DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, the canon events of their storylines, and recognizable dialogue belong to Rob Thomas.

A/N:

Continuation of modified #1.22 "Leave It to Beaver"


Chapter 13

At school on Friday, Weevil was nearly stalking Logan. I suggested that he back off or at least be a little more subtle. But he persisted right up to the moment that Lamb and his deputies stopped Logan on his way through the parking lot after school.

Weevil had a huge grin on his face as he approached my car.

I rolled my eyes as I said, "Nice to see you so happy. Just wish that I was the reason for that smile on your face."

"Oh, the smile – that's definitely Logan. But the spring in my step – that's all you," he said with a wink and a smile.

[

I had just gotten home when my phone rang. It was Logan asking if I could help him out of his current jam. I wasn't really sure how to reply to his request, seeing as my Dad and I were the reason he was presently being questioned by the Sheriff.

Mom dropped by to spend some time with me, hoping we could make dinner together. I made up some excuse about having plans since it was Friday night. She asked if there was a new boy. I told her I was just hanging out with friends. Then, I told her a little bit about Wallace and Mac – throwing her some details of my choosing as a form of misdirection.

After Dad walked in the door, I told him I was taking Backup to the beach for a walk.

[

I had only been at the beach for a couple minutes when Logan appeared out of nowhere. He was upset at my betrayal, but he seemed more sad than angry. He told me what I already knew – that he knew Lilly was seeing someone else, that he drove back to talk to her. What he added was that during the drive he couldn't decide if he was going to yell at her or try to get her back.

"I saw her at the carwash. I just parked across the street and watched her. And I just knew it was over. So, I sat in my car and I wrote this note to her … and I left it in her car."

"With the shot glass," I said as I realized his story was plausible.

"Yeah, with the shot glass. You know, if you read that letter, you'd know I'd never hurt her."

Just then I heard the sound of a car horn followed by my father's voice yelling, "Hey! Get away from her! You get away from her, now!"

As he approached, Logan made a quick departure.

Lately, Weevil had been my bodyguard, but my father was and would always be my primary protector.

As I gratefully fell into his arms, I said, "Dad, how did you know to come here?"

"When you left, I called to check on Logan's status. He lawyered up and they released him. Lamb told me that he let it slip that the info came from us. I had a hunch he might come looking for you." He kissed the top of my head. "I'm gonna head back to work. I've still got some stuff to catch up on. Tell your mom not to hold dinner for me."

I called Weevil to give him an update and to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid about Logan. I assured him that we would get Logan the right way.

"How can you be so sure, V?"

"About that … I think I have an idea, but I probably shouldn't go alone. Can you give me a ride later?"

[

Mom had finished cleaning up the kitchen after an early dinner and was watching tv. Dad was not yet home. I took a quick shower and dug through my closet for certain pieces of white and black clothing.

The Kanes were having an event at their house tonight. I planned to sneak in as wait staff. I would add a wig and glasses to further disguise myself from people who knew me.

The letter that Logan said he left for Lilly wasn't found in her car. She might have had a chance to hide it when she got home after the car wash. If so, I knew where she would have hidden it. That meant I needed to get into her bedroom.

I went out to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and let Mom know I would be leaving soon. As I walked back into my bedroom to put the wig in my bag and grab a jacket, I absentmindedly took a sip from the bottle. Before I even swallowed, I tasted the vodka on my tongue. I ran into my bathroom and spit it out into the sink. As I poured the contents of the bottle down the drain, it all started to click – this was the water bottle Mom had with her at all times since she came back.

After I closed my bedroom door, I called information. "Hi. The number to the Hazelwood Facility in SoCal?"

Although I shouldn't have been surprised by what I had just been told, I was stunned as sat on the edge of my bed. I texted Weevil and asked him to come to my door when he got here.

I walked out into the living room and casually looked through her purse and the pockets of her jacket, making sure that she had not taken anything or somehow gotten a copy of the apartment key.

