Season 1 Episode 17:

"Veronica." Keith says gently knocking on the door as the Virgin Suicides soundtrack wafts through the walls. He opens the door to find Veronica staring at a photo of Lilly being carried like a princess by Duncan as Veronica rode on Logan's back. It was the only photo where they weren't appropriately paired up but Lilly declared her pictures were getting boring and demanded some new poses. "Hi Sweetie" He picks up the photo frame and studies the picture. Veronica was wearing an expression all parents hope their children will never lose. Caught in the middle of a laugh, the shyness that usually accompanied her at that age was not shown but she was radiant, happy and innocent.

"Logan and I broke up." The handgun seems like a prime tool right now. Unfortunately he kind of likes Logan and, knowing Veronica, she might have kind of sort of been asking for it.
"What happened?" Keith has an idea. The possibility that Duncan could be the murderer has hung over his daughter like a cloud for the past few weeks and no doubt affected her relationship with Logan.
"Logan wants me to stop investigating." Suddenly he really likes Logan again. "He says it were Duncan we need to let it be."

In every P.I. or sheriff's life you get a hand-full of cases that you wonder if you should just leave untouched, or at least let the results stay private. Keith's first case was when he had to arrest a woman for attacking her husband and putting him in the hospital. The man had been a vicious drunk beating on the wife and oldest son constantly. When the man went to try and force himself on her 7-yr old daughter she had enough and slammed a brick into his head leaving him permanently brain-damaged. The DA wanted to try her for assault with a deadly weapon and Keith knew they would win and the kids would be sent to foster care which would be hit and miss in terms of continued abuse. The next day the evidence went missing and the case was of so little importance no one ever pushed it.

"It's the hardest thing about this kind of work hunny. Knowing when you have enough answers."
"I need to know." She says with tears clogging up her throat. "I need to know the truth even if I don't like it." Keith loops an arm around his daughter and pulls her close as she let her head rest on his shoulder.
"I know." Keith takes a big breath and prepares for his next statement. "Ok I actually came in here to tell you something and I know this isn't the best time but…Alicia and I are dating."

Logan is woken up at 4am by an incessant knocking. Hungover, and tired he slips of a bathrobe wondering, with what he knows is false hope, if it's Veronica coming with a tearful apology. He realizes it's more likely it's his mother than that and he opens the door unimpressed. A perky brunette in a ridiculous Joker costume is staring back at him and he wonders if this is a wacked out dream for a moment.
"Are you Logan Echolls."
"Not until 11am." He grunts. The only reason he isn't shutting the door in his face is he is kind of interested. She claps her hands and blows an excessively loud horn causing his head to split in two and thank fucking god his Dad is out.


"I am your singing telegram." Logan's mouth drops and he is stunned out of making a witty retort. The girl rolls a scroll and starts singing.

I know we've had our differences but I've something for you
You know I have another one so don't rip it in two
I know that you hate the morning
But afternoon delivery would be boring
So please take this check of mine
And do not ask me for my time.

Logan is speechless when the crazy joker girl stops singing and hands him a check for the amount of Leanne's rehab. The joker is about to leave and then turns around.

"Word to the wise. If your girlfriend is sending you singing telegrams at 4am you really should consider groveling."
"Really I was thinking more like a lobotomy." Logan says when he finally regains the powers of speech. The girl just laughs and walks back to the car. 'Seriously, cash it' is written in her curvy handwriting and now Logan isn't just being noble he is not going to cash the check cause it'll drive her mad.

Hours later Veronica and Wallace stare at each other over packed lunches. The news of their parents' relationship had brought initial discomfort to the two friends but it was Veronica's careless comment that her mom would be clean and sober and home soon enough that started the fight. Eventually Wallace walked away talk with his basketball buddies and Veronica knew he didn't want her to follow. So she was alone at lunch as Logan sneered, Wallace avoided and Duncan…Duncan's faith was waning. All was leading back to his parents but he was convinced they didn't commit the crime. Who else, he reasoned with her, would they want to protect? Good question. Lost in her thoughts about loneliness and guilt, Veronica almost missed the engraving on her table. Weird she thought to herself before hurry to journalism. Can this day any worse.

