DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars. This story is written as a tribute only. No celebrity endorsement is implied by product placements. All real persons' names are used in the sense of "wouldn't it be cool if this person had this gig?" The institution discussed in this fic is not a real institution.

A/N: Beta-ed by Kazy and Poniesforall. All mistakes that remain are my responsibility. If you didn't realize by now that I'm a total geek, you will after you read this update. My betas are very kind; they make sure that I don't see them rolling their eyes at me.

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Answer to the chapter title conundrum:
'The Dream Is Man's' is an anagram of 'He's in Amsterdam'.
Apparently I have been watching 'Lost' too much. Sorry!! I thought it was humorous.
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"I want to call my dad! If he knew what was going on here..." Veronica screams.

"Listen, princess, you don't deserve the right to make a phone call. Telephone privileges are earned. And you have resisted every step of the way. You received observation placement within the first twenty-four hours; I think that's a new record, Connie. You've given up your right to be with your family and to live free in society. Until you accept your treatment, you're going to find your behavior restricted."

"I know my rights! I want to call my dad. This is fucked up!" Veronica yells.

"That's it! Do you have some sort of auditory processing problem? You're expected to live by our rules here." The counselor turns to one of the guards and says, "I want her in restraints until she learns how to respect the program."

Veronica continues to struggle and call out obscenities as the guard takes her away.

Seven weeks earlier...

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Deep-Seated Dear Issues
Logan all emo; Keith investigates the school;
Mac tests a flirt-bot theory; Kristen Bell has
a day off and shoots a movie.
Logan: Jason Dohring. Keith: Enrico Colantoni.
Dr. Friedman: Lorraine Bracco. Mac: Tina
Majorino. Leo: Max Greenfield. Gracie Jane:
Jill Brennan. Sacks: Brandon Hillock.
Mordroc: Gabriel Tigerman.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: "DEEP-SEATED DEAR ISSUES"

Fri. 1/30/09 morning: Somewhere in the United States

Logan pulls off the road and into a gas station. His leg has been aching as he drives cross-country the last few days, but he decides he can't afford to use his cane, even in this backwater location. Carefully trying not to limp, he walks into the small store to prepay for his gas. He pushes four twenties across the counter to the attendant, who barely nods, keeping his attention on the small television screen.

As Logan starts to walk back outside, he hears the words, "Echolls Family Legacy" and reflexively turns his head without thinking. He sees a bold, lurid graphic, 'Statutory Rape, Hollywood Style' and the interviewer, Gracie Jane, with a guest. Logan feels frozen to the ground as he hears the guest say, "In California, of course, statutory rape is defined as an act of sexual intercourse with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator, if the person is a minor under the age of 18 years. In this case, with the three year age difference between Hannah Griffith and Logan Echolls, it is considered a misdemeanor."

Gracie Jane responds, "A misdemeanor? That seems awfully lenient. In this case, the immorality is clear. From what we've seen of Logan Echolls, this girl was easy prey. Of course, you have to keep in mind the Echolls family tradition of corrupting young girls. Apparently, anything goes in Hollywood. And now, Logan Echolls, following in the steps of Roman Polanski, is fleeing the country to avoid prosecution." On-screen, a picture of 'Logan' in LAX is substituted for the 'Statutory Rape' graphic.

Logan feels his stomach heave. Feeling the eyes of the attendant on him, he tries to walk calmly out the door. Trying not to limp as his leg begins to throb painfully, he goes to his truck and fills it with gas. He controls his trembling by bracing himself against the pickup; it seems to take hours to fill the tank as he deliberately avoids looking at the attendant. When he finally finishes pumping his gas, he gets in the truck cab and drives off, with his hands shaking and his vision clouded.

About a mile down the road, he sees a dirt road turnoff, and he stops the truck. Logan leans out of the cab and throws up his breakfast; he rests his forehead against the steering wheel, trying to control the nausea.

Not rape...not like Aaron...

But a nagging voice says, You were eighteen. She was fifteen. If her father hadn't come in, you would have–

Not rape!! NOT LIKE AARON!! He screams back in his head.

The voice continues relentlessly. You targeted her. She was a minor. The immorality is clear. The girl was easy prey. Following in the steps of Roman Polanski.

For a fleeting moment, he wishes Veronica were here to hold him; he closes his eyes and conjures up an image of her that is so strong he could swear that she is rocking him in her arms.

When he thinks he can control the shaking in his voice, he uses the disposable cell phone to call his attorney, who reassures him that no charges have been filed, and none will be filed, according to his source at the LAPD. But the attorney mentions that Carrie Murray called him, asking for a reaction to the story that Logan Echolls was possibly guilty of statutory rape and was fleeing the country to avoid prosecution. Upon hearing Carrie's name, he strikes the dashboard viciously with his fist. The rage subsumes his nausea, choking him with a bitter wrath for the woman who continues to target him so relentlessly.

Fri. 1/30/09 morning: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA

Keith stares at the brochure he has downloaded from the internet.

