A/N : This was delayed because I was trying to get this chapter and the Epilogue done, but I had a little glitch and I actually didn't get that last part done, so here's the last chapter, and the Epiloguey part will follow probably later today or tomorrow when I have time to fix it.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 21 - Surrender

Veronica was smiling as she came out of the house and hopped into the car beside Logan, though inside she was feeling somewhat awkward.

"Hey" he greeted her, leaning in for a kiss that she barely responded to, before putting the car into reverse and pulling off the drive, "So, how long before one of us breaks the awkward silence with some awkward conversation?" he asked as they stopped for a red light half way to Neptune High.

"Did your Mom say much to you about...?" Veronica asked, the look on her face potraying the weirdness she felt about the whole situation.

"No, thank God" Logan shuddered involuntarily, "Honestly, Veronica, the last thing I wanted to ask about was my Mom and your Dad's sex life"

"They do not have a... Do you think they really...? Oh my God, why am I asking that?!" she chastised herself, joining in the new in-car activity of uncontrollable grossed-out shuddering.

As the red light turned to green, and they continued on to school, the weird silence descended between them again. Things had been going so well, and Logan and Veronica were so happy just to have each other and be together. Of all the badness that had found it's way into their lives, their relationship was the one good thing to come out of all the mess. Things had been looking up from many an angle; Aaron was almost guaranteed to be out of their lives, something that not even his son could find to care about; Veronica and Duncan had found a way to be friends, and he seemed really happy with Meg; and poetic justice appeared to finally be served to Lilly, Logan and Veronica realised, as he pulled the car into his usual space in the school parking lot.

"Oh come on, Eli" Lilly waved her arm in empathic gestures as they stood opposite each other a few feet away, his gaze upon her as cold and harsh as steel.

"Don't you 'come on, Eli' me, Lilly, not now" he yelled back at her, "You messed with the wrong guy this time"

"It was just a stupid thing I did" Lilly sighed, "You know I get bored and Chardo was just, y'know, there" she said, like it was no big deal.

"Chardo?" Logan frowned as he and Veronica got out of the car and hovered at the back of the crowd that gathered around the scene.

"Weevil's cousin" Veronica whispered to him, which only made Logan frown harder since he couldn't figure out how Veronica could know that, "I hear things" she shrugged as they watched the argument continue.

"You really think I care?" Lilly laughed, though Veronica and Logan knew it was fake, even if none of her friends or Weevi's could tell, "I could have any guy I want in this school, in this town" she told him smartly.

"That don't make you smart, little girl" Weevil shook his head, "That makes you a nympho brat, and I don't want no part of that" he told her, walking away and gesturing for his boys to follow him.

"You're an asshole, Navarro!" Lilly yelled after him, turning away to face her friends, "I don't need him"

Veronica watched the Kane girl who had been her best friend for so long. For the first time in a long time she could see pain in her eyes, even at this distance. Though the girl professed not to care for public opinion, or for any man she went with, something suggested that perhaps this was one mistake she regretted making.

"Looks like the show's over" Logan said, though Veronica barely heard him as she continued to stare at Lilly.

The so-called friends that stood by Lilly after the whole deal with Aaron, very few of them remained, and though the guys had hung around hoping for an easy lay, they'd long gone over the past few weeks as Lilly made it known she was dating one of the biker crowd. Just two or three bitches remained at the blonde's side now, those that knew the choice they had was to stick by her, or risk being shot down by her.

"Lilly!" Veronica wasn't quite aware it was her own voice that had called the name of her former best friend.

"Hey, look who's suddenly talking to me" she faked a smile as she came over, "What did I do to deserve such an honour, Veronica?" she checked, as Madison and Shelley remained a few feet away, whispering conspiratorially.

"Logan, weren't you going to go find Wallace about that thing?" the Sheriff's daughter said, as she glanced up at her boyfriend, the look in her eyes telling him to please let them alone a while, and she would explain why later.

"Yeah, that thing" he agreed, rolling his eyes at her terrible cover, and leaning in to kiss her cheek, at the same time whispering in her ear, "Shabby cover, Mars" he told her with a smirk as he walked away, and she batted him across the arm as he went, smiling in spite of herself.

"So, what?" Lilly checked, "You wanted me over here to see you guys fawning over each other?" she asked, hand on her hip and she all but struck a pose for all to admire her.

"No" Veronica shook her head, "Actually, Lilly, I was going to ask if you were okay" she explained, somewhat stunning her ex-best friend, though Lilly barely let it show, "As much as I want to tell myself you deserve Weevil to dump you and your friends to turn on you, I know it all hurts, and I know you're not quite as tough as you'd like everybody to think"

"For your information, Veronica Mars" Lilly scoffed, "I'm tougher than anybody thinks, and besides, you really think Eli Navarro meant so much to me?" she asked, looking unimpressed.

"Yes, I do" the other girl nodded once, "I might not be as rich, or even as smart as you sometimes, Lilly" Veronica admitted, "but I know people, I read them pretty well. Despite what everybody else thought or thinks, I know Weevil loves you, and I think out of all the guys you've claimed to have feelings for, he might just be the one where you meant it. That's all I wanted to say" she shrugged, before turning and walking away, going to find Logan and Wallace.