As I was finishing, she noticed my actions. "Honey, what are you doing?"

"I'm getting ready to go out and I need you to leave now."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You can't be here anymore. I know, Mom. I know you're not through drinking. I know you didn't even finish rehab. You checked yourself out … and that was my college money. I bet on you and I lost. I've been doing that my whole life. And I'm through."

"Veronica ... it's not easy."

"I know it's not."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and invited Weevil in. With one look from me, he read the situation.

"Mom, you need to leave. Now." I handed her things to her and held the door open until she walked through.

The turn of events, as well as Weevil's presence, made her visibly uncomfortable. She paused on the welcome mat to look back at me. Although she seemed about to say something, she decided against it when he took a single step in her direction. I shut the door as she walked away.

He and I talked briefly about what had just transpired. But I quickly changed topic to the undercover plans for the evening.

[

I told Weevil to drop me off at the end of the driveway and wait for me a couple houses away. Once inside the house, I blended into the hired help in the kitchen, picked up a tray, and made my way toward the bedrooms. I made it into Lilly's bedroom unseen, pulled a chair over toward the vent up high on the wall, and began to remove the screws. This is where she hid stuff she wanted to keep away from her mother's prying eyes.

As I was being pulled down from the chair, I realized it was Duncan's voice asking, "Who the hell are you? What are you doing in here?"

I removed the curly black wig so he could tell it was me, as I explained that I was looking for something. His reaction was angry as he tried to drag me out of Lilly's room, saying that I should be looking for clues in his room. I tried to get him to calm down by telling him that I didn't think he killed his sister.

After he listened to me explain what I knew about the day she was killed and what I thought I might find in the vent, he said, "Let's see what's in there."

Watching as I pulled out three small video tapes, Duncan said, "I've got a camera we can play them on."

As the first tape played, Duncan recognized Logan's pool house and I added that she was wearing her pep squad outfit, which she had worn the day she died.

Lilly stretched out on the bed and look up at the ceiling, directly into the camera as if she just realized it was there. She moved out of frame and the recording stopped.

Duncan put in the next tape, saying, "This one's dated October 1st."

As uncomfortable as it was for us to watch, we got all the information we needed. Lilly was clearly having sex with someone and when they shifted position, that someone looked directly into the camera.

Duncan paused the tape, shocked as he looked at the face frozen on the screen. "Mr. Echolls?!"

"I know what happened."

She had told me she had a secret. 'A good one,' she had said.

Turning to Duncan, I said, "I have to get these tapes to my Dad. Will you help me? Keep Aaron in your sight at all times until I call you." Then, I started to go through the door.

"Hey! Be careful. Okay?"

I stepped back toward him, figuring now was as good a time as any to let him know the truth. "My dad had a paternity test. I'm not your sister."

Feeling a dark cloud lift, we exchanged smiles before I left.

The moment I was out of the house, I called Weevil and asked him to come get me. Then, I called Dad to tell him that I had evidence that Lilly and Aaron Echolls were having an affair. And that I thought he was the one that killed her.

He asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm just leaving the Kanes' house. Aaron's here. He's talking to the Governor. Duncan's gonna keep an eye on him. I'll be home in ten minutes."

"Alright. You come straight home. You don't stop for anything."

By the time I finished talking to Dad, I had walked to the bottom of the driveway and Weevil was pulling up next to me.

I dialed Logan's number as Weevil was getting a call from Felix. After I left a voicemail, I realized that Weevil was talking about Logan.

"He's drunk? Weevil, it wasn't Logan. He didn't do it. His dad killed Lilly. Make sure they don't hurt him. Tell them to have him listen to my message. Maybe … get him home safely? Please."

Weevil didn't look happy about what I was saying, but he trusted me. While he finished talking to Felix, I took a call from Duncan.

"Veronica, I can't find him. I've been asking everyone, but no one knows where he is."