(You can see this brochure at: i259•photobucket•com/albums/hh302/VanessaGalore/BHBrochure2•jpg
Replace "•" with ".")

Is your teenager

• OUT OF CONTROL ?
• DEFIANT ?
• DIFFICULT ?

Today's permissive society encourages our youth to act out, to seek mind-altering substances, and to engage in dangerous sexual practices. A return to discipline, with true limits and specific expectations defined and enforced, is the only solution.

Does your teenager exhibit any of the following symptoms of drug abuse or sexual promiscuity?

1) Refusal to communicate?
2) Sullen, disagreeable mood or depression?
3) Poor grades, or a downward trend in grades?
4) Inappropriate friends?
5) Lying to parents?
6) Stealing from parents and friends?
7) Inappropriate use of the Internet, such as pornography?
8) Drinking?
9) Using illegal drugs?
10) Staying out overnight, or running away?

If your child has been diagnosed with a learning or psychiatric disorder, they are even more at risk!! Teens with ADD struggle to reach their potential and may act out their frustrations. Depression is an epidemic among today's teens.

Many parents dismiss these symptoms and problems as 'typical' teenaged behavior, but the truth is that a typical teenager does not act this way. Without drastic action, an at-risk teenager is likely to spiral further out of control, resulting in: teen pregnancy, sexually-transmitted diseases, juvenile offender status, even incarceration or suicide. Tragically, the events at Columbine and Virginia Tech might have been avoided if parents had taken steps to moderate their teens' behavior.

Traditional psychotherapy or family counseling is not enough. Today's parents are frustrated by the lack of help provided by schools and doctors, who are overwhelmed by problem students. Your teen's bad behavior threatens the stability of your entire family.

WE CAN HELP!!

We take children away from modern pressures to misbehave and act out, and enforce a strict code of behavior, away from the influences that caused your children's problems. Our program has proven results and is recommended by the Vermont Probation Department and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Successful graduates frequently volunteer to stay with the program and act as counselors for the next generation.

Our program has a proven record of graduating teenagers who have learned self-discipline and respect, and who go on to become productive members of society. Listen to our graduates tell their own story:

"Without Briar Hill, I would have been dead from using drugs by the time I was eighteen." –Julie B.

"I didn't realize how my addiction and my actions hurt my parents." –Sean T.

"I was so frustrated by my ADD. I used it as an excuse to act out in school. Briar Hill showed me how to organize my life and get back on track." –Chris B.

"By the time I was thirteen, I had had sex with twenty of my classmates. I was out of control. I love my parents for caring enough to send me to Briar Hill so I could learn to respect myself and my body." –Hilary C.

Our campus, located on 20 acres on the outskirts of Manchester Center, Vermont, offers hiking trails and an exercise facility for therapeutic recreation. Our staff features a board-certified psychologist in residence and learning specialists. Your child's safety is assured by our security staff.

Briar Hill Academy
A Therapeutic Boarding School
Manchester Center, Vermont
1-800-555-9840

Counselors available to answer your questions 24 hours a day.
Payment plans available.

At first glance, the brochure seems innocuous enough. But Keith notes the phrases 'security staff' and 'payment plans available'. When he considers the symptoms of an at-risk teen, he thinks that just about every teenager he knows would have at least a few of the listed symptoms. The brochure seems designed to play into the fears of every concerned parent who worries about their teenager.

He runs the name of the CEO of Briar Hill Academy, Peter Klein, but finds little information about the man. When he digs a little deeper, he discovers that Klein changed his name in 1994 from Russell Meyers. He runs a search on Meyers and finds that he was a high-ranking employee of a program called STRAIT, that was forced to shut down in the early 90's. STRAIT, a 'Tough Love' program, was originally lauded by supporters as disparate as Nancy Reagan, prominent Democrats, and Time Magazine. It was finally closed down when former participants were finally able to win a successful lawsuit after years of legal battles trying to expose the excessive, abusive, and ineffective tactics of the anti-drug program. Keith surmises that Briar Hill is merely continuing the programs of STRAIT. When he computes the yearly cost and realizes that each student's family is being charged upwards of 50,000 yearly and many students are held for years, he realizes that the school is an incredibly lucrative enterprise. He finds a news story that implies that in the '80's STRAIT had been donating heavily to political campaigns in order to avoid government interference.

Keith checks the American Psychologist Association's complaint database and finds that the school's consulting psychologist has a record of complaints and alleged ethics violations a mile long. When he runs a credit report on the psychologist, he finds records of substantial payments from an entity listed as BHA; Keith researches BHA and finds that it has made large contributions to political campaigns as well as regular payments to the consulting psychologist.

Keith finds a listing of Briar Hill employees through the Workmen's Compensation database and is appalled to find that several employees have extensive criminal records. The employee who is listed as 'learning specialist' on the Briar Hill Academy web site does not have a college degree in education; the employee, Monique Cavalleri, was a business major at a community college who dropped out after one year.

Every bit of information that Keith obtains troubles him more and more; on the surface, the school appears squeaky-clean, with endorsements from local politicians, law-enforcement specialists, and grateful graduates and parents, but the truth appears to be that Briar Hill is a glorified detention camp that brutalizes its residents and systematically bankrupts their parents.

