Anthology, Part V, Chapter 9
V. Head First
Summary: Everyone's acting a little strangely in Neptune these days...
Categories: Veronica, Logan, Other Character
Genre: Angst, Drama, General, Mystery, Romance
Rating: PG-13 (for language)
Characters: Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars, Casey Gant, Leo D'Amato
Author's Notes: Damn, this took a long time for me to write. Not sure what's up with that. Or with this chapter, for that matter. Things seem a bit off in Neptune, but I'm posting this anyway, with a promise that things will all work out soon. In the mean time try not to be too hard on Casey. Many thanks to hokeysmoke for the quick beta. The long wait for this chapter was in no way her fault!
Disclaimer: Most of the charaters and locations don't belong to me (although they did give birth to mine!)
Chapter 9 - Confrontations and Complications
(This is a phenomenally bad idea.)
Logan paid no attention to the voice in his head as he pushed open the door and walked in to the reception area.
“Can I help you, Sir?” a young brunette at the desk asked.
(Not freaking likely. I think I’m beyond help at this point.)
“I need to see Mr. Gant.” Logan couldn’t think of a single good reason for being here at Gant publishing. He was positive nothing good would come of this little visit, but here he was, none the less.
“Do you have an appointment?” Casey’s secretary eyed him haughtily.
(You know darn well I don’t.)
“No, as a matter of fact I don’t,” Logan pasted on a winning smile, “but he’ll want to see me. We’re old school friends.”
Her lips narrowed into a skeptical line. “I’ll have to check with Mr. Gant.”
(You do that.)
“Your name?”
“Echolls. Logan Echolls.” Her eyebrow cocked interestedly, bringing a wry twist to Logan’s grin. “Yes, that Echolls.” As she talked quietly over the phone, presumably with Casey, Logan took a look around the reception area. He grudgingly admitted that it was a pretty impressive set-up, not that he would ever voice his observation out loud.
“Mr. Echolls?” Logan turned as the secretary’s voice rose slightly. “Mr. Gant will see you now.”
Logan shot the woman a smug look as he entered the inner office.
“So,” Logan found himself blurting out as he closed the door behind him, “what’s the deal with you and Veronica?”
To his credit, Casey appeared unaffected by Logan’s abrupt greeting. “It’s nice to see you too, Logan.”
Logan waved away the other man’s sarcasm. “Just answer the question, Gant.”
“Sit down, Logan,” Casey sighed, indicating the chair across from his desk, “We aren’t teenagers anymore, so let’s try discussing this like adults, all right.”
Logan shot him an irritated look as he sank into the chair. Casey leaned back tiredly in his own chair, and Logan took the brief moment to size up his competition. To his disappointment Casey Gant looked pretty good. His hair was shorter and neater than it had been in high school. Logan couldn’t even enjoy the hint of grey at his temples; instead of making him look old it only made him seem distinguished. Logan wouldn’t be surprised if there was a company gym on the property either; Casey was just as fit, if not fitter than he had been as a teen.
“So, what’s this little surprise visit all about?” Casey’s question brought Logan’s eyes up to meet his.
“You and Veronica,” Logan found himself blurting out again, “what’s the story? Are you dating or is it more serious than that?”
(Oh, that was smooth.)
Casey nodded as if pondering Logan’s words. “You sure have a lot of questions. Maybe you could answer one for me first.” He fixed Logan with a shrewd gaze. “How is my relationship with Veronica any business of yours?”
Logan ran his fingers through his hair, not sure if he was more irritated with Gant or with himself and his irrational behavior. He exhaled loudly, glaring across the desk. “Well, it’s not, I guess,” he grudgingly admitted, “but Veronica is important to me. I just need to know that you’re treating her right.”
There was no humor in Casey’s laugh. “She’s so important to you that you haven’t seen or talked to her in more than fifteen years?” Casey continued without waiting for a response, for which Logan was grateful; he wasn’t entirely sure how he would have responded. “Sorry, but I don’t think you have any right to question my intentions. If anything, maybe I should be questioning yours. So, what exactly did you intend to accomplish by bursting here into my office, Logan?”
It was an excellent question. Logan wished he had asked it of himself before he headed out on this fool’s errand. It would have spared them both this headache. “I don’t know,” Logan knew he should stop there before he made an even bigger fool of himself, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. “Why aren’t you two married? This would be so much easier if she were off-limits.”
“Just because we’re not married doesn’t mean she’s not off-limits,” Logan thought he heard the first hint of anger in Casey’s voice and he couldn’t help feeling a little bit triumphant. “We’ve been dating for more than ten years. That’s not exactly what I’d call a fling, you know.”
“Ten years? And still not married? What’s the matter?” Logan couldn’t help baiting him. “Commitment issues?”
“Hardly,” Casey’s professionalism was slipping, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I have brought up the idea of marriage. Veronica is the one against the idea. You can’t really blame her for it. She makes a very comfortable living by documenting the infidelity of others. So many bad examples don’t really paint a rosy view of wedded bliss. But it doesn’t matter. We don’t need a piece of paper to show we’re committed to each other. I love Veronica. She loves me. That’s all that matters.”
