"Go for gold."

"Is that how you normally answer the phone?"

"Logan?"

"Did I wake you?"

"Considering its ass o'clock in the morning, the answer should be obvious."

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't think about the time. Uh, is there a better time to talk?"

"You have me on the phone now, so...what do you want, Logan?"

Rustling of fabric – sheets? - echoed across the line as Logan cleared his throat a few times.

"Hey, lets play a fun game. I'm gonna ask you a question, and this time you answer me. What do you want, Logan?"

"I need your help."

"Am I your only hope?"

"Star Wars joke at ass o'clock in the morning? Really?"

"You called me, remember? You get what you get when you interrupt my beauty sleep." A pause. "And don't make a joke about that or I will hang up on you as I should've the instant you called."

Long silence. Then. "I'm surprised you answered."

"This is what I get for not checking the caller ID. The last time we saw one another, it wasn't exactly fun times at Ridgemont High for us."

It was an understatement understood by both.

"I called to apologize for what I said to you then. I, uh, wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind then."

"So I'm really not an interfering bitch with an inferiority complex who is jealous of people's happiness because I will never be able to keep a man with an attitude like mine?"

The words were scored into memory verbatim and often pondered whenever the latest date failed. Was he right?

"Uh, did I actually say that?"

"You know I have a near-eidetic memory."

"So...sorry."

"Wow, say that like you actually mean it and I'll believe you, Logan." Two deep breaths to hold onto calm. "Wait...is this about what I think its about?"

"Are you seriously going to make me say it?"

"It's like you don't even know me. Of course I am. Say it."

"Veronica, you were right."

Anger and pain was heavily threaded through the words, but for once it wasn't directed at her.

"I'm sorry, there was a lot of static on the line. Say it again."

"You heard me the first time."

"Man the static is worse, I can hardly hear you...what was that? Logan? Logan? Can you hear me?"

"You're so juvenile; Veronica Nicole Mars, you were right and I was wrong. Satisfied?"

"So you finally caught Lilly cheating, eh?" Okay, so she could've phrased that a little better, or, you know, been more sensitive about bringing it up.

The quality of the silence then reverberated with the past, conversations they'd had regarding Lilly's fidelity, and Logan's accusations of jealousy. Accusations that were true to a certain extent, though not for the reasons he'd listed. Trust Logan to be as expressive without talking as he was when he did.

"I'm calling because you may have been right about Lilly, but I can't be sure, so I need you to find out for me. Will you?"

Veronica closed her eyes against the press of tears and held her breath so she didn't betray her emotional response to the man on the phone. She'd hoped for a year to hear him admit what was obvious to everyone else, yet the moment was bittersweet because it meant the death of something Logan held very dear. More so than their friendship apparently when she brought her suspicions of Lilly's extracurricular activities to his attention the first time.

"You still there, Ronnie?"

"Yeah, yeah, just thinking about what my schedule is like right now. Kinda swamped at work, you know?"

"You know money is no object; you'll get more from me than any of your other clients." The repugnance he felt was clear in his voice. It wasn't anything new, however, as Logan had made it clear several times he didn't like the people she dealt with while running her own private eye agency. Her usual annoyance at his high-handedness didn't materialize as it had been a very long year since his abrupt exit from her life, and she savored hearing the familiar words. She was pathetic, really, but then she always was when it came to him.

Veronica banged her head against the wall a few times before continuing on.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Big Shot, I know. However, I do honor my obligations, so..." She winced at the unintended jab, and cursed herself for speaking without thinking.

Veronica had practiced what she would say in the event he ever deigned to speak to her again and this was not how it was supposed to go. In her fantasies she was cool, calm, and suave, dressed in something chic and form-fitting, hair perfectly coiffed, laugh a little disbelieving. They ran into one another on the street, Logan looking seedier than the last time they met, while she was healthier and prettier than she'd ever been in her life, watching with cool disdain as he begged for forgiveness. Instead, she was in a stained shirt, an old pair of boy panties, and ragged socks with a hole in the toe of the left foot while he sort of apologized and was trying to throw money at her to fix his problem. True he couldn't see her, but she knew she wasn't looking her best, and that made all the difference.

"You done yet? This isn't embarrassing enough without having you rub my nose in it?"

She sighed through her nose and refocused her attention. Regardless of her personal feelings about Logan and Lilly, this was business, something she was sorely in need of if she wanted to pay her bills. While part of her was appalled at taking money from a friend, the practical side slapped down any ideas of altruism and demanded she sell the bigger package.

"Well, we have two package options, depending on what exactly you're hoping for me to do."

"What do you mean?"

"The standard package includes garden-variety background check -"

"Which I don't need since I know who my girlfriend is and what's in her past."

"- or the premium package which includes tailing, photos -"

"I want that one."

"Uh, I didn't even finish what I was saying. Rude!"

"Veronica."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Mr. Moneybags. When do you want me to start?"

"Uh tonight?"

"Are you insane?"

Deep sigh. "Can I text you something I found on Lilly's phone?"

"Wait, is she there now?"

"No." The answer was succinct and laden with rage. No need for detective work to figure that one out, though it was incredibly stupid for Lilly to leave her phone lying around. Maybe she wanted to get caught?

"Okay, just forward me the texts, and don't forget to erase it from her phone otherwise you'll be having the conversation a lot sooner than expected."

Veronica wanted to ask why he didn't just ask Lilly about her infidelities, but Logan for all his brash personality was incredibly bad about personal confrontation. At least with Lilly, since he never refrained from it with Veronica. Growing up, they'd fought and made up so many times, her parents had whip-lash over when they were best friends and when they weren't. This year separation was the longest they'd been apart since they were six years old and put into different first grade classes.

"I really am sorry, Ronnie, I should've called you sooner under better circumstances. I've missed you in my life."

His deep voice rang with sincerity and Veronica believed him as much as she believed he meant what he screamed at her when she told him her suspicions about Lilly. Logan had never pulled any punches with her, and while he normally was much kinder with his observations, he also didn't lie to her. He really did think those things about her, and it hurt because it was during that fight she realized she more than loved him as a best friend. She loved him as a man and he didn't see her the same way. It was one of the reasons why she hadn't fought back or even tried to facilitate reconciliation as she normally did after one of their blow out fights.

"Yeah, okay, Logan. Send me the texts and I'll get started in the morning. Night."

Veronica clicked end to the conversation and laid back down in her bed, heart thrumming against her chest. It looked like her life was about to get very interesting.

A/N: So I'm going with the best friends in love trope because its one of my favorites, especially with Logan and Veronica. Keep in mind this is an AU so there will be many differences, especially with their childhoods. Also, thank you all for reading this story!