a loud slurp of her coffee.
"Mrs. Mars." Logan says politely nodding his head.
"You really shouldn't be seeing me like this." Lianne says quickly wiping her snotty, tear-ridden face with her sleeve. Veronica gives Logan a look that says she agrees.
"If you think you're make-up's bad you should've scene Ronnie last night." Logan says with a good-natured smile sitting beside Veronica who immediately stiffens. "She was wearing blue eye-shadow." Leanne giggles and the over-flow of awkwardness that initially plagued Veronica begins to subside. 

Trying to get control of the conversation back, Veronica starts questioning her mother about Jake and Celeste after informing her that Duncan and her were not, in fact, siblings.

"I don't understand why you didn't just tell me." Veronica exclaims thinking back to the horrible week, horrible year for Duncan, when her paternity had been questioned.
"Your father…I didn't want him to know. It was a one-time fling at our 5-year reunion. Your father and I had just moved back to Neptune. I had no friends, your father worked late and the draw of our high school love was...it was too strong." Veronica looks at her mother with disgust and Logan tries to imagine Jake and this broken woman, happy and in love.
"We could have had sex." The bite in Veronica's voice is back. She doesn't have the talent of dealing with alcoholic parents with ease the way Logan does. There was always Keith to shield her from this, to set her an example and to do the right thing. The thought of a parent treating her heart and her trust like a piece of dog crap is so foreign to her she can only react with anger. "What if I had gotten pregnant?"
"I didn't think of that ok?" How do you not think of that? If she had truly been the spawn of Jake Kane and she had slept with Duncan, something she had been debating doing anyways, she would have committed incest. To stop from puking Veronica moves on. "Why were you at the Camelot with Jake Kane?" This peeks Logan's interest as he thinking back to the Lilly case.
"Look Veronica it's complicated I can't explain…"
"Try." Logan surprises himself when he says that. He knows parents like Leanne will make excuses for their actions, say anything to evade the truth. Veronica spent all of last week being strong for him and, now that she's faltering, it's his turn. She mumbles some weak excuse about the Kanes and Veronica is outraged.
"So is that why you left." The tears are beginning to well up in Veronica's eyes and Logan instinctively puts a hand on her knee. "You couldn't handle Dad going after Jake Kane?"
"Jake is innocent." Veronica looks at her like she has three heads and Logan stops playing with the creamers to listen.
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Like in your heart cause you love him." The bitterness in her voice is evident as she spits out the words.
"I was with him at the time of the murder."Leanne replies coldly. It turns out Celeste wanted to spill the paternity secret to Veronica. To preserve her relationship with both her husband and daughter Leanne had called Jake and threatened them to sue him for millions in a paternity suit if Celeste tried to contact Veronica again. Celeste had burst in on the meeting, right before the time of Lilly's death angry and violent. Was it possible that everything had been an alibi issue not a paternity issue? After all, weren't both sides threatening to spill the paternity beans?

When all the dirty laundry is aired Logan and Veronica force Leanne to the rehab centre. Logan recommended one of Lynn's old ones before remarking dryly that it didn't work well so maybe they should try elsewhere. They found Hazlewood facility in the phone book. It was relatively affordable and nearby. Veronica was determined to bring her mother home



Logan casually flips through an "Are you an alcoholic?" brochure. Tallying up his results as he keeps a watch-full eye on Veronica who is trying to force Lynn in to rehab.
"That's 12,000 up front." Logan watches as she shakily takes out her checkbook. She might as well sign-it Goodbye Stanford. A thin check for a good portion of his mother's inheritance is being passed to the clerk while he ignores Veronica's protests.
"Please take this one." She says throwing another check at the clerk. The clerk looks from Logan to Veronica waiting for them to finish fighting it out. Logan reaches over and rips up her check wordlessly for the 3rd time. Her arms are too short to reach his and finally he just grabs her checkbook.