Fri. 1/30/09: Neptune, CA

At the Neptune Stardust Diner, Mac slides into the booth across from Mordroc. He smiles and says, "Hey, I've been waiting for you." Mordroc inserts a dollar into the mini jukebox at their table and 'Mack the Knife' begins to play.

"Really, 'Mack the Knife'?" Mac comments. "I much prefer 'Mack Daddy' by Sir Mix-a-lot."

"Touché. So I got your email. What's up?" Mordroc replies.

"Well, I've been nosing around a little, trying to get a handle on the flirt-bot program. I wanted to show you what I found; I thought it might be helpful." She puts her laptop on the table between them, opens it and swivels it around to show Mordroc.

He stares at it intently, then sighs. "That's good. You're good. I've been trying to track that server for two days now. How did you come up with that?"

"I worked with the Tor encryption software that you mentioned." She turns the laptop back and types a few keystrokes. Mordroc stands up and joins her on her side of the booth. Mac smiles and says, "So when I tried reverse decryption–"

"You got the server address. It's brilliant," Mordroc types a while and stares at the screen intently. "You just saved me several days of work."

"So...that means you might have time to have some dinner, maybe hang out a little?" Mac asks hopefully. "I wondered if you'd tell me where you got the name 'Mordroc'. I mean, I know it's the wizard in 'Dragon's Lair'..."

"My uncle had one of the original laserdisc machines. We used to play it all the time when I was a kid. Then when I was a little older, I wrote an emulation program. It's still posted at Daphne-Emu, the emulator site. That was my first big project. Then later I got into hacking and, well, I just kept using my old Dragon's Lair name." Mordroc looks at Mac and laughs. "You want to know what my real name is, don't you?"

"Well, you know my name. It's only fair," she replies.

"Rick Picket," he answers.

"Nice to meet you," she says, shaking his hand. "Now that I've helped you with the flirt-bot, I wonder if you can help me. I'm working on a project to remotely hack a Bluetooth wireless keyboard."

Fri. 1/30/09: Ranchita, CA

Deputy Sacks triggers the call button on his radio. "Sheriff? Sacks here. I've located the source of the fire. Looks like arson...Yeah, someone torched a car and the shed it was being stored in. The property looks deserted. There's no sign of any injuries, so there's no need for the coroner. I'll wait for the fire marshal. Here's the address so you can contact the marshal and the owner of the property." He reads the address to Leo from his notebook.
Fri. 1/30/09: Somewhere in the United States

Logan jumps nervously when the disposable cell phone rings. He pulls to the side of the road as soon as possible, stops the truck, and answers the phone.

"Hello? Dr. Friedman?"

Logan's therapist, Dr. Leah Friedman, says, "Logan, is that you?"

"Yes."

"Where are you? Are you all right? At first I didn't know what to think when I got your package today. But then I realized that Thurs. 4:00pm referred to your regular appointment time and knew you had sent the phone."

"I'm all right. I don't want to tell you where I am so you don't have to lie to reporters or to Veronica," Logan replies.

"Veronica doesn't know where you are? Oh, Logan...is that really what you want? I know you're worried about her–"

"She won't be safe if I'm around," he states flatly. "The asshole reporters hurt her at the funeral you know."

Dr. Friedman pauses, then says, "But you were worried about being around her even before that happened."

Logan doesn't answer.

"Logan, I heard that disgraceful Gracie Jane interview," the therapist tries.

Logan laughs bitterly. "Yeah, she's got me pegged." He grasps the phone tightly, his fingers aching with the tension.

"It's not true, you know. It's usually not considered statutory rape in this kind of a situation."

"Except I was taking advantage of Hannah."

"You yourself told me that she forgave you and still wanted to be with you."

He scoffs. "She was deluded. Blinded by the Echolls charm," Logan snaps back.

Dr. Friedman takes a breath. "Why did you send me the phone, Logan? Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Logan sighs. "The other night I was thinking about Veronica...and...well...I had a terrible fantasy about her."

"A fantasy? You mean a sexual fantasy?"

"Is there any other kind?"

Dr. Friedman says cautiously, "What was so upsetting about the fantasy?"

"It was a fantasy I used to have, when we were broken up. I was around Veronica all the time then; she was dating my friend Duncan, and I was living with him, so I had to see them together pretty often. I was having an affair with an older woman; just an easy fuck, not someone I loved."

"So at the time you were angry with Veronica for breaking it off with you and going back to your friend Duncan?"

"And rubbing it in my face. It wasn't just that she was dating him again. She left me when I really needed her; my mother was dead, my father in prison, I was accused of murder. I felt abandoned by Veronica."

"What happens in the fantasy?"

"She comes on to me, and–" he hesitates. He plunges on, "I fuck her, really fuck her, as violently as I can, make her mine."

"In the fantasy you're punishing her for going back to Duncan?" Dr. Friedman asks.

