Title: Mutual
Author: brencon
Pairings/Characters: Logan/Veronica, ensemble
Word Count: 1,866
Rating: PG-13, so far.
Summary: What if Logan and Veronica got together before everything went to hell?
Spoilers: Set pre-series, but is now including season one plot.
Warnings: Swearing.
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars belongs to Rob Thomas and the nice people at the CW
Author's Note: Italics represent Veronica's thoughts and/or voiceovers.
The time was 14:36 in the afternoon and Duncan Kane was lost to mankind. He moved through the crowded hospital, shoving past doctors and nurses and civilians and even the odd moving patient. His rage was clouding his judgement as he sent medical equipment flying through windows, shattering glass and breaking vials of medication.
As he sent yet another doctor spiralling to the floor, his eyes the size of slits, he noticed his location – outside one Logan Echolls private room. His blood pumped just that little bit faster and his breathing sped up. Slamming his fist into the wall to the left of the door, Duncan made a quick decision. Kicking the door open, he stormed into the room, huffing and puffing.
"What the hell, man?" Logan asked, sitting up suddenly in his bed, rattling his tubes as he pulled on the connections.
"Where is she?" Duncan growled, leaning against Logan's bedside, his knuckles turning white from the force of his squeezing on the guard rail upon Logan's bed.
"Where is who?" Logan replied, knowing full well who Duncan was asking about.
"Who do you think? You're girlfriend! Veronica fucking Mars! Now, stop stalling and tell me where she is!" Duncan snarled, snorting and spitting as his anger raged in his mind, blocking out inhibitors and firing up all his primal thoughts and strength.
"What do you need to see Veronica for? It's not my fault that you've lost her, D. You're the one who was doing the whole cold-and-distant act before we even got together! If you think about it, you forced her into my arms! It's your own fault that you lost the best thing in your life, not mine, not Veronicas, YOURS! Now why don't you just back the hell off, dude?!" Logan grunted, clenching his fist tightly.
Snarling and breathing heavily, Duncan took a step back from Logan's bedside. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at it from the roots and sighed loudly. He kicked at the stool that was placed beside Logan's bed, knocking it into the wall beside all of Logan's medical machinery, and watched as it shattered into pieces.
Opening and closing his mouth several times, failing to speak each and every time, Duncan fired a gaze at Logan that could set many a fire. Leaving before passing any more words, Duncan slammed the door shut behind him, hearing the glass in the door rattle in its pane.
Glancing down either side of the corridor, Duncan searched for the girl that was haunting each and every one of his dreams, nightmares and fantasies. Thinking on his feet, Duncan made a quick decision as he turned in the direction of the elevator.
He was on a mission, and he wasn't going to stop till he accomplished it.
The time was 14:44 in the afternoon.
--
The Balboa County Sheriff's office was a hive of activity, with swarms of reporters and paparazzi, firing hundreds of questions as they attempted to push past the deputies that Sheriff Mars had ordered to guard the entrance to the office main.
He sat at his desk, a coffee cup steaming away as he checked and rechecked the transcripts of the numerous Aaron Echolls interviews that had occurred over the last few weeks, looking for weak points and details that could be used to reclaim Aaron into their firm grasp.
But nothing mentioned in the manuscripts was usable. He sighed heavily, closing the dossier and replacing it in it's manila folder. Reaching for his mug, he was interrupted in taking a long lasting drink when a knock came at his office door.
"C'min," he answered, returning his coffee to the tabletop and sat up in his office chair.
"Dad," Veronica said, pushing her into the room, Lynn Echolls following in her path.
"Veronica, honey… Mrs. Echolls. I take it you've heard the news?" Keith asked, sighing once more.
"Yeah. How they could let him go home? Were mine and Logan's statements not enough? And then Logan made another one, after he woke up! How can they let him go?"
"It's not enough, honey. We need Lilly's own statement before anything substantial can happen in any legal capacity."
"Keith, I want to file for a restraining order, and I want it to be finalised as soon as possible."
"Have your lawyer call me and it will be dealt with."
Sitting down before Keith's desk, Lynn placed her purse on it before running a hand through her hair.
"Have you got any other place to live whist Aaron is under house arrest?" Keith inquired, taking a firm hold of his mug, feeling the warmth spread through his hands.
"No, Veronica and I came straight here. I guess I can book me and Logan a room at the Grande; he'll be discharged in a couple of days. Then I can get started on the divorce proceedings. I've been married to that… that monster, for too long now."
