Veronica's Hangover
Chapter 2 – Neptune Bound
A/N - A lot of thinking happens here. The next chapter should be more interesting.
Flashback - Saturday Evening
Logan hit speed dial #1 on his cell. It was answered on the third ring.
"Logan?" the voice asked. He heard a giggle in the background and a girl's voice asking, "Did you say Logan?"
"Sophia? What are you doing?" Logan asked.
"Currently? Losing all my money at Texas Holdem'. Why are you asking?" she asked cautiously. She knew what was coming next.
"Well...I know I gave you the rest of the night off, but Mr. Lee was able to catch a later flight, and wants to meet after all. Are you available?"
"He wants to meet this late? It's almost ten o'clock." Sophia groaned.
"He's known for keeping unusual hours. His plane should be landing soon. He can be here within the hour." Logan answered. "Will you be ready, or should we try for tomorrow afternoon instead?"
Sophia sighed audibly. "I can set it up for tonight. I need a minute though. There's a young lady here that I'd like to escort back to her room. Some Texas good old boy has been plying her with tequila all night and I think she overestimated her tolerance for liquor. I don't want to leave her to her own defenses."
Logan could hear protests in the form of a Texas twang in the background.
"You and your wounded birds." Logan said affectionately.
"Says the most wounded bird I've ever had to mend." Sophia shot back.
"Stay there, I'll be right down to help - just in case Texas gets any ideas about following you back to the girl's room." Logan said.
He checked himself one more time in his hotel suite's full-length mirror. He wore a black Armani two-button suit, black pocket square, black shirt with skinny white pinstripes, the top two buttons undone, and no tie.* He added a Cartier watch and exited his suite.
Minutes later, Logan was strolling across the casino floor, scanning for Sophia. He had a good idea where he would find her. He located her in the same general area where they had played poker the previous evening. They had arrived in Vegas two days earlier to meet with a client from Japan. While there, Sophia had been able to secure a meeting with the elusive Mr. Lee, provided they remain in Vegas an extra two days.
Sophia Dane was in her mid-fifties with mid-length lustrous black hair, dark brown eyes, and youthful, well-taken care of Mediterranean skin. She had obviously been a great beauty in her youth. She was the closest thing to a mother that Logan had ever had.
"Over here, Logan." Sophia called with a little wave. Turning to her right, she addressed a tiny blonde with a giant pile of chips. "Annie? This nice gentleman is Logan. He and I are going to help you get back to your room so that you can sleep off the tequila ok?"
At the mention of Logan's name, the blonde looked up and Logan's heart stopped.
Somebody at the table mumbled something about other people finally having a turn to win a hand or two, but all of Logan's attention was focused on the blonde.
"Logan?" she asked, and he felt butterflies in his tummy at the sound of her voice.
She pushed back her chair and rose, taking a step towards him. Logan couldn't breathe, and he couldn't move. She took a second step towards him and a third. The gleam in her eye was almost predatory.
She took the last three steps at a run and launched herself at Logan. His arms went around her back and he lifted so that her feet dangled inches off the ground. She squeezed him as tightly as she could and then pulled back, framing his face in her hands and began peppering him with kisses as he laughed - his cheeks, his forehead, his nose, his chin. Finally their eyes reconnected and she moved in for a soft brushing of her lips against his that made his knees so weak that he almost dropped her.
He set her carefully on the ground and looked her over. She looked much as she had the last time he'd seen her. Her blonde hair was mid-length and wavy, the bangs pulled back and secured with a clip. She wore a straight black skirt, and a filmy, feminine blouse with short, slightly fluttery sleeves, black sandals, and no hose. She was still beautiful and she still smelled of Promises.
Logan looked over at Sophia who was scowling at him.
"I take it you've met." Sophia deadpanned. "Annie? Come over here and collect your chips, sweetheart."
Veronica looked at the table and back at Logan. "Don't you go anywhere." she commanded him, poking him in the chest.
"I'm not going anywhere." he promised, grinning. He had tried to fight it. He'd put up a good three seconds of mental resistance, before he'd admitted to himself that he was a goner. God, he had missed being ordered around by Veronica Mars.
Veronica returned to the table and gathered her chips shoveling them into her purse.
