Carpe Diem, Lady Anne
Title: Carpe Diem
Author: Lady Anne
Pairing: Veronica/Logan, Dick/Gia
Rating: R
Summary: Double dating deviously.
Spoilers: Through 2x12
A/N: Not sure if this makes the deadline - but wanted to post anyway!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rob Thomas, UPN, and many others, but not to me.
Carpe Diem
====================
"Veronica, hey, I haven't seen you in awhile." Gia tottered slightly on her heels and giggled as she fell in step with Veronica beside the door to the girls' restroom.
Veronica nodded as she pushed the door open. "Hi, Gia."
She followed behind as Veronica approached the mirror and began rifling through her bag. Gia produced a tube and touched up her own crimson lips.
"Want to borrow mine?" she asked.
Veronica glanced at the girl primping next to her in the mirror. "No, thanks, found mine." She produced her lip gloss and unscrewed the lid. "Got to love the Burt's Bees."
“That is good stuff." Gia finished outlining her lips and blew herself a kiss. "Are you doing okay, Veronica?" She smiled sympathetically. "I heard about all that stuff with Duncan, the break-up, him running away," her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in, "with Meg's baby." She gave a little shiver. "That must have been so hard; I totally don't think I could have stood it."
Veronica carefully finished smoothing the lip gloss on as she regarded Gia in the mirror, wide-eyed and open faced. She seemed to have the inbred '09er desire to rip those named Mars to shreds missing from her makeup. Veronica thought that sort of thing naturally rubbed off when you hung out with Madison Sinclair.
But there wasn't a trace of maliciousness in Gia's smile, just sympathy. Veronica smiled in return. "I'm good, thanks for asking." She shrugged. "I'm past the emo phase, I think. You know, bad music, not showering, generally mopey."
Gia laughed. "Totally. At my last school, I was sooo in love with this guy, Tristan, and we dated for like, half of junior year, but then we broke up before the holiday break and I just locked myself in my room for days." She capped her lipstick and stowed it back in her tiny purse before looking at Veronica sheepishly. "Which is kind of why I wanted to talk with you."
"Because you spent the holidays impersonating a hermit?" Veronica asked.
"No, because of a boy." Gia bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I really like Dick."
"And that's a valid lifestyle choice," Veronica responded.
Gia laughed. "Not like that. Well like that, but I meant one Dick specifically. Casablancas."
Veronica nodded. "I got that. I'm not sure how I can help you there. Dick and I, we're not exactly what I'd call close. But from what I've seen, Dick's a pretty . . . easy guy when it comes to the fairer sex."
Gia's face darkened. "The problem's Madison. They're totally not going out anymore, but she keeps hanging all over him at every party, like a dog guarding her bone."
Veronica fought to keep her lips from twitching with laughter as Gia raved on.
"I mean, I would never try to steal someone's boyfriend, but I've asked around and she broke up with him last year. I think she just doesn't want anyone else to date him because he’s ‘her Dick’,” Gia air-quoted in a bad imitation of Madison’s voice.
"Well, that's probably true. Madison doesn't share well with others. Or at all really." Veronica stepped away from the sink and gave a shrug, knowing the bell would be ringing soon. "I'd love to help, Gia, and but I don't think there's anything I can do for you. Why don't you-"
"No, no, you can." Gia's face lit up. "You can go on a double date with me."
"What?"
Gia nodded excitedly. "You and me and Dick and Logan. Dick told me how you guys used to go out, and how Logan was so bummed after you broke up. Dick would totally go out with me if it's to help out Logan. They're like best friends."
Veronica stepped back from Gia, as though she were slightly insane and it might be catching. "Yeah, they're total BFFs, alright. Gia, first, I think Dick would probably go out with just you, no accessories required, if you asked. And second, I don't think Logan is interested in going out with me anymore. We were . . . that was all a long time ago."
Gia shook her head. "Veronica, I can't just ask Dick out! The girl can't do that."
"They can't?" Veronica frowned. "I'm pretty sure they can. And do. It's this crazy new millennium thing."
