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You Can't Fight LoVe

Veronica ignored Logan's attempts to talk to her throughout journalism. The few times she glanced in his direction she saw the apology written on his face, but she wasn't in a forgiving mood, not yet. She knew she was cranky because of the pain, and in all fairness she was overreacting to Logan overreacting, but that didn't stop her from being angry and it didn't stop her from being hurt. She'd been on an emotional roller coaster all day. Logan yelling at her pushed her completely over the edge.

She managed to avoid him after class by sprinting into the hall the minute the bell rang and getting lost in the sea of students, but the sprinting had cost her. Her hip was aching and her muscles were tense. Sitting on a hard wooden stool in Biology for an hour didn't appeal to her at all, so she hid in the bathroom until the bell rang, then signed herself out for the day in the administrative office. Not something she could normally get away with since she wasn't eighteen, but Clemmons took pity on her. As she passed by Logan's locker on her way down the hall, she hesitated for a minute. She didn't want to leave him a note, but she knew he'd freak out if he couldn't find her after school and he might even call her dad. She hadn't decided if she was going to tell her dad about Tad and she didn't want Logan putting her in a position where she had to tell him, so she reluctantly placed Logan's cell phone and a note inside.

She opened her own phone, scrolling through the contacts for the Red Box Cab Company, when she felt someone nudge her shoulder. She was surprised to see Meg walking along side her. "You should be in class."

"I have permission to be here." Meg waved a hall pass under Veronica's nose. "You walked by my English class and you looked like you could use a friend, so I said I had to go to the bathroom. Why aren't you in class?"

"I'm going home." Veronica adjusted her bag on her shoulder, masking the twinge of pain when it bounced off her hip. Her damn hip! "It's been a long day."

"I heard you and Logan fighting earlier." Veronica stopped, a little surprised and a lot embarrassed. Meg's doe eyes softened with understanding. On a good day, her friend didn't like her personal business to be public knowledge. She couldn't imagine how Veronica was currently feeling. "I looked for you after class and when I didn't see you, I decided to try your locker. I didn't hear everything, but I heard the words 'attack' and 'Weevil'. I'm pretty sure Weevil didn't attack you, so what happened?"

Veronica didn't want to be mean, but she needed to be alone. She was feeling awful. She wasn't sure she could put up with a chipper Meg. She was afraid she'd say or do something to hurt her. "Go back to class, Meg. You don't want to be involved in this."

Meg was sick and tired of people thinking she couldn't handle things. Yes, she might have been a basket case about Duncan and the not-a-pregnancy, and she could have reacted better, but she did have her own dark secrets. Sooner or later she was going to need to share them and it would most likely be with Veronica. If Meg could help now, she wouldn't feel so terrible about asking for help later. "You need someone to talk to and I'm going to be that person. You were there when I needed someone. Tell me what happened."

Veronica let out a deep sigh as she pushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Meg, I appreciate the thought, but your dad will kill you for skipping. Go back to class."

Meg waved away Veronica's concern. "I have Ms. Ronald for English, the ditziest teacher in this school. She won't even notice I'm gone." She gave Veronica a little push. "Move! I'm not taking no for an answer, and we need to get out of here before someone sees us."

--- VVV

Veronica kept an eye on the time and wasn't surprised when her cell phone rang five minutes after the last class of the day. She saw Logan's name on the caller ID and flipped open the phone, but Meg took it out of her hand before she could answer. "Hello, Logan," the other blonde said brightly.

Logan was more than a little surprised when he recognized the voice that definitely did not belong to his girlfriend. "Meg? Where's Veronica?" he asked slightly panicked.

"She's with me. We're having girl time and you're interrupting." It had taken a lot of prodding, but Veronica finally told Meg about Tad. Meg understood Logan's concern and even his anger. After what happened Friday, she was sure his protective instincts were on high alert. She was also sure after thinking about what he'd done, he was ready to apologize. Under all the crap, Logan was generally a decent guy. But that didn't mean she was ready to give up her time with her friend. They were having a good conversation; Meg didn't want Logan to spoil it.