"Ok Buckeroos we need stories!" Apparently so. Logan catches her eye from across the classroom and gives her a little smirk as the ditzy teacher continues to ramble on about bake sales. A knock on the door interrupts the class.
"Package for Veronica Mars?" She knew Logan was going to retaliate after her singing joker stunt. The animosity between them radiated in waves and both were so determined not to snap first that they had settled for petty, ironic pranks instead of inflicted deep verbal hurts. There were a couple bitter word wars but they were trying out the actions speak louder than words theory.

Veronica looks across the desk as Logan gives her an eyebrow raise than looks away innocently. Unwrapping the package leads her to a small jack-in-the-box. She looks at Logan warily but, at the insistence of Duncan who is all together too amused by the situation, plays it. A couple spins of the handle later and the ripped up check pieces blast back at her. In all honestly she did want Logan to cash 

the check. No part of her wants to be indebted to him, and the small part that wanted to still be connected with him is constantly squashed by his sneers and looks he gives her now. In this moment she realizes she made a mistake. She shouldn't have sent the singing telegram and turned it in to a joke. A fire alarm rings loudly bringing Veronica out of her thoughts and she grabs her check book from her locker as they file out of the school. They mill around waiting for the ok to re-enter the building and Veronica calmly approaches Logan.

"Look Logan, just take it." She holds out the check to him but Logan doesn't move to take it and just stares at her.
"I don't want your money Veronica." He basically spits out.
"I don't want your charity Logan." She mimics his brash tone. Logan notices the few turning heads and steps into her personal space. For both of them it's like taking an involuntary stroll down memory lane. They can smell each other, feel the body heat and the hormones and the emotions that were so important to their relationships.

"You think this is charity? When have I even done anything charitable in my life Veronica? I organized bum fights." Veronica just glares at him coolly. "I did that because I cared – care-about you. If you were capable of human emotion you'd know that." The last comment registers and a fresh coat of hurt is momentarily painted on her face.

"You're right I do have trouble opening up to people I don't trust, especially the ones who have acted like incorrigible jackasses for a year." This hurts Logan more than his comment hurt her. Both of them expected that to be the case, Veronica never strikes first but when she strikes back it's at least twice as hard. Veronica had trusted Logan, not only with most of her heart but to do the right thing and be a decent person even if it was hard for him. Her face softens a bit and she takes his hand with the same gentleness she had at his mother's funeral. Logan is all the sudden confused, surprised and….relieved but all this is shot down when she opens his fingers and curls them around the check and removes her hands.

"Look Logan, this doesn't have to be difficult. Please take the check, I shouldn't have brought you to Barstow in the first place much less let you pay for my mother's recovery." The resignation and chilling finality in her voice hurts Logan more than the anger ever has. He pockets the check just to see her reaction. He shouldn't be surprised when it doesn't change, but he is.
"Thank you." There is genuine relief in her voice (of course he misses the sadness) and she gives him a meek smile as she walks to Duncan. Logan thinks briefly that if parting with him really makes her this happy than maybe he should actually cash the check. Then again, he always has been too selfish to fully let her cut ties with him. He'll be damned if he lets his best friend get caught up in her tangled web of deceit though.

"Duncan I need to talk to you." Logan says calmly after Veronica went off to go call some woman about fire drill mandates. Immediately, Duncan senses the severity of Logan's voice and they walk into the empty classroom.


"Logan if you are admitting anything to do with touching Meg then you may want to make sure Dick is in the hallway again." Duncan says with a little laugh knowing that Logan's loyalty is too pure for him to have actually done anything with a girl he was STILL seeing.