Just hearing the words made Logan’s chest hurt a bit, and he struggled to hide his discomfort. “She told you that, huh?” ‘Love’ was not a four-lettered word that Logan remembered falling easily from Veronica’s lips.
“More than once, even,” Casey’s answer held no triumph, although Logan thought he could hear a trace of sympathy. “Now, Logan, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” He nodded towards the door.
Logan couldn’t think of any reason to stay. Hell, he hadn’t even had a good reason for coming. “Sure thing,” Logan tried to put on his most confident smirk as he left the office. “See you around.”
*****
Steven slumped down in his desk at the back of the classroom. Up front Mrs. Ford was droning on about sines, cosines, and tangents but he was too busy staring at the tiny blonde in the front row to pay much attention. He had already covered all this back in Colorado anyway. He was finding this to be the case in most of his classes. And while this did make his workload rather easy he was finding it all less than stimulating. He had way too much free time to spend obsessing over Angelica Mars.
He had arrived at school on Monday with the intention of talking to her again. He had lingered in the hallway where her locker was located hoping to corner her. She had proved to be a slippery sort though, and all he had accomplished over the week was to amass a ridiculously large number of tardy slips. His excuse of being new and unfamiliar with the school helped to make them disappear. Steven had not been as lucky in making Angelica reappear.
Unable to garner any firsthand knowledge he had instead spent the majority of his week gathering information from other sources. He had learned that she was an only child. She lived with her mother. Rumor had it that her father had been an ex-gang member, although there seemed to be some skepticism on that point. Either way, the guy in question, Eli Navarro, had died before she was born. She was known to be somewhat of an amateur detective, apparently following in her mother’s footsteps. She seemed to have surprisingly few female friends, but was a little too popular (in Steven’s opinion) with the male population of Neptune High. In his investigations he had encountered as many as ten guys who claimed to know her in more than just a casual way, although when pressed each admitted they had fallen short of their desired goal. The majority of the insinuations amounted to no more than encounters during “spin the bottle,” “seven minutes in heaven,” or “truth or dare.” Rick’s one legitimate attempt had fallen short of completion. Steven was intrigued by this knowledge. The girl he met on the beach had seemed eager to “seal the deal” as it were. He wondered if she would have stopped it if he hadn’t. Was she really a tease as some of the guys he talked to had alluded?
Rick seemed to think otherwise. He reckoned that all those encounters ended due to outside interference, much as his had. “I’m pretty sure Angel is more than just talk,” he had reassured him over lunch earlier that day, “but it’s hard to perform when you’re under constant surveillance. Believe me, I found that out firsthand.” Steven nodded in commiseration, the memory of being hauled in to the station in nothing but dripping board shorts still fresh in his mind. “Besides, I’d be willing to bet she’s not a virgin.” He grinned as Steven’s eyebrows shot up in inquiry, “She’s way too skilled with her hands.”
Now he watched the hands in question as they toyed with her hair, wrapping and unwrapping the strands around her fingers. He was reminded of the feel of those same fingers tracing the scars on his back. The memory brought with it other pleasant but unwanted feelings, and Steven shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked up at the clock; ten minutes before the end of class. Angelica sat right by the door. He knew from experience that he’d never be able to catch her in the crowded hallways once the bell rang. Sudden inspiration hit, and he gathered his belongings together quickly before striding up to the front of the class to address his startled teacher.
“Can I help you, Mr. Echolls?” Mrs. Ford studied Steven with suspicious eyes.
“Yes actually,” he smiled graciously at her. “I just remembered I have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon. If I don’t leave now I’m going to miss it, and that won’t make my dad very happy. He went to a lot of trouble to set it up.” Steven rubbed his thumb and fingers together, indicating the monetary form his father’s ‘troubles’ had taken.
“Do you have a pass?” Mrs. Ford’s expression remained suspicious; no doubt she had heard just about every excuse in her many years of teaching.
“Well…no,” Steven tried for his most endearing look, “I guess I haven’t really gotten the hang of things around here yet.” He frowned sadly, “But I really can’t miss this appointment. It’s with my therapist,” he added conspiratorially. “She’s helping me deal with my mother’s death. I’m afraid I’m not handling it very well…”
Once free of Mrs. Ford’s watchful eye, Steven detoured away from the office and made his way out to the parking lot. He found the car that Rick had pointed out as Angelica’s and settled himself against the hood to wait. It wasn’t long before he spotted her tiny blonde figure moving toward him.
She stopped a couple of car lengths away, finally spotting him. She sighed loudly, her arms crossed in front of her in annoyance. “I thought you had an appointment to go to. You should be ashamed of yourself, using your dead mother as an excuse to get out of class early just so you can what? Stalk me? That’s low.”
Steven scowled back at her. “I wouldn’t have to stalk you if you’d quit avoiding me,” he accused. “What goes? One minute you can’t keep your hands off me and the next you won’t even talk to me? Do you have some sort of mental problem or are you just the world’s most sadistic tease?”
Angelica glared back at him. “I really don’t have time for this,” she exhaled loudly, “It’s complicated, OK? You know, you’re not the only one who’s got family issues.”
