A/N: Wow, lots of love for this fic! Thanx all :-) Cookie for Jass1 for guessing that the movie is Chasing Liberty, and another for Nichole because First Daughter does have a very similar plot line ;-) Now, on with the show...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 2

Veronica Mars let out a yawn as she continued to drive down the highway away from LA, the sun coming up in the distance and almost blinding her. This was so not the plan. She had already been driving for hours when she ran across a certain little rich boy by the name of Logan Echolls and given him a ride out a sticky situation in the City of Angels. She had to leave town then, there was no choice, or she would make the young man beside her entirely suspicious.

Logan had no idea who he was travelling with. He saw her as a saviour and Veronica smiled at that thought. She had been called a hero a few times, but saving famous people from the paparazzi was more her father's style these days than her own.

Keith Mars was head of the Echolls security, and Logan had known the guy since he was a kid, and yet never really talked to him. He didn't really know that Keith had a daughter just a couple of years older than him, and he certainly would not have known her name. This was how he had come to dive into a car with that very same woman, believing she was a simple stranger and his key to freedom.

Glancing across at the sleeping Logan, Veronica couldn't help but smile. The guy had everything, but she knew from what her Dad had said how miserable he was. Rich kids in their ivory towers were seldom happy with their lot. With fortune and fame forced upon them, they became prisoners in their own homes, and all because Mommy and Daddy Dearest favoured their high class careers and such above their own children.

It felt a little weird, feeling sorry for a person brought up to much greater things than herself. Veronica's childhood had been far from straightforward, and she came from what the world would see as a broken home. Still, she believed her father had done a decent job with her. His work for Aaron and Lynn Echolls meant they had more money than they could ever spend these days, and yet Veronica had to work. Much like her father, she needed to be doing something, helping people, and here she was again doing just that.

By now, she knew what had happened at the movie premiere a few hours before. The radio had blared out the entertainment headlines not long after Logan had fallen asleep and told of an altercation between several of Hollywood's young starlets. Thankfully, Logan was referred to as one of a few unknowns that bolted from the scene when things turned nasty. The black eye he was sporting certainly suggested he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, since Veronica highly doubted he had started a fight on his one night of semi-freedom that he had craved too long.

Glad for the sight of a cluster of buildings up ahead, Veronica pulled in to the forecourt of the gas station and then jostled Logan's shoulder to bring him around.

"Hey, time to wake up, sleepyhead" she urged him.

For a moment it seemed he was about to protest, maybe tell his Mom or the maid or whoever that he wanted five more minutes. Then one eye popped open, followed by its bruised friend and Logan seemed to recall where he was and why.

"Ow" he complained as he tried to stretch out and found he had little room, plus every muscle in body protested at the state they found themselves in.

"Yeah, not the greatest place to sleep" Veronica sympathised, "I've been there" she told him as he glanced her way, "Just so you know, we're out of LA, but I need to fill up the car, eat and sleep, and pretty much in that order" she explained, "You coming with?" she suggested, reaching for the drivers side door handle and waiting a moment to hear his answer.

"I guess" he nodded, moving to get out of the car when she did.

The gas station was at the front of the buildings Logan faced once he was out of the car, flanked by a restaurant, a motel, and a couple of other things around back that he couldn't see so well. Honestly, he couldn't see very much of anything very well if he used only his left eye to try. He turned his attention to Veronica as she grabbed the pump and began filling the car with gas. She was pretty hot now that he actually got a chance to look at her. Slim, blonde, and pretty, though he guessed a couple of years older than him, she was far from unattractive, and way more real than any of the bimbos he saw starring with his Dad in whatever blockbuster movie came next.

"Hey" said Veronica, only then alerting Logan to the fact he was staring at her too much, "You may wanna lose the formalwear before we head inside to eat" she suggested with a smile she could not help as she looked him over in his tux.

Logan hadn't really thought about it until she alerted his attention to the fact he was massively over-dressed for a gas station forecourt and a cheap motel. Immediately, he removed his jacket, tossing it into the car, and then began contemplating what to do about the rest of his attire.

Once again, Veronica came to his rescue, as she finished filling the gas tank and moved to pop the trunk. Rummaging around in there, she emerged a moment later with what would be massively oversized sweatshirt on her and a pair of running shoes that clearly belonged to someone with much bigger feet.

"Here" she said, handing them over, "Yes, before you ask, the sweatshirt is mine" she told a startled Logan, "I got it from a friend... a male friend" she clarified, "And the shoes are old ones of my Dads, but hopefully they'll fit okay"

"Thanks" he said, feeling even more stupid pitting this stuff on than he had standing around in his smart suit, but it seemed choices were limited right now.

