FIC: Damn, Damn the Circumstance (5/?)
Oct. 10th, 2006 11:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Title: Damn, Damn the Circumstance (5/?)
Author: invida
Characters: Logan, Veronica, Ensemble
Word Count: 5384
Rating: R
Spoilers: knowledge up to 2x22
Timeline: goes AU from the Pomroy party, and a few liberties are taken with the timing of certain events. See Author's Notes for more details.
Disclaimer: I know the law, and the law would win.
Summary: if Logan hadn't left with the easy freshman that night.
Previous Parts
Author: invida
Characters: Logan, Veronica, Ensemble
Word Count: 5384
Rating: R
Spoilers: knowledge up to 2x22
Timeline: goes AU from the Pomroy party, and a few liberties are taken with the timing of certain events. See Author's Notes for more details.
Disclaimer: I know the law, and the law would win.
Summary: if Logan hadn't left with the easy freshman that night.
Previous Parts
"What do you think you're doing?"
Logan already had a leg over the bench, so he sat down and ignored her rebuff. "I think I'm sitting down and having my lunch." He dropped a takeout bag onto the table.
Veronica shook her head. "You can't sit here."
He started opening up the bag and pulled cartons out. "You're saving these seats for someone in particular?"
"Yeah, Harvey," she said smugly.
"Who's Harvey?" He pushed her untouched cafeteria tray out of the way and put a carton in front of her.
"A white rabbit. Six feet tall."
He chuckled. So she'd watched the same late night movie the other night. Logan had watched it curled up on the couch with his head in his mother's lap as she tried to soothe the throbbing from another lesson from his dad. It was almost a tradition with them. He'd stumble down the stairs to find his mother waiting for him and she'd pat the sofa beside her. She'd already be on her third nightcap when she'd turn on a classic movie, and tell him about how she looked up to these old stars and whether she'd met them and what they were really like. These moments seemed to bring as much comfort to his mother as it did to him.
For Veronica, Logan guessed that her dad must be on another case. He remembered that when Keith Mars was sheriff, if he was ever on a call late at night, the next day Veronica would look like she hadn't slept. He could just imagine her snuggled up on her couch, illuminated by the flickering TV, alternately glancing at the clock then the phone with trepidation, trying to stay awake.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the image. "Cute. Well, I guess I walked right into that one."
"And you can walk right back out." She pointed in the direction from which he had just come.
He pulled out two pairs of chopsticks and placed one in front of her. "Harvey suggests you let me sit with you. He doesn't like to eat alone."
Her eyebrow quirked up realizing he'd referenced the movie right back to her. "That's 'drink' alone."
"I've got that too." He passed her a soda.
Veronica sighed. "Logan, I don't want you sitting here. People are going to talk."
"Don't you think it's too late for that, dumpling?" he asked as he started rifling through his cartoon of food.
"You've got no one but yourself to blame for that rumour. And don't call me that."
He smirked and placed a dumpling down on top of her carton of food. "Well, I'm not the one that said something to Caitlin. She won't even speak to me now, you know."
"Awww." She obnoxiously tilted her head at him. "Poor cockblocked Logan! Again, your fault for starting the rumour." She pushed the carton back towards him.
Where the hell did Veronica Mars learn a word like that? "You kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, we don't know where you're mother's been either, do we? Of course, with the amount she's been known to drink, she'd probably be like an antiseptic and would wash that mouth right out."
"Okay, then. We're done now." She stood up and began to pick up her tray.
His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could turn away. "Not so fast. We need to talk."
"You should have thought of that before insulting me. Let go." She tried to wriggle her arm out of his grip.
He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "No. Sit down."
"No! C'mon Logan! People are starting to stare."
"People were already staring. And they're going to stare all the more if you leave and I run after you, begging you to take me back at the top of my voice."
"You wouldn't."
"I started the rumour, didn't I? Try me." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
She grudgingly sat back down and he let go of her wrist. "What are your cronies going to think?" She waved towards the 09er tables, who were gawking at them in whispering bewilderment.
"This is only for a little while. If it keeps my cherry ass out of jail and in its pristine condition, I don't give a shit what they think."
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that imagery." She looked away when he caught her eye, but he'd still seen the blush that bloomed across her face.
"I don't like this any more than you do," he said in a low voice, "but think about it. If everyone thinks we're friends or something's going on between us, then they won't suspect what we're really working on."
"You mean your blackmailer? Does that mean he goes here?"
Logan closed his eyes briefly and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought you agreed not to ask me about that any more."
"No, I agreed to help you find Lilly's killer."
"Well, that's what we have to talk about. What have you done so far?"
"You and I have to get some things straight first."
"Shoot. And eat something, will ya?"
She took the dumpling he'd offered her earlier and popped it in her mouth before opening up the carton. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist the takeout for much longer.
"If I'm doing this," she said between mouthfuls, "you have to go along with whatever I find out and I'm going where the evidence leads me. Even if you don't like it. Got that?" she said, pointing at him with her chopsticks.
"You mean the Kanes."
She shrugged. "If the evidence fits --"
"Yeah. Okay."
She looked up from her container and blinked at him. "That's it? After weeks of attacking me about them, that's all you're going to say?"
Logan couldn't meet her questioning gaze, and instead he looked intently into his own carton. If they were going to get anywhere in trying to find Lilly's killer had to tell her what he knew. But how could he tell her something he didn't even understand? This was Duncan's secret and Logan promised him he wouldn't tell. Never mind the fact that he had no idea how Veronica was going to react something that might completely destroy her family.
But then again Beaver's threats about his alibi weren't going away.
"I was re-thinking what you said about evidence and the way they didn't help with the investigation and I remembered something."
She paused, about to shovel some noodles in her mouth. "Something about the Kanes or something about Lilly?"
"Both." He leaned in and she instinctively did the same. "At Shelly's party, Duncan was really wasted --"
"Wasted like 'Now I don't know my ABCs'?" Veronica asked.
Logan shook his head. "Worse. He was drugged."
Her eyes widened. "Like me?"
Logan nodded. "'Cept he didn't pass out. He was saying stuff. About Lilly. About a family secret."
"What secret?"
"He didn't say. Just that Lilly knew what it was."
Veronica's face went pale and her breathing became shallow. Logan actually worried she might pass out. "What?"
"The day --" She clutched his arm. "The day Lilly died, she told me she had a secret."
"What was it?"
"We got yelled at so she never told me. All she said was that it was a good one."
Fuck. He was hoping she would just dismiss his little revelation. He wanted this conversation to end right now and he wished to whatever higher power was listening for a distraction.
And as if on cue, some demon spawn from hell answered his prayer in the form of Duncan standing at the end of their table. Logan thought he imagined that audible gasps from the tables around them, as Duncan stared at Veronica and her hand still on Logan's arm. Then he narrowed his eyes at Logan, shook his head and walked away.