"Our opinions on the importance of sex were too different." Logan says with a smirk before turning serious again. "It's about Veronica." Duncan looks at the expression on Logan's face and immediately pales.
"Did you get her pregnant? Is she sick?" Whomever gave Duncan the worst-case-scenarios book for Christmas really needs to be shot.
"They tell me pregnancy is difficult without sex and as far as I know she is perfectly healthy." Duncan nods and sits down figuring Logan needs groveling advice. "She has a file on you. I was never meant to see it but she left it open at my house…" Duncan feels his blood run cold.
"What kind of file?"
"The suspect-in-an-ongoing investigation kind of file." The betrayal hurts Duncan more than it should. In reality he should have seen it coming. Between his epilepsy and his parents tampering it was stupid of him to assume she just wouldn't look at him; that she'd trust him enough to realize it couldn't have been him. Duncan just nods at Logan solemnly then jogs to catch up with Meg.

"Hey Hon." She says sweetly, linking her arms through his. Instead of giving her the usual peck on the cheek and cheesy nickname Duncan just nods his acknowledgement and walks with her, half-listening as she talks about Lizzie's latest scandal. "Is everything alright baby you seem…off." Meg looks at him with such innocence and care that he actually wants to tell her. He trusts her more than he ever thought possible. Of course he doesn't tell her because that little piece of information, 'Veronica thinks I killed Lilly', shakes him to the core and he can't imagine what it will do to his girlfriend.

"Nothing I'm fine." Meg looks at him skeptically but Duncan reasons it's better than having her look at him like she thinks he's psychotic and takes her hand with a reassuring smile. The rest of the day passes in a haze he is caught between anger, hurt, resentment and a little bit of worry. Not that he did it, of course, but he knows it looks like he did and he's not sure what Veronica will do with the information. Actually, that's a lie. Duncan knows Veronica better than anyone at Neptune. Sure Logan is catching up but he's only dated her for 2 months while Duncan dated her for a year. Veronica will make the most solid case possible and turn the information over to Lamb. It doesn't matter if it's him, Logan or her father no one can side-step her axe of justice. With stunning clarity he realizes what he has to do.

Veronica is sitting by herself again, eating ice cold fries and wondering how long Wallace is planning on holding this over her head. They reached a kind of understanding at her locker today made significantly less significant by her asking about Ben's file. Upon realization that Neptune was exceeding their fire drill mandate Veronica had tricked Mr. Clemmons into admitting the real reason behind the alarms. A bomb threat. The new, scary, sex-and-death type kid named Ben was her number one suspect…



"Hey." Duncan smiles at her and sits down with his pizza.
"Hi." She says studying the conflicting emotions playing on his face. "Are you ok?"
"Curious about something." Veronica nods and closes her textbook to fully listen. "That entertainment lawyer…Has your Dad found him?" Random.
"Uh no. He has literally wiped himself off the map." Duncan seems to consider this for a moment. Usually Veronica would be curious as to why Duncan was interested in the Mars Investigations' cases. He had helped her father around the office with some of the finance stuff that neither Mars had a head for but he never caught the sleuthing bug. Relieved to be talking to a friend without an impending blow-up, Veronica lays rest her itching third eye and explains the details of how to remove yourself off the planet.

"Why are you asking me all this?" Veronica asks after 10 minutes of divulging the secrets of escapists. Shockingly Duncan falters for a moment then breezily lies.
"Dunno, been hanging out with you too much I guess." They both laugh, falsely, before Duncan excuses himself, also falsely, leaving Veronica's confusion to be the only genuine thing at the table.

Twenty minutes later both Logan and Duncan walk by Veronica like they didn't know she existed and her confusion is replaced by dread. Logan told Duncan. Of course he did. For a moment Veronica finds this whole situation amusing because it is the Yolanda situation in reverse (except more extreme). Logan is the tattle-tale and Veronica is the wrong-doer and his anger is a lot more understandable. Veronica spends the rest of the school day trying to figure out a way to defend her file to Duncan. Considering she can't even defend it to herself the process isn't going well.