"Ye-es," Logan replies. He suddenly thinks, going back to Duncan...she went back to Duncan...shit, Duncan's back, now. Aloud he says, "Duncan just came back home. When he left three years ago, he got Veronica to help him kidnap his baby. He used her to help him elude the FBI. Now he wants her to help him again, to get amnesty and permanent custody of his daughter."

"You say he used her. Did he put her in danger?"

"Yes, dammit. And she went along with it. And now she's helping him again, even though she could still be arrested for helping in the kidnapping. Putting herself in danger again, and he just lets her...encourages her."

"So you're worried she's going to go back to Duncan again?" Dr. Friedman asks.

"She did it before. As soon as Duncan was available, she dumped me and went to him. Now he's available again." Even Logan is surprised by the amount of bitterness in his tone.

"So why not fight for her? Why run away and make it easier for him?"

Logan just breathes. Finally he says, "I still think she's going to get hurt if I'm around." I'm going to hurt her. Everyone gets hurt, because of me. "Maybe it's better if she ends up with him."

"I don't believe you mean that. You love her desperately, Logan."

He stays silent, clenching the phone.

Finally Dr. Friedman says, "Logan, please come back to L.A. We can work on this. You can work on your relationship with Veronica."

"No. I can't come back. It's not just Veronica. I can't...deal with the reporters. I'm afraid of how they make me feel. It's hard enough, knowing that Hannah was killed" because of me "but the paparazzi are all over me, accusing me, blaming me. They're relentless. I can't take it."

"Logan, I'm sorry, we're going to have to stop; my next patient is here. I'll call you tomorrow. Please think about coming home."

Every minute, he thinks, hanging up the phone.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Frankly, Madeira, I Don't Give a Damn
Wallace tries to distract Veronica with his
own questions; Logan settles in; Carrie
returns like a bad penny.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Logan: Jason
Dohring. Keith: Enrico Colantoni. Carrie:
Amber Heard. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

CHAPTER NINETEEN: "FRANKLY, MADEIRA, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN"

Fri. evening 1/30/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA

Veronica is trying to study. After a sleepless night of dreams chasing Logan all over Europe, she vowed to put him out of her mind; but today she still found her thoughts wandering in class. Even her favorite seminar this semester on "Ethics in the Criminal Justice System" failed to hold her attention today. Finally she gives up and runs Logan's credit cards again. She is rewarded by new charges on the card: a meal at a restaurant in Amsterdam, and another charge to KLM Airlines. She is trying to think of a way to get the details on Logan's latest flight when she hears a knock at the door.

"Yo, Vee?" Wallace calls from outside the door.

Veronica puts her laptop aside and lets Wallace into the room. She resumes her crosslegged position on the bed and Wallace joins her. He puts his arm around her, and she leans her head on his shoulder. "Hey...I was worried about you today. I looked for you in the Food Court, but you weren't around."

"I just grabbed a sandwich. I'm not very good company today," she replies.

He sees the display of Logan's credit charges on the laptop screen and points to them. "Hey, at least he won't have seen that Gracie Jane interview in Amsterdam. That was pretty bad."

"Really bad...I hope he never has to see it. There's nothing more terrifying for Logan than the thought that he might be like his father."

"Has your dad talked to you?" Wallace asks.

"About what?" she replies, sitting up.

"Something's going on with him. He asked me for help on a project, but he wouldn't tell me what case it was for," Wallace explains. He tells Veronica about the information he gave Keith on ground penetrating radar. "I'm pretty sure he's looking for a corpse somewhere. And there's no active Mars Investigation case that I know of that's missing a body."

Veronica frowns and accesses her dad's files remotely with her own password. "Mac's helping him with something too, a program to hack into a computer using the wireless keyboard...Okay, there are files on Stephanie Denenberg and the trust attorney case he asked me to help with. Then it's just the usual insurance fraud cases and a couple skip-traces. Nothing else." She ponders the screen for a moment. "Has Dad said anything about Vinnie Van Lowe to you? I know he's been helping Cliff with Vinnie's defense, but there's no notes on the case in his files."

"He hasn't said a word except for telling me when he's going to Lompoc."

"You haven't helped at all? You haven't done any research for him?" Veronica queries. "That's unusual; he always says your research is very thorough, better than his own." She thinks a minute, then accesses the PryingEyez database with Keith's account information. She asks for a listing of all searches over the last thirty days and prints out the results. She and Wallace look over the list. They compare the names to those they find in Keith's open files and discover one name, Matt Dannon, that is not listed. When Veronica runs a search on that name, she discovers that Dannon is a suspect in a liquor store robbery from twenty-five years ago, and there are no records of his whereabouts or activities since that time. Wallace and Veronica look at each other in puzzlement.

Wallace thinks, At least I got her to think about something other than Logan. Aloud, he says, "Veronica, maybe we shouldn't mess with this. There might be a reason Keith doesn't want us involved."

Veronica sighs. "Yeah, I know." Reverting back to Keith's case files, she clicks on the Stephanie Denenberg icon. "Password protected and encrypted. Dad's serious about this one."