If Veronica was pale before, she was downright pasty now. The swirling whispers around them probably weren't helping. He stood up and pulled Veronica up with him.
"Let's go."
She vacantly grabbed her bag and followed him through the quad and back into the school. He led her into the empty journalism room. Logan searched around to make sure no one was hiding at any of the back terminals. He came back to Veronica who was still dazed and leaned against a desk in front of her.
"Veronica?" he asked tentatively, getting more worried with her lack of response.
She looked up at him and focused. "Duncan? Does he think --"
Logan shook his head. "No, I told him --"
"You told him?!"
"Not about that! Just about trying to help you. Your reputation."
"Yeah. Stellar job there." Good. Her sarcasm was back. At least he wasn't going to have to deal with a nauseated, or worse, a weepy Veronica Mars.
"I don't get what just happened out there. If he broke up with me, if he doesn't care, then --" She trailed off. She turned away lost in thought.
He honestly didn't know what was up with Duncan now. Logan thought Duncan understood what he was doing. He was about to try to get her mind back on his problem, when she turned around and asked, "Do you know why he broke up with me?"
Logan rolled his eyes. "Veronica, I'm not one of your gal pals. Save the girl talk for --" For who exactly? He was the only person who would talk to her now.
"No," she said before he could come up with a witty rejoinder. "I mean, do you know. 'Cause I don't."
"What do you mean you don't know? He broke up with you didn't he?"
"That's the thing. He didn't. Not officially. He just stopped talking to me one day and walked the other way whenever I even approached him. I've got no freakin' clue what I did or said. He must have told you. You're his best friend."
Logan had just assumed they'd had a fight. He'd kind of hoped it had been about her meddling with his relationship with Lilly. He was beginning to realize that he couldn't figure Duncan out as easily as he thought. "Whatever happened between you and him was none of my business. Just like whatever happened between Lilly and me should have been none of yours."
It took a moment for her to register understanding, but when she did she glared at him. "Oh please," she snapped. "Like if you hadn't seen me macking on -- I don't know -- Casey Gant, you wouldn't have run off and told Duncan, like right away? And give me a break. You knew Lilly was just looking for an excuse to dump you again. And you gave it to her! So even if I hadn't said anything, somebody else would have or she would've found another reason."
He seethed as she spoke. He pushed off the desk and towered over her. "Oh, like you didn't know she was seeing someone else already?" he yelled back.
She stepped back, astonished. "What are you talking about? Who?"
He stepped back into her space. "You tell me. You were her best friend."
Veronica shook her head. "No, there was no one," she said haltingly as if she was trying to reason it out as she spoke.
Logan turned from her in repugnance. "Don't act naïve, Veronica. It's not as cute as you think it is."
"I'm not. I -- why do you think there was someone else?"
"I dunno, because it was Lilly?" he asked sarcastically with a wave of his hand. Then he turned back to her and said more seriously, "Because this time when she broke up with me, it wasn't like any of the times before. She meant it. She wouldn't hear me out, even a few days later like she usually would."
"Do you think that might have been her secret? The one she was going to tell me?"
He pictured Lilly with her teasing eyes. It could have been a million things she tauntingly dangled in front of Veronica. He shrugged.
"I should write this down." Veronica sat down at one of the tables and pulled out a laptop. He watched in amazement as Veronica opened up flow charts, timelines and documents on each suspect.
"Where did you get all this?"
"I've been working on it for the last couple of days." He was stunned. She was really taking this seriously -- and doing a far better job than he ever expected.
She made a new suspect file called "Mystery Man" and bulleted all the information that Logan had just shared with her. Then she opened the Kanes' folder and typed in the rest of what they'd discussed.
"What now?" Logan asked when she finished.
"Two things," Veronica said. "One, we need to get a hold of Lilly's school records. We might be able to find out the family secret or who it was she was seeing, especially if she had trouble with him."
"How do you suggest we get that? Neither of us is exactly buddies with the principal's office."
She closed her laptop and slipped it back in her bag. "Ms James is holding follow-up grief counselling sessions this week. If she's going to talk to us about Lilly, she'll have her file there. You create a diversion during mine and I'll get a copy somehow."
"A diversion? Is this a wacky sitcom? How am I supposed to do that?"
"Improvise? Your parents are both actors. You haven't learned something from them?"
"I should hope to fucking Christ I haven't," he muttered. "What's the second thing?"
She moved to the classroom door. "I know my dad has a copy of the police reports on Lilly's case somewhere. They aren't at his office 'cause I've been through every cabinet and even the safe, so they've gotta be in my house."
"So?" he asked, following her to the door.
"So we're moving this weekend. You are going to come over to help and we'll figure out which box they're in."
He huffed. "You expect me to help you move to Trashistan?"
"I expect you to help me help you, jackass," she said as she exited the room. She didn't turn back to debate with him any further.
-----------
It turned out Logan was a better actor than he even gave himself credit for being. The next day, he had Rebecca James completely eating up the wounded, mourning teenager that interrupted Veronica's grief counselling session. At the time he and Veronica agreed upon, he walked into the office, insisted that it was his session time, that Veronica had butted in ahead of him, and threw a tantrum. When Ms James showed him he'd made a mistake, he broke down so convincingly even Veronica looked shocked. It scared him how easily he could do it and how real it felt to him.
Ms James took him outside the room to console him. He had to give Veronica at least ten minutes to photograph Lilly's entire file. When he figured Veronica had enough time, he said he was okay again, but Ms James made him promise to come to a few extra sessions with her. Then he asked Ms James if he could go back into her office and apologize to Veronica alone. She, of course, agreed and even told him she was proud of him.
He opened the door to find Veronica leaping back into her seat. "Got everything?" he asked, as he closed the door.
"Shit! You scared me! Yeah. I just finished -- barely. What are you doing in here?"
"All part of my act. I told Becky I'm apologizing to you."
"Yeah, that would have to be an act. I'll see you in chemistry. I have to endure the rest of my Chicken Soup for the Tormented Teen Soul now."
He walked out of the office with a nod to Ms James and went out to the quad to see who'd bought lunch that day. He went straight over to the 09er table where Dick, Beaver, Madison, and Sean were sitting and grabbed a slice of pizza. Their chatter became a murmur as he sat down with them. Greetings were exchanged and after a few moments, the conversation became lively again.
"Veronica not available today, Logan?"
The table hushed again in anticipation. Logan turned to face his inquisitor, "As a matter of fact, Beaver, she's got a grief counselling session with the Ms James. Is that okay with you?" All of Beaver's brazenness left him and he stared down at his own pizza.
Dick piped up. "Dude, what is up with you and that ho-bag? You're setting her up for something big, right?"