Logan hated the fact Veronica ran from him. First after journalism, and then completely out of the school. He wondered if she'd used the time to pack her clothes from the suite. He wouldn't put it passed her, not when she was angry. It would be just like her to use the fight as an excuse to move back to the apartment. "Is she okay? Can I talk to her? Where are you?" The questions quickly flowed from him.

"Yes to the first, no to the second, none of your business to the third." Veronica giggled and Meg smiled over at her. "Seriously, Logan, you're interrupting our conversation. I promise to deliver your girlfriend back to you in one piece. Now, say goodbye."

"Wait!" Logan said before Meg could hang-up. He knew Meg wasn't lying, but he needed to hear Veronica's voice. He needed to know that she was safe. "I really do need to talk to her. We're supposed to go to the hospital to see her dad. In fact, we're supposed to be there in ten minutes."

"Hold on." Meg covered the mouthpiece on the cell. "He says you're supposed to visit your dad?"

Veronica called her dad when Meg stopped at a Quickie Mart to grab a couple of sodas. She told him she was tired; school taking more out of her than she'd anticipated. The sound of the very real exhaustion in her voice convinced him she wasn't lying. Keith told her to rest and call him later. "I talked to my dad. He knows we're not coming."

Meg nodded and lowered her hand from the phone. "She talked to her dad. He knows you're not coming." Then, she added with a little edge to her voice, "You know what you should be doing instead of harassing your girlfriend? You should be thinking about how you're going to apologize to her because you were a colossal jerk earlier. I heard you yelling at her. If I was Veronica, I would have zapped you with that taser she carries in her bag. After everything she's done for you, how could you be so insensitive? I thought you were better than that, Logan Echolls." Meg snapped the phone shut, then dropped it into Veronica's lap. "Now, where were we?"

Veronica tossed her head back and laughed. "We were discussing my jealous boyfriend."

"Oh, that's right." Meg evened out the wrinkles in the blanket while Veronica continued to grin at her. "Hey, he screwed up. Just because you're willing to take part of the blame, doesn't mean he needs to know it yet. Let him stew for a while. It's good for him. Builds character."

Veronica was lounging on the blanket, propped up on her elbows so she could watch Back-Up play in the surf. They'd stopped by the hotel to pick-up the dog before heading to the beach, Veronica wanting fresh air and space. For some inexplicable reason she'd told Meg the entire story of what happened in the girl's locker room. She couldn't explain why. Yes, she considered Meg a friend, felt the tiniest bit responsible for what had happened with Duncan, even though she knew she shouldn't, but it didn't explain why she'd unloaded her troubles on the sometimes fragile girl. It was so unlike her. "Did he sound worried?"

"Worried and guilty. Mostly guilty." Meg wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her body. "Once you explain it to him, he'll understand. You had to make a snap decision, and given the circumstances, you did the best you could."

"Maybe that's true, but I'm beginning to think I made a mistake letting Weevil take Tad." Veronica sat up, copying Meg's pose. Her own guilt weighed heavily on her. "There were reasons, sure, and it was more than just being afraid of what Logan would do. I didn't want to give another police interview. I didn't want another reason for the reporters to hound me. I didn't want to drag Carmen back into the spotlight. And we still have to get through Aaron's trial. Finding out he killed Lilly doesn't put an end to it." There were also the additional tapes and the additional charges, which would cause another media frenzy, but those were Logan's secret, so she hadn't mentioned them. "Still, that doesn't mean what I did was right."

"It might not have been the quote-unquote right thing to do, but that doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing for you to do," Meg said supportively. "I can't begin to imagine what you or Logan are going through. If it was me, I'd be a hiding in a closet, curled up in a ball, crying hysterically. I know you're stronger than I am, and you're doing your best to keep it together, but even you have a breaking point, Veronica. No one, no one, expects you to be able to handle everything. You put that pressure on yourself. Give yourself a break. You don't have to be perfect all the time."

The corner of Veronica's lip twitched. "I'm far from perfect, Meg."