"He said he wants us to leave it alone; he doesn't want to take a chance we'll stumble on something that will draw the attention of the serial killer," Wallace comments.

Lots of secrets, Veronica thinks. What are you up to, Dad? She says to Wallace, "How's it going with Candice?"

"Oh, man. She is fine. I wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating crackers. In fact, I would go to the Sac-n-pac, buy her crackers, and serve them to her on a platter while bowing down before the goodness that is Candice." Wallace grins at Veronica.

"Wow, what's next, toe sucking?" Veronica teases back.

He makes a face and pinches her lightly, and she mock-flinches, saying, "So it's going well? All love notes and hand holding in the park?"

Wallace hesitates, then says, "Yeah, everything's great."

"What?" Veronica sits up on her knees and faces Wallace. "You paused. What's up?"

"I was looking up some basketball scores on her computer, and I accidentally saw that she's been looking up old Mars Investigations cases. The original Lilly Kane murder investigation, too."

Veronica sits back down and muses, "Maybe she's just curious about your job. A lot of people are interested in private investigators. Look at all the crappy shows on TV."

"So why not just ask?" he replies quietly.

"You're really worried about this," Veronica notes.

"I just...I really like her. I don't want to find out she has a criminal past or does drugs or something."

"I did a pretty thorough check on her. She's not a criminal, and I don't think a drug user would be able to graduate summa cum laude...especially from a tough school like Georgia Tech." She looks at Wallace's downcast face and adds, "Why don't you take her to the office and meet Dad? Maybe she'll say something. I'm sure it's nothing, Wallace. She's probably just a PI groupie."

Late Fri. 1/30/09: St. Mary's Cemetery, Neptune, CA

Keith watches the priest's residence at St. Mary's Church. He sees Father Patrick hurriedly getting in his car and driving off into the darkness. Ten minutes earlier, Keith called pretending to be the administrator from a nursing home in a far corner of the county; the 'administrator' said that a resident at the home had taken a turn for the worse and had requested that Father Patrick administer the last rites. Even driving at a fast pace, the nursing home is an hour away, giving Keith a couple hours to carry out his plan.

Cautiously looking around the premises for witnesses, Keith unloads the ground penetrating radar equipment he rented for a stiff fee from a local sewer contractor. I'll add it to Vinnie's bill, he thinks sarcastically. Wallace mentioned that he needed to run several scans over each possible location, and then Wallace would average the data and try to identify the most likely spot using software the sewer contractor had recommended. The equipment is smaller than the average lawnmower, with a wheel about the size of a child's bicycle wheel attached to the front; this model runs off a battery pack and was completely silent when Keith tested it earlier that afternoon.

It takes Keith an hour to complete three scans each of the two graves he thinks are most likely to conceal the remains of Vinnie's victim, Cormac Fitzpatrick and Mary MacDonald, plus three scans of another grave that he intends to use as the control data Wallace suggested.

Sat. 1/31/09: Somewhere in the United States

Logan selects his new temporary residence carefully. He scouts several medium-priced motels before he settles on one that is near the beach but seems to be somewhat unpopular with tourists. After he drops off his few bags, he decides to run one errand. He finds a sporting goods store and purchases free weights and weighted ankle cuffs. If nothing else, I can work on my physical therapy. At least I can control that. After he drops off his purchases, he parks the pickup a few blocks away. He doesn't intend to do much other than keep a low profile here, but realizes the truck might come in handy and decides to hang onto it; he's pretty sure that the steps he took will make it difficult for anyone to track him through this vehicle.

From inside his motel room, he can watch the ocean. It's not the same spectacular ocean view he's grown accustomed to in Venice Beach, but on days when the surf is up, he'll be able to watch the local surfers catching the waves and to imagine himself out there with them. Today he sees a solitary windsurfer negotiating the wind and the waves, and the longing to be out there as well is powerful.

He checks the duffel with his supply of cash. Logan calculates his daily expenses and figures he will have at least two months before he will need a cash infusion, assuming he is able to stay here undetected. He settles into a chair in front of the window and straps on the ankle weights; he does the exercises assigned to him by the physical therapist in L.A., rests a while, then repeats them. He's determined to get rid of the cane as soon as possible. While he does reps, he watches the windsurfer making long passes across the bay.

Sun 2/1/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA

Veronica awakens on Sunday morning to a knock on her dorm room door. She glances across and sees that Mac has not woken, and she gets up to answer the door. She looks through the peephole and scowls, then throws open the door.

"What the hell do you want?" she snipes.

Carrie Murray smiles falsely. "Hello, Veronica. I'm so sorry we've never met before. I wondered if you wanted to give me a quote about your reaction to the video of Logan Echolls in Madeira. You know, the one that shows him partying with a pretty young thing late into the night. I guess he's not worried about the statutory rape charges after all."

Veronica is gutted by Carrie's words, then she begins to feel anger trickling into every cell of her body...anger at Logan for running away, and anger for this woman who is the physical manifestation of Logan's torment. "Quote this," she says, and Veronica punches Carrie in the face with the heel of her hand, just the way she was taught by the FBI. Carrie falls backward to the floor, and Veronica follows her down. Veronica grabs Carrie's arm and flips her facedown, pulling the arm painfully across Carrie's back. "How the hell did you get on campus? The dean prohibited all reporters, and you need a magnetic card to get in this building."

