Title: Mutual
Author: Brendan/brencon
Pairings/Characters: Logan/Veronica, ensemble
Word Count: 1,520
Rating: PG-13, so far.
Summary: What if Logan and Veronica got together before everything went to hell?
Spoilers: Set pre-series, but will include some season one stuff soon.
Warnings: Swearing.
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars belongs to Rob Thomas and the nice people at the CW
Author's Note: Thanks to Nikita for the beta. Italics represent Veronica's thoughts and/or voiceovers. Obviously, I've fudged up the timeline, but not by much.

"What the hell are you doing here, Lilly?" Logan growled through clenched teeth.

The smile quickly fell from Lilly's lips at the sound of her ex-boyfriend's angry words. She had ditched a family dinner so she could hook up with Aaron for some fun times and ego-stroking…in more ways than one.

Twirling around, Lilly smirked when she saw the angery look on Logan's face and the shocked look on Veronica's.

She hadn't even noticed the loving couple lounging on the deck chair. Throwing her long blonde hair over her shoulder, Lilly laughed. Placing her hands on her hips, she quickly wracked her brain for a feasible lie to tell the others.

"Oh, Logan!" Lilly stuttered, throwing a lithe look in his direction, a toothy smile back on her face, "I was just looking for you…I wanted to try and make it up to you for being such a bitch these past couple of weeks. I wanna make us work, baby. To try and fix us, any way possible," Lilly said suggestively, a lone hand reaching out to stroke Logan's chest.

Before it could reach his body, Logan was pushed out of the way by Veronica who then threw herself between the two.

"No way! You want to give it another go? After all of the crap you pulled these past few weeks? No fucking way! There's not a chance in hell you want him back, so tell us the damn truth!" Veronica snarled, feeling the anger bubbling up from deep inside her stomach.

Taken back, Lilly's mask of power fell only for a moment before she replaced it with a new, darker façade; "Veronica Mars, this new version totally does not suit you! Now, back off!" Lilly shouted, facing off against Veronica.

Lilly had expected the younger blonde to back down but she was shocked when Veronica not only stood her ground, but also pushed Lilly backwards, further into the pool house. "No!"

"Veronica, honey…come back over here," Logan said, soothingly.

Forcing her anger back down, Veronica stepped into Logan's arms, her eyes still locked on Lilly.

Seeing the faces on the couple, Lilly sighed and looked away before looking back at them.

"Ugh, okay, fine! I came here looking to play," Lilly lied, hoping it held up in the court of Mars.

"Sex? You came here looking for sex?" Veronica asked, disgusted.

"I would never want to sleep with you ever again," Logan said, pulling Veronica close to emphasis his point.

"What happened to your biker buddy? Not that I care but why do you think Logan would start slumming it with you again when he has me?"

"You? You think you can replace me?" Lilly scoffed. Veronica rolled her eyes as Lilly chuckled, "You think you can take my place in Logan's sex life? That is so sad."

"I may not be as…experienced as you, but at least I don't cheat on the guys I'm dating."

Almost giggling, Lilly throw a hand over her mouth to cover her laughter, "Did you forget how you got Logan as your boyfriend already? You cheated on my brother! You know, Logan's best friend? Is this ringing any bells?"

"Lilly, I will not nor will I ever want to have sex with you again, okay? Now, get the hell out of my sight," Logan calmly replied, moving out of Lilly's way.

"Whatever. See you Friday, Veronica." Lilly threatened, walking past the duo. But before she had passed Logan, Lilly stroked Logan's chest seductively.

Fingers dripping with anger, Veronica fell from Logan's grasp and roared into the October sky.

"I can't believe I used to hang on every one of her stories! She is a conniving, evil, twisted, spoiled, BITCH!" Veronica yelled, stamping her feet.

As Veronica stormed around the pool house, yelling all the names she could call Lilly under the sun, Logan looked on in awe and wonder. Here was the girl of his dreams insulting his former girlfriend and her former best friend, defending his honour and her own as she spouted out all the problems Lilly had and how she had made herself worse.