"So is everyone else on the planet. It's good of you to notice," Meg quipped before pointing a shaky finger in her friend's face. "Listen up, Miss Mars. Even if you did make a mistake, you're allowed. Don't let Logan, or your dad, or anyone else tell you differently. And don't let them make you feel guilty either. Even if you had reported it, that doesn't mean anything would have happened to Tad. His family has money, and we both know how easy it is for families with money to make things go away. He probably would have gotten three weeks of community service, then spent the rest of the summer gunning for you. Tad deserves whatever punishment Weevil gives him. And maybe, just maybe, he'll think twice before coming after you again."

Veronica knew there was more to Meg than most people thought, but it was a rare occurrence to see her so feisty. "Meg Manning. When did you get all street justice on me?"

Meg rolled her eyes at Veronica's sarcasm. "Tad's always been a creep. He hit on me once. Tried to feel me up with Cole standing four feet away. And he thinks he's all that and a bushel of apples because he's going to Annapolis. Big freakin' deal! I in no way feel better knowing that a guy like him is entrusted with keeping this country safe. He's a pig, and a snob, and a bully, and the thought of Weevil and the PCHers beating the crap out of him makes me all warm and tingly inside."

By this time, Veronica was laughing, laughing so hard it was difficult for her to catch her breath. "Damn, Meg. Tell me how you really feel. Don't hold back."

Meg started laughing too, a blush spreading across her cheeks, and she lightly punched Veronica's arm, mindful of her friend's injuries. "I can't help it. I don't like him."

"Yeah, I sorta got that," Veronica said which earned her another playful punch. She continued to smile as she wiped happy tears from her face. "He hit on you, really?"

Meg shivered in disgust, exaggerating the motion for effect. "I had to go home and take a shower after it happened. He's just so... vile. I never did understand why Carmen was dating him. She's way too nice for that piece of slime." She smoothed the wrinkles from the blanket again in nervous habit. "But we've talked about Tad enough. Let's get back to your jealous boyfriend. What are you going to say to Logan?"

"I don't know." Veronica collapsed backwards, her arms spread out over her head. She was much calmer than she'd been in school and she could see the situations from Logan's perspective. She still didn't like his reaction, but she understood it, especially since he didn't have all the facts. "I blame Lilly for this. I love her, I'll always love her. She was my best friend. But the things she did to mess with Logan's head..." She balled her hands into fists. "I'll never forgive her for it."

"You're right, but Lilly isn't the only one to blame. Logan put up with it. How or why, I have no idea, but he kept going back to her." Meg couldn't remember a time since eighth grade when Lilly and Logan weren't circling each other. They were either sucking face or screaming. She couldn't imagine being in a relationship like that. It was too volatile. "Would you go back to someone who cheated on you?"

"No," Veronica answered quietly, thinking not only of Lilly and Logan, but of her parents and Kanes too. Working for her father, she'd seen too many cheating spouses, seen the way infidelity could tear a couple apart. "But given his family situation, I understand the reasoning. Or maybe the need to be close to someone, even if they constantly hurt you. Logan leads with his heart and he loved Lilly. He could forgive her for anything." She studied the sky above, watched the clouds pass by. "It's worse because Weevil's involved."

"In a way it surprises me, and in a way it doesn't. Lilly and Weevil. She always did her own thing." Meg had heard the rumors, but hadn't given them any credence until Veronica confirmed them. "Logan's got to know you'd never cheat on him. It's not in your DNA. You're just not a cheater."

"It's not about cheating." Veronica thought about her broken boyfriend. Well, maybe not broken, but definitely cracked. "The night of Logan's party a few weeks ago, I, uh, well, I got spooked and I ran out. I called Weevil to pick me up. Then yesterday, I asked Weevil to meet me when I talked to the claims adjustor about my car. And this weekend I'm going to Vegas to pick-up a new car that Weevil's cousin found for me."

"Yikes," Meg said as she winced, seeing where Veronica was headed.

