Drunk Logan
Chapter 43
A/N: I had trouble writing this one going since I don't like to skip big time periods (just a personal sickness I have...always wondering what happened when we weren't looking. Maybe it's because RT messed me over so much between seasons. We never got to see LoVe have an actual relationship after S1, then after S2, we never got to see them build their relationship. SUCK!) Anyway, sorry again, for no review replies. I am reading them...I am enjoying them...and I comment back in my head. Between issues, my cleaning schedule and an old whiplash injury acting up...I'm just useless! Hope you enjoy it.
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Thanksgiving was just around the corner. It had been almost a month since the incident in the pool house with Aaron. A month. A month of healing, a month of getting back into a daily routine and a month of Keith's absence. In some ways everything had changed. In some ways, time had stood still.
Lynn was experiencing a whole new life. She'd spent so long under Aaron's control and she was still getting used to the fact that she could go anywhere and do anything she wanted. She could focus on her career, instead of always catering to Aaron's. She could dress however she wanted to, without worrying whether her husband would lose interest...not that her choice in clothes had ever mattered. He was never one to be faithful.
There were times, though, that she thought it was too good to be true. Aaron had spent weeks and even months on location before. She still felt like what she was experiencing was just a break, a vacation while he was away. It hadn't sunk in yet that her situation and Logan's situation without Aaron, was permanent. She knew one thing, though. She could definitely get used to it.
Logan and Veronica had become even more of a team than they had been before. They'd supported and helped each other through the days since Aaron had died and Keith was put into a coma.
They had gone back to school in the middle of the week. Besides the fact that, once again, they looked like they'd been through a meat grinder and still had to move gingerly; they figured that they'd give everyone a few days to digest what had happened and then they would open the floor for discussion.
They had no idea how people would react. Of course everyone would be talking about it...the entire country was talking about it. You couldn't turn on the television without an update on the "Madness Behind Hollywood's Golden Boy."
Logan and Veronica didn't worry about what everyone would say. They did, however, worry about what a few people would say. Duncan topped that list. They had just found out that Logan's dad had killed Duncan's sister. How would Duncan react to that news?
Logan remembered it so clearly. Veronica had driven him to school in the Xterra. He had offered to drive, but Veronica knew that he was still pretty sore. He was trying to cut back on the pain medicine so that he would be alert enough at school. Normally, Logan wouldn't have cared, but they had both missed so much school and were having to work their butts off just to keep up.
When they pulled into the parking lot, it was like everyone just stopped. Conversations stopped and people stood still just to watch them pull in. It was more silent at that moment than it had ever been at Neptune High. It lasted just a moment before people resumed there conversations, albeit with a change in topic.
As soon as they parked, they saw Duncan. He'd been waiting for them to arrive.
"Uh-oh. That's not a good sign." Veronica jerked her head toward Duncan, who had started walking toward them.
"Nope." It was all Logan could think to say. He knew that Duncan was probably going to hit him. What he didn't know, is how he was going to respond. He was sore. Too sore for another physical altercation. Of course, he also knew that adrenaline would take him a long way in forgetting about his pain. The 'fight or flight' instinct for Logan had always ended in a choice of 'fight'. Only, he wasn't sure if he wanted to defend himself to Duncan.
His father had slept with and murdered Duncan's sister. Technically, it wasn't Logan's fault. Unfortunately, he still felt some responsibility there. Did he deserve to fight back, to punch Duncan for fighting for his sister? There was a part of him that wanted to take the abuse Duncan passed out, that wanted to pay for the sins of his father.
They couldn't read anything from his expression as he walked toward them. Just before they got out of the SUV, Logan grabbed Veronica's arm and she looked back at him.
"Stay back a little bit, okay? Just until we know how Duncan is going to react to all of this. I don't want you to get hurt simply because you're in the vicinity of a pissed off Duncan." Veronica normally would have argued that she could take care of herself and that she wanted to be there to help Logan, but she wasn't that girl anymore. Yes, she felt all of those things, she just loved Logan and trusted him enough to know when to back down. His grip was tight on her arm and the look in his eyes was so intense. She knew that he was worried about her so she simply nodded.
They both got out of the SUV slowly as they waited for Duncan to approach. Veronica stayed on the driver's side, while Logan put his hands in his pockets, making himself unable to block a hit from Duncan.