"Okay, so..." said Veronica then, her words being swallowed up by the rumbling of her stomach a moment later, something that almost embarrassed her since she was standing close enough to Logan that he heard and tried not to laugh.

"I should buy you dinner, or breakfast" he considered as he realised the sun had just recently risen, "After all you did kind of save my life or whatever"

"Really?" said Veronica, quirking an eyebrow, "Exactly how much trouble were you in when you dived in my car last night? I mean, am I harbouring a wanted fugitive, or...?"

"No" he told her definitely, "No, not a fugitive" he assured her, looking at his feet a moment, then out at the horizon which made him squint as the sun tried to blind him, "Just a guy that needed an escape, a little more freedom than he used to have"

Veronica nodded her head at that, deciding that right now it was best not to say a word about knowing who he really was. Chances were good that nobody out here would recognise Logan Echolls, son of two movie stars. He hardly looked like a celebrity the way he was dressed now in her ex-boyfriend's Hearst sweats and her Dad's sneakers, sporting a black eye and mussed up hair from sleeping in a moving car all night. Besides, there was a chance that she would be able to give the guy what he always wanted...

"How about you head inside, grab us a table and order me some pancakes?" she suggested, "I have to deal with the car and make a phone call" she smiled easily, glad when he didn't argue or press her on who she was going to call.

Logan trusted her, which maybe made him a little naive, but Veronica couldn't blame the guy for that. He hadn't exactly been out in the world all that much to learn how it worked, not like she had. Just a two or three year age gap between them and yet he seemed like such a kid right now as he agreed with what she said and headed for the restaurant to order them breakfast.

With a sigh, Veronica set about paying for her gas and then moved the car around to the lot at the side of the group of buildings. Pulling her cell from her back pocket then, she moved out of sight and earshot of anyone else and dialled her fathers work number. Usually she wouldn't use his official line, but this was kind of wok-related and an emergency by now, she was certain.

"Hey, Dad" she greeted with him with a fake smile on her face, even though she knew he couldn't see it, "Sorry I didn't make it last night"

"I got your text, honey" he assured her, "but I couldn't make much sense of it" he admitted, "Actually, I didn't have much time to focus, we kind of have a situation here..." he tried to tell her as Aaron Echolls yelled in the background.

"I know" said Veronica, "Logan bolted from the movie premiere, he dove in the nearest car and got the hell out of dodge"

"How do you know this, Veronica?" Keith asked her curiously.

"Because the car he chose was a certain Chrysler LeBaron with a young blonde PI driving it" she admitted, waiting as her father let out a breath and covered the mouth-piece to tell Logan's parents their son was fine.

"Honey, where are you now?" he asked her a moment later, and Veronica winced at the sound of her own words when she finally replied.

"I'm not sure I should tell you" she said, apparently sending Aaron and Lynn into fits of hysterics as they must've been listening in and heard her, "Dad, hear me out please. Logan seems so desperate for a little freedom, maybe this in the best way to let him blow off steam?" she suggested, "Hardly anyone would recognise him, we don't have to go far, and you know I can keep him safe" she promised.

Keith excused himself a moment as he spoke to the Echolls. From what Veronica could hear, they didn't sound thrilled...

"I don't care, Keith, he is my son and I wanted him back here, right now!"

"Aaron, be reasonable. We forgot the boy's Birthday, he never has a any fun..."

"We give him everything he ever asks for, Lynn!"

"Pardon me, Aaron, but maybe Veronica is right. Perhaps just a few days of letting off steam would do Logan good..."

"No!"

"Aaron, think about it, just for a minute. Sweetheart, don't you remember what you were like at eighteen?"

There was a long pause and Veronica strained to hear the words that came next, but all she could make out as vague mutterings until finally her Dad came back on the line and spoke to her.

"Veronica, are you sure you can handle this?" he asked her seriously, "It's a big reponsibility, and I know I can trust you, but..."

"It's fine, Dad" she assured him, turning to look back at the restaurant where Logan waited for her in a booth by the window, "I wanna do this. I know what it's like to be a teenager, to just wanna cut loose for a while" she reminded him, "And I can totally handle any situation that comes up"

"Alright, well..." her father began his reply, only to have the phone unceremoniously snatched away by his boss.

"Miss Mars?" Aaron practically barked down the line at her, "I want you to know that if anything happens to my son on this fantasy road trip, there will be severe consequences!" he told her firmly and somewhat angrily.

"Trust me, Mr Echolls" she urged him, "I can handle this, your son is perfectly safe"

"That's as may be" he told her, "but I'm still having two men follow you" he said determinedly, apparently talking to Keith now, "Those two idiots from last night want to make things up to us, they can prove themselves now!"