“What are you talking about?” Steven’s voice was almost a yell. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Talk to me! Let me help you.”
She stole a glance at her watch. “Crap! I’m late! Can we just do this some other time?” She ducked around him, heading towards her car. As she fumbled for her keys she dropped her book bag, spilling the contents. She tried to shove everything back in before Steven got a close look at it but he was too quick.
“What is all this?” He held up the baggies clutched in his hand. “Are these used toothbrushes?”
“It’s for a biology project,” she muttered as she snatched the items in question from his hand. She was thankful he hadn’t noticed the sock.
“Angelica,” his eyes narrowed, “I’m in your biology class. I don’t remember any assignment-“
“Extra credit,” she lied exasperatedly. “I promise,” she told him earnestly as she slid into the driver’s seat, “as soon as I get my life figured out you’ll be the first to know.”
“Whatever.” But his muttered comment was lost on her as she drove out of the parking lot, tires screeching.
Steven turned with a shake of his head and headed towards Rick’s Jeep, wondering if perhaps he would be better off if he were to just forget about Angelica Mars.
*****
Angelica shoved aside her frustration over her confrontation with Steven as she entered the courthouse, focusing instead on the task at hand. She didn’t have much time; she had to be at Amanda’s house in an hour. Luckily she ran into her target almost immediately.
“Uncle Leo,” she exclaimed as she rounded the corner, almost colliding with him. “Just who I was looking for!”
“Angelica,” Leo’s greeting was less enthusiastic, leaning towards suspicious. “What do you need?”
“Don’t sound so wary,” she laughed, playfully smacking him in the chest, “I just came by to invite you over for dinner next weekend.”
Leo grinned lopsidedly, “Oh yeah, what’s the catch?”
Angelica glared at him, “I have no idea what you mean.” When he just continued to grin at her expectantly she sighed dramatically. “OK, fine, Mom and I have been at each other’s throats lately,” she exaggerated, “and I was thinking maybe you could talk to her. Get her to cut me some slack?” She tilted her head coyly, causing him to laugh delightedly.
“You are so much like your mom, you know that?” he shook his head in wonder. “Stop! Not the eyelashes!” he drew back in mock horror as her eyelids began to flutter.
“So, is that a yes?” she prompted.
“Yes, I’ll come,” he snorted good-naturedly.
“Great,” she smiled brightly. “Now, can I use your bathroom?”
Ten minutes later Angelica was on her way out the door. “See you next weekend, Uncle Leo,” she called out. “Sorry about your toothbrush. I can’t believe how clumsy I am sometimes. Sure you don’t want me to get you another? No? OK. Bye.” She blew him a kiss as she exited the building. Mission accomplished.
*****
Veronica kept going over her last encounter with Logan in her mind, trying to figure out how she had let things get so out of hand. They hadn’t seen each other in over ten years and yet the moment they were alone in a room together they reverted back to their old ways. Fighting and foreplay; that about summed it up. Veronica was grateful that she had come to her senses before it progressed beyond that. She didn’t think she could have lived with herself if she had cheated on Casey. What a hypocrite she had almost become.
“Earth to Mars.”
Casey’s teasing words brought Veronica back to her elegant surroundings. She smiled guiltily across the table at her date.
“I’m sorry, Casey,” she hoped her blush wasn’t too apparent in the low lighting.
“For what?” His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement but his smile never wavered.
(Kissing Logan. Thinking about Logan. Being a lousy girlfriend. Take your pick.)
“I’m afraid I wasn’t listening,” she smiled at him sheepishly; “I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
“That’s all right,” he smiled back, “Let me guess. Angelica again? Or is there something else bothering you?”
“Well, it goes without saying that Angelica’s part of the problem,” she laughed softly, “I certainly have a newfound respect for my father after raising her.” She pursed her lips as a thought came to her. “Of course he probably wished her on me, after all the nerve-racking stunts I put him through.” She scowled in mock annoyance.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Casey soothed, “after all she may have inherited some of her problematic behaviors from her father.”
His off-handed comment caught Veronica off-guard; Casey had never brought up the subject of Angelica’s paternity. She regarded him sharply. He was smiling at her good-naturedly, but there was an intensity to his look that she wasn’t used to seeing. Her scrutiny seemed to make him uncomfortable, and he looked away to signal for the bill.
“Casey?” Her voice held a question, but she wasn’t really sure what it was she was asking.
He returned his attention to her. “Veronica,” he started then paused as if considering his next words. Slowly he stood and extended his hand to her, a tender smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “Come on,” his words were low and almost conspiratorial, “let’s go for a walk.”
She let him help her up and steer her out of the restaurant.
The restaurant was only about a block from the beach. Casey wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he ambled toward the sound of the surf. His arm dropped away from her as he stopped to pull his shoes and socks off as they reached the sand, and Veronica hesitantly kicked her heels off as well. Shoes disposed of, he casually took her hand in his, their fingers twining together as he led her further out on the beach away from the lights and noise. When they came upon a rocky area he stopped and carefully lifted her up to perch on a large boulder then climbed up to sit next to her.