MaCaTTaCk: Why is Logan so moody today?
VMars2.0: Umm...Because he's a brooding pile of wasted space.
MaCaTTaCk: He's not going to cash your check.
VMars2.0: I'll just wire it straight into his account then.
MaCaTTaCk: Whatever I'm not getting in to this...More important matters he found this website... Anyways I know you are looking into the bomb threats.
VMars2.0: Thanks Mac
MaCaTTaCk: He misses you, you know.
VMars2.0: Who?
MaCaTTaCk: Playing dumb really doesn't suit you.
VMars2.0: I know.
MaCaTTaCk: Ok well I know I'm not exactly a vat of relationship advice but Logan is getting on my nerves so talk to him. Please? For me?
VMars2.0 has signed off

By the time Veronica has reached the computer lab she still hasn't come up with anything to say to Duncan. He is sitting in the dark illuminated by the glow of the computer and she knows this is 

something she has to do. A casual glance back at her before turning his face back to the computer screen confirms her theory. With a sigh she pulls up a chair next to him

"I'm guessing you talked to Logan." Duncan doesn't look away from the computer screen and is pretending to focus on his game of solitaire.
"You have a file on me."The chilling calmness in voice makes Veronica cringe and she desperately wishes there is something she could say to make this ok. The only thing she can offer is the truth.
"There's a file on everyone Duncan. Including Logan."
"Logan's is closed."There is no denying he has a point. Veronica just sighs.
"You think I killed Lilly." His words aren't even angry they are just…hollow, and somehow she is sure that's worse.
"I think that the possibility that you had a fit and that there was an accident needs to be explored as fully as every other possibility." Veronica tries her best to come off as calm and collected as the words make her sound but the tears and the vague pleading sound clue Duncan in otherwise.

"How could you think that even for a second?" The anger is back and for a moment Veronica wonders if he's going to have another fit and hurt her as well.
"Duncan…Do you remember that day?" He scoffs
"Of course I remember. Finding your sister dead isn't something you forget Veronica." He remembers? He could just be saying he remembers. Duncan's intelligence is not something to question. "You don't believe me do you? Unbelievable?" He storms across the room so he is nowhere near he and she wonders which one of them he is trying to protect. "

"Want to hear about it will that convince you? I thought she was a pile of clothes at first, the pool of blood clued me in kind of quickly that it was a person. Upon realizing that is was more specifically my sister that looked like a tortured rag doll I sprinted out as fast as I could. She was still warm." They are both crying now as Duncan relives the most painful memory of his life in full-volume. "She was still warm but not warm enough to be alive and the last thing I remember is realizing she wasn't going to wake up. So no Veronica I didn't have a fit and kill her I had a fit because she was already dead." Duncan lashes viciously before storming out of the room. Well that clears that up. How come this wasn't in any crime files? All of the sheriff's department's notes have Duncan in the shower while his parents discovered Lilly's body. That doesn't explain much though. They could have simply not wanted Duncan to be placed near the scene of the crime. People have lied to cover up less. Veronica sees Ben and Norris arguing out of the corner of her eye before she can further wallow in the betrayal of her ex-boyfriend she hops in to her car to tail him.

The first place he leads her is the Camelot leading her to nothing but gross motel rooms and skeezy hookers. The flower shop is more interesting. He unloads a gun and enough packages of fertilizer to blow up the SkyDome. The bomb threats are real. Veronica is pulled out of this very disturbing discovery by the ring of her cell phone. LOGAN ECHOLLS is scrawled across the caller ID.



"You told him." She says simply when she picks up. Logan never fully-understood Veronica's insistence that telling Lilly about Yolanda was her duty until he ended up ratting Veronica out to Duncan.
"Of course. I mean what did you expect me to do? He's my best friend." He hears a resigned sigh on her end and he plays with the check in his pocket. Maybe it is time he cashes it she obviously doesn't want anything to do with him anymore.