Gia shook her head. "No, Veronica. I know I could. But it works so much better if he thinks it's his idea. Guys totally get complexes if they think they're not in control. So you have to make them think they are."
Veronica stared, hoping her mouth wasn't open. "Gia . . ."
Gia continued earnestly on. "But if he thinks it's to set you guys up, and I can totally make him think it's his idea, then he'll go for it. And it would be so perfect, 'cause I totally think you and Logan would make a cute couple."
Veronica shouldered her bag and turned towards the door. "Gia, I wish I could help, I really do. But I . . ." she paused as she watched Gia's face fall, "it's just too soon for me, you know. After Duncan? I don't think I'm ready to go out with anyone quite yet."
Gia made a small moue of disappointment as she patted Veronica's arm and followed her to the door. "I'm so sorry, Veronica, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine. Listen, I have to get to class, it was good to talk with you." Veronica hurried down the hallway. Double date with Dick? Shudder. It would be a cold day in hell. And her and Logan? So very many reasons not to go there again.
====================
Veronica wiped the dust off the bottom of the television stand, flying over the books collected there. Not quality housekeeping, but maybe Backup would at least quit sneezing every time he snuffled past. She stopped as one of the author's names on the spines caught her eye. Bill O'Reilly? Her dad was reading something by Bill O'Reilly?
She caught the spine and pulled the book out for a flip through when the cover swung open and a pile of tiny cassette tapes carefully marked with the Balboa County's Sheriff's Department evidence labels fell to the floor.
An hour later, after listening to the tapes, she realized hell had possibly just frozen over.
====================
Veronica stood outside the door and took a deep breath before knocking firmly. She waited, listening as she heard him curse under his breath as he fumbled with the lock on the other side.
"Well, who have we here? Veronica Mars?" Logan mock gasped. "Why there's not even any tasty Donut here." He surveyed the room before clasping his hands to his chest. "Did you come to see little old me?" He slipped into the smug smirk that always irritated her.
Veronica pasted on her own frigid smile as she brushed past him and perched on the couch, messenger bag clutched firmly on her lap. "I need a favor, Logan. A little quid pro quo , if you will."
"Ohh, girls speaking Latin always gets me sooo hot." He sauntered over and sprawled next to her, picking back up the discarded game controller. "I'm good at favors. Or so I've been told."
Veronica responded with an eye roll and decided there was no easy way to do this. She plunged in as she stared at the paused screen, an image of a bulked up fighter frozen in mid swing. "I need you to go on a double date with me, your good friend Dick, and Gia Goodman." She shrugged as she caught Logan raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "And I need it to look believable."
He flicked off the pause on the remote and resumed his swing as he responded, "Aww, Veronica, no need for the elaborate charade. I know you still want me."
His tone was flippant as he gave her a small smirk, but something flashed briefly in his eyes that made her feel unsettled inside, like maybe this wasn't such a great plan after all. But then he was focused on the screen again and she decided it was all her imagination. She took her cue from him and pressed on.
"Logan, you know how you want me to keep investigating Dr. Griffith and clear your name for Felix's murder?"
He punched at the controller. "Yeah, how's that coming by the way?"
She tugged the controller from his hands, ignoring his protest. "It's not going to be coming at all, Logan, if you don't start cooperating. I need you to help me with something if you want me to keep helping you."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I get it. You want super serious Logan. What's this all about, Veronica?"
She rose off the couch and started to pace. "You remember the bus crash last fall?" she asked.
Logan nodded.
"I need to know what happened, who’s responsible."
He shrugged. "Veronica, you need to keep up with the news. Didn't you see the headlines?" He framed them with his hands, "Baseball Star Arrested for Bus Disaster."
Veronica stopped mid-pace and turned to him. "Thanks for the newsflash, Logan. Because Lamb's never arrested the wrong guy before, now has he?"
"Point taken. But why do you care? You got off the bus."
"Because I think that bomb was intended for me." Veronica closed her eyes as she steadied herself for a moment. "I think everyone who stayed on that bus died because of me. And I need to make sure whoever did it pays."
Logan stared at her. "Veronica, you're nosy and all, but who would want to kill . . ." His voice faded away. "My dad. My dad would want you dead, because then you can't testify." He ran his hands over his face, suddenly truly sober. "That son of a bitch."