“So,” when Casey finally spoke his voice sounded strange to her; nervous and unsure, “I had a visitor today.” She turned to look at him but his eyes were fixed ahead watching the waves as they slid across the sand.
“Yes?” She found herself unsettled by his odd behavior.
“Logan Echolls stopped by the office,” he began, still not looking at her.
“What?” Veronica fought to control the sudden feeling of panic that overcame her. “Why?”
Casey snorted softly. “Actually, he wanted to know why I haven’t married you yet.”
“He asked you that?” Veronica felt the familiar tug of Logan-directed anger. “He actually said ‘Why haven’t you married Veronica?’”
“Pretty much,” Casey nodded matter-of-factly.
“Well? What did you do? Casey?” She waited until his gaze swung around to meet hers before continuing. “I hope you told him that it was none of his fucking business!”
“More or less,” the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile, “although I think I was a little more polite about it.”
“Of all the nerve!” Veronica was up on her feet now, her hands flinging about in frustration. “Just who does he think he is? Coming back to town and messing around with my life.” She scowled darkly, “Just wait ‘til I get my hands on him!”
“Actually,” Casey’s calm tentative voice cut through her tirade, “he has a point.”
“What?” Veronica’s anger disappeared only to be replaced by anxiety.
“Why aren’t we married?”
(Oh God.)
Veronica was unable to respond. When he continued without waiting for an answer she felt a momentary surge of relief.
“Do you love me, Veronica?” His eyes were fully focused on her now. For the first time in their relationship he wasn’t backing off; there would be no easy out.
She bit her lip lightly before nodding slightly.
“Really?” His voice held a hint of vulnerability. “I think I need to hear it.”
“Yes, Casey,” she reached out to take his hand, “I love you.”
He nodded, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. “Then let’s do it.”
“Do what?” Veronica cringed at the panic in her voice, but Casey either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it.
His fingers tightened around hers, “Marry me, Veronica.”
(Oh God! Oh God!)
Veronica stood silently as her mind raced with conflicting emotions. She loved Casey, but did she want to marry him? Did she want to marry anyone? Casey wasn’t fooling around this time; of that she was certain. If she said no she might lose him, and she didn’t know if she was ready for that. This was all Logan’s fault. Everything had been just fine until he arrived back in Neptune. And now here he was, in town for just over a week and already making a mess of her life. Thinking about him made her angry, and just a bit guilty.
(Screw Logan. I’m not going to let him fuck up my life again!)
“I know this is a big decision,” Casey seemed less sure now, his confidence shaken by her silence, “you don’t have to-“
“Okay.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“What?” His tone was wary. She couldn’t blame him really.
“Yes,” she said, this time more forcefully, “I’ll marry you.”
*****
Angelica knocked on the door to her friend’s house, her bag clutched tightly in her hands.
The door was opened by a pretty teen, her smile disappearing when she saw Angelica, replaced by an expression of resigned amusement. “Hey Angelica,” Amanda sighed, shaking her head slightly. “Are you gonna tell me what this is all about now?” She stepped aside, motioning to her friend to come inside.
“All in good time,” Angelica replied cryptically. Her attention was drawn to the other occupant of the room. “Hey there, Oscar,” she exclaimed, putting her arms out in invitation to the little monkey. He climbed up without hesitation, perching on Angelica’s shoulder.
Amanda frowned, calling the monkey back to her with a snap of her fingers. “I mean it, Mars,” she warned, “spill it.”
Angelica turned her attention away from the monkey and toward her friend. “All right,” she said, “but first you have to promise not to tell anyone else - especially my mother!”
“Angelica,” Amanda’s tone was wary.
“I mean it, Amanda,” Angelica couldn’t afford to pull her punches; “you owe me. Remember, if it weren’t for my stellar detective skills your dad would be married to that gold-digging secretary. And just how long do you think it would have taken her to deplete your college fund, anyway?”
Her friend sighed in defeat, lowering Oscar to a chair. He scampered away as she collapsed into it, indicating that Angelica should take a seat across from her on the sofa. “What do you need me to do?” she asked unenthusiastically.
“Oh, not much,” Angelica smiled. “First, if my mom asks tell her that you and I are working on a Biology project.”
“What kind of project?” Amanda asked, her eyes narrowed.
“Genetics,” Angelica responded quickly, “which isn’t really a lie.” She paused briefly before asking for the second part of the favor. “Which brings me to your father. Do you think he’d be willing to help me out with a little ‘extra credit’?”
Amanda shook her head exasperatedly. “Are you kidding,” she chuckled, “Your mom is like his personal hero or something. After covering for him and Oscar and then pulling those strings to get him his job at the crime lab I don’t think there’s much he wouldn’t do for Veronica Mars. You’re golden by association.”
“It was brilliant of my mom to get him that job, wasn’t it?” Angelica smiled brightly, earning an eye-roll from her friend.
“Dad should be home soon,” Amanda informed her as she turned and headed to the kitchen. “Let’s grab some refreshments while we wait. And then you can fill me in on all the details of your little plan. ”
*****
Summary: Everyone's acting a little strangely in Neptune these days...