"Logan it's my mother I should take care of it please let me do this."
"Look consider this my payment." He says helplessly. It would be wrong on so many levels to sit here with his hoards of money as Veronica simply signs her life away. "For my mother's case." Veronica looks at him incredulously.
"I never expected payment for that Logan. You are my boyfriend I was helping you."
"Ok well that goes both ways." He gently moves a strand of hair away from her face. He can feel her defenses breaking down. "It's for two cases actually, my mother's and Lilly's. You did all you could for two women I loved Veronica. This is the least I can do." Tears are streaming down her face and she doesn't know what to make of the gesture. There is the smallest part of her telling her that if he ever decides to turn on her again that this would be prime ammunition "Hey Mars remember when I paid for your mom's rehab?" A larger part of her knows that will never go back to hurting each other like that. "I want you to trust me." He says gently as he wraps his arms around her. Veronica's determination and personality always makes her feel taller than she is but when she is wrapped up in Logan's arms she feels like she could get lost in them. It's like a warm duvet when you are sick and anything outside the warm cacoon is cold. She is relying on him,
"I do." She sputters weakly. Most of her does anyways. They have issues. Big, scary issues. His father beats him and both their mother's deserted them, trust doesn't come naturally to either of them. Even when he was crying in her arms is took hours of hand holding and silence before he actually spoke of his feelings. He still hasn't talked about his father. She wants to trust him but this feels like too much.
"Then let me do this." His brown eyes are hypnotic when she looks in to them. Logan knows she's going to cave and he is glad because he couldn't save his mother but maybe he can save hers. In that moment they both know Logan is going to foot the bill. They look into each other's eyes with understanding for a long moment.

"Who's paying." Logan simply slides his check over and kisses Veronica's head. Her mother has long been taken back to the 'facility' but she stares down the hallway where she left anyways. 17 year old kids aren't meant to have to check their parents into rehab.
"Let's go home sugarpuss." He says attempting to lighten the mood with the nickname from the Sunset Regent.

It doesn't work though because then she remembers her stupid wedding book. Her stupid idea that Lynn was alive and the Leanne would be functional and that for a moment she was the stupid girl in pink cashmere again full of naivety and it resulted in her being bitch-slapped with her ideals. She has Niagara 

Falls running down her face and suddenly she is in Logan's chest getting snot and tears over a shirt that probably equals her net worth.

"She's going to be ok." He says as he hugs her firmly, ignoring the crowds as she did for him. Veronica has no qualms dealing with this side of Logan. The two times he cried since Lilly died were in front of her and she had soothed him without hesitation. It never occurred to her how vulnerable Logan had let himself feel and how big of a step he was taking by letting her see his pain and hear his stories. It is Veronica turn to cross the line and admit she needs him, or at the very least wants him, to be there for her. So she does gripping him tightly letting her tears do her talking for her. She calms down after a few moments of Logan's reassurances and tight embrace. She pulls away and looks in to his eyes with a red-rimmed expression and a trembling lip. It's not that she's broken. Logan knows that. Veronica Mars is not indestructible but her mother being sent to rehab and him paying the check is not going to break his girlfriend. She is upset, let down and doesn't know that it's ok to be like that in front of him. So he brushes the tears with the same tenderness she had for him and cracks a joke about leaving the taps on, because she needs to know that he understands she is still ok.

"I'm sorry." She whispers when they are in the air. He's impressed she is having an intimate conversation without an escape route and wonders briefly if she has a just-in-case parachute in her bag.
"For what?" He asks before refusing the whiskey the stewardess offers. Given the circumstances drowning himself in Jack Daniels seems a bit insensitive.
"I should just be happy I found her." She whispers because she remembers the brief look of elation Logan's face held when he thought he saw Lynn. Crying because she got her mother back a little worse for wear seems stupid when the boy who held her together just lost his. Logan throws her a sideways glance.
"Mars I hope you aren't feeling guilty that your mother lived while mine couldn't be bothered because that would be stupid." He throws a smirk on at the end and Veronica takes a deep breath. He draws their foreheads together by putting a large hand on the back of her head.
"It would, wouldn't it?" Veronica knows her expression is slightly drippy as they lean together gazing in each other's eyes like the world hadn't just imploded in the last few days. "Thanks for being here." He kisses her like her mouth holds the Holy friggin Grail and the whole thing is so hormonal and teenagerish that they forget their surroundings until a red-faced stewardess tells them to do up their seatbelts and prepare for landing.