She settled back beside him on the couch, placing a hand on his arm. "Logan, I don't know that for sure. But I saw Curly Moran at the site where the bus went over, and the next day Lamb's taking me in for questioning because Curly’s washed up on the beach dead. With my name on his hand."
Logan stared at her. "Curly? The guy who worked at the garage?"
Veronica nodded. "He was the stunt coordinator on your dad's film, The Long Haul. The one with the stunt where the rig goes off the cliff."
Logan pulled the cuffs of his sleeves over his hand, nervously fingering the fabric. "Yeah, I'll help you. What do you need me to do, Veronica?"
She placed her hand over his, stopping the twisting. "I don't know that it's your dad for sure, Logan. I found some stuff out the other day . . . I just need to know more. And Dick and Gia were on the bus, they may remember something that doesn't seem important, or relevant. So I need to talk to them, but casually, not the third-degree. I don't want them to know I'm investigating the crash."
"So no threatening of surfboards?" Logan asked, tracing his thumb over her fingers.
She smiled. "No threatening of surfboards. Gia cornered me the other day and wanted to know if we could all go out, she wants to date Dick and Madison keeps running interference on her, apparently. But she thinks Dick's one of those bros before hos kind of guys who'll totally stand up to Madison if you ask him to."
"And it gives you a chance to talk to them. So everybody wins, huh? Gia gets Dick, Dick gets laid, you get answers, and I get-"
Veronica realized that Logan was still holding her hand and she pulled it away on the pretext of grabbing her messenger bag. "You get my renewed devotion to finding out who really killed Felix." She rifled through her bag and pulled out her Sidekick. "So do we have a deal?"
Logan nodded as Veronica searched through her contacts and pressed the send key.
"Gia? How are you? Listen, you know that think you asked me about the other day? I've been thinking a lot, and you know what? I think you're right. I totally need to get back out there."
She paused, listening to Gia's excited exclamation.
"But here's the thing, do you really think Logan would want to go out with me again? I mean, I've heard he's, you know, totally doing Dick's stepmom," Veronica chirped into the phone.
Logan shot her a dirty look and she gave him a sweet smile.
"Oh, Dick told you Logan's so done with her? Well, that's awesome."
Logan stuck out his tongue at her and started to reach for the controller again before she slapped his hand away.
"So do you want to call Dick and see if he thinks Logan would want to go out with me again? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. Great. You're too sweet. Call me when you find out."
Logan cocked his head to the side. "So? What's the deal Mars?"
"Gia's going to call Dick. He should be calling you in a few. We wait. You act surprised, maybe a little resistant, don't be too easy."
"Veronica, I think I can handle it." He reached for the controller again. "Want to play?"
Veronica grabbed the other controller. "Don't you ever get tired of this?"
He focused on the screen as he waited for her to initiate her player. "Nope. It's something to do. I just get tired of playing alone."
She smiled regretfully at him before cuing up and joining the game.
Twenty minutes later, his phone sounded. He glanced over. "Showtime."
He flipped open the phone and stuck it between his shoulder and ear as he continued to punch buttons in an attempt to defeat Veronica's moves.
"Yo, Dick, how's it hanging?"
"Put it on speaker," Veronica hissed at him.
He shot her a look, but complied, tossing the phone on the couch between them and hitting the speaker button.
"Sorry, Dick, I'm playing a game, put you on speaker. Say that again?"
"You'll never guess who wants a piece of you, dude," Dick’s voice echoed between them.
"Ahh, let me guess, Kendall's been begging again," Logan smirked.
"Don't even get me started on that, bro. No, Duncan's ex is all hot to trot for some Logan loving. Veronica's a gold digger if you ask me, but I wouldn't kick her out of bed. That is one more sweet ass. So you want to tap that again, or what?"
Veronica imagined Dick's face as she hit the button just a little harder, slamming a kick into Logan's player that sent him flying back across the arena.
"What, are you like Veronica's girlfriend or something now, Dick? Stop pulling my chain," Logan said as he stole a glance at Veronica's clenched jaw.
