Panic Attacks

AN: Not sure I'm liking the turn this story is taking…REVIEW and give me your opinion! It might take some time for me to put up another chapter, let me know if it's worthwhile!

Disclaimer: Still not mine…just borrowing

Logan watched Veronica try to catch her breath, suddenly more concerned for her ability to breathe than the apparent post traumatic stress disorder she had suddenly developed. Her gasping turned into wheezing, her eyes and fists were clenched shut and her muscles tightly pulled in an effort to draw in enough oxygen. His attempt to calm her by rubbing her back only seemed to intensify the wheezing. It occurred to Logan that she was having some sort of panic attack and was hyperventilating.

Looking around to see if anyone was nearby, Logan tried to think back to what his mother used to do when she was having one of her many panic attacks. When the only thing coming to his mind were many anxiety-reducing pills, Logan decided he'd have to improvise.

"Veronica," he started in a voice much calmer than he felt. "Veronica, listen to me. You have to relax. Try to take slow, deep breaths with me" she opened her eyes and looked at him with fear etched into every portion of her face.

She couldn't breathe and she was terrified. She was Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars NEVER lost control and yet here she was, turning blue, unable to control something as simple as her own breathing. That thought alone prevented her from calming down. Still, something in Logan's voice reached her, and as she stared into his eyes and let him guide her to match his breathing, the pressure on her chest began to release. In…out….in…out. Ok, she could do this.

"Thanks" breath "Logan" she managed to wheeze out, needlessly as Logan was too busy focusing on his and her breathing to hear anything but the sound of air going in and out.

"Just relax, baby. Concentrate on breathing, and relax," Logan still looked freaked out, but seemed to calm down as Veronica regained control of herself.

They made quite the pair, really. Sitting side by side, not touching, against Lily's headstone taking what seemed to be dramatically deep, slow breaths. At this point though, both would readily admit that they were past being concerned enough to keep up appearances.

After about ten minutes of sitting in silence trying to keep up steady breathing, Logan announced that he had a plan and was not taking no for an answer. He stood up, offered his hand to Veronica, which much to his elation, she took and walked towards the cars. Logan insisted that he drive, seeing as Veronica was still shaky and looked too tired to be driving anyway. Veronica assumed he was going to take her to get coffee or to sit and talk more in his apartment. Had she been more on top of things, she'd have noticed he was planning something that she wasn't going to like. Luckily for Logan, things being how they were, she didn't notice anything at all…until the roads they took seemed to be headed towards the city hospital.

"Oh no you don't, Logan. You turn this car around right now, or I'm going to jump out. I don't need to see a doctor; I'm fine, really. I just freaked out a litt…"

"A LITTLE?" Logan's fear, which he had bottled up all day on top of delicate nerves, which had already been tested the night before, came roaring out. "A little?! Veronica, we just sat for the last ten minutes trying to get you to BREATHE. This after you spent fifteen minutes in complete agony begging for help," Logan took a deep breath and pulled over to the side of the road, sure to lock the doors before stopping the car. He turned to face her.

"Veronica, I wish more than anything in this world that I could help you on my own. None of this is fair and none of it is your fault, but I can't help you with this by myself. Like you said, it makes you ill to be around me"

"I didn't mea" Veronica started, but Logan interrupted.

"Let me finish. It's not just that, Ronnie. I don't know HOW to help you here. I'm not trained to deal with this. Listen carefully to me, I know you don't believe this, but it's OK to need help. Veronica, you've been through more in the last three years of your life than most people go through in a decade. I have no idea how you've held it together this long. I know you don't talk to your dad about everything and I'm not naive enough to believe that you talk to me about it all either. All of this stress has to be going somewhere. You came to me for help. This is the best I can do, right now. If you hate me, well…I'm sorry and I hope that changes but if this ultimately helps you, and you decide you can't ever forgive me for it, at least you'll be better".

Veronica sat stoically, staring straight ahead. After a minute or so she wiped her hand over her face and blinked back a couple stray tears.

"I don't know why you are even helping me through all this. If I were you I would have lost patience during my millionth meltdown back there. I can't even stand being around me right now…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Ronnie. I promise, not unless you need me to." Logan answered.

"Ok," she responded quietly. "I'll go see a doctor."