She left in her wake one very stunned Lilly Kane, surprised not only by the fact her ex-best friend seemed to care about her life or feelings, but also that she seemed to know what nobody else did. She wasn't wrong about what she felt for Eli. He was different, kind of special. Sure it'd started out as a way to make her parents go nuts, dating a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, but he treated her well, and when he said he loved her, somehow she knew he meant it.

That wasn't to say Logan hadn't been a great boyfriend too, but she just hadn't felt the same about him. Truth be told she'd only really got together with him to prevent herself being the third wheel when Donut started dating Veronica. Now she saw how well her brother was getting along with Meg, who was always too sweet in her own opinion, and how annoyingly cute Veronica and Logan seemed together, there was no way Lilly could argue with that. She also had trouble finding a decent argument against her being with Eli, except for the fact he just dumped her. Maybe she should try and work it out with him, assuming of course that it wasn't too late.

"So, Logan here tells me you were talking to Lilly just now" Wallace said as Veronica caught up with her friends in the hall, "You didn't scratch her eyes out or anythin' right?" he checked, "Cos y'know me and Logan are gonna be pissed if we missed a cat-fight" he said with a glint in his eye.

Veronica looked half way between unimpressed at the implication and amused at the semi-joke as she reached her locker and opened it up.

"It was just girl stuff" she shrugged, "Nothing huge, so stop looking so worried" she told Logan, reaching up to kiss his briefly, when she spotted his expression.

"You talking to Lilly is barely worrying" he assured her, as she went back to digging books out of her locker and he turned to lean on the next one, "I think my Mom and your Dad managed to re-set the whole creepy worrying scale last night"

"Please do not remind me" Veronica shuddered once again, as Wallace looked amused.

"Hold on a second" he shook his head, "Your Dad, and your Mom" he pointed to Veronica then Logan, "They were like..."

"Rolling on the couch like a couple of teenagers?" Veronica filled in for him, "Oh, yeah"

"Man, that's gotta be weird" their friend declared, "Especially since if they get hitched, you guys will be like brother and sister"

Veronica turned from Wallace to Logan with troubled eyes hating what she was hearing. She was just finding happiness in her own love life, and as much as she'd like to think her Dad could find someone to make him happy too, the fact that was her boyfriends mother was beyond creepy. She'd just figured out the mess that meant she and Duncan might have been siblings, only now to find she and Logan could potentially one day have a similar link, albeit not by blood.

"How could they do this to us?" Veronica asked her boyfriend who put his hands on her shoulders and leant in close.

"Forget about it, Veronica" he urged her, as he kissed her lips, taking her mind off anything but him, and leading to Wallace deciding he ought to be otherwhere.

Of course he didn't object to his two new friends being a couple, on the contrary, it was good to know they wouldn't feel too awkward when he introduced them to...

"Hey, Wallace" said a perky little voice that caught the attention of his two friends for a moment, and they parted from their embrace to turn and see who was there.

"Er, hey" Wallace said, feeling a little awkward, "Guys, this is Collette" he introduced her, "This is Veronica and Logan, friends of mine"

"Hi" the brunette smiled, and put her hand up in a vague waving action.

"Hey there, Collette" Veronica frowned slightly as she looked at the unfamiliar girl, "Are you new to Neptune or...?"

"Yes, actually" she nodded, "I transferred from across state, my first day was just yesterday so I really don't know anybody"

"Except Wallace, apparently" Logan noted, as he kept his arms looped around Veronica's form from behind, leaning over to rest his chin on her shoulder, "Of all the people you could meet, it was our good buddy here"

"We actually knew each other a little from Junior High" Wallace explained, "Though when Collette rolled up at the Admin desk yesterday, I almost didn't recognise her"

"I guess I changed some" she giggled, pushing her hair over her shoulder, "You have no idea how much difference it can make to your life when you lose ninety pounds" she said, as if it were nothing much to mention.

"Well, good for you" Veronica nodded, her brain trying to comprehend how large this girl must have been once before.

The bell rang then, and Collette had to dash off to class, as did Veronica, her boyfriend reluctantly letting her go, and placing one last kiss on her lips before she left him behind.

When they were gone, Logan turned to Wallace.

"So, Collette, huh?" he said with a smile, "Has our little Wallace got himself a girlfriend" he fake gasped, "I'm so proud" he told him, with his hands over his heart.

"You ain't funny, man" Wallace told him, though a smile formed on his lips anyway, as they headed off down the hall to their own first class, "And no, she's not my girlfriend, yet, but I'm working on it. We actually got along pretty good when we were kids, and not that her weight ever bothered me but I'm not objecting to the fact she is smokin' hot now" he smirked.

"She is easily a Grade A hottie" Logan nodded, and Wallace shot him a sideways glance, "Yeah, and if you tell Veronica I said that..." he warned, drawing his fingers across his throat and making a cutting sound, though his threat was pretty empty given the smile on his face.

"Your secret's safe with me, bro" Wallace assured him, slapping him on the back, "Besides Veronica would never ask me anythin' about you" he shook his head, a wicked smirk on his face as he added, "She'd just bug your back-pack and listen in"

The pair headed into class then, Logan looking suspisciously at the bag he'd just taken off his shoulder. Veronica wouldn't really do that to him, he was sure, though he may just have to ask her at lunch. One thing was for sure, dating the Sheriff's daughter and hanging out with her and Wallace, was unlikely to be dull.

The End... kind of...

A/N2 : I have that Epilogue type of piece of post still, and just so you know, I made up Collette because I just wanted to give Wallace a girl!