"Yeah," Veronica agreed, grateful Meg was quick on the uptake. "I couldn't tell Logan the details about the locker room, not standing in the hall in the middle of school. He thinks I ran to Weevil for help. Like I trust Weevil more, or I depend on him more, and that's not it at all. Weevil happened to be there. I understand why Logan's jealous, but he has no reason to be. Weevil's my friend. Asking him for help is like asking Wallace or Mac or you, but I can't get Logan to understand that."

"Because of Lilly," Meg finished for her.

"Because of Lilly," Veronica repeated. "Like I said, I'm never going to forgive her. The trip to Vegas? Weevil has to go with me to pick up the car. Of course, Logan freaked when he found out, so now he's going to. And I have to drag Wallace with us as a buffer. It was already going to be the road trip from hell. What happened today will only make it worse."

"Maybe not." Meg rested her chin on her knee, her face tilted back to look at Veronica. "If you're smart, you can use the trip to your advantage."

Veronica quickly sat up again. "How so?" she asked intrigued, because all she saw was a disaster in the making.

Meg smiled, mischief in her eyes. "Well, you'll have to be real girlie, and I don't know if you're up to it, but with my help, you might be able to pull it off."

--- VVV

It was past five when Veronica got back to the hotel. Originally, she thought being alone would help her clear her mind and find answers, but realistically she knew all she would have done was tie herself into knots. Meg's presence, Meg listening to her, Meg being supportive without being judgmental, it was exactly what Veronica needed. They'd talked and laughed and schemed, and she now felt prepared to deal with Logan. It wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done. So when she walked into the suite and found Dick sitting next to her boyfriend on the sofa playing video games, she was a little disappointed. She'd steeled herself for an argument. What she got instead was silent indifference. Logan didn't turn his head in her direction or acknowledge her in any fashion. She gave Dick an apathetic wave as she unhooked Back-Up's lead, then immediately went to the kitchenette to grab a water and feed her dog.

She watched Back-Up eat, not sure what her next move was. She should wait for Logan to come to her, but she wasn't good at waiting, not when she knew there was going to be a confrontation. On the other hand, her initial bravado was slowly waning and the thought of another screaming match held absolutely no appeal. And Dick was there. The last thing she wanted was an audience to their fight. There'd been enough of that at school. But dammit! She was Veronica Mars! She didn't hide; not anymore. And Logan didn't scare her. If he wouldn't listen to her, she'd pack up her crap and go home. It wasn't like she had to stay; she had an apartment. If Logan decided to be a prick, she'd leave. But that option didn't sit well either. It felt too much like running away. When did she start running from Logan Echolls? And when did the thought of sleeping without his arms wrapped around her sound like torture? What the hell was going on with her lately? She shouldn't care this much. She should be able to walk away with her head held high, not feel like her tail was between her legs. She trained herself to be self reliant, not to need anyone's approval, especially not a boy who made her life a living hell not two months before.

She was so lost in thought she blocked out everything else going on in the suite, so she tensed when she suddenly felt a presence behind her, but relaxed when she turned to see Dick, not Logan, standing there. "Hi, Dick."

"Hey, Veronica." He shuffled his feet, shoved his hands into his pockets. "How ya feeling?"

"Good," she answered warily, dragging out the syllable. Her current thoughts and Dick's current posture put her on edge. His stance reminded her of Cassidy, and it wasn't something she was used to seeing in the elder Casablancas brother.

Dick's head bopped up and down like one of those dolls people glue to the dashboard of their cars. "Well, I was, uh, gonna head out, but I, uh, wanted to make sure you were okay before I, uh, you know, left." He finished with a lopsided smile.

Dick was being nice again. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Veronica glanced around, thinking the change in attitude was due to Logan, but she didn't see her boyfriend anywhere. She looked up into Dick's face and when he wouldn't quite meet her eyes, it all clicked into place. "You told him, didn't you?" she said accusingly. "The one thing, the one thing I asked you not to do -"

"It was an accident!" Dick said, trying to defend himself. "I stopped by to see him - and you. You said you were going to tell him the truth, and I figured you'd already talked to him, and I tried to backtrack, but he knew I knew something, and I couldn't get out of it." He ducked his head sheepishly. "Yell at me all ya want. I deserve it. Logan already jumped my shit for not telling him about the rumors."