"Well he bit my head off you would have loved it." He feels guilty because there is the slightest bit of truth in her statement. There is no doubt in his mind Veronica has moved on from him effortlessly. There is nothing more important to her than justice and he got in the way of that. Logan, on the other hand, feels like a punch has been delivered to his gut every time she laughs with Wallace or speaks to him with cold indifference instead of anger or love.

"Let's go for a ride." A male voice cuts through his pity-filled soliloquy and immediately gets his attention again. Veronica drops the phone and Logan immediately gets to his feet. He can't hear Veronica well.
"Where are we going?" That's it.
"You should know you followed me there."
"The Camelot?" That's my girl Logan thinks with pride as he jumps in the Xterra and speeds off towards the seedy motel. Without paying much heed to stop signs or red lights he swerves in and out of the traffic trying to stop from envisioning the worst case scenario. Really though, when hears Veronica's panicked comments and shallow, unsteady breaths all he can imagine is that he is about to lose another woman from his life. It's going to be Lilly all over again and he can't handle that

flashback

Logan yawns as he turns down his street. Getting up at the crack of dawn to rush back to Neptune was probably not the smartest plan he ever had but he needed closure. He drives by the Kane estate and abruptly pulls in upon seeing the gates uncharacteristically flung open and police cars swarming the house. A break-in?
"Sheriff Mars?" Logan says jogging up beside the older man who looks absolutely haggard. "Sheriff Mars what's going on?" The deep sadness in the Sheriff's eyes make his heart race and he is about to speak when a soft voice interrupts.
"Dad let me." He turns around to see Veronica. Her face is streaked with tears and she's trembling like a leaf under her father's coat. Why was she here? And why wasn't Lilly offering her a pair of sweatpants? Keith and his daughter share a look and Veronica gives a nod before taking Logan's hand in her cold, clammy one. Something is very wrong.
"Logan…Lilly…Lilly…" Veronica's tears are fresh again and Logan feels his veins turn to ice. Someone hurt Lilly? His Lilly?
"What happened Veronica?" The upsurge of nerves made any pretense of patience fly out the window. He needs to know whose ass to kick NOW. Veronica visibly collects herself before taking a deep shuddering breath.


"Lilly's dead Logan." He doesn't feel or hear a thing. Not her hand trying to hold him back before he runs to the crowd by the pool, not Keith coaxing him into the police cruiser or Veronica's muffled sobs. It's like watching a silent movie play out. It doesn't feel real and he can't cry which hurts him the most. He hasn't spoken since the revelation and neither has Veronica. Keith drives both stricken teenagers back to the Mars household because Aaron is out at a premiere and Lynn is at a spa. The matter isn't discussed it just happens. Logan wants to die the moment he gets to Veronica's room. Everything somehow reminds him of Lilly and the time he is sure to call "before". Veronica realizes he's crying before he does and she wraps herself around him sobbing as well.

end flashback

Logan panics at the thought of having to relive that all over with a bottle of vodka instead of Veronica to drag him through the first night. The pounding of his heart and the scenarios flashing through his head like a gruesome picture show have him as tense as a coiled spring and he waits behind the corner as he hears them approach. All the intense emotions increase 10-fold when he sees the fear on her face and the firm grip Ben has on her tiny arm. Bastard's going to leave a bruise on her. His first connects with Ben's face with so much force that his hand feels like he hit a wall. It does the trick though and he breathes a little easier now that his hands are off Veronica. This doesn't prevent him from delivering a second or third punch.

"Logan stop!" Hers are the only words that could ever get Logan to stop when he is on a rampage like that and he freezes mid-punch. "He's an FBI agent." That doesn't mean it's ok to leave a bruise on a woman's arm, especially if that woman is Veronica. He shakes out his fist but doesn't help the guy up. Without hesitation he follows them in to the motel room. The adrenaline caused by thinking she was in danger and the intense relief at realizing she is ok makes him feel drained and tired. That coupled with the memory of learning about Lilly's death, a memory he has pointedly never revisited, makes his head spin.