"She's my chemistry partner, remember? 'Cause you couldn't not be an ass for more than two seconds? I need her notes, what am I supposed to do? Not talk to her?"
Sean said, "Man, I'd fail that class if I had to be paired up with her."
"And did you, like, forget that she's Duncan's ex?" Madison asked Logan.
"Where is Kane anyway?" Dick asked.
"He's home sick. But get this. Carrie says that she heard Duncan was brought into the hospital last night going all mental and screaming Veronica's name," Madison said with delight. "Of course, it came from Carrie, so who knows if it's really true."
Logan suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.
"Dude, you don't wanna be around her if she's gonna fuck you up like that," Dick said, punching Logan in the arm. "God only knows what else you're gonna catch."
"You know what?" Logan threw his pizza on the table in frustration. "Veronica was my friend long before she and Duncan started going out. Okay? So if I wanna talk to her, then I'm gonna. Anybody else got a problem with that?" When no one answered, he stood up and started to walk away.
"Wow. She must have been really good at Shelly's party if you're so willing to defend her," Beaver called out.
He turned around and watched Dick give Beaver a thumbs up, whispering, "Nice one, little man." Beaver grinned back at him and then looked smugly at Logan.
Logan walked back up to him. "Well, Beav, that's something you will never, ever know, isn't it?"
Before Beaver could respond, the bell rang and Logan walked away, trying not to think about what just happened or what it meant.
In chemistry class, when Logan slipped into the seat beside Veronica, she turned to him and asked, "Do you know Eli Navarro?"
He frowned. "Yeah, Weevil. He's my housekeeper's grandson. And he's in that Mexican biker gang. What about him?"
"He was waiting to talk to Ms James when my session was over. How do you think he knew Lilly? I mean, other than you, me and Duncan, she didn't hang out with that many people from our grade."
Logan shrugged. "I guess they could have run into each other at my house any of the times he picked Mrs Navarro up. But, you know, he could just have been there to talk to Ms James about something else. I'm pretty sure he's no stranger to Becky's Tough Love schtick. "
Veronica nodded uneasily. "Yeah, probably. So are you coming over tomorrow night to help me or what?"
He held out his hands, bouncing them like a scale, "Let's see, sitting around playing Halo all night or helping you move to the wrong side of the tracks."
Veronica mimicked him. "Let's see, getting your stupid ass tossed in jail or doing something about it. Tomorrow's the only night we can do this because my dad's out of town and I told him I'd start moving stuff while he's away."
"What about your mom?"
"She probably won't be home either," she replied, looking away.
He tried not to notice the slump in her shoulders. "I'll be there."
----------
Duncan wasn't at school the next day either. Logan had left messages, texts, and e-mails for him and all had gone unanswered. Finally, at the end of the day, he relented and called the Kane residence and got Celeste on the phone.
"Duncan is unwell today and he can't take calls. He'll be at school next Monday. You may speak to him then. Thank you for calling, Logan."
"Wait, Mrs Kane! Could I drop by with his books and assignments this weekend?"
She sighed with irritation. "That's not necessary. We have someone from the school dropping that off today. Thank you." She hung up.
God, she was such a bitch. It was as if no one else in the world was allowed to care about anyone in her family. He flipped his phone shut and went to find Veronica at her locker. He was just rounding the corner, when he saw her pull Eli Navarro into the girls' washroom. Nothing good can come from this, he thought. He followed them in, holding the door gingerly so that it closed silently. He listened from behind the partition in the doorway.
Veronica started. "I know about you and Lilly."
Logan really hoped he'd heard her wrong.
"You don't know nothing, girl."
"Oh, I think I do." If he wasn't trying to eavesdrop, Logan would have laughed at Veronica and the bravado she was trying to exhibit with Weevil. "I know about the letters you sent Lilly."
"Letters? Do I look like I'm the letter-writing type?"
"Do you want me to repeat them? 'Cause I can. For the rest of your life, wherever you go, I'll always be there, just out of sight --"
"All right! All right. Where'd you get 'em from?"
Logan was trying to stay quiet, but after hearing Weevil's admission, he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Lilly was my best friend. You think she didn't tell me about it?"
Weevil laughed. "I know she didn't. She thought it was hilarious and oh so naughty that you especially didn't know." Logan could just picture Lilly's face as she laughed about everyone's ignorance. His anger was simmering, but he kept himself in check so he could hear the rest.
"Well, I know about them now."
"Yeah, so what?"
"They sound awfully threatening to me."
Weevil laughed again. "See, now I know you really don't know nothin'. 'Cause if you did, you woulda known I never could've hurt her -- ever."
"But you scared her."
"I wasn't trying to! I cared about her! Even after she went back to that scrawny-assed rich brat. She just misunderstood --"
"Misunderstood or underestimated?" Logan didn't know how Veronica was keeping her cool listening to Weevil slander Lilly. He was torn between wanting to throw up and wanting to throw the first punch.
"What do you think you're gonna get out of me? Even your Daddy cleared me. So you just stay the fuck away from me or --"
"Or what?" Logan stepped out from behind the partition.
Weevil looked back at Veronica, who looked just as surprised. "This a set-up?"
She shook her head. "No. I swear I didn't know he was here at all."
Weevil stared at her, gauging her sincerity, then took a step towards Logan. "You think you own all the pretty blonde girls in this school, doncha, Hollywood? Only difference between Lilly and her --" He pointed back at Veronica, "is this one you openly treat like shit. Get outta my way." Weevil bumped Logan with his shoulder on his way out the door.
Logan didn't react right away, still trying to shake off his shock. He moved to go after Weevil, but Veronica grabbed his arm and said, "Let him go." He looked down to find her glaring at him. "And thanks a lot. The only thing I got out of him is that he thinks I'm pretty."
"What did you expect me to do? He was threatening you."
She waved him off dismissively. "That was bluster and I can handle it." She moved to the door and peered out, making sure the coast was clear.
He followed her out of the washroom and they made their way to the parking lot. "Yeah, I'll remember that next time you decide to rumble with the Sharks. Why didn't you tell me about the letters when you asked me about him?"
"Because I didn't see them until last night when I was downloading the photos from my camera. I wanted to get his story before I told you and you went all neanderthal on him. How much did you hear?"
"Way more than I wanted to!" he yelled, kicking one of his tires. The pain radiating from his foot distracted him from the tightness in his chest and the static in his head.
"Are you okay?" Veronica asked quietly.
"No." He was breathing heavily. His feelings were the last thing that he wanted to discuss with her. "So what do you think?"
"I don't think he did it. I mean my dad cleared him. Let's just go and find the reports and then we'll know why he didn't think it was Weevil."