They tell Duncan and Wallace about Veronica's mom the moment they get home. They search the room for bugs and no one can stop Duncan from storming over to the Kane house to demand they call off Weidman. A framed picture of the Kane family, when it included Lilly that is, hangs on the wall outside Celeste's chambers and Duncan looks at it briefly thinking Lilly would be proud of the heart attack he is just about to give Celeste.

"Mother." He yells throwing open the double doors. Celeste freezes, water bottle in hand, yoga video still running.
"What is it dear?" She should be afraid.
"Care to explain to me why Veronica found her mother and CW in a bar in Barstow together?" Celeste 

pales slightly and walks behind the desk nervously. Duncan gives her a second to answer and then plows through the silence. "Or why Leanne received pictures of Veronica in a riffle sight?" Her jaw drops in shock. "Oh yeah I know. You leave the Mars family alone starting immediately do you understand me?"
"Duncan let me…"
"No. You harass them again and I file for emancipation got it?" Duncan has always been the rational one. The boy who did his homework, stuck up for his sister and entertained his parent's Ivey League dreams. There was no denying that Lilly equaled him in intelligence, she just preferred to use her intelligence to anger Celeste while Duncan lived to please. Any talk of emancipation was always from Lilly…and even then she was kidding. Before his mother can respond Duncan is slamming the doors shut, heart pounding from exhilaration. He always did was his parents said without question and now he was fighting back and it felt good. He calls Logan who picks up on the first ring.

"Is it done?"
"I'd say the Kane-Mars war is over." Logan breathes a sigh of relief.
"Did you try and kill her." He's joking but he's not at the same time.
"I threatened to sue for emancipation."
"So that's a yes."
"I'll give you a check for the Leanne's rehab." He can almost hear Logan rolls his eyes.
"What's time to a hog Duncan? Plus I want to do it for Veronica. I owe her." Duncan smiles a little. Logan's got it bad.
"Considering it's my family that put her there…"
"My dad won't know the money's missing DK." Oh yeah, they can read each other like a book. Duncan breathes a sigh of relief and Logan doesn't know how to react because people don't usually think of these things with him.
"Apologize to Veronica for me." Logan yells an apology in to the background and Veronica's distinct voice says something incomprehensible.
"She said something about it not being your fault and I'm supposed to invite you and Meg out on our date. This is big man I was planning on getting ass that night and you are officially cock-blocking." Veronica tackles Logan and Duncan can hear some swearing and scuffling in the background. A double-date, 4 people, his heart catches in his throat and he really misses his sister at that moment. Logan regains control of the phone and starts speaking through the laughter. "Anyways should be good times Wallace and Mac are coming. They say it's platonic but I'm sensing mad nerd vibes between them."

"Yeah…I'll talk to Meg." Duncan had a great time at the dance with Meg. There was no denying her beauty and she was funny and known to be sweet enough to give a guy a toothache. Contrary to popular opinion she was not Veronica 1.0's clone. Meg was open and that was the difference between her and Veronica. Even when Veronica was dating Duncan she always had an edge. A little bit of indefinable distance they were never able to close. It took him months to be able to read her true emotions and even more to learn how to deal with them. Meg was by no means simple but she let Duncan see her in a way Veronica never had. He knows when she's happy or upset because she never masks it the way Veronica did. He would never fully-forget Veronica, she was his first love and will hopefully always be a close friend, but he saw way Logan lit-up around her and the way she showed him pieces of herself it took Duncan months to uncover and he knew that he didn't want to come between them. Maybe Meg will only last until the second date but she deserves a trial run in his life and that includes being able to deal with caustic Logan and cynical Veronica.
"Hey Meg, Its Duncan." He says calmly. "Look do you have plans for Friday night?"