Categories: Veronica, Logan, Other Character
Genre: Angst, Drama, General, Mystery, Romance
Rating: PG-13 (for language)
Characters: Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars, Casey Gant, Leo D'Amato
Author's Notes: Damn, this took a long time for me to write. Not sure what's up with that. Or with this chapter, for that matter. Things seem a bit off in Neptune, but I'm posting this anyway, with a promise that things will all work out soon. In the mean time try not to be too hard on Casey. Many thanks to hokeysmoke for the quick beta. The long wait for this chapter was in no way her fault!
Disclaimer: Most of the charaters and locations don't belong to me (although they did give birth to mine!)
Chapter 9 - Confrontations and Complications
(This is a phenomenally bad idea.)
Logan paid no attention to the voice in his head as he pushed open the door and walked in to the reception area.
“Can I help you, Sir?” a young brunette at the desk asked.
(Not freaking likely. I think I’m beyond help at this point.)
“I need to see Mr. Gant.” Logan couldn’t think of a single good reason for being here at Gant publishing. He was positive nothing good would come of this little visit, but here he was, none the less.
“Do you have an appointment?” Casey’s secretary eyed him haughtily.
(You know darn well I don’t.)
“No, as a matter of fact I don’t,” Logan pasted on a winning smile, “but he’ll want to see me. We’re old school friends.”
Her lips narrowed into a skeptical line. “I’ll have to check with Mr. Gant.”
(You do that.)
“Your name?”
“Echolls. Logan Echolls.” Her eyebrow cocked interestedly, bringing a wry twist to Logan’s grin. “Yes, that Echolls.” As she talked quietly over the phone, presumably with Casey, Logan took a look around the reception area. He grudgingly admitted that it was a pretty impressive set-up, not that he would ever voice his observation out loud.
“Mr. Echolls?” Logan turned as the secretary’s voice rose slightly. “Mr. Gant will see you now.”
Logan shot the woman a smug look as he entered the inner office.
“So,” Logan found himself blurting out as he closed the door behind him, “what’s the deal with you and Veronica?”
To his credit, Casey appeared unaffected by Logan’s abrupt greeting. “It’s nice to see you too, Logan.”
Logan waved away the other man’s sarcasm. “Just answer the question, Gant.”
“Sit down, Logan,” Casey sighed, indicating the chair across from his desk, “We aren’t teenagers anymore, so let’s try discussing this like adults, all right.”
Logan shot him an irritated look as he sank into the chair. Casey leaned back tiredly in his own chair, and Logan took the brief moment to size up his competition. To his disappointment Casey Gant looked pretty good. His hair was shorter and neater than it had been in high school. Logan couldn’t even enjoy the hint of grey at his temples; instead of making him look old it only made him seem distinguished. Logan wouldn’t be surprised if there was a company gym on the property either; Casey was just as fit, if not fitter than he had been as a teen.
“So, what’s this little surprise visit all about?” Casey’s question brought Logan’s eyes up to meet his.
“You and Veronica,” Logan found himself blurting out again, “what’s the story? Are you dating or is it more serious than that?”
(Oh, that was smooth.)
Casey nodded as if pondering Logan’s words. “You sure have a lot of questions. Maybe you could answer one for me first.” He fixed Logan with a shrewd gaze. “How is my relationship with Veronica any business of yours?”
Logan ran his fingers through his hair, not sure if he was more irritated with Gant or with himself and his irrational behavior. He exhaled loudly, glaring across the desk. “Well, it’s not, I guess,” he grudgingly admitted, “but Veronica is important to me. I just need to know that you’re treating her right.”
There was no humor in Casey’s laugh. “She’s so important to you that you haven’t seen or talked to her in more than fifteen years?” Casey continued without waiting for a response, for which Logan was grateful; he wasn’t entirely sure how he would have responded. “Sorry, but I don’t think you have any right to question my intentions. If anything, maybe I should be questioning yours. So, what exactly did you intend to accomplish by bursting here into my office, Logan?”
It was an excellent question. Logan wished he had asked it of himself before he headed out on this fool’s errand. It would have spared them both this headache. “I don’t know,” Logan knew he should stop there before he made an even bigger fool of himself, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. “Why aren’t you two married? This would be so much easier if she were off-limits.”
“Just because we’re not married doesn’t mean she’s not off-limits,” Logan thought he heard the first hint of anger in Casey’s voice and he couldn’t help feeling a little bit triumphant. “We’ve been dating for more than ten years. That’s not exactly what I’d call a fling, you know.”
“Ten years? And still not married? What’s the matter?” Logan couldn’t help baiting him. “Commitment issues?”
“Hardly,” Casey’s professionalism was slipping, “Not that it’s any of your business, but I have brought up the idea of marriage. Veronica is the one against the idea. You can’t really blame her for it. She makes a very comfortable living by documenting the infidelity of others. So many bad examples don’t really paint a rosy view of wedded bliss. But it doesn’t matter. We don’t need a piece of paper to show we’re committed to each other. I love Veronica. She loves me. That’s all that matters.”