Logan followed her to her house. As Veronica predicted, no one was home. They set up a routine quickly where they'd go through one of Keith's boxes of files, then take it out to Logan's SUV with another box from another room so it didn't look like they'd only singled out the boxes from Keith's office.
Veronica was putting a box from another room out in the SUV when Logan heard stumbling around. He went out into the hallway and found Lianne Mars.
He was going to go back into the room, but she'd already spotted him.
"Is that you, Logan?"
"Uh, yeah. Hi, Mrs Mars."
"Are you here with Veronica?"
"Yeah, I offered to help her move some boxes to your new place. She's just out putting some more boxes in the car."
Lianne nodded. "I -- I didn't think you and Veronica were hanging out together anymore. It's nice to see you. I'm, uh, glad she's got some friends again. She's had a hard time since Lilly. And Duncan. You know, Duncan -- he was never right for Veronica."
Logan was uncomfortable with Lianne's ramblings until she mentioned Duncan. Maybe he could get an explanation out of her. "Well, I dunno, Mrs Mars. They were really in love. And I happen to know that Duncan's still hung up on her. I just don't get why they broke up."
"Mmmm. No. That can't happen. You should tell him it's just not right." She paused and looked like she was trying to get a bearing on her thoughts. She squinted at him and then grinned. "You know, you're a good boy, Logan. No matter what Keith says. I always liked you. If you wanna see Veronica, I've got no problem with that, 'kay?" She patted him on the shoulder.
"Mom!" Veronica yelled from the other end of the hall.
Lianne turned to face her furious daughter who was storming up to them. "Oh, hey baby. I was just telling Lo --"
"Oh God, Mom. Can you just -- look, go to bed, okay?" Veronica pulled her mother by the elbow and led her down the hall. Logan went back into the room to end the awkward situation, but he could still hear Veronica and her mother arguing.
"Hey, don't push me around, young lady! If I want to talk with your --"
"Mom, please! He's just my --" He heard her pause. "Friend." He wished he could have seen the look on Veronica's face when she said that.
They must have gone into another room because Logan couldn't hear them anymore. Veronica returned after a few minutes, unable to meet his eyes.
"I suppose you're loving this. Seeing my mother in all her drunken glory. So what nasty yet terribly witty remarks do you have for me?"
"Are you kidding me? Did you hear your mom? She said she likes me. I can't remember when someone else's parents actually liked me."
Veronica looked up at him in confusion. When all he did was grin at her, she shook her head. "You're beginning to worry me, Echolls."
"Um, do you remember my mother? So your mom was tipsy. At least she was clothed."
Veronica giggled. "Oh yeah. Not many moms wear a string bikini to their kid's birthday party."
"I had to spend the entire day hanging out with all the girls while all the boys followed her around."
"We tried to include you. Madison offered to give you a makeover. It wasn't our fault that you'd rather play GTA than find out if you're a spring or an autumn."
He laughed. "You were the only one who offered to play video games with me when I finally got fed up with you guys."
"Yeah, well that was a long time ago," she said, glancing away awkwardly. She sighed and said, "We should get back to work. Grab another box."
Logan nodded and walked over to the stack and looked at the label on the top one. "Oh-ho-ho! What do we have here?" He brought the box over to Veronica who was sitting back on the floor and let her read the label.
"Ugh! Playboys?"
"I think I've revised my opinion about your dad."
She grimaced. "So have I!"
"I'm sure he just reads them for the articles."
Logan started to take the lid off the box, when Veronica shouted, "Oh God! You're not going to open that are you?"
"You're the one who said we should be thorough. I'd hate to be accused of not pulling my weight."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you want to pull. If you're going to be pervy can you wait until I've left the room?"
He gestured to the door. "By all means."
She got up and headed out the door, saying, "I'm ordering take-out. Anything you want?"
"Whatever you're having. I'm sure I'll have an appetite when I'm through with this box," he said with a lascivious grin.
"You're disgusting," she called out, while walking away. "Just call me back when you're done being a total skeev."
Logan pulled the lid off and spun it around an axis on his fingertips, but was disappointed to find more files. As soon as he opened the first folder, he was greeted with a photo of Lilly's dead eyes and bloodied head. He threw the folder away from him as if it had stung him, but the photo fell out and stared back at him.
He felt tears prick at his eyes. He'd never seen Lilly like that. Even when the crime scene video was leaked, he refused to look at it. He told himself it was to remember her as she was. But he knew it was so that he really wouldn't have to deal with the fact that she was gone. As he stared, a sob involuntarily crept up his throat.
He picked up the photo and tidied up the folder. He made his way out to the kitchen, where Veronica was getting off the phone.
She turned with a grin. "Well, that didn't take long." When she saw his face and she quickly became concerned. "Logan, what's wrong?"
He handed her the file. "I think I've revised my opinion about your dad again."
She opened it up. "Oh my God." She looked up at Logan who must have been turning a shade of green because she went to get him a glass of water. While he drank, Veronica read over the file.
"According to this, my dad found holes in the Kanes' alibis. And there were discrepancies in the time of death. His notes about the evidence and footprints suggest that the killer knew the Kane estate..." She trailed off, trying to reason something out.
She turned back to Logan and said, "Your parents' big Christmas bash is coming up, right? Are the Kanes going?"
Logan nodded. "It's like their big announcement to the world that they're done mourning." He didn't know how anyone could ever be done mourning someone like Lilly Kane.
"Good. You're getting me in there."
Part 6
Logan already had a leg over the bench, so he sat down and ignored her rebuff. "I think I'm sitting down and having my lunch." He dropped a takeout bag onto the table.
Veronica shook her head. "You can't sit here."
He started opening up the bag and pulled cartons out. "You're saving these seats for someone in particular?"
"Yeah, Harvey," she said smugly.
"Who's Harvey?" He pushed her untouched cafeteria tray out of the way and put a carton in front of her.
"A white rabbit. Six feet tall."
He chuckled. So she'd watched the same late night movie the other night. Logan had watched it curled up on the couch with his head in his mother's lap as she tried to soothe the throbbing from another lesson from his dad. It was almost a tradition with them. He'd stumble down the stairs to find his mother waiting for him and she'd pat the sofa beside her. She'd already be on her third nightcap when she'd turn on a classic movie, and tell him about how she looked up to these old stars and whether she'd met them and what they were really like. These moments seemed to bring as much comfort to his mother as it did to him.
For Veronica, Logan guessed that her dad must be on another case. He remembered that when Keith Mars was sheriff, if he was ever on a call late at night, the next day Veronica would look like she hadn't slept. He could just imagine her snuggled up on her couch, illuminated by the flickering TV, alternately glancing at the clock then the phone with trepidation, trying to stay awake.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the image. "Cute. Well, I guess I walked right into that one."