Veronica leaned back against the counter. So Logan knew. At least she didn't have to give him the play-by-play; Dick had taken care of that. She was surprised he didn't call her the second he found out, demanding she come home. Well, hell. And now, she couldn't even yell at Dick, not when Logan had already chewed him out. Both of them took the fun out of everything. "You suck, you know that?"

"I'm sorry," Dick mumbled, his expression similar to a kicked puppy. "But I promise I didn't say anything to anyone else, and I'm not going to. Just like you wanted."

"Who the hell else would ask you?" She closed her eyes for a moment to think. The pounding in her head, backing off to a dull roar. It wasn't Dick's fault. She had told him she was going to tell Logan the truth. In an uncharacteristically charitable moment she decided to let him off the hook. "It's fine, Dick, but you should probably go. Obviously Logan and I need to talk. Thanks for checking on me." Dick called a 'later, dude' to Logan as he practically ran out of the suite, leaving her alone in the kitchenette. She took several measured breaths, then waited and waited and waited...

"Ronnie," The sound of Logan's voice drifted to her from the bedroom. "Could you come here?"

This is it, Veronica thought as she pushed away from the counter. She walked into her bedroom with purpose, but she didn't immediately see Logan. She did hear water running in the bathroom though, so she went to investigate. Peaking around the corner of the doorframe, she saw Logan adding what looked like bath salts to the fast filling Jacuzzi tub. Okay, this wasn't what she expected. "What are you doing?"

"Preparing madam's bath," Logan said with a trace of English accent to his voice. "I figured you could use one before dinner. The heat from the water and the jets should help with your sore muscles." He put the jar on the counter and turned off the taps, then straightened, a slight frown on his face. "You're not cut or anything are you? I should have asked before I put the salt in. If you're cut anywhere, it'll sting."

"No, no cuts." There were a few scratches, but Veronica was willing to endure. A bath sounded wonderful, so good in fact, it almost made her salivate. The delicate smell of lavender filled the room and she could already imagine the feel of the jets pounding on her lower back, helping to work out the stress she stored there. But what immediately eased the tension from her body was the expression on Logan's face. There was no anger, no jealousy, just simple concern. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yeah, I did." Logan cupped her face with his hand, slid his thumb back and forth across her lower lip. He was already feeling awful because of their fight. Once Dick told him the whole story, he felt worse. "Meg was right. I was a jerk."

"Colossal jerk," Veronica corrected automatically, but it was difficult to get out past the lump building in her throat.

Logan chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "Fine. Colossal jerk. Whatever." He dropped his hand from her face, and clasped her good hand in his. "You were right too. I attacked you and I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, Ronnie. This is my small way of apologizing. Take as long as you want in the tub. When you're done, we'll order dinner and talk. Just talk, no yelling this time."

Veronica took the last step towards him and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you." She felt his free hand barely skim across her back, then fade away. She wrapped her free arm around him and snuggled closer, but still his hand remained at his side. Well, that wasn't right. Usually, if she was anywhere near Logan, he was all over her. And it wasn't like he was mad anymore. She pulled back just enough to look up at him. "What's wrong?"

Logan's eyes wandered over her face, the bruise on her forehead glaring at him. He sighed deeply, then said, "I don't know where I can touch you without hurting you."

Veronica could kick herself. At school when he'd touched her stomach she'd flinched. She told him she had new bruises she couldn't show him in public, but she hadn't been specific about where they were. As far as he knew, her entire back could be one giant bruise. She stepped away from him, dropping his hand, then before she could think about it too much or talk herself out of it, she quickly pulled her shirt over her head. Logan stared at dumbfounded. She smiled at him weakly. "You said you wanted to see them."

Logan's voice was strained. "Yeah, I did." Veronica was standing in front of him in her bra and jeans. His body instantly reacted to her, but it was tempered by the sight of the black-and-blue marks scattered across her torso. Marks that made his own stomach clench. Of course that didn't stop him from saying, "If I knew drawing a bath would get you to strip, I would have done it sooner." She glared at him and said nothing. He turned serious again as he tentatively reached out. "Can I... touch you?" he asked quietly. She nodded her approval.