From behind her, Mac, awoken by the commotion, says, "I'll check her purse," and begins to search through Carrie's belongings.

"This is assault!" Carrie screams. "I know my first amendment rights!"

"You fell and hit your face. And here I am trying to be nice, trying to help you up," Veronica says sarcastically. "Your word against mine."

"And mine."

"And mine."

Veronica looks up and sees that a few girls in their bathrobes have gathered. One says, "Don't worry, Veronica, we'll say that she fell." Veronica recognizes her as Heather, one of YourCheatingHearts' first clients. The other girls nod their agreement.

Mac says, "She has a fake Hearst College ID. And a magnetic card. Should I call security?"

"No," Veronica says, letting Carrie go. "Get out of here, you bitch. Leave me and Logan alone. Why can't you go after Britney Spears like everyone else?"

As Carrie walks away quickly, she says venomously, "Because Logan was such a great fuck, and an even bigger fuckup." She turns and begins to run.

Mac restrains Veronica, who is beet red with anger. Veronica turns to Mac and says, "I want to find this video of Logan. What the hell is he doing in Madeira? He's never talked about wanting to go there."

Mac stares at Veronica compassionately, then shrugs 'all right'.

They turn on Mac's laptop and Mac googles 'Logan Echolls Madeira' with Veronica looking on. The site is listed first among the results, and Mac clicks on it.

The site prominently features a video of Logan Echolls at a casino in Madeira. His arm is around a young girl. The video shows the two of them entering the club, with Logan leaning on his cane, then crossfades to a later video that shows Logan drinking heavily, laughing and generally enjoying himself with other club patrons. The last segment of the video shows an obviously drunk Logan leaving the club with several girls around him.

Mac quickly shuts the laptop and stands up, grabbing Veronica in a hug. Veronica whispers, "It's not true, it can't be true..."

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VERONICA MARS
10:00PM SHO ch: 340 60min 2009 TV-MA
Put the Hurt On
Veronica drowns her sorrows in work;
Logan throws himself into writing; Wallace
helps Keith; Duncan drops a bombshell.
Veronica: Kristen Bell. Mac: Tina Majorino.
Logan: Jason Dohring. Keith: Enrico
Colantoni. Wallace: Percy Daggs III.
Duncan 2.0: Chris Carmack
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CHAPTER TWENTY: "PUT THE HURT ON"

Sun 2/1/09: Hearst College, Neptune, CA

Veronica lies on the bed in her room, staring at the ceiling. Mac tries to get her to go to breakfast, then suggests taking a drive for a change of scenery, and finally gives up and begins working on a computer science project. Veronica, after an initial bout of tears, refuses to talk about the Madeira video, but Mac is reluctant to leave her alone and works quietly on her side of the room.

"You don't have to baby-sit me," Veronica says suddenly.

"Veronica...I don't know what to say. I know Logan was upset about Hannah. Maybe he couldn't help himself; he started drinking and didn't know what he was doing."

"Not helping," Veronica comments quietly.

"I'm sure he'll get over this and come back," Mac says quickly. "I know he loves you."

Veronica doesn't respond aloud. But she thinks to herself, Why did this have to happen now? We were finally trusting each other. I thought...I actually thought we had a chance of being happy. I thought our biggest problem was the long-distance relationship. What a crock of shit. I can't believe he ran away and went back to drinking and screwing around. I thought he was stronger than that. And the whole fake trail to Tijuana and all the bullshit about 'know that I'll always love you'...I guess he meant 'I'll always love you' until the next crisis starts, and then it's 'I'll do whatever the fuck I want in order to feel better'. She's suddenly flooded with anger and spite, and sits up on the bed.

Mac watches as Veronica gathers her toiletries and heads for the showers. "Veronica?" she asks.

"I'm not going to lay around moping about him," she replies. "My dad had some work for me to do. It's better if I keep busy."

Sun 2/1/09: Somewhere in the United States

Without the distraction of his various subterfuges to elude Veronica, Logan begins to obsess about Hannah. He writes about her compulsively: a lighthearted look at what her childhood must have been like before her dad turned to drugs and her parents divorced; then a soul-searching examination of their own relationship together; and finally, an imagination of a future life, where Hannah is happy and carefree. He writes pages on this alternate life of Hannah, a Hannah who never met him, a Hannah who was never exposed to the menace that is Logan Echolls. This Hannah becomes a school hero for her accomplishments on the track team; this Hannah runs for student council and champions the causes of deserving fellow students; this Hannah is elected homecoming queen, accompanied by a sweet boy who would never get in fights or fuck trophy wives for the mindless distraction. This Hannah goes to college and majors in English or history; this Hannah meets the man of her dreams in a chance circumstance and marries him in a fairy-tale wedding, complete with doves and strolling violinists. This Hannah never says "All I hear you saying is I want to have sex". He tortures himself with the what-could-have-beens, trying desperately not to picture a drug-addicted Hannah selling herself in an alleyway and being viciously slashed by an unspeakably insane killer.