"Call me if you find him," I told Duncan as I hung up.

"Dad said come straight home. So, let's go," I said as I put on the helmet he handed me.

"Sounds like Mr. Echolls gave Duncan the slip."

I nodded my reply as I climbed on behind Weevil.

The fastest way to my apartment complex included a curvy road that had wooded areas on both sides of the road. There was the occasional house, but for the most part, it was secluded.

Weevil was traveling just over the speed limit, attempting to get us there as quickly as possible without being delayed by a traffic stop or an accident. As we were going around a large curve, I could see headlights. There was a vehicle coming up behind us.

I tapped Weevil on the shoulder and pointed to his side mirror. He nodded that he saw the car. He sped up, but the car was still gaining on us.

An odd thought ran through my head: I wonder if anyone has ever written a word problem using this scenario. A motorcycle traveling at 60 mph is being followed by a car. The motorcycle increases speed to 65 mph, but the car is still gaining on it. If the motorcycle traveled 5 minutes before the car caught up, what was the average speed of the car?

I think it was my brain's way of avoiding the more immediate concerns: Was Aaron Echolls in the car behind us? And if so, what would happen if he caught up to us before we made it home?

All I could do at this point was hold on, trust Weevil, and try to think one step ahead of Aaron.

Oh … and stifle a scream.

The car came right up behind us and tried to bump the back tire of Weevil's bike. He was watching in the mirror and anticipated the driver's action. He sped up and began to weave back and forth between lanes. He had control of the situation for a mile or so, but then the car tried to run us off the road.

By this time, I was holding on as tight as I could without interfering with his driving. I don't know how he saw it, but there was a break in the trees. Weevil intentionally made a sharp turn off the road. There was a small clearing next to the berm. It was connected to a walking path, which he was able to follow for a while. Coming to a place that was impassable, he quickly stopped the motorcycle and turned it off.

"Off. Now. Gotta hide this," he said, as he hurriedly swung his own leg over the seat. He began walking the bike over rougher terrain to a place behind a fallen tree where it could be hidden.

His instinct was right. Although we were in the midst of trees, the area was not densely wooded. The sky was clear tonight and the moon was bright. If it was Aaron driving the car and he came looking for us, light would easily reflect off the chrome and paint. Weevil moved as quietly as possible to use a few branches to further camouflage it from view.

I had removed my helmet and listened intently. I could see the car's headlights and knew that it was parked on the side of the road near the beginning of the path we had followed. I could hear rustling in the distance but wasn't sure what it was or if it was getting closer.

Moving over near Weevil, I pulled out my phone to check if there was any signal. There was, but it was weak. I turned off the ringer and quickly sent my Dad a text with a rough idea of our location, but simply said we needed roadside assistance. What good would it do to worry him more than he already would be?

Both Weevil and I had made the assumption that Aaron Echolls was driving the car. Soon, we knew that we were right.

We heard Aaron yelling: "Veronica, dear. Where are my tapes?"

Unsure if my dad would get the text in time to help us, I started to devise a plan as Weevil hid our helmets near the bike.

I whispered to him, "I'm going to hide the tapes … away from your bike … over there where there's more ground cover. Stay here or move back out toward the road – maybe you can get someone to stop and help."

He grabbed my upper arm, holding me still as he said, "Running and hiding is not really my thing, V."

I kissed him, hoping it would not be the last kiss we shared. Then, I pleaded with him, "Be smart. He probably has a gu—"

Just then, a single shot fired. Aaron called out maniacally, "Veronica. I'll let you go as soon as I have my tapes back."

I held a finger to my lips indicating to keep silent. Then, I pointed to myself and the direction I was headed. I moved as quietly as possible. Crouching down behind a cluster of bushes, I pulled the tapes from my messenger bag. My fingers bumped into something and I remembered that I had left a GPS tracker in there from a previous case. I put the tracker and the videotapes next to a fallen branch, using leaves and twigs to cover the items. Now, I wouldn't need to remember where I hid them – the tracker would lead me back.