"And you can walk right back out." She pointed in the direction from which he had just come.
He pulled out two pairs of chopsticks and placed one in front of her. "Harvey suggests you let me sit with you. He doesn't like to eat alone."
Her eyebrow quirked up realizing he'd referenced the movie right back to her. "That's 'drink' alone."
"I've got that too." He passed her a soda.
Veronica sighed. "Logan, I don't want you sitting here. People are going to talk."
"Don't you think it's too late for that, dumpling?" he asked as he started rifling through his cartoon of food.
"You've got no one but yourself to blame for that rumour. And don't call me that."
He smirked and placed a dumpling down on top of her carton of food. "Well, I'm not the one that said something to Caitlin. She won't even speak to me now, you know."
"Awww." She obnoxiously tilted her head at him. "Poor cockblocked Logan! Again, your fault for starting the rumour." She pushed the carton back towards him.
Where the hell did Veronica Mars learn a word like that? "You kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, we don't know where you're mother's been either, do we? Of course, with the amount she's been known to drink, she'd probably be like an antiseptic and would wash that mouth right out."
"Okay, then. We're done now." She stood up and began to pick up her tray.
His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could turn away. "Not so fast. We need to talk."
"You should have thought of that before insulting me. Let go." She tried to wriggle her arm out of his grip.
He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "No. Sit down."
"No! C'mon Logan! People are starting to stare."
"People were already staring. And they're going to stare all the more if you leave and I run after you, begging you to take me back at the top of my voice."
"You wouldn't."
"I started the rumour, didn't I? Try me." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
She grudgingly sat back down and he let go of her wrist. "What are your cronies going to think?" She waved towards the 09er tables, who were gawking at them in whispering bewilderment.
"This is only for a little while. If it keeps my cherry ass out of jail and in its pristine condition, I don't give a shit what they think."
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Thank you for that imagery." She looked away when he caught her eye, but he'd still seen the blush that bloomed across her face.
"I don't like this any more than you do," he said in a low voice, "but think about it. If everyone thinks we're friends or something's going on between us, then they won't suspect what we're really working on."
"You mean your blackmailer? Does that mean he goes here?"
Logan closed his eyes briefly and let out a frustrated sigh. "I thought you agreed not to ask me about that any more."
"No, I agreed to help you find Lilly's killer."
"Well, that's what we have to talk about. What have you done so far?"
"You and I have to get some things straight first."
"Shoot. And eat something, will ya?"
She took the dumpling he'd offered her earlier and popped it in her mouth before opening up the carton. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist the takeout for much longer.
"If I'm doing this," she said between mouthfuls, "you have to go along with whatever I find out and I'm going where the evidence leads me. Even if you don't like it. Got that?" she said, pointing at him with her chopsticks.
"You mean the Kanes."
She shrugged. "If the evidence fits --"
"Yeah. Okay."
She looked up from her container and blinked at him. "That's it? After weeks of attacking me about them, that's all you're going to say?"
Logan couldn't meet her questioning gaze, and instead he looked intently into his own carton. If they were going to get anywhere in trying to find Lilly's killer had to tell her what he knew. But how could he tell her something he didn't even understand? This was Duncan's secret and Logan promised him he wouldn't tell. Never mind the fact that he had no idea how Veronica was going to react something that might completely destroy her family.
But then again Beaver's threats about his alibi weren't going away.
"I was re-thinking what you said about evidence and the way they didn't help with the investigation and I remembered something."
She paused, about to shovel some noodles in her mouth. "Something about the Kanes or something about Lilly?"
"Both." He leaned in and she instinctively did the same. "At Shelly's party, Duncan was really wasted --"
"Wasted like 'Now I don't know my ABCs'?" Veronica asked.
Logan shook his head. "Worse. He was drugged."
Her eyes widened. "Like me?"
Logan nodded. "'Cept he didn't pass out. He was saying stuff. About Lilly. About a family secret."
"What secret?"
"He didn't say. Just that Lilly knew what it was."
Veronica's face went pale and her breathing became shallow. Logan actually worried she might pass out. "What?"
"The day --" She clutched his arm. "The day Lilly died, she told me she had a secret."
"What was it?"
"We got yelled at so she never told me. All she said was that it was a good one."
Fuck. He was hoping she would just dismiss his little revelation. He wanted this conversation to end right now and he wished to whatever higher power was listening for a distraction.
And as if on cue, some demon spawn from hell answered his prayer in the form of Duncan standing at the end of their table. Logan thought he imagined that audible gasps from the tables around them, as Duncan stared at Veronica and her hand still on Logan's arm. Then he narrowed his eyes at Logan, shook his head and walked away.
If Veronica was pale before, she was downright pasty now. The swirling whispers around them probably weren't helping. He stood up and pulled Veronica up with him.
"Let's go."
She vacantly grabbed her bag and followed him through the quad and back into the school. He led her into the empty journalism room. Logan searched around to make sure no one was hiding at any of the back terminals. He came back to Veronica who was still dazed and leaned against a desk in front of her.
"Veronica?" he asked tentatively, getting more worried with her lack of response.
She looked up at him and focused. "Duncan? Does he think --"
Logan shook his head. "No, I told him --"
"You told him?!"
"Not about that! Just about trying to help you. Your reputation."
"Yeah. Stellar job there." Good. Her sarcasm was back. At least he wasn't going to have to deal with a nauseated, or worse, a weepy Veronica Mars.
"I don't get what just happened out there. If he broke up with me, if he doesn't care, then --" She trailed off. She turned away lost in thought.
He honestly didn't know what was up with Duncan now. Logan thought Duncan understood what he was doing. He was about to try to get her mind back on his problem, when she turned around and asked, "Do you know why he broke up with me?"
Logan rolled his eyes. "Veronica, I'm not one of your gal pals. Save the girl talk for --" For who exactly? He was the only person who would talk to her now.
"No," she said before he could come up with a witty rejoinder. "I mean, do you know. 'Cause I don't."
"What do you mean you don't know? He broke up with you didn't he?"
"That's the thing. He didn't. Not officially. He just stopped talking to me one day and walked the other way whenever I even approached him. I've got no freakin' clue what I did or said. He must have told you. You're his best friend."
Logan had just assumed they'd had a fight. He'd kind of hoped it had been about her meddling with his relationship with Lilly. He was beginning to realize that he couldn't figure Duncan out as easily as he thought. "Whatever happened between you and him was none of my business. Just like whatever happened between Lilly and me should have been none of yours."
It took a moment for her to register understanding, but when she did she glared at him. "Oh please," she snapped. "Like if you hadn't seen me macking on -- I don't know -- Casey Gant, you wouldn't have run off and told Duncan, like right away? And give me a break. You knew Lilly was just looking for an excuse to dump you again. And you gave it to her! So even if I hadn't said anything, somebody else would have or she would've found another reason."