Just hearing the words made Logan’s chest hurt a bit, and he struggled to hide his discomfort. “She told you that, huh?” ‘Love’ was not a four-lettered word that Logan remembered falling easily from Veronica’s lips.
“More than once, even,” Casey’s answer held no triumph, although Logan thought he could hear a trace of sympathy. “Now, Logan, if you don’t mind, I have work to do.” He nodded towards the door.
Logan couldn’t think of any reason to stay. Hell, he hadn’t even had a good reason for coming. “Sure thing,” Logan tried to put on his most confident smirk as he left the office. “See you around.”
*****
Steven slumped down in his desk at the back of the classroom. Up front Mrs. Ford was droning on about sines, cosines, and tangents but he was too busy staring at the tiny blonde in the front row to pay much attention. He had already covered all this back in Colorado anyway. He was finding this to be the case in most of his classes. And while this did make his workload rather easy he was finding it all less than stimulating. He had way too much free time to spend obsessing over Angelica Mars.
He had arrived at school on Monday with the intention of talking to her again. He had lingered in the hallway where her locker was located hoping to corner her. She had proved to be a slippery sort though, and all he had accomplished over the week was to amass a ridiculously large number of tardy slips. His excuse of being new and unfamiliar with the school helped to make them disappear. Steven had not been as lucky in making Angelica reappear.
Unable to garner any firsthand knowledge he had instead spent the majority of his week gathering information from other sources. He had learned that she was an only child. She lived with her mother. Rumor had it that her father had been an ex-gang member, although there seemed to be some skepticism on that point. Either way, the guy in question, Eli Navarro, had died before she was born. She was known to be somewhat of an amateur detective, apparently following in her mother’s footsteps. She seemed to have surprisingly few female friends, but was a little too popular (in Steven’s opinion) with the male population of Neptune High. In his investigations he had encountered as many as ten guys who claimed to know her in more than just a casual way, although when pressed each admitted they had fallen short of their desired goal. The majority of the insinuations amounted to no more than encounters during “spin the bottle,” “seven minutes in heaven,” or “truth or dare.” Rick’s one legitimate attempt had fallen short of completion. Steven was intrigued by this knowledge. The girl he met on the beach had seemed eager to “seal the deal” as it were. He wondered if she would have stopped it if he hadn’t. Was she really a tease as some of the guys he talked to had alluded?
Rick seemed to think otherwise. He reckoned that all those encounters ended due to outside interference, much as his had. “I’m pretty sure Angel is more than just talk,” he had reassured him over lunch earlier that day, “but it’s hard to perform when you’re under constant surveillance. Believe me, I found that out firsthand.” Steven nodded in commiseration, the memory of being hauled in to the station in nothing but dripping board shorts still fresh in his mind. “Besides, I’d be willing to bet she’s not a virgin.” He grinned as Steven’s eyebrows shot up in inquiry, “She’s way too skilled with her hands.”
Now he watched the hands in question as they toyed with her hair, wrapping and unwrapping the strands around her fingers. He was reminded of the feel of those same fingers tracing the scars on his back. The memory brought with it other pleasant but unwanted feelings, and Steven shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He looked up at the clock; ten minutes before the end of class. Angelica sat right by the door. He knew from experience that he’d never be able to catch her in the crowded hallways once the bell rang. Sudden inspiration hit, and he gathered his belongings together quickly before striding up to the front of the class to address his startled teacher.
“Can I help you, Mr. Echolls?” Mrs. Ford studied Steven with suspicious eyes.
“Yes actually,” he smiled graciously at her. “I just remembered I have an appointment scheduled for this afternoon. If I don’t leave now I’m going to miss it, and that won’t make my dad very happy. He went to a lot of trouble to set it up.” Steven rubbed his thumb and fingers together, indicating the monetary form his father’s ‘troubles’ had taken.
“Do you have a pass?” Mrs. Ford’s expression remained suspicious; no doubt she had heard just about every excuse in her many years of teaching.
“Well…no,” Steven tried for his most endearing look, “I guess I haven’t really gotten the hang of things around here yet.” He frowned sadly, “But I really can’t miss this appointment. It’s with my therapist,” he added conspiratorially. “She’s helping me deal with my mother’s death. I’m afraid I’m not handling it very well…”
Once free of Mrs. Ford’s watchful eye, Steven detoured away from the office and made his way out to the parking lot. He found the car that Rick had pointed out as Angelica’s and settled himself against the hood to wait. It wasn’t long before he spotted her tiny blonde figure moving toward him.
She stopped a couple of car lengths away, finally spotting him. She sighed loudly, her arms crossed in front of her in annoyance. “I thought you had an appointment to go to. You should be ashamed of yourself, using your dead mother as an excuse to get out of class early just so you can what? Stalk me? That’s low.”
Steven scowled back at her. “I wouldn’t have to stalk you if you’d quit avoiding me,” he accused. “What goes? One minute you can’t keep your hands off me and the next you won’t even talk to me? Do you have some sort of mental problem or are you just the world’s most sadistic tease?”
Angelica glared back at him. “I really don’t have time for this,” she exhaled loudly, “It’s complicated, OK? You know, you’re not the only one who’s got family issues.”