Logan cares about Veronica. Veronica cares about Wallace. Therefore, Logan is forced to be concerned when he sees his basketball playing chum dragging his heels down the hallways. That and he was kind of growing on him.
"Dude you don't look so hot." Logan comments as Wallace bangs his head in to a locker. Maybe Logan shouldn't have put that extra dash of cinnamon in his Snickerdoodles when Veronica wasn't looking. He thought he was helping.
"Polly's gone."
"Like gone." Logan asks walking with Wallace towards their Physics class. "Or gone?" He asks sliding his hand across his throat much to Wallace's chagrin.
"You were not in homeroom this morning were you?" Wallace asks moodily throwing down his books.
"Nope I was…otherwise occupied." Logan says with a smirk thinking of his well spent morning with Veronica. Wallace scrunches his face in distaste.
"Thin ice Echolls."
"Oh we're ice dancing now." Wallace rolls his eyes unfazed by the snark. Logan grins and thinks he should have let Veronica pick his friends earlier.
"Some kids at Pan stole Polly! They threatened to kill him if I start tonight." Despite Logan's lack of Pirate Pride he likes being the best at everything and he doesn't like it when people play with his toys. Translation: He wants Neptune to win so Pan doesn't suddenly think they've got a better team and people don't take his goddamn parrot.
"Talk to resident Sherlock Holmes?"
"Mhmm, there's not much she can do it's kind of late notice." Wallace whispers at the teacher drones on about laws of gravity. "She and Mac are checking out the video at lunch and Meg is trying to figure out how the clip got in with the other announcements." Logan nods and makes a note to step in to see his favorite multi-colored techie and see if he can help. Ok so the sleuthing bug has kind of rubbed off on him and maybe Veronica's affection for Wallace has too.

"Mackie. I bet your thrilled to be saving Neptune's play-off chances." Logan says pulling up a chair beside her and handing her a pack of red twizzlers.
"Ecstatic." She deadpans magnifying an image of a foot. "You realize you're girlfriend is psycho right."
"No way, the head tilt works on you too." Logan asks with a giggle as he steals one of her twizzlers.
"Shut up. Hey hands off the twizzlers!" Mac somehow slaps him and wrenches the twizzlers away at the same time. They sit in companionable silence for awhile as Mac messes with the pixels and Logan IMs Veronica who is pretending to be Betty at Pan High to see if she can get more info on the frame job. Logan hasn't had a female friend since Veronica. But even though their pre-Lilly relationship was totally fraternal there was always this undercurrent of sexual tension. Neither admitted it or acted on it as they both loved their respective partners completely but they had the ability to wonder 'what-if' that Duncan and Lilly didn't. His budding friendship was Mac was so simple and easy that they had become fast 

friends. Thank god for failing computer science. Mac peers over at Logan screen and smiles to herself.
"Veronica told me what you did…for her mother." Logan's hand freezes. They really hadn't crossed any issue of importance. He loved hanging around Mac the week his mom died because she evaded like nobody's business and the only time he knew she even knew him mother was dead was when she squeezed his hand at funeral, sadness and sympathy radiating in her eyes.
"You're pretty sweet for a spoiled jackass Echolls."
"Well you know what they say…too much money makes people to crazy things." Mac rolls her eyes and they steer the conversation in to safer territory.
"13"
"I think your train of thought left the station without me Logan."
"On his shoe the number 13." He speed dials Veronica who breathes out a breath of disappointment mentioning the guy number 13 on the team was sweet. Logan hangs up with only a natural amount of jealousy instead of his usual inordinate rage and he thinks that this is what it must be like to trust your girlfriend.

"Suit up Fennel." Veronica says with a wide smile dragging both a goat and a parrot cage behind her. Wallace has come through countless times for Veronica and unfortunately she hasn't been able to return the favor. Not that she wouldn't in a heartbeat, as proved by said parrot and goat, but Wallace's life has been smooth sailing since his confrontation with the PCHers. Needless to say she is exceptionally glad to stride through the school delivering the mascot and watch his face break-out in a grateful grin. She hugs him and wishes him luck turning to walk out of the gym. The thing Wallace really needs is to have her turn around and watch him cream Pan. Can she do it? School functions without Lilly are hard. It's funny because she has separated Lilly memories from everything but the stupid school sponsored activities. Maybe it's because she died in her pep squad uniform after washing cars to raise money for the basketball teams. Seriously, that is not what Lilly' last act in life should have been. Yet it was kind of perfect. It completely froze her in time. Veronica looks back to the gym hesitantly…her new best friend needs her. With new determination she walks through the door trying not to imagine what Lilly would say about the chiseled pan dudes. Fresh meat Veronica Mars, Fresh meat, or Duncan and Meg But seriously does Duncan get off on virginity because he's not going to get laid this century if he picks them like this and even Veronica's mother Parents fuck you up it's their moral imperative V. Doesn't mean she doesn't loves you just means she loves booze as well. Duncan, Meg, Logan and Mac sit on the stands cheering as Wallace shoots a basket.