Returning to Logan, she grabbed his hand in a surprisingly strong grip, and led him away.
While Veronica cashed out her chips, Sophia took Logan aside.
"Another one?" she hissed at him.
"Another what?" he asked, confused.
"Another innocent girl whom you've allowed to fall for you? When will you ever learn to be more careful with their hearts?"
Logan laughed bitterly. "Innocent? If only you knew Soph. If only you knew."
Returning, Veronica entwined her fingers with Logan's and flashed him a smile.
Logan leaned over and examined her eyes, searchingly. "You really are drunk." he laughed.
"Would I have said she was drunk if she wasn't?" Sophia grumbled.
"Never underestimate this one. She's a crafty little thing." he said with a grin. "I wouldn't put it past her to play drunk to make people underestimate her."
"Well, she's not playing drunk now. Come on Annie. Where's your room key." Sophia asked putting an arm around Veronica.
"I'm not going to my room." Veronica said.
"Sweetheart, you need to sleep off the tequila." Sophia cajoled.
"If you think I'm letting Logan Echolls out of my sight now that I've found him, you've got another thing coming." Veronica said crossing her arms on her chest.
Logan grinned down at her.
Sophia raised her eyebrows. Logan was not the type of guy to tolerate possessive girls.
"Some help here, Logan?" Sophia asked.
"Oh no." he laughed. "There's a delicate pecking order in this relationship" he gestured to himself and Veronica. "And I'm at the bottom of it. Speak to the boss." He pointed at Veronica.
Sophia sighed dramatically. "Annie. Sweetheart. Trust me. You do NOT want this guy. He is a player. He is a scoundrel. He doesn't "do" relationships. He leaves broken hearts behind everywhere we go. Do not let the pretty face fool you."
Veronica let out a laugh and looked at Sophia incredulously. "Are we talking about the same guy? Logan 'hopeless romantic' Echolls? Logan, who plans romantic dates, feeds you French fries even when he wants them for himself, makes Jane Austen references, makes epic love speeches, and is so sentimental he's practically a girl?"
Sophia gaped at Logan as Veronica continued. "Except for that hero complex - that is most definitely all male."
Logan's grin grew larger. He wondered how he had ever lived without her these past five years.
"Annie." Sophia begged. "We'll get you to your room and you can catch up with Logan tomorrow. He has a meeting in an hour. I'll personally add you to his schedule."
"Not a chance." Veronica said. "Where Logan goes, I'm going. I'll be quiet, though. I can play Angry Birds on my phone or something."
"Sophia" Logan said without taking his eyes off Veronica. "Reschedule the meeting."
"Logan!" she said, shocked. "Are you nuts? You've been trying to land this deal for months!"
"Yeah, but I've been trying to land this girl for years!" he answered with a smirk.
Sophia's mouth dropped open. "Who are you, and where did you hide the real Logan Echolls?"
Logan laughed. "Maybe you've never met the real Logan Echolls. I think he's been crumpled up at the bottom of this girl's purse." he pointed at Veronica's purse and smiled up at Sophia with a twinkle in his eye.
"And you haven't been formally introduced to this little bundle of trouble. Her name isn't Annie. Sophia, meet Veronica Mars. The love of my life, or the bane of my existence depending on the day of the week. Veronica, this is Sophia Dane. My personal assistant, self-appointed mom and protector of all females from my wicked advances."
Sophia sat down heavily on a nearby chair.
"This is Veronica? The Veronica?" she asked. Logan nodded happily. "And here I thought it was her that needed to be protected."
"Nice to meet you, Sophia. If anybody has ever needed a mom, other than me, it's Logan. Bane of your existence?" she asked, turning back to Logan. "Why does that feel like an endearment coming from you?" She laughed. "God, I've missed you Logan!"
"I've missed you too." he said sincerely. "Every. Single. Day."
Overwhelmed by emotion, he hugged her for a moment.
"So what will it be, V? Want to see a show? Cirque de Soleil? Dinner? Please don't say Celine Dion! Hell, if you want Celine, I'll even give you Celine."
"Are you crazy?" Veronica laughed. "As someone who's made me at least five really great mixtapes, you should know exactly what kind of music I like, and here's a hint. It's not Celine Dion"
Logan beamed. "So, have anything else in mind?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. Lewdly. Because it was expected of him.