"Dad, is it… is it alright if they stay with us? I mean, we have two rooms that are vacant, and if they were here, you wouldn't be pulling out what's left of your hair, worrying about what Logan and I are up to if we're under the same roof – your roof," Veronica quickly explained, registering the expression of deep thought on her father's face.
"I think… I think this is the best situation, for everyone, once your husband in behind bars with his trial coming. But, what do you think?"
"I would feel… safer, living in the sheriff's home. As long as you don't have any problems with this situation, I think it's the best thing for us all."
"That's settled then!" Veronica exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Moving to the door, Veronica looked back at her father and her boyfriend's mother and smiled at their confused looks, "Gotta get home and get everything sorted for our house guests. See you soon, Mrs. Echolls, and dad… don't work to hard."
Veronica quickly waved before vanishing from the doorway.
Smiling at the Sheriff, Lynn swallowed her fear before pressing the matter that had formed on her lips.
"I… I need to get home and grab some clean clothes, for Logan and myself… but I… I can't be there on my own, Keith, I just can't."
"I can send a couple of my deputies with you, to keep him away from you while you are packing. Is that okay?" Keith asked, sitting up on his chair once more.
"Can you… could you come too, Keith? It's just, I'd feel so much safer knowing that you were there with me, just to have some piece of mind. Is that okay?"
Smiling, Keith stood up and retrieved his jacket from the back of his chair before slipping it on. Unlocking and opening his desk drawer, Keith took hold of his firearm. Clicking the safety on, Keith placed it carefully in his the weapons hold that was attached to his belt.
"I think its best that we do this now, Lynn, best to bite the bullet, as they say. Are you sure you're up to this?"
"It has to be done, Keith."
Keith moved to the door and held it open, allowing Lynn to leave before exiting the room himself.
The time was 14:59 in the afternoon.
--
"Mr. and Mrs. Kane, your daughter has been moved to recovery. Her surgery was a success and her vitals have already begun to return to normal. Her cat scan and EKG show's normal brain activity, so it's really up to her when she wakes up." Doctor Craig Dean explained, sitting on the edge of the vacated bed as his patients parents sat before him, hands in each others, in a firm grasp. When he had entered the room earlier that afternoon and found their son standing above his mother, who had seemingly tripped and fallen to the floor, he figured it was best not to press any questions for the time being.
Now that the husband and wife were sitting before him, it was time to deliver the news that he had been trying to tell for the past few hours.
"When called me, Doctor, earlier today, you said that one of your tests, one of your examinations had revealed something? What was it Doctor? What did you find?"
"I was just coming to the, Mr. Kane. Our blood tests and ultra sound have both shown the same results – Mrs. Kane, Mr. Kane, you're going to grandparents; you're daughter is with child."
In place of the tears of joy and cheers of jubilancy was blank faces and terrified eyes and short gasps. In retrospect, knowing the reason behind their daughter's admittance, he should have gathered that this may not have been the best news for them to receive.
Thankfully, his pager vibrated in his breast pocket. Retrieving it, he checked the message before getting to his feet.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go, another patient has just entered the emergency room. If you need anything from me, anything at all, I'm just a page away."
Acting remorsefully, as was expected of any doctor in this sort of experience, Craig Dean exited the room as quietly as possible.
The time was 15:08 in the afternoon.
--
Veronica had finished vacuuming and dusting one room, having already redressed both beds and opened the windows to air the rooms of their staleness when she heard the door open below.
Turning off the machine and unplugging it, Veronica began to drag it from the room out into the corridor.
"Don't let her upstairs just yet Dad, I still haven't finished getting the rooms ready. Give me a few minutes," she called out. Pulling the machine down the hallway to the second guest room, Veronica heard no reply from her father, but thought nothing off it – he often acted like he couldn't hear her when she was doing the housecleaning, so as to avoid being drawn into mopping the floors or cleaning the bathroom.
Plugging the machine in when she entered the second room, Veronica gasped when she felt the warmth of the body behind her, as the arm snaked around her neck, pulling her flush against her.
Her first thought was to think how the hell did Aaron Echolls get here with his electronic tracker that was attached to him. Her second thought was why was it suddenly getting dark, it still being the middle of the afternoon.
As her limp body was released from her attacker, and collapsed to the floor, her rolling eyes fought to focus on his face, so she could look into his eye.
Finally succeeding in her task, Veronica was shocked to see who it was that was standing above her.
"Duncan?" She quietly gasped, panting hard as her throat ached.
"Shut up, bitch! This is all your fault! If you hadn't been cheating on me with that bastard's son, my sister would okay, not locked away where no one can see her, fighting for her life! It's all your fault!"
And when his foot connected with her face, the look in his eyes was forever burned in her memories – a look of pure hatred.