"You came." Logan says with an understanding smile.
"Couldn't let my BFF get to the play-offs without my support." Logan holds her hand and throws popcorn at Mac while Duncan and Meg crone sweetly to each other lost in a bubble of puppy love. Things would be better if Lilly was beside her shrieking about the undeniable hotness of jocks but she's not and this is almost as good.

"We need those interrogation tapes." Veronica says firmly sitting between Duncan and Logan. Duncan nods in agreement.
"We also need to find who is getting my parent's money." Duncan says a little bitterly.


"What we need is a plan." Neither boys miss the determination in her voice and both briefly wonder how much jail time they're going to get for whatever she cooks up. She chews her pizza thoughtfully then looks up with her ass-kicking smile. "I've got it."

"What are you doing?" Four hours later Veronica stands over Inga's open desk drawer. The key card to open the evidence locker was already in her pocket and she just looks up with a smile.
"Inga has new puppies!" She says with a little squeal. Lamb doesn't budge. "Anyways Back-up is…getting on, so we are thinking of getting a new one. Isn't that just the most exciting thing ever?" If Veronica was dog crap Lamb would have given her a better look. "Well she put the pictures in the drawer and told me to go grab one." The intensity of Lamb's stare doesn't leave her and Duncan quickly swipes the stapler with the key codes on it. Duncan quickly turns and leaves as Veronica holds up a picture of Inga's puppies and asks Lamb which one she should choose. After a sneer from Lamb, Veronica quickly runs down to the parking lot where Logan, Duncan, Mac and Meg are waiting.

"Did you get in?" Veronica asks as Mac types quickly on the keyboard nodding.
"My Mackie can break in to anything." The pride in her boyfriend's voice causes Duncan and Meg to giggle. Sometimes Veronica gets jealous of Logan and Mac's relationship. They are both so comfortable with each other and there is nothing between them, no screaming matches or mother slurs. Sure the first two years of high school they weren't friends but there wasn't any love lost they just didn't run in the same circles. It's not that Veronica is threatened, their relationship is similar to the one between her and Wallace: completely platonic. Someday though, Veronica wishes that her relationship with Logan wasn't so complicated.
"Key activator." Logan quickly unwraps the key activator for her. They knew they couldn't steal the police station's and activating a card in the station when an officer can walk by any time is dangerous. When Veronica explained this to Logan he simply shrugged and came back 30 minutes later with a new one. One day she is going to sit Logan down and teach him the value of a dollar.
"Ok Mars, you are good to go." Mac says handing me the fresh key card before high-fiving Logan. Logan hadn't wanted Veronica to do this saying it was far too dangerous with Lamb and the video cameras. If there is one thing his girlfriend hates it's someone telling her what to do and she immediately snarled back about him not being her father, which is a good thing because if he were, their relationship would be illegal in 50 states.
"Be careful." He says kissing the tip of her nose.
"I always am." Quickly, she walks into the sheriff's station only to be greeted by Lamb.

"I thought you were done picking puppies." He sneers whilst Veronica tilts her head slightly.
"Jealous Lamb? I asked but my father says I can't bring you home. All our pets have to be housebroken." She smiles sweetly, grabs the sweater she 'forgot' on Inga's desk and holds it towards Lamb. "Wouldn't want to give you cooties." He is about to reply when another deputy calls him over and Veronica walks out of the main area and goes in to the bathroom across from the evidence locker. Being tiny has its advantages in the P.I. business and Veronica quickly folds herself into a ball and waits patiently. Inga checks the door and turns of the light. Veronica is doing her best not to be frightened but hiding in a bathroom cupboard, in the dark, right before breaking into an evidence locker isn't doing wonder's for her nerves. The sounds of her phone vibrating softly causes her to jump slightly.


"Hey Supafly. The deputies are over at the diner it should just be Leo now." Wallace's whisper immediately calms her nerves
"You counted 8" She whispers into the phone. The bathroom is at the back of the department and facing away from Leo, she is not worried about being heard but she doesn't want to take any chances.
"Have a little faith in your side-kick."
"Did Mac stop the cameras?"
"They're set to go off as soon as Meg comes in. She is going to be on the phone when she walks in and they have a code-word or something. I'm just guarding the diner." Veronica smiles a little in spite of herself. "Meg is on the way up listen for her." Carefully Veronica untangles herself from her uncomfortable position in the cupboard to stand at the door and listen for Meg.