Duncan gave a quick sideways glance across the car to Veronica, but then returned his gaze to his best friend. He stopped a couple of feet in front of Logan and just stood there, looking into his eyes. It was as if he were trying to read something in his friend's eyes.
"So...you alright, man?" Duncan asked softly as he put his hands into his own pockets. That gesture alone would have made Logan breathe easier. Logan knew, though, that the question ran much deeper than it appeared on the surface.
It was a very simple 'guy' question. There was no gushing about everything Logan had been through, no need to recap the sordid details of Aaron's involvement with Lilly and no proclamations of Duncan's undying commitment to their friendship. None of it was said, but it was all there in that one simple question.
On the other hand, Logan didn't ask Duncan if he was mad at him and he didn't apologize profusely for his father's actions, like he wanted. He certainly didn't ask how Duncan and his parents were holding up with the news that Lilly had been murdered by one of their friends or about how they were doing in their new legal battles.
Logan simply nodded his head in the affirmative and told his friend, "Yeah...little sore, but you know." He shrugged. "You hangin'?
Duncan nodded back in the affirmative and then spun around to face Veronica, who had made her way to their side of the car.
"So, everything good here?" Veronica had been paying attention and had understood the deeper subtext beneath the seemingly surface conversation. She could follow their lead.
"Yep, good." Duncan replied, but both boys nodded.
"Well, good. Because it looks like we're the main attraction." Veronica said as she jerked her head toward the crowd of bloodthirsty classmates gathered and awaiting the first sign of discord.
"Ah well, you see..." Duncan began as he wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders and began walking toward the school. "That, my friends, is because everyone is shocked at the fact that I've kept my good looks. The two of you on the other hand...have really let yourselves go. I mean, really. Black eyes, stitches, fat lips? You do know that those are so last season, right?" He added mockingly.
They all busted up laughing. It seemed that Duncan was channeling a little bit of Lilly. He'd never been one to boast about his greatness, whereas Lilly had always made sure that everyone around her was well aware of her fabulousness.
Duncan stopped them all a few feet in front of the door to the school and he dropped his arms from their shoulders. He'd shown a sign of solidarity with his friends for all of the gawkers in the parking lot and he would again when they all entered the building together, laughing and joking.
Before they entered, Duncan needed to say one thing, without being too much of a girl about it. "Really, the Fab Four has been through enough, they can't hurt us any more."
Logan and Veronica knew that he wasn't just talking about the kids at school. He was talking about them, Duncan's parents, the media and Aaron. They'd come so close to having two more lives destroyed by Aaron, but they'd gotten lucky. They were all safe and they'd learned the truth about Lilly's death.
They all smiled at each other as they walked in to face the halls of Neptune High. They entered not as three separate people, but as the three remaining members of the Fab Four, connected by a deeper bond than any of their classmates could truly grasp.
That had been about 3 weeks prior and their friendship had continued to strengthen. The awkwardness of both buddies being in love with the same girl, had faded. They had been reminded of the importance of each other in their own lives.
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Logan and Veronica had also spent that time working feverishly on their bet. They'd agreed that the bet would last for six weeks. They figured that you could do anything for a month, but it would take true commitment to keep it going for a full six weeks. Besides, at that point, they hadn't even been a couple for six weeks. They had joked that they wouldn't be able to break up because they had to see who would win.
They had done all of the normal things. There were hearts and teddy bears, flowers and chocolates, even some embarrassing public displays of affection. Veronica had gotten used to coming out of her bathroom every morning after getting ready for school, only to be greeted by freshly picked flowers on her dresser.
He always seemed to be waiting for her where ever she went. Whether she was walking out of class or out of Mars Investigations. When he ordered food at school, he would always pick something that he knew she was craving. If it was pizza, he'd always order it the way she liked it.
Logan had been shocked at all of the ways Veronica could surprise him. Whether it was breaking into his locker to leave gifts like snickerdoodles, or his gym locker where she replaced his boxers with a pair that stated "Property of Veronica" on the butt. She would jump out at him from around a corner at school just to say "hi".
They had fun trying to top each other and it gave them a distraction from the heavier topics of Keith's health and the tabloid reports about Aaron that continued to plague the magazines in the grocery store checkout lines.
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It was Thanksgiving Day. In previous years, if they were even home for the holiday, Mrs. Navarro had prepared The Echolls' dinner and had stayed to clean up. At that point she would return home to celebrate a late dinner with her family.