Throughout this time, Aaron was still yelling: "Where are the tapes, Veronica?"

I found my way back to where Weevil had hidden his bike, but I couldn't see him anywhere in that area.

Aaron's voice was now coming from my right. Straight ahead, I could still see the headlights from his car. I decided to move toward the road. When he spoke again, it seemed that he was also moving toward the road on a path parallel to mine.

He continued taunting, probably seeing if he could provoke me to respond. "You know, Lilly never told me where the tapes were hidden either. I kinda think there's a cautionary tale in that, Veronica. Something like … I'm not going to let a seventeen-year-old piece of ass ruin my life," he said just as I reached the edge of the tree line along the road. He let out a laugh as he spotted my position, which must have been silhouetted by the lights. "There you are!"

As Aaron came running toward me, I saw a vehicle in the distance. I leapt into the middle of the road and tried to flag it down. As the truck began to slow down, I heard a thump and a scuffle to my left. I turned to see that Weevil had tackled Aaron just as he was coming out of the woods. During the scuffle, a gun had fired and then went flying. I went in search of it.

The two of them were exchanging punches and words. I couldn't hear everything they were saying, but I did hear Weevil saying something about the fact that he had also slept with Lilly. That seemed to escalate Aaron's anger, which had already reached the level of blind rage.

As the vehicle approached, its headlights helped me find the gun lying in the road. I picked it up and had it aimed at the two of them. I yelled to Weevil to get out of the way so I had a clear shot, but they continued to fight. And as they did, they bumped into me, knocking me to the ground and the gun from my hands.

By now, the driver had gotten out of the delivery truck. He picked up the gun, which he pointed at Weevil. The well-meaning Good Samaritan had recognized Aaron Echolls and assumed that he was the one who needed saving. Aaron backed away from Weevil, thanking the driver.

I jumped in front of Weevil and began yelling an explanation that he was pointing the gun at the wrong person. I managed to convince the driver to keep Aaron from leaving until the authorities arrived. I asked Weevil for his phone so that I could call 911 and had him stay on the line. Then, pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Duncan with a quick update and then my Dad, who was already on his way.

Dad's car approached from one direction as two cars from the Sheriff's Department came from the other. When Dad was trying to make sure that I was okay, I had to break free of his hold to explain to the deputies that they had cast the wrong person as the bad guy.

Again, I threw myself in front of Weevil and began to explain that he had been protecting me.

Lamb asked skeptically, "Let's assume for a second that I believe you … that Weevil Navarro was coming to your rescue. Why was he protecting you? And from what or who?"

"I found evidence that should move Aaron Echolls to the top of the suspect list in Lilly Kane's murder. He ran us off the road and came after me to get the evidence – I assume to destroy it. He had a gun … the one the driver was holding when you got here. Weevil was just trying to protect me from Mr. Echolls."

Lamb was watching both Aaron and Weevil as I talked. Weevil stood calmly, waiting for the situation to resolve. Aaron, on the other hand, was highly agitated and just wanted to get in his car and leave. Lamb's a bit slow, but not so dumb that he didn't pick up on who was acting guilty. He had the deputies restrain Aaron as he approached Weevil.

All business, Lamb said, "I need to frisk you and put you in cuffs 'til I can verify the gun is registered to Aaron."

Weevil's jaw was set as he said, "Fine, but you won't find my prints on it. Never even touched it."

I piped up, "But you will find mine. And the truck driver's. And Aaron's."

Lamb took in that information and continued talking to both Weevil and I. "I'll need statements from both of you. By the way, Veronica, where's this evidence?"

"I hid it in the woods when Aaron came after us." I turned to Dad. "I had a GPS tracker in my bag from another case. You'll find it with the videotapes that Duncan and I discovered. Weevil's motorcycle is in that same area behind a fallen tree."