"You lead, I'll follow." she answered, smiling.
"Sophia. Go win back your money." Logan smiled. "I'll take care of Veronica."
"But who's going to take care of you?" Sophia complained. She walked off grumbling and shaking her head.
Present time – Veronica's Saturn en route to Neptune:
Veronica's frustration level rose steadily during her drive back to Neptune. Her hangover, which had seemed to have abated at Logan's first touch, was back in full force, and Ibuprofen was not helping.
Even worse, was how she could not get Logan out of her mind. When she tried to drive in silence, her thoughts inevitably turned to Logan every thirty seconds. His deep brown, expressive eyes, the feel of his hands on her, the clean scent of his body, the way it felt to kiss him.
She turned on the radio to get Logan out of her head, but inevitably, a song would come on to remind her of him. It seemed as if every song on the radio was of the 'I screwed up and lost the best thing I ever had' variety. The remainder were optimistic, hopeful love songs. In frustration, she would power off the radio, only to begin the cycle again a few minutes later.
She dug around in her console for the latest Desmond Fellows CD. That should be safe, right? Desmond Fellows would make her think of Piz. Poor sweet Piz who had never been able to inspire the passion in Veronica that Logan could manage with just the raise of an eyebrow.
However, Desmond Fellows only helped for a few minutes. Her mind inevitably slipped back in time to her first meeting of Desmond. She remembered the elevator ride up to his suite. How Logan had jumped back into the elevator at the last second and how she'd had butterflies in her tummy as he'd smiled shyly at her. He'd inquired about the weekend she'd spent in Piz's dorm room, needing reassurance that she hadn't cheated. Logan may have broken her heart when she'd found out about Madison, but the thought of him experiencing any pain thinking she may have cheated on him was unbearable. She offered him the reassurance he needed, and he'd smiled shyly again. The sexual tension in that elevator could have been cut with a knife. Even after the doors had opened, Piz waiting on the other side, Veronica had experienced a crazy desire to jump back in to ride the elevator with Logan all day – Parker and Piz be damned.
Face it Veronica, you couldn't get him out of your head for the past five years, why should it be any different now that you have touched him, and kissed him, and soaped-up his delicious back. Ugh! Stop it!
She had no idea what she was going to do about this marriage.
Marriage? The girl who'd claimed she was never going to get married? The girl who'd sat on a hundred stake-outs, gathering money-shots of spouses committing adultery? The girl who'd run a cell-phone trace on her boyfriend because he had chosen to go to a casino party instead of hanging out at the library? The girl who'd blackmailed her own boyfriend?
How was she going to tell everyone? Her dad? Wallace? Weevil? Mac?
They will all freak. Except maybe Mac - she had been a fan of Logan. Maybe I should just keep this to myself for a while. No need to rile up the troops if Logan decides we should just take care of it quietly.
Nevertheless, she had agreed to this one-year commitment. She should have asked to see the document. She could have had Cliff verify the legality of it.
That's not fair, Veronica. Legal or not, you made an agreement. Why won't you just admit that you're pleased about this situation? He waited for you. You've been waiting for him. He's been pining for you all of these years, just like you have for him. He loves you. You love him. What is one year out of your life with a gorgeous, affectionate, devoted, sex god whom you love?
But they'd had so many problems in the past that they had never worked out.
Such as?
Madison Sinclair.
A one-time situation when you were broken up.
He beat up Piz.
Misguided, but done out of love. You sure weren't angry when he beat up Gory Sorokin for the same reason. You were actually pretty turned-on.
The hotel fire in Mexico.
Another one-time thing, and Mercer had probably dosed him with GHB. Seeing a pattern here, Veronica? Does Logan ever get a second chance at anything?
But there were problems.
What problems? He doesn't cheat. He's mostly honest - a few lies of omission here and there, but you're one to talk about lying. Always by your side. Even when you're not together, he still always manages to come through with the save. You could do a lot worse in the devotion category. How many times were you there for him when he needed you? Ouch. Low blow.
Veronica turned the radio back on, scanning until she found a hard rock station. At least songs about sex, drugs, and rock & roll wouldn't make her think of Logan.
Unless they were a songs about sexual prowess. Ugh. She needed therapy.