Logan types furiously on his laptop, accumulating pages of stories. He pauses in his work only to do some physical therapy exercises; finally late in the afternoon he is forced to leave his motel room to find something to eat. When he returns, he has a few bites and begins to type again, trying to find some salvation on his computer screen.

Sun 2/1/09: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA

On the way to Mars Investigations, Veronica finds a pay phone and calls 1-888-555-GUNZ, the tip line for the Smoking Gun web site, and claims she saw 'Veronica Mars' buying an airplane ticket at the San Diego Airport. Fricking gullible paparazzi, she thinks to herself as she observes the media that had been swarming the office pack up and move their search for fresh meat elsewhere.

She sits at the desk in the outer office and opens the file on the trust attorney, Douglas Stern Jr. A relative of one of Stern's clients has accused Stern of getting himself appointed executor and power-of-attorney, and then convincing an elderly, barely mentally-competent client to leave a large bequest to Stern. There are also allegations that necessary medical care was withheld. Keith has asked Veronica to come up with a list of Stern's clients and, in the case of deceased clients, to get copies of will and trust documents filed by the county courts. By searching the power-of-attorney filings for Balboa County, she is able to compile a list of clients. When she runs the names on the list, she is not surprised to discover that the clients are among the wealthiest residents of Neptune.

A significant portion of Stern's elderly clients are residents at the Neptune Garden Courts, an expensive assisted living facility that resembles a high-class hotel more than a nursing home. When she examines the power-of-attorney filings, she notes that almost all were deemed 'medically necessary' by a prominent local psychiatrist, Gordon Wilks. She makes a note 'investigate psychiatrist?' on a post-it and attaches it to the front of the file for Keith. Veronica runs another search on past lawsuits against Stern and finds that he has settled out of court on several suits that alleged 'fraud and undue influence', but the attorney has never acknowledged any wrongdoing. She prints out the details of the settlements for Keith.

Suddenly feeling exhausted after her long afternoon of research, Veronica sighs and puts her head down on her arms. She knows she should be upset that this attorney is committing fraud on elderly clients who are unable to protect themselves, but she is completely unable to work up a righteous anger about a man who victimizes wealthy '09'er's today. All she can think about is that she misses him.

She picks up the computer mouse and lethargically clicks on the Planet Zowie bookmark. She types in 'Logan Echolls' and despondently browses the top results. She watches the Madeira video twice, trying to catch a clear glimpse of the young woman with Logan. Despite her anger, she wishes the video would zoom in closer so she could really see if he was all right. She ruefully realizes that Logan is wearing the green shirt she bought him for Christmas. Another site has a report that mentions that Logan was also seen at a party held on Johnny Depp's private estate on the outskirts of Madeira's largest town, Funchal. Veronica frowns. She can easily believe that Logan was partying into the wee hours at a casino, but a glitzy party with starlets, 'Hollywood posers', and fawning entertainment reporters was always Logan's idea of hell. Another reporter on a different site also details Logan's presence at the star-studded event. Veronica goes back to the video and watches it over and over again, becoming certain that something is not quite right about the video.

Several hours later, Keith comes into the office and finds her fast asleep with her head on the desk and the video paused on the computer screen, showing Logan leaning on his cane outside the club in Madeira. He gently wakes her up, suggesting that she come home for a late dinner and spend the night at the Sunset Cliffs apartment. She sleepily agrees and allows him to walk her out to his car.

Mon. 2/2/09: Mars Investigations, Neptune, CA

Wallace puts his book bag on the desk at Mars Investigations and sits down, prepared to put in a morning of research work for Keith.

"Hey, Wallace," Keith says, coming out into the waiting area. "I got some scans with the GPR over the weekend. Can you help me with the software?"

"F'diggity, Boss Hogg," Wallace replies, then, grinning at Keith's expression, continues, "Show me what you got."

Keith shows Wallace the scans he has already downloaded into the computer. He watches carefully as Wallace uses the software to translate the data into a fuzzy gray image. Wallace reviews the technology for Keith again. "The transmitter antenna sends short pulses of radio waves into the ground. Then the receiving antenna picks up any variations in the reflected return signal. The variations represent an object or a boundary of some sort that registers as a difference in the electromagnetic radiation." Wallace points out the hyperbolas within the graphic representation and explains that they represent reflection points where objects are most likely to be located. He uses the software to overlay a multicolored representation that looks similar to a PET scan to simplify and highlight the reflection points. "So as long as you have absolute coordinates to match with the coordinates on the scan, you have a pretty good representation of the topography underneath the surface." Keith nods his understanding. Wallace sends the scans to the printer and says, "So are you gonna tell what case this is for?"

"Nope," Keith replies, returning to his office and shutting the door.

Mon. 2/2/09: Neptune Grand Hotel, Neptune, CA

Veronica knocks on the door of a familiar room at the Neptune Grand. Duncan opens the door, and Veronica is shocked at his appearance. His eyes are bloodshot, and Duncan, not known for his ability to hold his liquor, appears to be completely drunk although it is only late afternoon.