There was a blur of activity while my Dad tracked down the tapes: Lamb checked on the gun registration, the deputies were taking statements, an ambulance showed up to check us out and clean us up, and rights were being read to Aaron. As the blur slowed to action I could clearly follow, Jake Kane pulled up to the scene with Duncan in the passenger seat. Lamb had to hold back Mr. Kane, who was yelling hysterically as the deputies were putting Mr. Echolls into the back of a squad car. Then, Lamb placed Mr. Kane under arrest for obstruction of justice.

I sat with Weevil while the paramedic, a woman about my mother's age, finished treating him. Aaron had fired a bullet just before the gun went flying and I picked it up. That bullet just barely grazed its intended target – Weevil. It had nicked his ear, requiring him to sit still long enough for the woman to clean the wound and put a bandage on his ear. Words could not begin to express my simultaneous joy and relief that Aaron's aim had not been more accurate.

At some point, I realized my father had been watching us. And I wondered how much he had seen. I was so happy that we were both relatively okay that I wasn't paying attention to how much affection Weevil and I were showing one another.

Weevil said he wanted to call to check on the situation with Logan on the bridge. I handed him his phone. Then, I walked over to where my Dad was standing.

Dad had apparently not missed a thing. "Based on recent observations … using my skills as an investigator, I'm gonna guess the two of you are dating." He sat down on the guard rail, indicating that I should have a seat while we talked.

"No, not dating. Not officially. Haven't been on a date."

In a tone that conveyed he was not completely surprised, he said, "You did tell me you were spending time together. How much time? For how long?" Dad asked calmly.

"Not long. You can look at my phone if you want – calls, texts." I handed it to him as I made the offer.

He accepted it hesitantly. Dad scrolled through the call log and nodded as he said, "Not as often as you used to talk to Duncan." Then, he skimmed through the messages and exhaled what I assumed was a sigh of relief that there was nothing X-rated.

Weevil walked over to us as Dad handed my phone back to me.

Looking up at him, I said simply, "Dad asked, so I told him … about us."

Taking my hand as he sat next to me, Weevil looked my Dad squarely in the eye. "I've been wanting to take her out … on a real date. But she wanted to talk to you first."

"It's been a long night. For the moment, let's just say … I'll consider it." Dad reached out to shake Weevil's hand. "Thanks for protecting her … again." He started to walk to his car, leaving us alone. After a few steps, he turned back to say, "Will you be needing need a ride, honey?"

Before I could answer, Weevil jumped in. "Yes, sir. She will." He turned to me with an explanation. "I need to go check on the guys."

"And Logan," I said with understanding. "Especially now." I turned back to my Dad. "Give me one minute? I need to take care of something."

I grabbed Weevil's hand and led him over to where Duncan had been standing. His dad's car was gone and I had to assume that he had driven it home.

"V, wanna tell me what we're doin'?"

"If they take Logan home, he will be alone, which is maybe not the best idea right now. I was hoping to catch Duncan to see if Logan can stay at his house tonight."

Weevil nodded as I called Duncan, who agreed with me. I handed my phone to Weevil so the two of them could work out the details.

He ended the call. "We'll take care of it."

"Thanks. Are you sure you're okay to drive?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, V. The nice paramedic lady cleared me – even gave me a lollipop since I was such a brave boy and didn't cry at all."

He pressed his lips to my forehead while a hand on the back of my head held me in place for one thoroughly delicious (yet much too brief) moment.

My voice was soft as I said, "Just be careful. Okay? And call me as soon as you can."

We walked hand in hand to Dad's car. Weevil opened the passenger door for me. Then, he went over to where his bike had been parked when they brought it out of the woods at the same time as the videotapes. He nodded at me just before he put his helmet on.

[

Dad and I were both quiet as he began the drive home. I can only guess what was going through his head, but as for me, I was trying to figure out how to tell him what had happened with Mom earlier in the evening.