Vegas conference room
After wrapping up the deal with Mr. Lee successfully, Logan held Sophia back.
"We need to talk Soph." He said.
"Just spit it out, Logan." she said, not liking the look on his face.
"You know how you're always complaining about LA? The smog? The traffic?"
Sophia's eyes narrowed. "Never mind. Don't spit it out. After that ridiculous stunt last night, I don't even want to hear what you have planned for an encore."
"You wound me Soph. How could you describe my joyous nuptials as a ridiculous stunt?"
"I don't see a bride anywhere." she answered pointedly.
"And that leads us back to the topic I want to discuss. I'll just be blunt. We're moving Soph. Picking up and moving to Neptune, California. You've been pressuring me for a long time to build corporate headquarters for Salacia Corp**, and I've always known it would be in Neptune."
"Are you completely off your rocker Logan?" Sophia said.
"No, just a boy in love." he sighed, fluttering his lashes.
"Neptune, California is the most backwards, corrupt, evil, little town in the state."
"Yet it produced such a fine, upstanding citizen as me." Logan smirked.
"And others like Woody Goodman, Richard Casablancas Sr., Cassidy Casablancas, Mercer Hayes, Duncan Kane, and Aaron Echolls. You really want to set up shop in the same town that actually acquitted your father of murder?"
"He did have a good team of lawyers."
"The town where you were falsely accused of murder not once, but twice?"
"But Sheriff Lamb is no longer 'serving and protecting'."
"The town that almost rioted after the charges against you were dismissed?"
"Well, in the town's defense, I was a bit of a jackass back then."
"How will they react now that you're a full-fledged jackass?" Sophia asked.
"However will I contain my ego with you around to flatter me?" Logan smirked.
"I refuse, Logan. We are not setting up shop in Neptune, California. Period." Sophia insisted.
"Would you prefer a condo or a house, Soph?" Logan asked.
Veronica's Saturn – en route to Neptune.
Veronica had almost turned around to head back to Vegas twice. Actually, she had turned back the second time, drove 15 minutes in the other direction, before pulling off the road.
She rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment. What would be the point of going back? Who's to say that he was even still there?
She checked her call history, locating the call she'd received from Logan that morning, and saving him to her contacts. She touched the screen where his name displayed as if she could touch him through the phone.
She pulled back onto the road heading to Neptune. Logan said he would come to her; she had to have faith that he'd meant it.
Why was she suddenly so worried? She'd lived without Logan Echolls for all these years. Why did she suddenly feel like it would kill her if she had to live without him any longer? This couldn't be healthy. She was Veronica Mars - Ruled by her head, knowledge and logic were her guides. Heart and emotion were Logan's territory.
She had survived losing Logan before. She would throw herself into her work. If Logan showed up, fantastic. If not, well, she'd survived losing Logan before.
An hour outside of Neptune, Veronica came a decision. Should Logan actually show up in Neptune, she would give this marriage thing a shot.
Logically, it was craziness, but maybe all of the breakups had been craziness. She'd never felt any better after breaking up with Logan. Sure, he had been punished for lying about his alibi, burning down the city pool, or sleeping with Madison, but she had suffered as much as he had by being apart. By punishing Logan, she was punishing herself. She would have to work on learning how to forgive.
Following her head had never led her to happiness. Maybe she would try things Logan's way.
Los Angeles – Logan's penthouse
Logan had a bad habit of following his heart, and Logan's heart was telling him to head immediately to the airport to fly to Neptune. He had been home for two hours, and he'd already hired a moving company. All he needed to do was to pack a bag, and he could be with her by bedtime. But Logan's heart had been his destruction in the past when it came to Veronica.
His head was telling him that Veronica would need time. At this moment, she was probably furious and trying to plan her escape from the marriage. He needed to give her a tiny bit of space to allow her to warm to the idea of having him in her life.
Nothing was going to keep him away from her now that she was back in his life, but he didn't need to be there this exact minute. He'd give Veronica a few days of peace before he headed home.
Home. Sounded great.
* Outfit stolen from Josef Kostan (A.K.A. Armani Logan) E1X9 because his clothes were totally swoon-worthy, and Logan had to grow up some time.
** Salacia: Roman goddess of the sea and saltwater. Neptune's bride.