Lynn, Logan and Veronica had decided to change things up a bit, though. This particular year, they'd decided that they were going to include Mrs. Navarro and her family in their celebration. Lynn and Veronica would help Lettie prepare the meal, which in reality meant that they would be learning from her how to prepare Thanksgiving dinner.
Logan, Weevil and Weevil's young cousins stayed out of the kitchen. Instead they spent their time watching football and playing video games. Weevil and Logan even played a little bit of poker, just for fun.
Logan had to chuckle at the fact that his horizons were expanding. At the beginning of the school year, he never would have imagined spending Thanksgiving, willingly with Veronica, let alone Weevil. Weevil and Logan, though, had come to a silent understanding after Veronica's kidnapping. It was a mutual respect and knowledge of just what the other would do to protect Veronica. She was their one common thread, but her shoulders were broad enough to carry that responsibility.
As it was, Logan and Weevil had found plenty to talk about, mostly related to one bind or another that Veronica had gotten herself in to.
Despite a rocky start, in and out of the kitchen, they'd ended up having a pretty great day. The food turned out fantastic and although it'd been a major amount of work, it'd been worth it.
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After they finished dinner, Veronica and Logan left for the hospital. They'd promised Keith that he wouldn't spend Thanksgiving alone. They'd even brought a platter of leftovers for the nursing staff and a special plate for Keith. It didn't matter that he was in a coma, he should still have his Thanksgiving celebration.
"Hey Dad! We're here!" Veronica announced as they walked into her father's room. She reached his bedside and leaned over to kiss him on the forehead.
"Who's your Daddy?"
Veronica jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of her father's voice.
"Holy Crap!" Logan yelled as he grabbed her arm. Veronica looked at him with huge eyes, her breathing coming quick and heavy.
She quickly looked back at Keith and waited. When his eyes opened and focused on hers, a smile spread across his face.
"I'm back, honey."
Veronica burst into tears and collapsed in Logan's arms. It was so sudden and took Logan by surprise. She almost slipped away from him, but he held onto her as he slowly let them sink to the floor.
Keith was shocked at her response. He'd been planning this since he woke in the wee hours that morning. He hadn't meant to reduce his action-figure daughter into a puddle of tears, but he had.
He peered over the edge of his bed at the kids huddled together on the floor. "Logan?"
"She's okay, Mr. Mars. It's just been a long month without you...for all of us." It was then that Keith noticed the tears in Logan's eyes, too.
Keith nodded at the young man. "Honey, it's okay. I'm fine and I'm going to be coming home in a few days."
At that, Veronica got up and launched herself onto her father. She was still crying, but she looked at him and blurted out, "Daddy, I love you. You can't leave me, do you understand that? I need you, okay?"
She was holding his face with both of her hands and her sincerity broke Keith's heart. "You don't need to worry about that, Veronica. There is no way I'm going to leave you here unsupervised...with your boyfriend."
Keith winked at Logan, letting him know that he truly did trust Logan with Veronica, but he was always one to try to lighten the mood.
Veronica and Logan stayed and talked with Keith for about a half an hour. They would have stayed longer, but his strength didn't allow him to stay awake for more than short bursts. His body was still exhausted. They'd had a chance to give him his turkey dinner, though. Veronica had fed him because he was still so weak and he ate it like it was the best food on earth.
He blamed the affects of the turkey for his fatigue and they all laughed. Before they left Veronica and Logan gave Keith goodbye hugs and Keith had been surprised by the strength of Logan's embrace. He felt Logan's care for him and the boy's fear of losing him.
Before his coma, Keith had begun to feel a sense of pride in Logan and had grown fond of the time they spent together. He hadn't wanted to step on Aaron's toes as an important male figure in Logan's life, but Logan had become important to him.
First, the boy had taken care of Keith's most precious possession, his Veronica. He'd proven his willingness to try to protect her at all costs and he'd shown the depth of his love for her. He'd been respectful to Keith and they'd all enjoyed some wonderful times of levity together.
Until that hug, Keith wasn't sure about Logan's feelings toward him. The hug showed that he'd grown as attached to Keith as the older man had to him, though.
When the kids left, Keith smiled as he drifted off to sleep. 'Yep, I've got a great family.' And that's just what he considered Logan...family.
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