Logan started with her face, his fingers gently moving over her skin, inspecting every inch. Along with the enlarged bruise on her temple, there was a new bruise on her cheek. "Did he hit you?" Dick hadn't mentioned hitting, but he wasn't in the room with them the entire time.

"No, just slammed me against the wall," Veronica answered matter-of-factly, her eyes closed "I hit my head a couple of times, and the side of my face once."

Logan's eyes flared with renewed anger, and it took every once of self-control he possessed to remain calm. She was so small and so vulnerable, and she'd been beaten up twice, by guys who had at least eighty pounds on her. And yet she was still standing, still fighting. He brushed a kiss across her cheek and she smiled.

The scrapes on her hand and wrist he'd seen earlier, but he took the time to look at them again. Dick said she'd washed them and he'd put antibiotic ointment on them so they shouldn't get infected, but Logan would make sure she put on more ointment after her bath. Dick also told him Tad had twisted her arm behind her back, so he slowly rotated her shoulder to make sure she had a full range of motion. Veronica didn't complain, but she did suck in her breath. He was satisfied with her movement, but he knew she was going to be sore for quite awhile. He should insist she wear a sling, but since he wasn't wearing one, and his shoulder had been dislocated, he knew he'd never convince her to do it. He checked her back and her arms, noting a couple of small injuries, but nothing serious, then he knelt down so he could get a better look at her stomach. When he did, he saw four distinct fingerprints. Whatever Weevil was doing to the bastard, it wasn't enough.

Logan caressed her hip where the top of a bruise was peaking out from the waistband of her jeans. "How bad is this?"

Veronica's eyes fluttered open. He'd been silent as he looked her over, and although the examination of her shoulder hurt, she'd gotten lost in the feel of Logan's touch on her skin. It was almost hypnotic. She looked down at him and what she saw left her breathless. She expected to see anger. After all, he was finally getting a good look at what his father and Tad had done. She would have understood sympathy. Over the years he'd endured worse at the hands of Aaron; he could empathize. She would have even accepted worry or concern or apprehension. But what she saw through his unshed tears was an emotion she'd never seen directed at her before, from anyone. She was reluctant to put a name to it, because doing so would change everything between them, but her heart knew and it skipped a beat in response. This is what he'd been trying to tell her when he kissed her earlier in school. This was what her mind knew she wasn't prepared to deal with. She might have heard the words from another boy, but never before had she seen such a naked and raw expression of them shining up at her.

Logan was hers. He was her guy. He was hers in a way she was positive he'd never been anyone else's. And that scared her to death. Because if it was true, and she instinctually knew it was, if it was true, then he'd never really belonged to Lilly and she'd never really belonged to Duncan. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about that.

But she'd have to sort out those feelings later, because Logan was still looking up at her, waiting for her to answer his question. Finding strength in her new realization, without thought and without fear, Veronica unzipped her jeans and pushed the material down just enough so Logan could see the entire bruise. She watched him this time, thoroughly captivated by his fingers dancing over her skin. And when he brushed his lips across a spot right above the elastic of her bikini underwear, she felt her own tears slip down her cheek.

Logan pulled up her jeans, not bothering to zip them, then he stood. "You've had one hell of a day, Miss Mars."

Veronica choked down a laugh at the understatement, as she wiped her tears away. "Do I pass inspection, officer?"

"I think you'll do." Logan saw the emotion swirling in her eyes, but he attributed it to post-traumatic stress from the attack, and didn't question her about it. There'd be time to talk later. "Take your bath before the water gets cold. I'll be right outside if you need me."

Veronica nodded, but didn't say anything else. She wasn't sure she could.

--- VVV

Logan searched Veronica's bag for her cell phone. She'd be angry if she ever found out, but at the moment he didn't care. He scrolled through her contacts until he found the number he was looking for, then walked to his bedroom and shut the door as he hit send, so she wouldn't be able to hear the conversation.