Sensing that Veronica had burned out her rage, Logan led her to the bed in the centre of the room and kissed her as a way of thank you.

"What was that for?" Veronica asked, once the mind-numbing kiss had ended.

"Think of it as my thanks to you, for defending my honour, so to speak."

"I was defending my own honour too. She came over here looking to get off and instead started spinning tales about us…of course I was going to defend us."

"And you stood up to her again. I think it's a great that you've changed so much, okay? So don't listen to that bull that Lilly was spewing out, alright? Because I think this new version of you is really hot," Logan said, kissing her again.

They quickly fell back onto the bed and were petting heavily when, pulling back, Logan started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Veronica asked, her voice small.

"Didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Veronica asked, confused.

"Your stomach just growled!" Logan said, rolling to the left hand side of the bed.

"Oh," Veronica blushed, eyes darting around the room, "well, it's been a few hours since I ate."

Laughing louder, Logan sat up on the bed.

"Hey, I'm a growing girl who loves her food, so don't laugh!" Veronica said, swatting his shoulder.

His laughter ebbing, Logan reached out for Veronica's hand and interlocked their fingers, "Fine. Want to go get something to eat? I'm starting to feel a tad peckish, too."

"Since when were you a seventeen year-old English girl?" Veronica said, quickly laughing, "But yeah, food would be a good thing right now."

Jumping off the bed, Logan offered both hands to Veronica who gratefully accepted. Logan pulled her off the bed and they both walked towards the Echolls' family kitchen.

Grabbing some blue corn chips and a couple of bottles of Skist, they marched back out to the pool. Logan dropped himself onto his chair as Veronica carefully laid out the towel so as to cover the gaps so she wouldn't have red marks when she got back up again.

Letting Veronica relax for a few minutes, Logan opened the packet of chips and took a handful. Munching on two of them, Logan offered the snack to Veronica who took few chips.

"Feel better?" Logan asked, once she had eaten them.

"Much," Veronica smiled, taking another drink.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Logan asked, opening his own drink and take number of quick gulps.

Smirking, Veronica placed her drink on the ground beside her and launched herself onto Logan, "I have a few ideas."

------

It was just coming up to half eleven when Veronica finally left her boyfriend, having kissed him speechless for almost two hours.

She had already missed her curfew (half ten) so she knew that her parents would not be all that pleased that she was out so late on a school night with not just a boy, but her boyfriend.

Using her key to unlock the front door, Veronica attempted to sneak past the living room to her bedroom. But the loud crack as the front door snapped shut gave her away.

"Veronica, could you come here for a minute?"

Crap.

Well, maybe I can weasel my way out of this…somehow.

Taking her time to answer her mother's call, Veronica slowly slid the door open. A rattling echoed as the door opened fully. Glancing down, Veronica noticed the empty gin bottle. She then saw the empty beer bottles that were thrown all over the floor.

"Yeah, mom?" Veronica asked, picking up the empty bottle. She placed it on the coffee table before her while waiting for her mother to say something.

"Were you with that Kane boy again?" her mother asked, words slurred, eyelids heavy with drink and sleep.

Duncan? Why is she asking about Duncan? She knows that I'm seeing Logan now. He was even over for dinner last week, which she had prepared.

"No, mom, I was with Logan. Duncan and me broke up a few weeks ago, remember?"

"Oh…tha - that's good. I never liked that family. His mother…his mother is Pan High bitch. Only cares about her son's well being…that's all that matters," Lianne said, before her head drooped and she started snoring loudly.

Confused as to what was behind her mother's words, Veronica gathered up the empty bottles and threw them in the trash. She then wrapped a blanket around her mother, kissing her good night on the forehead.

Moving tiredly up the stairs, Veronica entered the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth.

Soon she was in bed, wrapped up warmly. She recalled the events of the day and felt proud of herself…but also worried.

What is Lilly up to? What was my mother talking about?

When she finally did fall asleep, her father had come home and escorted his wife upstairs to the spare bedroom and turning in himself, as it was nearing two in the morning.