"Duncan, what happened? I got here as soon as I could," Veronica says anxiously. "Why are you here? Where's Lilly?"

"Astrid is baby-sitting for me. I had to get out of the house, and I don't want Lilly to see me so upset. My mother and I had the worst fight we've had since she found out about Meg's pregnancy." Duncan throws himself onto the couch. "Veronica, I got the results of the paternity test. I'm...I'm not the father."

"What? Meg said–" Veronica starts.

"Meg lied to us," Duncan replies. "And so did my mother. What a surprise."

"What do you mean, your mother lied?" Veronica asks, sitting down next to Duncan.

"Veronica, she told me that she always knew I couldn't possibly be the father, and that was the real reason why she refused to support my custody petition. Mother said," Duncan continues, his voice breaking, "that the medication for my seizures makes me infertile. Doctor Levine told her it was a probable side effect of the drugs. But Mother," he spits out, bitterly, "didn't think I needed to know that."

Veronica says, "But what does that mean? Can you still get custody?"

"I don't know. My attorneys said we'd have to determine the real father, and he would have to relinquish his parental rights. Veronica, I don't see that I have a choice. I have to leave the country again," Duncan says despondently. "I was just beginning to hope I would have a normal life again. I love Lilly; I can't give her up." He leans on Veronica for comfort and support, and instinctively she folds him into her arms. "I'm going to leave tomorrow, and I have to give up on the idea of coming back here ever again."

As Veronica hugs him, she thinks to herself, Why would Meg lie to us? Who is Lilly's real father? Poor Duncan...

A/N: The following is not part of the update; I'm just showing off my inner-geek.

IS LOGAN ECHOLLS GUILTY OF STATUTORY RAPE?

If Logan is actually 18 and Hannah is only 15 during their affair, he would have been technically guilty of statutory rape (a misdemeanor) in California if they had consummated their relationship. In fact, even if there was only oral-genital contact ('carnal abuse'), he might actually BE guilty. I'm not sure that such contact is 'canon', but in my fic, Logan states, "Hannah and I...we made out, a lot...I saw her entire body. She definitely was not a cutter." So that might imply...ahem...contact, and therefore guilt. If Hannah was only 14 and Logan was 18, it actually would have been FELONY statutory rape; but I don't want Logan to actually be prosecuted, so I made Hannah 15 years old at the time. He'll punish himself enough anyways!

en•wikipedia•org/wiki/AgesofconsentinNorthAmerica#California

California

The age of consent is 18, with a misdemeanor if the minor has 3 or less years of difference with the major. Penalties increase if the minor is under 14 and the major is above 21.

Texts :

California Penal Code - Part 1. of crimes and punishments -
o Title 9. of crimes against the person involving sexual assault, and crimes against public decency and good morals
Chapter 1. Rape, abduction, carnal abuse of children, and seduction. - Section 261.5.
(a) Unlawful sexual intercourse is an act of sexual intercourse accomplished with a person who is not the spouse of the perpetrator, if the person is a minor. For the purposes of this section, a "minor" is a person under the age of 18 years and an "adult" is a person who is at least 18 years of age.
(b) Any person who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is not more than three years older or three years younger than the perpetrator, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(c) Any person who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is more than three years younger than the perpetrator is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony, and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison.
(d) Any person 21 years of age or older who engages in an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor who is under 16 years of age is guilty of either a misdemeanor or a felony, and shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.

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COULD DUNCAN KANE BE INFERTILE?

It's absolutely true that antiepileptic drugs can affect fertility.

Eeva Löfgren
Effects of Epilepsy and Antiepileptic Medication On Reproductive Function
Academic dissertation, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Oulu
Presented: December 21st, 2007
Accessed: March 7, 2008 at
herkules•oulu•fi/isbn9789514286414/isbn9789514286414•pdf

P. 35: Antiepileptic drugs affect reproductive endocrine function in both men and women. Changes in reproductive hormone levels, decreased potency, and diminished sexual interest in men and menstrual disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome and decreased fertility in women can be manifestations of the reproductive endocrine effects of antiepileptic drugs. These disorders are frequently seen in association with certain antiepileptic drugs. However, there is only limited information available on the effects of novel antiepileptic drugs, e.g. oxcarbazepine on reproductive endocrine function.

P. 71: Conclusions:

3. Three of the most common anti-seizure medications are associated with high prevalence of sperm abnormalities in men with epilepsy. The testicular volume of valproate treated men with epilepsy with abnormal sperm quality is reduced. The possible association between valproate therapy and testicular atrophy calls for further studies.

4. Active epilepsy with antiepileptic medication during adulthood reduces fertility in both men and women in a population based setting.

So in conclusion, we can say that IT'S NOT DUNCAN'S FAULT that he's not a love machine. (Also not Teddy Dunn's fault.) Poor Veronica-'Testicular Atrophy'-no wonder she always looked at Logan so longingly.