Veronica hands a towel indifferently to the FBI agent before getting another one for Logan. It isn't hard to see the confrontation scared him almost as much as it scared her and right now she really needs to be close to him. So as the Ben explains the situation Veronica carefully wipes Logan's knuckles free of Ben's blood causing him to look at her in surprise.

"Is it ok if he leaves? I want to speak to you." Ben says noticing the protectiveness of the boy and not wanting his comments to get under his skin.
"Dream on Jump Street I'm not leaving you alone with her." Logan growls taking Veronica's hand. If anything this reaffirmed the fact that he still cares about her. In a very big way. His heart hasn't fully recovered from thinking she was about to be attacked the first time and he is certainly not planning on letting her out of his sight until he can close his eyes without seeing her in exactly the same position Lilly was in.



"Logan he's the real thing." Veronica says gently loosening her hand from his grip. The thought of a guy grabbing a woman like that, FBI or not, makes Logan balk at leaving his girlfr – ex-girlfriend alone but Logan knows the only way Veronica will talk to him again is if he doesn't interfere.
"Leave the door open a bit, and I'll be right outside." He adds tersely before going to wait outside. The moment he is outside, Logan rests the back of his head against the wall and lets the tension drain out of him. There is no question it won't all leave until Veronica is in his sights again but for now he can hear the stream of her voice and he knows she's safe. Moments later he hears the door click and is immediately at attention wondering if Ben closed the door. Logan freezes with dread realizing he doesn't have a key to get in. Again, he calms, when Veronica smiles up at him uncertainly.

"Are you ok?" He breathes, turning to rest his back against the wall. Her pale face and slight shake tell him that she doesn't want to re-live the experience and he resists the urge to hold her and reassure her. The color is returning to her face a bit and Logan would like to think it has something to do with her feeling safe in his presence but he's not sure. He's not sure how to act now. Part wants to hold her, part wants to walk away with a sneer and another part wants to ask how the hell she gets herself in these messes. Her lips are on his before she can pick an option.

It's a quick, awkward peck not even fully on his lips. Nothing compared to the heavy petting and tonsil-hockey the usually engage in but she still pulls back quickly as if it is the first time their lips brushed each others. She was probably thanking him, or maybe she was reassuring him, but most likely she just remembered that he was too good to let go without a little bit of a fight. The darkness in his eyes as he stands straight off the wall and looks at her intensely makes her realize her mistake though. She's betrayed Duncan and him which means that, although he isn't comfortable with the idea of her death, he doesn't want make-out sessions in motel rooms. She gives her head a quick shake and walks away, embarrassed, hoping to god that Logan won't decide to use this against her.

Suddenly he has spun her back around and is full-on making out with her. His warm hands set on the curve of her hip without hesitation and she presses herself against him. It's really scary how quickly they lose their minds around each other. Logan is concentrating so hard on running her hands up and down the curves of her torso he wouldn't remember his name if you asked him. The pretty blonde attached on his lips is so intent on melting back in to his hands that all the reasons this is a bad idea has escaped her. Their kiss breaks and there is an awkward limbo. Both have so many questions and neither one has answers. The confusion is so vast it is causing both of them to simply stare at each other with eyes like dinner plates.

Lynn didn't give Logan much advice. However they did have one heart-to-heart when Logan started dating Jessica Smith in the 7th grade. Logan had told his mother with pride that he got his first girlfriend and Lynn smiled and listened to the story indulgently before sitting him down and having a very stern talk about how to treat women. She gave him the obvious, never hit a woman, only one woman at a time and never kiss and tell. Chivalry was not dead it was charming, open doors, pay for meals, make nice with fathers. She also told him something that possibly was the reason Lilly was able to treat him like a puppy. You will make mistakes, especially when you are young, sometimes mistakes will be small but sometimes they will be big. If you fight all the time that doesn't mean you don't love each other and 

if you never fight that doesn't means you do. Look in her eyes Logan and if she stills makes you tongue-tied and breathless then she is worth fighting for. Make the first move and get her to forgive you. The rare words of advice were given with such gentleness and rare maternal warmth that they were forever remembered by Logan.