Finally, I swallowed, took a deep breath, and plunged in. "Dad … there's something I need to tell you."

"Veronica, with everything that happened tonight and the inevitable media circus … if there's something else you think I need to know … about you and Weevil, can you … please, just save it for another day. I have too much on my mind right now."

"It's about Mom."

He groaned. "Oh yeah, add that to the list of things I have to deal with."

"Well, actually … I dealt with it."

He had just pulled into a parking space in front of our building. After abruptly turning off the car, he asked, "What does that mean?"

"While I was getting ready to go to the Kane house tonight, I pulled what I thought was a bottle of water out of the fridge. I wasn't paying attention to the fact that I grabbed Mom's." I continued explaining the events from earlier in the evening, right up to Weevil arriving and Mom leaving. "If I had to guess, she's already gone."

Rubbing the top of his head, he said, "Probably. I mean, she didn't even call me to try to get her version in before you could talk to me."

He turned the car back on and began to drive to the hotel. Indicating that I should stay in the car, he went in by himself. A few minutes later, he came walking toward the car folding a piece of paper that I guessed was a receipt for the room.

Holding the paper in his lap, he looked at me and confirmed, "Yep. She must have checked out right after she left the apartment." He reached over to take my hand. "I'm sorry, honey. Somehow, we both knew something was wrong, but at some level, we so badly wanted things to return to normal that we were willing to give it a shot."

"Obviously, I'm not happy about the way things turned out, but I know it's for the best." I looked straight ahead through the windshield of the car as he drove back down the street. "Now what? You file for divorce?"

Pulling up in front of our building, he said, "I'm not thinking that far ahead at the moment." He patted my hand to get me to look at him. "Will you be okay here for a while by yourself?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Dialing his phone, he said to me, "I think I should go over to talk to Alicia." Then, his attention was on the phone. He said to her, "I hope I didn't wake you. I wondered if we could finish the conversation from the other day. I have a story to tell you and I'm pretty sure you're gonna like how it ends."

She said something that had my Dad grinning. I kissed him on the cheek and started to open the car door. Before I could get out, he had said goodbye, ending his call.

He pulled me toward him in a one-armed hug and kissed my hair. "I'll try not to be too late."

I just smiled at him before I got out of the car. As I strolled down the walkway toward our apartment door, I was amazed at how much had changed in the past several hours. I locked the door behind me, dropped my bag next to my desk, and sat in the chair. I pulled out my phone to check messages – nothing new. I sent a text to Weevil letting him know that I had gotten home safely and asking how things were going.

After getting undressed, I put my clothes in the hamper. If we still lived in our house with our own washer and dryer, I'd probably start a load of wash, but since we now live in an apartment complex, that would have to wait for another day when I could use the laundry room.

Checking my phone again, there was still no reply. I set my phone on the counter in the bathroom before stepping into the shower.

It felt good to wash away the day. And what a day it had been. It might even merit a diary entry.

I toweled off and put on a tank top and pajama bottoms. Then, I looked at my phone – still nothing from Weevil. I grabbed my diary and a pen, laid down on my bed, and began to write.

May 6, 2005

To quote A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way …"

After a year and a half, Lilly's killer is finally behind bars. That's no small thing.

But I felt the loss all over again. Maybe more so this time, because not only was she really gone, but I would no longer have the investigation to keep her alive in my everyday life.

To top things off, I also lost Mom all over again.

They say that life won't give you more than you can handle. They say that difficulties build character. Well, for the record, I think I've got enough character – in fact, I don't think I can handle any more.

So, if you're there, God – it's me, Veronica. And I have request for what I'd like to wake up to tomorrow morning: an epoch of belief, a season of light, a spring of hope, with everything before me. Because I feel like after experiencing all the bad stuff on the Dickens checklist, I've earned something good. If it sweetens the pot, I'll even stop asking for a pony.