"Dude, I'm not lying. Gia Goodman just called me, wanted us all to go out so the two of you can totally hook back up. She says Veronica's into you,” Dick responded.
"You sure Gia's not just looking for a piece of you?" Logan asked.
"Oh, she wants her some Dick, alright. And I am happy to oblige. But it sounded like a package deal. So, you in?"
Logan glanced at Veronica. "Yeah, count me in. When?"
"This Friday night."
"Okay. You want to take them out on the boat?" Logan asked.
"Dude, that's an awesome idea. Boats totally get girls horny. Let's do that."
"Set it up then, man. See you tomorrow."
He hung up the phone and turned to Veronica. "How'd I do?"
Veronica tossed the controller on the sofa and stood up, her voice cold. "You're a pro. I'll see you on Friday, Logan."
He followed her as she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, catching her arm. "What, Veronica? You told me to act normal. What did you expect me to do? Tell Dick I've been pining for you since you dumped me last summer and that he can fuck off for talking about you like that? That wouldn't be normal."
He dropped her arm and stepped away. "Even if I wanted to."
Veronica stared at him for a long moment, then pulled open the door and walked out without a word.
====================
Veronica opened her bag. Appropriate outfit for '09er date? Check. Makeup? Check. Butterflies in stomach? Check.
She rang the doorbell of the Goodman's home and took a deep breath.
“Veronica! Hey! I'm so glad you wanted to get ready over here. It's going to be so much fun," Gia bubbled as she led Veronica through the door. Veronica reached down and immediately began tugging off her shoes, handing them to Gia who stowed them without breaking stride as she continued on about the outfits she was thinking of wearing.
One slightly painful hour later Veronica retrieved her shoes and slid into them as Gia opened the door to reveal a smiling Dick with Logan lurking behind.
"Ladies, you are looking fine tonight." Dick offered his arm to Gia. "Shall we? We have a surprise planned for you."
Veronica raised a brow as she stepped up next to Logan. "Surprise? Why Logan, you know how much I just love surprises," she drawled, giving him a hard look.
He draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked to his Xterra where Dick was already opening the rear door for Gia. "I think you'll like this one. Boats and booze, what could be more fun?" He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "And no better way to loosen Dick's tongue. Trust me."
"You're the expert." She settled into the seat beside him and flipped through Logan's CDs as she listened to Dick and Gia banter in the back seat. Logan was silent beside her, seemingly absorbed in the road. She watched as they turned into the entrance of the marina.
"Ohhh, we're going out on a boat?" Gia clapped her hands excitedly as Logan pulled into the parking lot and pulled the key from the ignition.
"Yeah, we're taking you ladies for a moonlight cruise." Dick slid out of the car followed by Gia, but Veronica placed a hand on Logan's arm to stop him.
"Logan? Wait. You can't go out there, can you? Won't it set off your hardware?"
Logan smiled. "Aww, worried about me?" He twirled the key and put it in his jacket pocket. "We just have to stay in the harbor. I checked with my parole officer. Sweet of you to care though, sugarpuss."
“Just don’t want to end the evening being hauled in by the harbor patrol,” she replied sarcastically.
Logan turned in his seat. “Veronica? If you want this to work, can you try to thaw a little and act like you want to be on this date? Trust me, okay. I’m not going to screw you over tonight.” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, “At least not until you ask nicely.”
His breath on her neck felt good, and she resisted the urge to shiver and lean closer. He was right, she couldn’t play the ice princess if she wanted to play happy couples with Dick and Gia tonight, but pretending with Logan felt a little too real every now and then.
They exited the car and caught up with the others. "Isn't this so romantic?" Gia grabbed Veronica's arm. "Aren't they just the sweetest?"
"The very sweetest," Veronica singsonged back as she settled onto the seat while Logan made the necessary preparation to cast off. "And what's in the basket?"
"Just a little something to get this party started." Dick flipped open the top. "Aww yeah, we've got some wine coolers for the ladies, cause we know you like those fruity drinks, and," he pulled out a bottle, "the real stuff for us men."