There was no denying that he can barely breathe and so he reaches out and brushes her bangs away from her creased forehead. Veronica's eyes fill at the intimacy of the gesture and she looks down. Finally, he does what he has been wanting to do from the moment he saw her small figure being man-handled and pulls her in close. He rests his chin on the top of her head and rocks them gently side-to-side. After a moment she pulled away her eyes still glistening.

"Thank you." She says, obviously still unsure what this meant for them.
"Can we talk? Like the mature adults we pretend to be?" Logan smiles at the relief on her face and she nods. Without further hesitation Logan extends his hand and revels at the feel of her small fingers intertwining with his. He drives her to his house wanting the discussion to be private especially if they were yelling about the possibility of Duncan being a murderer.

They sit cross-legged on the floor with a box of take-out pizza between them and the air tightens again with the realization that this is going to be one helluva uncomfortable talk.

"Logan I'm not going to stop the investigation." For once her tone isn't defensive or angry. In fact it's almost regretful. "Right now all I have is that the Kane's covered up the murder and Duncan has epilepsy which makes him a suspect." Off Logan's crushed look she takes his hand and continues. "I don't think he did it Logan."
"What?" Although neither have them has said the words 'Duncan killed Lilly' out loud Logan sort of took it for granted that that's what happened. The situation made so much sense. Duncan has a fit, Duncan ACCIDENTLY kills Lilly and both Celeste and Jake freak out and pay someone else a measly 3 million to go down for murder.

"He remembers." Veronica says obviously bemused herself. "The police reports state he was too unstable to give a statement so I figured he had a fit and didn't remember the situation. Today at lunch he told me about...finding Lilly…in detail…there is no way." She blinks back tears remembering Duncan spewing out the painful memory of finding his sister dead. A memory he had probably never spoken of before. Seeing her struggle with the thought Logan moves around the pizza box and gathers her up in his arms. She leans back and presses her forehead against Logan's neck. "There's no way he made it up." She finishes softly.

"What if it was him?" The thought of the brother he never had being someone's bitch in prison is enough to turn Logan's mouth dry. Realizing it is her turn to do the comforting, Veronica pulls his arms tighter around her before lightly running her fingers up and down them.



"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it." She says softly. "It might force the Kanes to do something more for Duncan."
"Like put him in a home?" Logan says indignantly. Yeah Duncan has these weird, random fits once every 3 years or so but that doesn't mean he should be institutionalized.

"I don't know. I'm sure there are other medical options that they haven't researched or have blown off because they don't want to risk exposure." Veronica leans up and kisses a small, tentative trail of kisses along his jaw-line. "I know he's the family you never had Logan." She says gently leaning her lips right by his ear. "Believe me I don't want to take that away from you. " Logan nods and cuddles her closer, again letting her smell and warmth calm him.

"I'm sorry I made you choose…" Logan begins but is silenced by Veronica's finger.
"Don't this is…a really, really shitty situation." She says before kissing him.
"So are we dating again?" Logan says with a little laugh. Veronica shrugs and nods. Without a moment's hesitation Logan reaches in to his pocket and rips the check up letting the pieces fall like confetti around them. The surprise and joy on Veronicas' face causes Logan to smirk a little.
"You're mother was always nice to me." He responds with a shrug before kissing her.

Veronica checks out Norris' house the next day and, at Logan's insistence, wears a bug. Also at Logan's insistence he is parked outside cramped in her Le Barron waiting and listening. After Logan's last encounter with Ben he promptly decided she was never to go anywhere without him again. She argued the impractically of the request and they settled on him being allowed to accompany her on the more dangerous outings. Being Veronica she had argued Norris wasn't dangerous and he had simply rolled his eyes and reminded her that the FBI thinks he is planning to blow up Neptune High. At the moment Logan thinks that would be an ok idea.