He seethed as she spoke. He pushed off the desk and towered over her. "Oh, like you didn't know she was seeing someone else already?" he yelled back.
She stepped back, astonished. "What are you talking about? Who?"
He stepped back into her space. "You tell me. You were her best friend."
Veronica shook her head. "No, there was no one," she said haltingly as if she was trying to reason it out as she spoke.
Logan turned from her in repugnance. "Don't act naïve, Veronica. It's not as cute as you think it is."
"I'm not. I -- why do you think there was someone else?"
"I dunno, because it was Lilly?" he asked sarcastically with a wave of his hand. Then he turned back to her and said more seriously, "Because this time when she broke up with me, it wasn't like any of the times before. She meant it. She wouldn't hear me out, even a few days later like she usually would."
"Do you think that might have been her secret? The one she was going to tell me?"
He pictured Lilly with her teasing eyes. It could have been a million things she tauntingly dangled in front of Veronica. He shrugged.
"I should write this down." Veronica sat down at one of the tables and pulled out a laptop. He watched in amazement as Veronica opened up flow charts, timelines and documents on each suspect.
"Where did you get all this?"
"I've been working on it for the last couple of days." He was stunned. She was really taking this seriously -- and doing a far better job than he ever expected.
She made a new suspect file called "Mystery Man" and bulleted all the information that Logan had just shared with her. Then she opened the Kanes' folder and typed in the rest of what they'd discussed.
"What now?" Logan asked when she finished.
"Two things," Veronica said. "One, we need to get a hold of Lilly's school records. We might be able to find out the family secret or who it was she was seeing, especially if she had trouble with him."
"How do you suggest we get that? Neither of us is exactly buddies with the principal's office."
She closed her laptop and slipped it back in her bag. "Ms James is holding follow-up grief counselling sessions this week. If she's going to talk to us about Lilly, she'll have her file there. You create a diversion during mine and I'll get a copy somehow."
"A diversion? Is this a wacky sitcom? How am I supposed to do that?"
"Improvise? Your parents are both actors. You haven't learned something from them?"
"I should hope to fucking Christ I haven't," he muttered. "What's the second thing?"
She moved to the classroom door. "I know my dad has a copy of the police reports on Lilly's case somewhere. They aren't at his office 'cause I've been through every cabinet and even the safe, so they've gotta be in my house."
"So?" he asked, following her to the door.
"So we're moving this weekend. You are going to come over to help and we'll figure out which box they're in."
He huffed. "You expect me to help you move to Trashistan?"
"I expect you to help me help you, jackass," she said as she exited the room. She didn't turn back to debate with him any further.
-----------
It turned out Logan was a better actor than he even gave himself credit for being. The next day, he had Rebecca James completely eating up the wounded, mourning teenager that interrupted Veronica's grief counselling session. At the time he and Veronica agreed upon, he walked into the office, insisted that it was his session time, that Veronica had butted in ahead of him, and threw a tantrum. When Ms James showed him he'd made a mistake, he broke down so convincingly even Veronica looked shocked. It scared him how easily he could do it and how real it felt to him.
Ms James took him outside the room to console him. He had to give Veronica at least ten minutes to photograph Lilly's entire file. When he figured Veronica had enough time, he said he was okay again, but Ms James made him promise to come to a few extra sessions with her. Then he asked Ms James if he could go back into her office and apologize to Veronica alone. She, of course, agreed and even told him she was proud of him.
He opened the door to find Veronica leaping back into her seat. "Got everything?" he asked, as he closed the door.
"Shit! You scared me! Yeah. I just finished -- barely. What are you doing in here?"
"All part of my act. I told Becky I'm apologizing to you."
"Yeah, that would have to be an act. I'll see you in chemistry. I have to endure the rest of my Chicken Soup for the Tormented Teen Soul now."
He walked out of the office with a nod to Ms James and went out to the quad to see who'd bought lunch that day. He went straight over to the 09er table where Dick, Beaver, Madison, and Sean were sitting and grabbed a slice of pizza. Their chatter became a murmur as he sat down with them. Greetings were exchanged and after a few moments, the conversation became lively again.
"Veronica not available today, Logan?"
The table hushed again in anticipation. Logan turned to face his inquisitor, "As a matter of fact, Beaver, she's got a grief counselling session with the Ms James. Is that okay with you?" All of Beaver's brazenness left him and he stared down at his own pizza.
Dick piped up. "Dude, what is up with you and that ho-bag? You're setting her up for something big, right?"
"She's my chemistry partner, remember? 'Cause you couldn't not be an ass for more than two seconds? I need her notes, what am I supposed to do? Not talk to her?"
Sean said, "Man, I'd fail that class if I had to be paired up with her."
"And did you, like, forget that she's Duncan's ex?" Madison asked Logan.
"Where is Kane anyway?" Dick asked.
"He's home sick. But get this. Carrie says that she heard Duncan was brought into the hospital last night going all mental and screaming Veronica's name," Madison said with delight. "Of course, it came from Carrie, so who knows if it's really true."
Logan suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore.
"Dude, you don't wanna be around her if she's gonna fuck you up like that," Dick said, punching Logan in the arm. "God only knows what else you're gonna catch."
"You know what?" Logan threw his pizza on the table in frustration. "Veronica was my friend long before she and Duncan started going out. Okay? So if I wanna talk to her, then I'm gonna. Anybody else got a problem with that?" When no one answered, he stood up and started to walk away.
"Wow. She must have been really good at Shelly's party if you're so willing to defend her," Beaver called out.
He turned around and watched Dick give Beaver a thumbs up, whispering, "Nice one, little man." Beaver grinned back at him and then looked smugly at Logan.
Logan walked back up to him. "Well, Beav, that's something you will never, ever know, isn't it?"
Before Beaver could respond, the bell rang and Logan walked away, trying not to think about what just happened or what it meant.
In chemistry class, when Logan slipped into the seat beside Veronica, she turned to him and asked, "Do you know Eli Navarro?"
He frowned. "Yeah, Weevil. He's my housekeeper's grandson. And he's in that Mexican biker gang. What about him?"
"He was waiting to talk to Ms James when my session was over. How do you think he knew Lilly? I mean, other than you, me and Duncan, she didn't hang out with that many people from our grade."
Logan shrugged. "I guess they could have run into each other at my house any of the times he picked Mrs Navarro up. But, you know, he could just have been there to talk to Ms James about something else. I'm pretty sure he's no stranger to Becky's Tough Love schtick. "
Veronica nodded uneasily. "Yeah, probably. So are you coming over tomorrow night to help me or what?"
He held out his hands, bouncing them like a scale, "Let's see, sitting around playing Halo all night or helping you move to the wrong side of the tracks."