“What are you talking about?” Steven’s voice was almost a yell. “Are you in some kind of trouble? Talk to me! Let me help you.”
She stole a glance at her watch. “Crap! I’m late! Can we just do this some other time?” She ducked around him, heading towards her car. As she fumbled for her keys she dropped her book bag, spilling the contents. She tried to shove everything back in before Steven got a close look at it but he was too quick.
“What is all this?” He held up the baggies clutched in his hand. “Are these used toothbrushes?”
“It’s for a biology project,” she muttered as she snatched the items in question from his hand. She was thankful he hadn’t noticed the sock.
“Angelica,” his eyes narrowed, “I’m in your biology class. I don’t remember any assignment-“
“Extra credit,” she lied exasperatedly. “I promise,” she told him earnestly as she slid into the driver’s seat, “as soon as I get my life figured out you’ll be the first to know.”
“Whatever.” But his muttered comment was lost on her as she drove out of the parking lot, tires screeching.
Steven turned with a shake of his head and headed towards Rick’s Jeep, wondering if perhaps he would be better off if he were to just forget about Angelica Mars.
*****
Angelica shoved aside her frustration over her confrontation with Steven as she entered the courthouse, focusing instead on the task at hand. She didn’t have much time; she had to be at Amanda’s house in an hour. Luckily she ran into her target almost immediately.
“Uncle Leo,” she exclaimed as she rounded the corner, almost colliding with him. “Just who I was looking for!”
“Angelica,” Leo’s greeting was less enthusiastic, leaning towards suspicious. “What do you need?”
“Don’t sound so wary,” she laughed, playfully smacking him in the chest, “I just came by to invite you over for dinner next weekend.”
Leo grinned lopsidedly, “Oh yeah, what’s the catch?”
Angelica glared at him, “I have no idea what you mean.” When he just continued to grin at her expectantly she sighed dramatically. “OK, fine, Mom and I have been at each other’s throats lately,” she exaggerated, “and I was thinking maybe you could talk to her. Get her to cut me some slack?” She tilted her head coyly, causing him to laugh delightedly.
“You are so much like your mom, you know that?” he shook his head in wonder. “Stop! Not the eyelashes!” he drew back in mock horror as her eyelids began to flutter.
“So, is that a yes?” she prompted.
“Yes, I’ll come,” he snorted good-naturedly.
“Great,” she smiled brightly. “Now, can I use your bathroom?”
Ten minutes later Angelica was on her way out the door. “See you next weekend, Uncle Leo,” she called out. “Sorry about your toothbrush. I can’t believe how clumsy I am sometimes. Sure you don’t want me to get you another? No? OK. Bye.” She blew him a kiss as she exited the building. Mission accomplished.
*****
Veronica kept going over her last encounter with Logan in her mind, trying to figure out how she had let things get so out of hand. They hadn’t seen each other in over ten years and yet the moment they were alone in a room together they reverted back to their old ways. Fighting and foreplay; that about summed it up. Veronica was grateful that she had come to her senses before it progressed beyond that. She didn’t think she could have lived with herself if she had cheated on Casey. What a hypocrite she had almost become.
“Earth to Mars.”
Casey’s teasing words brought Veronica back to her elegant surroundings. She smiled guiltily across the table at her date.
“I’m sorry, Casey,” she hoped her blush wasn’t too apparent in the low lighting.
“For what?” His eyebrows drew together in puzzlement but his smile never wavered.
(Kissing Logan. Thinking about Logan. Being a lousy girlfriend. Take your pick.)
“I’m afraid I wasn’t listening,” she smiled at him sheepishly; “I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”
“That’s all right,” he smiled back, “Let me guess. Angelica again? Or is there something else bothering you?”
“Well, it goes without saying that Angelica’s part of the problem,” she laughed softly, “I certainly have a newfound respect for my father after raising her.” She pursed her lips as a thought came to her. “Of course he probably wished her on me, after all the nerve-racking stunts I put him through.” She scowled in mock annoyance.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Casey soothed, “after all she may have inherited some of her problematic behaviors from her father.”
His off-handed comment caught Veronica off-guard; Casey had never brought up the subject of Angelica’s paternity. She regarded him sharply. He was smiling at her good-naturedly, but there was an intensity to his look that she wasn’t used to seeing. Her scrutiny seemed to make him uncomfortable, and he looked away to signal for the bill.
“Casey?” Her voice held a question, but she wasn’t really sure what it was she was asking.
He returned his attention to her. “Veronica,” he started then paused as if considering his next words. Slowly he stood and extended his hand to her, a tender smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “Come on,” his words were low and almost conspiratorial, “let’s go for a walk.”
She let him help her up and steer her out of the restaurant.
The restaurant was only about a block from the beach. Casey wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he ambled toward the sound of the surf. His arm dropped away from her as he stopped to pull his shoes and socks off as they reached the sand, and Veronica hesitantly kicked her heels off as well. Shoes disposed of, he casually took her hand in his, their fingers twining together as he led her further out on the beach away from the lights and noise. When they came upon a rocky area he stopped and carefully lifted her up to perch on a large boulder then climbed up to sit next to her.