"Can I help you mam?" Leo's distinct voice drifts through the door. Veronica remembers it well, after all she did flirt the Crime Stopper's recording out of him. Of course she then got him suspended and things haven't exactly been warm and fuzzy between them since.
"Ok, I gotta go see you tonight." Meg lets her hair cascade down half of her face before she flicks Leo a smile and tosses it over her shoulder. "Hi I'm applying for the receptionist job."
"Oh I'm sorry the typing test in the morning." Expecting this response, Meg looks up with faux-distress before plopping down on the chair.
"Seriously? This has been like the worst day ever." Quite the actress, little tears appear in the pretty blonde's eyes as she wrings her hands nervously. Ever the nice guy, Leo takes the bait and looks at her with genuine concern. Meg almost feels guilty but this is about the most risqué thing she has done in a while and she always liked Lilly Kane. The older girl had been too wild for Meg, who was even more demure back when Lilly still lived, but they went to the same parties and one-time Lilly chased off a guy who was hitting on Meg with too much zest. Lilly had proclaimed girl the 'most sweetest , perfect girl ever' and told her, with a little wink, to never change and to call her over if any more boys needed a talking to. For some reason this always stuck with Meg as a beautifully sincere gesture from the girl best known for causing trouble and only extending true kindness to Veronica, her brother and Logan. So although they had never been close Meg had found Lilly fascinating and always wondered who she would grow up to be. The fact no one will ever know is enough for her to forgo her morals for a day and 'get even' as Veronica would say.

"You alright mam, you sort of zoned out for a moment." Leo's voice calls Meg back to reality and she quickly buts back on the act.
"Oh yeah it's just my friend dropped me off and is now half-way to L.A. to meet his sister and I'm stuck here until my boyfriend comes!" She humphs a little and Leo just raises his eyebrows. If Veronica hadn't convinced Meg that Leo was sweet and harmless she would have been running away at his look of excitement.
"Well you can feel free to hang out here." Meg nods gratefully and engages Leo in a conversation about office life at the police station. Veronica slips out of the door and quickly hides in the evidence locker. The summer before Lilly died Veronica had worked for her Dad at the Sheriff's department. Not doing the kind of work she does now but filing and maintaining the evidence room. With a little smirk she 

wonders if this is what he imagined her using her knowledge for. It takes her a moment to find the Lilly Kane container and usurp the awkward box of tapes. She activates the lock this time before peering out the door and scurrying to the bathroom and Meg keeps charming Leo into not turning around.

"Jess how was your…" Logan's voice cuts through the Leo and Meg's conversation and I smirk waiting for the Neanderthal show. "What the hell is this?"
"Mike, hunny I was just…" Logan vehemently cuts Meg off.
"Just what Jessica, wanted to screw behind my back and see if I'd come crawling back?" Leo stands and tries to calm Logan down. Logan is shouting in Leo's face about decency and how if Leo wasn't an officer of the law he'd be threw the wall right now. The argument is enough to completely capture Leo's attention and mask the noise of Veronica slipping out a side exit with the awkward box.

After Logan finishes yelling and sees Veronica disappear out the side door he grabs Meg's arm and pulls her out of the office as she throws a longing look at Leo. Logan immediately drops her arm when they turn the corner.

"I didn't hurt you, did I? He asks quickly just realizing how roughly he had grabbed her arm. "I shouldn't have ripped you around like that." Contrary to popular opinion Logan treats women well, or at least most women, and he would never, ever hurt one intentionally. Not being close to Logan personally Meg only assumed this she didn't know it and he played the part so well she almost believed he was about to slap her. His rueful expression and worry was enough to convince her that Veronica hadn't made a mistake and maybe Logan Echolls was worth her time after all.
"I'm fine Logan." He didn't know her parents. They had thrown her into the punishment room with 10X Logan's roughness and had often bruised her white arms. He considers her for a moment and then checks her arm for himself.
"You're right I guess we won't have to amputate." They share a smirk and both go out to meet Veronica who is scuttling along with the box. Proving chivalry is not dead; Logan picks the box out of her hands as they walk towards the underground parking lot. Duncan, Mac and Wallace peer out from the car anxiously as Logan raises the box above his head like it were a trophy.