Veronica mimicked him. "Let's see, getting your stupid ass tossed in jail or doing something about it. Tomorrow's the only night we can do this because my dad's out of town and I told him I'd start moving stuff while he's away."
"What about your mom?"
"She probably won't be home either," she replied, looking away.
He tried not to notice the slump in her shoulders. "I'll be there."
----------
Duncan wasn't at school the next day either. Logan had left messages, texts, and e-mails for him and all had gone unanswered. Finally, at the end of the day, he relented and called the Kane residence and got Celeste on the phone.
"Duncan is unwell today and he can't take calls. He'll be at school next Monday. You may speak to him then. Thank you for calling, Logan."
"Wait, Mrs Kane! Could I drop by with his books and assignments this weekend?"
She sighed with irritation. "That's not necessary. We have someone from the school dropping that off today. Thank you." She hung up.
God, she was such a bitch. It was as if no one else in the world was allowed to care about anyone in her family. He flipped his phone shut and went to find Veronica at her locker. He was just rounding the corner, when he saw her pull Eli Navarro into the girls' washroom. Nothing good can come from this, he thought. He followed them in, holding the door gingerly so that it closed silently. He listened from behind the partition in the doorway.
Veronica started. "I know about you and Lilly."
Logan really hoped he'd heard her wrong.
"You don't know nothing, girl."
"Oh, I think I do." If he wasn't trying to eavesdrop, Logan would have laughed at Veronica and the bravado she was trying to exhibit with Weevil. "I know about the letters you sent Lilly."
"Letters? Do I look like I'm the letter-writing type?"
"Do you want me to repeat them? 'Cause I can. For the rest of your life, wherever you go, I'll always be there, just out of sight --"
"All right! All right. Where'd you get 'em from?"
Logan was trying to stay quiet, but after hearing Weevil's admission, he suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Lilly was my best friend. You think she didn't tell me about it?"
Weevil laughed. "I know she didn't. She thought it was hilarious and oh so naughty that you especially didn't know." Logan could just picture Lilly's face as she laughed about everyone's ignorance. His anger was simmering, but he kept himself in check so he could hear the rest.
"Well, I know about them now."
"Yeah, so what?"
"They sound awfully threatening to me."
Weevil laughed again. "See, now I know you really don't know nothin'. 'Cause if you did, you woulda known I never could've hurt her -- ever."
"But you scared her."
"I wasn't trying to! I cared about her! Even after she went back to that scrawny-assed rich brat. She just misunderstood --"
"Misunderstood or underestimated?" Logan didn't know how Veronica was keeping her cool listening to Weevil slander Lilly. He was torn between wanting to throw up and wanting to throw the first punch.
"What do you think you're gonna get out of me? Even your Daddy cleared me. So you just stay the fuck away from me or --"
"Or what?" Logan stepped out from behind the partition.
Weevil looked back at Veronica, who looked just as surprised. "This a set-up?"
She shook her head. "No. I swear I didn't know he was here at all."
Weevil stared at her, gauging her sincerity, then took a step towards Logan. "You think you own all the pretty blonde girls in this school, doncha, Hollywood? Only difference between Lilly and her --" He pointed back at Veronica, "is this one you openly treat like shit. Get outta my way." Weevil bumped Logan with his shoulder on his way out the door.
Logan didn't react right away, still trying to shake off his shock. He moved to go after Weevil, but Veronica grabbed his arm and said, "Let him go." He looked down to find her glaring at him. "And thanks a lot. The only thing I got out of him is that he thinks I'm pretty."
"What did you expect me to do? He was threatening you."
She waved him off dismissively. "That was bluster and I can handle it." She moved to the door and peered out, making sure the coast was clear.
He followed her out of the washroom and they made their way to the parking lot. "Yeah, I'll remember that next time you decide to rumble with the Sharks. Why didn't you tell me about the letters when you asked me about him?"
"Because I didn't see them until last night when I was downloading the photos from my camera. I wanted to get his story before I told you and you went all neanderthal on him. How much did you hear?"
"Way more than I wanted to!" he yelled, kicking one of his tires. The pain radiating from his foot distracted him from the tightness in his chest and the static in his head.
"Are you okay?" Veronica asked quietly.
"No." He was breathing heavily. His feelings were the last thing that he wanted to discuss with her. "So what do you think?"
"I don't think he did it. I mean my dad cleared him. Let's just go and find the reports and then we'll know why he didn't think it was Weevil."
Logan followed her to her house. As Veronica predicted, no one was home. They set up a routine quickly where they'd go through one of Keith's boxes of files, then take it out to Logan's SUV with another box from another room so it didn't look like they'd only singled out the boxes from Keith's office.
Veronica was putting a box from another room out in the SUV when Logan heard stumbling around. He went out into the hallway and found Lianne Mars.
He was going to go back into the room, but she'd already spotted him.
"Is that you, Logan?"
"Uh, yeah. Hi, Mrs Mars."
"Are you here with Veronica?"
"Yeah, I offered to help her move some boxes to your new place. She's just out putting some more boxes in the car."
Lianne nodded. "I -- I didn't think you and Veronica were hanging out together anymore. It's nice to see you. I'm, uh, glad she's got some friends again. She's had a hard time since Lilly. And Duncan. You know, Duncan -- he was never right for Veronica."
Logan was uncomfortable with Lianne's ramblings until she mentioned Duncan. Maybe he could get an explanation out of her. "Well, I dunno, Mrs Mars. They were really in love. And I happen to know that Duncan's still hung up on her. I just don't get why they broke up."
"Mmmm. No. That can't happen. You should tell him it's just not right." She paused and looked like she was trying to get a bearing on her thoughts. She squinted at him and then grinned. "You know, you're a good boy, Logan. No matter what Keith says. I always liked you. If you wanna see Veronica, I've got no problem with that, 'kay?" She patted him on the shoulder.
"Mom!" Veronica yelled from the other end of the hall.
Lianne turned to face her furious daughter who was storming up to them. "Oh, hey baby. I was just telling Lo --"
"Oh God, Mom. Can you just -- look, go to bed, okay?" Veronica pulled her mother by the elbow and led her down the hall. Logan went back into the room to end the awkward situation, but he could still hear Veronica and her mother arguing.
"Hey, don't push me around, young lady! If I want to talk with your --"
"Mom, please! He's just my --" He heard her pause. "Friend." He wished he could have seen the look on Veronica's face when she said that.
They must have gone into another room because Logan couldn't hear them anymore. Veronica returned after a few minutes, unable to meet his eyes.
"I suppose you're loving this. Seeing my mother in all her drunken glory. So what nasty yet terribly witty remarks do you have for me?"
"Are you kidding me? Did you hear your mom? She said she likes me. I can't remember when someone else's parents actually liked me."