Weevil picked up on the third ring. "V, I'm a little busy right now."

"It's Logan," he said, all the rage he felt at seeing her bruises welling up in his voice. When Weevil didn't respond, he continued. "You still working on him?"

"There's gonna be a record of her calling me, ya know," Weevil spit out with irritation. If Tad was stupid enough to report any of it to the cops, Weevil didn't want there to be a phone call connected him and Veronica during the time of the beating. Echoll's calling on her cell was a dumb move.

Logan knew what Weevil was thinking. He could have gotten the number from Veronica's phone, then placed the call on his cell, but he wanted to make sure the PCHer picked up, which he was unlikely to do for an unknown number. "She called to ask you about the trip to Vegas. Do you still have him or not?"

"Yeah, I got him," Weevil reluctantly answered. Okay, so the rich boy could think on his feet. "Why?"

Logan's jaw tightened. "I just saw her bruises - all her bruises." He heard Weevil cuss under his breath in Spanish; he only understood half of it.

Weevil glanced at the '09er his boys were holding off the ground. He was taking great pleasure in personally delivering every punch and kick. Wilson had passed out a few times. Weevil had waited for him to wake-up, then started again. "I saw her head and her arm. There's more?"

"Her stomach, her hip. Her shoulder's banged up." Logan angrily paced the room, kicking the bed and the nightstand at every pass. "I don't like the way this played out, but I can't do anything about it now. What I need to know is your taking care of it. If it's not done right, I'll have to finish it, and you know what she'll say."

Weevil barked out a laugh. Yeah, V would have the boy's cojones if he went within ten feet of Wilson. She was being awfully protective of the '09er. Too protective as far as Weevil was concerned. "I'm taking care of it. The question is, are you taking care of her?"

Logan didn't miss the accusation in the question. "She's my girlfriend, Paco. I got it under control."

"Yeah? Then why you calling me?" Weevil pressed, rubbing salt in an open wound. "You got nothing under control, pretty boy. One of your compadres did this to her. You can't even protect her from your own friends."

"Wilson isn't my friend!" Logan hated, hated justifying himself to anyone, especially Weevil. He was already feeling guilty about what happened; he didn't need this shit. "You friends with every brownie that comes out of the barrio? Will live in the same zip code, that's it."

It dawned on Weevil that part of the conversation might get back to Veronica. Echoll's didn't worry him in the least, but V... That girl could be scary. And he still wasn't exactly on her good side, not after beating her boyfriend unconscious. If she found out he was messing with Echoll's head, she'd be upset and he'd be owing her another favor. "Look, man, I'm as pissed as you are. This asshole... There are rules, ya know? You don't hit girls and you don't hit my friends. V's both."

For whatever reason, Weevil was backing-off. Logan accepted it. He didn't like the guy, but in this situation they saw eye-to-eye. Veronica was probably the only thing they agreed on. So if Weevil said he was handling it, Logan believed him. Suddenly, he remembered the fingerprints on her stomach. "If you could break every finger on his right hand, I'd appreciate it."

"Lucky for you, I take requests." Weevil had been concentrating on the body, but a few fingers wouldn't hurt. Well, they wouldn't hurt him. "You go see to your girl and let me get back to work."

---TBC

Way too long a wait between chapters, I know. Honestly, I didn't mean for Veronica and Logan to have a fight in school, and then I couldn't figure out how to resolve it. I know, it's my story. I should know what's going on, but it took on a life of it's own. It was adamant that they should fight and I found it difficult to argue. Veronica's moment in the bathroom in this chapter wasn't planned either. If I didn't already know I was a little crazy, I'd think I'd completely lost my mind.

Thanks for the positive response on the Tad story line. I'm not done with him yet. He'll be lurking around for a while. Maybe a Tad/Madison match up? I haven't decided. But then, I already admitted I have no control.

The Vegas trip is coming up, Duncan's return to school and more angsty moments for our couple. Please continue to review. I love reading them.

Oh! One more question for the masses. Duncan Kane: evil villian or clueless ex-boyfriend. What do you think?