"Ohh, do you have any Pina Colada? That's my favorite kind," Gia chirped to Veronica.
"Dude, put that stuff back until we get farther out, okay?" Logan commanded and he started the engine and reversed out of the berth.
"Chill, man. We'll save the cold ones until later. He grabbed Gia's hand and pulled her to the seats at the front of the boat as they moved smoothly into the harbor.
Veronica slid into the seat behind Logan. "I give it ten minutes until he does a Titanic."
Logan grinned back at her. "Oh, it'll be less than five." She laughed as they watched Dick urging Gia up on the seat as he flung his arms out behind her and declared he was the king of the world at the top of his lungs.
Logan killed the motor and let the boat drift for a moment as they neared the entrance to the harbor. The sun had begun to set and Veronica watched entranced as the golden globe sank towards the edge of the ocean and Logan took the seat beside her, throwing his arm around the back of the seat. She tensed slightly as she felt his arm brush her shoulders.
"I don't bite, Veronica. And a little contact might be smart if you want Olive Oyl and Surfer Boy to play nice and answer your questions," he whispered in her ear. “Now let’s get this party started.”
====================
Three hours later, Gia stumbled to her feet. “Whoa. I think I lost my sea legs. Dick, could you help me to the ladies’ room?” She fluttered her eyelashes as Dick rose a little unsteadily himself.
“Right this way.” He glanced back over his shoulder as Gia descended into the lower cabin. “Don’t come a knocking if the boat’s a rocking.”
Veronica contained herself until the door was closed. “How do you even stand to hang out with him?”
Logan shrugged lazily as he drained his bottle and tossed into the barrel beside his seat. “Dick’s not complicated. He’s easy to figure out, and he’s always got my back.”
He shifted and turned on the seat to face her. “Cold?”
“A little.” She took the blanket he pulled out from under one of the storage compartments gratefully. “Thanks.”
“So did you find out what you needed? Because that ramble about carpe diem and life being too short to waste you started on was not the most subtle of segues, if I do say so, Mars.”
She tucked the ends of the blanket around her bare toes, and then slid them closer to the warmth of his thigh. “Well if someone hadn’t suggested a drinking game first, I might not have been tipsy by the time we finally got around to it. Besides, it was all true. And I didn’t really learn anything new.” She shrugged. “I guess it’s been so long, they’ve started to forget.”
“I wish it was that easy sometimes.” Logan’s voice was quiet.
“To forget?” she asked. He nodded.
“Me too. I guess some things are harder to forget than others, aren’t they?”
They sat in silence watching the moonlight dance across the water, lost in their own thoughts.
“Can I ask you something, Veronica?” Logan broke the stillness.
“Sure,” she replied.
“Is Duncan okay?” He hurried on. “I don’t want to know where he is, or how it happened, but he was my best friend. I don’t want it to be like with Mom, not knowing for sure.”
Veronica watched the pain in his eyes and came to a decision. “I don’t know where he is, Logan. But he’s okay. He and the baby, he named her Lilly, they’re okay.”
Logan smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Me too. I wish it hadn’t been that way, that Meg had lived, that . . .”
“She’d never gotten pregnant?” Logan asked.
Veronica shook her head. “Maybe. I don’t know. Duncan and I . . . I loved him so much. But he wasn’t mine anymore, and it took me too long to figure that out.”
“See, that’s why I hang with Dick now. Totally uncomplicated.”
“Total space cadet’s more like it. You can do better, Logan”
He caught her hand as she smoothed the edge of the blanket. “Can I? Should I follow your lead and carpe diem?”
The question hung in the air between them as he leaned over slowly and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before releasing her.
She slowly opened her eyes to find him watching her with that intense gaze she hadn’t seen since last summer.
Logan asked, “Should I apologize? We don’t have an audience to play to--”
Veronica leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, cutting him off mid-sentence. His hands slid beneath the blanket and found her smooth skin beneath her sweater, goose-bumped from his touch and the cold air that crept beneath.
Somewhere in the back of her brain a part of her was lecturing about why making out with Logan was such a bad idea right now, so soon after Duncan had left and with Logan mixed up in who knows what, and all the many, many other reasons she’d decided she shouldn’t date him in the first place.