Veronica looked up at him in confusion. When all he did was grin at her, she shook her head. "You're beginning to worry me, Echolls."
"Um, do you remember my mother? So your mom was tipsy. At least she was clothed."
Veronica giggled. "Oh yeah. Not many moms wear a string bikini to their kid's birthday party."
"I had to spend the entire day hanging out with all the girls while all the boys followed her around."
"We tried to include you. Madison offered to give you a makeover. It wasn't our fault that you'd rather play GTA than find out if you're a spring or an autumn."
He laughed. "You were the only one who offered to play video games with me when I finally got fed up with you guys."
"Yeah, well that was a long time ago," she said, glancing away awkwardly. She sighed and said, "We should get back to work. Grab another box."
Logan nodded and walked over to the stack and looked at the label on the top one. "Oh-ho-ho! What do we have here?" He brought the box over to Veronica who was sitting back on the floor and let her read the label.
"Ugh! Playboys?"
"I think I've revised my opinion about your dad."
She grimaced. "So have I!"
"I'm sure he just reads them for the articles."
Logan started to take the lid off the box, when Veronica shouted, "Oh God! You're not going to open that are you?"
"You're the one who said we should be thorough. I'd hate to be accused of not pulling my weight."
"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you want to pull. If you're going to be pervy can you wait until I've left the room?"
He gestured to the door. "By all means."
She got up and headed out the door, saying, "I'm ordering take-out. Anything you want?"
"Whatever you're having. I'm sure I'll have an appetite when I'm through with this box," he said with a lascivious grin.
"You're disgusting," she called out, while walking away. "Just call me back when you're done being a total skeev."
Logan pulled the lid off and spun it around an axis on his fingertips, but was disappointed to find more files. As soon as he opened the first folder, he was greeted with a photo of Lilly's dead eyes and bloodied head. He threw the folder away from him as if it had stung him, but the photo fell out and stared back at him.
He felt tears prick at his eyes. He'd never seen Lilly like that. Even when the crime scene video was leaked, he refused to look at it. He told himself it was to remember her as she was. But he knew it was so that he really wouldn't have to deal with the fact that she was gone. As he stared, a sob involuntarily crept up his throat.
He picked up the photo and tidied up the folder. He made his way out to the kitchen, where Veronica was getting off the phone.
She turned with a grin. "Well, that didn't take long." When she saw his face and she quickly became concerned. "Logan, what's wrong?"
He handed her the file. "I think I've revised my opinion about your dad again."
She opened it up. "Oh my God." She looked up at Logan who must have been turning a shade of green because she went to get him a glass of water. While he drank, Veronica read over the file.
"According to this, my dad found holes in the Kanes' alibis. And there were discrepancies in the time of death. His notes about the evidence and footprints suggest that the killer knew the Kane estate..." She trailed off, trying to reason something out.
She turned back to Logan and said, "Your parents' big Christmas bash is coming up, right? Are the Kanes going?"
Logan nodded. "It's like their big announcement to the world that they're done mourning." He didn't know how anyone could ever be done mourning someone like Lilly Kane.
"Good. You're getting me in there."
Part 6
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Date: 2006-10-11 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 01:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 04:54 am (UTC)It's not often we see fics with a great plot, awesome characterization and decent pacing. You've got me on pins and needles. :D
Favorite part: "You know what?" Logan threw his pizza on the table in frustration. "Veronica was my friend long before she and Duncan started going out. Okay? So if I wanna talk to her, then I'm gonna. Anybody else got a problem with that?" When no one answered, he stood up and started to walk away.
"Wow. She must have been really good at Shelly's party if you're so willing to defend her," Beaver called out.
He turned around and watched Dick give Beaver a thumbs up, whispering, "Nice one, little man." Beaver grinned back at him and then looked smugly at Logan.
Logan walked back up to him. "Well, Beav, that's something you will never, ever know, isn't it?"
This whole exchange was just masterful. More, please. *twinks*
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Date: 2006-10-11 02:03 pm (UTC)This is so flattering! I'm thrilled you're enjoying it so much!
More, please. *twinks*
More is being written. Thanks for the encouragement!
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Date: 2006-10-11 05:00 am (UTC)i LOVE this chapter. and i'm glad they're starting to regain they're friendship.. and i'm glad that it's very tentative and awkward... i love this story. sigh. :D
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Date: 2006-10-11 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:05 pm (UTC)Thanks for continuing to read! I appreciate your feedback and the encouragement!
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Date: 2006-10-11 05:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 07:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 07:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 07:47 am (UTC)The way you have LV being very cautious around each other is amazing, and the changes in canon are just wonderful to put together something totally new and exciting.
Hopefully there's more soon, as I always enjoy reading your work.
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Date: 2006-10-11 02:48 pm (UTC)::blush:: Thanks very much!
As for more, yes. As for soon, um...maybe? :)
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Date: 2006-10-11 01:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 02:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-11 05:53 pm (UTC)Yay, another chapter!! This totally made my day.
You're doing such a great job with this. I love how you're developing their relationship, particularly from Logan's perspective. It seems like his insults now are more about an unwillingness to admit to himself that he cares about Veronica, like a defense against whatever feelings he has for her. Almost as if he's only comfortable pissing her off because that's how he can deal with her.
I can't wait to read more!
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Date: 2006-10-12 03:47 am (UTC)I really like this idea. Thanks for the kind comments!
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Date: 2006-10-11 06:00 pm (UTC)This is so very awesome! I love that Logan get to be the hero, love that he's actually trying to be good. I I love Veronica trying to resist him, but failing *lol* The scene with Beaver in the first chap is my absolute fav, it's so good, you've managed to make Beaver so creepy, yet still the little scared boy he is. I'm impressed.
I'm really looking forward to reading more of this fic. You got me hooked now. :D
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Date: 2006-10-12 03:49 am (UTC)Heh! Where are your priorities?? :)
you've managed to make Beaver so creepy, yet still the little scared boy he is.
Thanks! I was hoping this would come across.
And thanks for reading and commenting.
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Date: 2006-10-11 11:35 pm (UTC)I'm so giddy about this fic. This is TOTALLY the way it should have gone down. Also, I love how creepy you've made Beaver. And brownie point for including the whole cast, because we cannot forget Carrie Bishop (dude, she was on House as a blonde and it totally freaked me out).
cheers.
--Lex
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Date: 2006-10-12 03:54 am (UTC)Ooo! A brownie point and I made you giddy!
dude, she was on House as a blonde and it totally freaked me out
I didn't even recognize her until I looked her up on IMDb. She looked waaay younger as a blonde.
Thanks for the very kind comments!
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Date: 2006-10-12 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-12 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-28 08:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-29 06:51 am (UTC)