They had walked into school hand-in-hand this morning getting approving smiles from some and death glares from most. Duncan was easily the worst. Not including Duncan's fit the two boys haven't fought since freshman year when Logan called Lilly a manipulative bitch and broke up with her in front of a crowd of people. Like always, Duncan was quick to defend his sister and smoked Logan in the jaw demanding he apologize. Two days later they did some sort of male-mutual-apology ritual involving beer and an Xbox and all was forgiven. Needless to say Logan wasn't happy when Duncan to one look at Logan and Veronica's intertwined hands and promptly stormed away.

"Ah yes the middle school girl stomp-off very mature." Logan had growled shrugging off his disappointment. After all he hadn't expected the situation to go any other way. The undertone of sadness in Logan's nonchalant comment had been caught be Veronica who had simply leaned up to kiss him and had let her hand softly trail down his face.

Logan is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears Norris ask her out. For once it's not jealously that is his prime emotion. It's confusion. Moments later he sees the nerdy kid who had tipped off Veronica 

enter the house beside Norris'.
"Hey Mac?" He says into the phone.
"Hey Romeo." The sound of her typing on her keyboard rings through the phone and Logan smiles the predictability.
"Would you ask someone out on a date for Saturday if you were planning the apocalypse for a Friday." Logan asks twiddling his keys thoughtfully.
"Me? That is the only way I'd ask someone out." Logan snorts in response.
"Well you don't need to ask anyone out you've got Wallace." The smirk on Logan's fast translates through the phone and he is sure Mac is blushing. "Whoulda thought my Mackie, who declared that a boy must be able to bypass multiple firewalls and understand encryption codes in order to be dateable, would end up with Wallace, a jock who thinks of computers as a means to an end." Logan gasps in pretend horror.
"Shut up. At least I never egged his house."
"Point taken."

Veronica opens the door and smiles at Logan adoringly. Sometimes she feels guilty for all that he's lost because of her, his 09er friends, Duncan, copious amounts of sex from vapid blondes. He says goodbye to Mac and she thinks that maybe he has gained a few things as well. Mac informed Logan that wireless was accessible to anyone within 100 ft of the house. That, coupled with the sketchy kids next door, points them straight to the heart of the frame job. Veronica yawns and curls into Logan's shoulder finishing the story proving that both Ben and the neighbor were out to get Norris.

"You smell good." He whispers in her hair as the South Park movie begins. In response, Veronica kisses him deeply let his hands venture under her shirt. "Mmm I've missed this." Logan comments pushing his forehead into hers. They make-out for a little while longer and Logan's hand dips down near her waistband. She moans into his mouth encouraging him to go on.
"Next time we fight let's not break-up." Veronica says breathlessly and Logan mumbles his agreement before letting his hand slip under her waistband and onto her underwear. A loud knock on the door causes them to jump apart quickly.
"Someone up there really doesn't want us getting lucky." Logan grumbles putting his shirt back on and heading to the door. Not too many people know the pass code to his front gate which makes him think it is possibly Duncan. Veronica seems to be on the same wavelength and stays neutrally in the TV room.

"Meg?" Tears are glistening in her eyes and it's obvious from the blotchy red of her skin that she has been already crying. "Come in." Logan says gently his concern surpassing his confusion.
"Thanks…is uh, Veronica here?" Ah now that makes more sense. Meg and Logan are strictly friends by proxy alone. They have gotten slowly more comfortable around each other as they both have Duncan and Veronica as good friends (or more). However, there weren't at the point where they would come to each other in tears.
"Yeah she's this way." Logan says gesturing her in to the sitting room. Alarmed at the sight of Meg's tears, Veronica turns of the television and walks over to the girl who now has tears flowing freely down her face.


"Meg? What's wrong?" Veronica leads her to the couch and Logan wonders if he should leave or find some ice cream, something along those lines anyways.
"You haven't seen Duncan have you?" Both Logan and Veronica pale and Meg takes a deep breath blinking back tears "He's missing."

PLEASE REVIEW so i'll know whether or not to continue as interest seems to be waning a bit