"See Mars, isn't teamwork nice." Logan says playfully putting an arm around her shoulder.
"I've have you know the Logan played the jealous boyfriend as if the role were meant for him." Veronica says teasingly kissing him on the lips.
"I am the original Jackass" A little bow accompanies Logan's reply. Duncan and Meg cuddle in the car while Logan and Veronica do their weird, snarky mating ritual leaning against the fender. Wallace catches Mac's eye when she looks at him sideways and they both look away like third graders.
"So you guys ready for phase two of the date?" Duncan had, not surprisingly, planned this whole triple date thing for after their adventure with the B&E at the sheriff's department. Veronica was glad because it gave her awhile to think of how she could listen to the tapes alone. She knew that it was highly 

unlikely her friends would ruin the investigation by spilling information but if there was information linking Duncan to the murder than she had to listen to it without his innocent eyes smiling back at her.

"Where is DK taking us?" Being Duncan he has refused to tell the location of their date and had simply told Logan to follow his car which held Meg, Wallace and Mac as well. Finally we pull up to an old, Italian restaurant. Wisely, Duncan had chosen a location that hadn't been a location of his and Veronica's previous dates. The restaurant was formal without being stuffy and dinner went beyond civil to comfortable. Meg and Veronica had pulled a very teenage girl move and dragged a protesting Mac into the girl's bathroom to demand secrets of her crush on Wallace that we past the point of denial. Veronica told Mac that she loved her but she may have to kill her if she hurt Wallace. Logan was delivering a similar speech at the table.

"So you and Mac?" Duncan says with a chuckle and an elbow prod. Logan looks up from his plate of lasagna a possessive glint in his eye. To be honest he liked the idea of Wallace and Mac but it was his duty as her computer science buddy to defend her against the evils of basketball players.
"I like her." Wallace says with a smile taking a bite of spaghetti before meeting Logan's face than rolling his eyes. "What Echolls? I'm not gonna mess wit' your computer buddy's heart."
"That's good because I'd hate to have to rearrange your face." Logan says calmly with a smile. Usually this was the other way around. Wallace would threaten Logan with bodily harm, half-serious because he loves Veronica, half-joking because he is kind of fond of Logan too. Not the least bit afraid of Wallace, Logan would roll his eyes and mention that is he ever hurt Veronica the damage she'd inflict on him would be 10X worse.

It wasn't long before the girls got back from the bathroom and joined in the boy's conversation. They talked of silly things: "Veronica you did not look like Manilla Whore Barbie." "Yes I did Meg, Yes I did.", not so silly things: "You threatened to sue for emancipation Duncan?" and some things that were downright pointless: "No seriously I think Meg is more Sleeping Beauty than Snow White." "What about Veronica?" "As if Veronica would be a Disney Princess."

They weren't normal, far from it. Even Wallace, who had the least secrets of all, had a certain uniqueness to him. Then again they didn't really want to be normal. Sure, they had all strived for it in their own ways. Duncan tried to stop his grief with pills so he could blend in seamlessly again. Logan played the angry rich kid to a tea because it was far easier than dealing with a beyond fractured home-life. The urge to be 'normal' had a vice grip on Mac and she dug in to her parent's history to find the disturbing reason why normal wasn't going to work for her. Wallace had joined basketball, not a particularly shocking move but he needed people other than Veronica in his life and so his team was his sliver of normality. Meg, like Logan, hid her abuse in her war on normal, wearing pink and giggling at sex comments to play the innocent daughter of two church goers. Veronica had tried to go back to normal for the 30 minutes she stood under the shower after Shelley's party before she realized that her virginity, her best friend, her dignity and her boyfriend were ripped from her and that nothing would be normal again. So those six teenagers, laughing over Italian food, realized that they may actually be as alike as they were different. It was a rare moment of peace for the group and they didn't realize just how soon all their tentatively created harmony was going to be torn apart.

PLEASE REVIEW and thanks to those who already have...even if you dont like it it helps for the following chapters im so not above begging for feedback