I tucked my diary under my pillow. Looking forward to a good night's sleep while still waiting for a reply from Weevil, I turned up the volume of my phone's ringtone and held onto it as I began to doze off.

At some point, Dad came home. I had a vague memory of him coming into my room and saying "I love you" as he kissed my forehead and straightened my blanket. I was alert enough to check my phone and notice the time on my clock, which was 1:33 a.m.

Falling back to sleep, I had a dream about Lilly. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We were on floating lounge chairs in a pool.

Lilly was saying strangely cryptic things, as if she was saying goodbye – the goodbye we never got to say. She concluded with: "Don't forget about me, Veronica."

What she was saying was unthinkable. "I could never," I replied.

Then, she was gone. And I was alone in the pool. Tears streamed down my face as I felt the pain hit me again.

Suddenly, I was awake. Honestly, I'm not sure what woke me – the intense ache I felt in my chest or the knock at our door.

I looked out through my bedroom doorway and down the hall toward the front door. I hadn't imagined it; there was someone standing there. Rubbing my eyes, I approached the door. Peeking out the window, I smiled as I began to unlock the deadbolt.

"I was hoping it would be you."

"Sorry to wake you, V. But when I finally texted you, I didn't get a reply. I know you said you were home safe, but after tonight, I needed to be sure."

I pulled him into a hug and then into the apartment.

Dad poked his head out of his room, gave a quick wave, and mumbled, "G'night," before disappearing again. The knocking and our voices must have woken him up, but he obviously didn't mind Weevil being here or he'd have said so. I took that as a good sign.

We sat on the couch and he told me what happened after we went separate directions a few hours ago.

When Felix got off the phone with Weevil, he had some difficulty getting the guys to believe what they were being asked to do: help Logan. They managed to talk Logan down from the railing of the bridge, took possession of his keys, and got him to listen to my message. It was a little more difficult to convince him to let one of them drive him home. In the end, Thumper punched Logan, knocking him out. After they got him buckled into the back seat, Felix drove the car toward the designated meeting place. They waited there until Weevil called to tell them to meet him at Duncan's house.

They handed off Logan and his keys to Duncan. By then, Logan was awake and able to walk, though not in a straight line. Duncan had thanked them for their help, even told Weevil he owed him.

I did a quick time calculation in my head and asked what had taken him so long. He explained that the guys were more than a little curious why they were given such a strange set of orders and then they saw the bandage on his ear. He told them the whole story – skipping over the part where he had been sleeping with Lilly before she was murdered and also avoiding his current relationship with me. The version they heard was one big elaborate favor exchange. One where they came out ahead – with Logan, Duncan, and I all owing them. They seemed to be okay with that scenario.

Weevil's expression changed as he paused before saying, "Felix knows me too well. When the others left, he said he knew there was something I left out. He wondered if I had just been helping you with the investigation because Lilly and I …" His voice trailed off.

"I'm guessing you told him about us."

"Yeah, but he wasn't surprised. He knew something was up because he kept seeing us together. Apparently, he's been watching us … you know, when we talk at your car or locker. Also, he heard my grandma asking me if I was seeing someone. Tonight, he finally put it together."

"And the others?"

"Not yet. I'll tell 'em soon."

We sat there for a while before Weevil said he should get going.

As he started to stand up, I grabbed his hand, looked up at him with pleading eyes, and said, "Please, stay."

His reply was wordless, but clear. Even though my father was just in the next room, he laid down on the couch and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest.

I'm not sure how long we laid there spooning before I asked sleepily, "Isn't it better, like this?"

"So much better," he answered as his hold on me became tighter.

"This is how it's supposed to be." A contented sigh escaped my lips. "You know how things are gonna be from now on, don't you?"

"Mmm." Weevil nuzzled my neck and whispered in my ear. "Just like this … Just like this."


A/N:

Two more chapters ... epilogue ... remainder of the school year.

Thank you so much for reading! Until next time …

~Jen

7 May 2017