“So,” when Casey finally spoke his voice sounded strange to her; nervous and unsure, “I had a visitor today.” She turned to look at him but his eyes were fixed ahead watching the waves as they slid across the sand.
“Yes?” She found herself unsettled by his odd behavior.
“Logan Echolls stopped by the office,” he began, still not looking at her.
“What?” Veronica fought to control the sudden feeling of panic that overcame her. “Why?”
Casey snorted softly. “Actually, he wanted to know why I haven’t married you yet.”
“He asked you that?” Veronica felt the familiar tug of Logan-directed anger. “He actually said ‘Why haven’t you married Veronica?’”
“Pretty much,” Casey nodded matter-of-factly.
“Well? What did you do? Casey?” She waited until his gaze swung around to meet hers before continuing. “I hope you told him that it was none of his fucking business!”
“More or less,” the corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile, “although I think I was a little more polite about it.”
“Of all the nerve!” Veronica was up on her feet now, her hands flinging about in frustration. “Just who does he think he is? Coming back to town and messing around with my life.” She scowled darkly, “Just wait ‘til I get my hands on him!”
“Actually,” Casey’s calm tentative voice cut through her tirade, “he has a point.”
“What?” Veronica’s anger disappeared only to be replaced by anxiety.
“Why aren’t we married?”
(Oh God.)
Veronica was unable to respond. When he continued without waiting for an answer she felt a momentary surge of relief.
“Do you love me, Veronica?” His eyes were fully focused on her now. For the first time in their relationship he wasn’t backing off; there would be no easy out.
She bit her lip lightly before nodding slightly.
“Really?” His voice held a hint of vulnerability. “I think I need to hear it.”
“Yes, Casey,” she reached out to take his hand, “I love you.”
He nodded, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. “Then let’s do it.”
“Do what?” Veronica cringed at the panic in her voice, but Casey either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it.
His fingers tightened around hers, “Marry me, Veronica.”
(Oh God! Oh God!)
Veronica stood silently as her mind raced with conflicting emotions. She loved Casey, but did she want to marry him? Did she want to marry anyone? Casey wasn’t fooling around this time; of that she was certain. If she said no she might lose him, and she didn’t know if she was ready for that. This was all Logan’s fault. Everything had been just fine until he arrived back in Neptune. And now here he was, in town for just over a week and already making a mess of her life. Thinking about him made her angry, and just a bit guilty.
(Screw Logan. I’m not going to let him fuck up my life again!)
“I know this is a big decision,” Casey seemed less sure now, his confidence shaken by her silence, “you don’t have to-“
“Okay.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“What?” His tone was wary. She couldn’t blame him really.
“Yes,” she said, this time more forcefully, “I’ll marry you.”
*****
Angelica knocked on the door to her friend’s house, her bag clutched tightly in her hands.
The door was opened by a pretty teen, her smile disappearing when she saw Angelica, replaced by an expression of resigned amusement. “Hey Angelica,” Amanda sighed, shaking her head slightly. “Are you gonna tell me what this is all about now?” She stepped aside, motioning to her friend to come inside.
“All in good time,” Angelica replied cryptically. Her attention was drawn to the other occupant of the room. “Hey there, Oscar,” she exclaimed, putting her arms out in invitation to the little monkey. He climbed up without hesitation, perching on Angelica’s shoulder.
Amanda frowned, calling the monkey back to her with a snap of her fingers. “I mean it, Mars,” she warned, “spill it.”
Angelica turned her attention away from the monkey and toward her friend. “All right,” she said, “but first you have to promise not to tell anyone else - especially my mother!”
“Angelica,” Amanda’s tone was wary.
“I mean it, Amanda,” Angelica couldn’t afford to pull her punches; “you owe me. Remember, if it weren’t for my stellar detective skills your dad would be married to that gold-digging secretary. And just how long do you think it would have taken her to deplete your college fund, anyway?”
Her friend sighed in defeat, lowering Oscar to a chair. He scampered away as she collapsed into it, indicating that Angelica should take a seat across from her on the sofa. “What do you need me to do?” she asked unenthusiastically.
“Oh, not much,” Angelica smiled. “First, if my mom asks tell her that you and I are working on a Biology project.”
“What kind of project?” Amanda asked, her eyes narrowed.
“Genetics,” Angelica responded quickly, “which isn’t really a lie.” She paused briefly before asking for the second part of the favor. “Which brings me to your father. Do you think he’d be willing to help me out with a little ‘extra credit’?”
Amanda shook her head exasperatedly. “Are you kidding,” she chuckled, “Your mom is like his personal hero or something. After covering for him and Oscar and then pulling those strings to get him his job at the crime lab I don’t think there’s much he wouldn’t do for Veronica Mars. You’re golden by association.”
“It was brilliant of my mom to get him that job, wasn’t it?” Angelica smiled brightly, earning an eye-roll from her friend.
“Dad should be home soon,” Amanda informed her as she turned and headed to the kitchen. “Let’s grab some refreshments while we wait. And then you can fill me in on all the details of your little plan. ”
*****