"Aaron, please..." in the background, Lynn tried to calm her husband down, for fear of him having some kind of seizure the state he was getting himself into.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but I gotta send Sachs and D'Amata to cover you" Keith apologised to Veronica whose eyes went wide at the sound of those names.

"Well, that ought to be interesting" she sighed, recalling the two men all too easily, not least because she used to date the latter, once upon a time.

The arrangements hastily made, Veronica agreed she and Logan would stay put at their current location and the two security men would catch up to them and begin tailing them later that day. All Keith really advised was that Veronica not cross any state lines whilst she had Logan with her, and keep in contact every day. Everything else was about to be left to chance, something Logan's parents clearly weren't thrilled about, but not even rich moviestars could have everything their own way.

Veronica joined Logan in the restaurant just as the waitress came over with her requested pancakes and his waffles too.

"Thank you" the blonde said with a smile, first to the young woman with the name tag, and then to Logan who was sat across from her.

"No problem" he smiled back just the same as they dug into their breakfast.

"So" she said after a while, "I have to ask, how did you end up in my car, dressed in a tux, with a black eye, and no specific destination in mind?" she asked him, twirling her fork around in her hand and looking genuinely curious.

Fact of the matter was, although she had heard the news story on the radio, she really was keen to hear Logan's version of events, or even the lie he would spin to get him out of this without revealing his true identity. He looked awkward a moment, glancing around as if to check no-one was watching or listening, before leaning across the table and encouraging Veronica to do the same.

"I work for the government" he whispered, "Secret agent" he told her, trying his hardest to keep the smirk off his lips but finding it was almost completely impossible.

"Well, that would explain the tux, Mr Bond" she joked, just as she knew he was by now, "but seriously now, what is it you're running from Logan?" she asked, popping another bite of pancakes into her mouth.

"I dunno" he shrugged, pushing the rest of his last waffle around the plate, "Maybe the same thing you are? I mean, you don't seem to know where you're going or why" he noted, "You often just let strangers dive into your car?" he asked curiously, thinking that was an odd and also highly dangerous hobby for a young woman, or anybody really.

"No, I don't" she assured him, swallowing the last of her breakfast and dropping her fork and paper napkin onto the edge of the plate, "I guess when I saw you, I just felt like it was the right thing to do" she smiled, "Besides, you're kind of lacking in the whole axe-murdery vibe" she assured him, making a vague gesture with her hands and causing him to laugh out loud.

She was perhaps the strangest woman he had ever met in his life, and there had been some weird people pass through over the years. It didn't make much sense for her to be as young, free, and single as she seemed. Driving around with no plan, no direction, it was more than a little odd to Logan, and yet at the same time he loved the idea of doing just that, especially if he could share this crazy journey with Veronica. She had an infectious smile that he couldn't imagine getting tired of any time soon and she had invited him into her car without a thought in her head which was strange too...

"Hmm" he made a sound the that caught her attention, as did his intense staring at her, "How do I know that you're not an axe murder?" he considered aloud, and Veronica honestly wasn't sure if that was a real question or some kind of joke.

Either way, the answer she gave would cover it.

"Because you slept all night in my car and you woke up in the morning to tell the tale" she told him, "If I were going to do anything, I think I would've done it by now" she pointed out, as she leant back in her seat, and let out a yawn she really couldn't help but give in to, "So, now we've both established we're not crazy people, I'd really like to get some sleep before anything else crazy happens" she admitted pulling herself up from her seat, then leaning over to grab up her abandoned orange juice and gulp down the remainder.

Logan was soon following her to the cash register to pay their bill, his hand hovering over the platinum card in his wallet before he very deliberately pulled out some cash to use. Nobody needed to see his name on the card, that was only going to arouse suspicion and get his ass hauled back home, just when his adventure was beginning.

Walking across to the motel, Logan was kind of stunned when Veronica asked if they had a twin room available for them to sleep in. His confusion obviously showed as the blonde quickly explained herself, covering for the fact a security issue was the real reason behind her request.

"Half a twin is cheaper than a whole single each" she shrugged, "Unless it's a problem..." she began stopping with a smile when Logan shook his head and assured her it was fine.

His expression suggested he was actually much less than fine, though Veronica doubted it was sharing a room with her that was bugging him. This place was kind of a dive, not the most unclean place she'd ever stayed in but it still must look pretty bad to a guy who lived in a veritable mansion, no doubt with a bathtub the size of a swimming pool, silk sheets on the bed, and a view to die for from a white marble balcony or some such. Still, for today this place was home, somewhere to stay and sleep, and allow the rest of the security team to come back them up. That part thrilled Veronica about as much as sleeping on a previously-used mattress thrilled Logan, but for every up there was a down, and the boy was going to have to learn that if he wanted his so-called freedom as badly as it seemed he did.

To Be Continued...