But his kissing had not been one of those, and she couldn’t think of any of the rest to save her life as Logan nibbled at her lips and pulled her into his lap, sliding the blanket around her shoulders and cocooning them in their combined warmth.
She could put it down to the alcohol, or the way he’d been all night, the side of Logan that she’d glimpsed over the summer, where he could be that guy, the one you thought maybe you could get really serious about. Of course tomorrow he’d probably go fuck it all up again and burn down another pool or something, but at the moment . . .
Veronica lost focus as Logan trailed his lips down her collarbone and traced the edge of her V-neck sweater, caressing the swell of her breast.
“You have the softest skin,” he whispered, and she shuddered just a little as she settled more firmly in his lap. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Veronica felt his hand slide higher, playing with the edge of her skirt, then higher still. He’d done this over the summer, working her up, teasing her but never quite going all the way, leaving her flushed and always wanting a little more. She was tired of always wanting more and never getting it.
She caught his hand, slid it higher up her thigh with a little squeeze and moved her own hand between them to find his cock already hard beneath her fingers. She traced the outline of his erection through the soft cloth, eliciting a groan form him as he pushed into her hand.
She slid back a little, tugging at the button and releasing his zipper as his own fingers slipped nimbly past the edge of her own underwear and into the warm wetness pooled between her legs. His mouth found hers again as she began to stroke him with a sureness she hadn’t possessed last summer, and she caught her breath as he twisted his fingers just so.
The next few minutes were a kaleidoscope of hands and mouth frantically moving and tasting as they urged each other on with soft whispers and moans as there bodies found a rhythm together. She buried her face in his neck and stifled her scream as she climaxed and she felt the warmth of his own release on her hands as he moaned her name into her hair.
They sat for a moment, still intertwined and she wondered idly what it would be like to just stay this way, wrapped together, bodies humming with pleasure. But that was just wishful thinking.
She slowly sat back. “Guess we’d better get cleaned up, huh?” She avoided his gaze as she slipped from his lap, grabbing some napkins that had come in the basket and wiping her hands off as Logan followed suit, straightening himself before zipping his pants and rising to his feet.
“Veronica . . .”
“I know, I know. You were drunk and I took advantage of you. Totally my bad.” She tried to keep her voice light and hide the quaver that threatened to ruin it.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “I’m not going to wait forever for you to figure out I’m not always the bad guy, Veronica.”
The door to below swung open and Logan released her and stepped back as Dick staggered up the steps. “Dude, Gia’s got a curfew, you want to head us back in?”
“Sure thing.” Logan stepped away and Veronica wrapped the blanket around her more tightly than ever. They might could seize the night, but it always looked different come morning.
Author: Lady Anne
Pairing: Veronica/Logan, Dick/Gia
Rating: R
Summary: Double dating deviously.
Spoilers: Through 2x12
A/N: Not sure if this makes the deadline - but wanted to post anyway!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rob Thomas, UPN, and many others, but not to me.
Carpe Diem
====================
"Veronica, hey, I haven't seen you in awhile." Gia tottered slightly on her heels and giggled as she fell in step with Veronica beside the door to the girls' restroom.
Veronica nodded as she pushed the door open. "Hi, Gia."
She followed behind as Veronica approached the mirror and began rifling through her bag. Gia produced a tube and touched up her own crimson lips.
"Want to borrow mine?" she asked.
Veronica glanced at the girl primping next to her in the mirror. "No, thanks, found mine." She produced her lip gloss and unscrewed the lid. "Got to love the Burt's Bees."
“That is good stuff." Gia finished outlining her lips and blew herself a kiss. "Are you doing okay, Veronica?" She smiled sympathetically. "I heard about all that stuff with Duncan, the break-up, him running away," her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in, "with Meg's baby." She gave a little shiver. "That must have been so hard; I totally don't think I could have stood it."
Veronica carefully finished smoothing the lip gloss on as she regarded Gia in the mirror, wide-eyed and open faced. She seemed to have the inbred '09er desire to rip those named Mars to shreds missing from her makeup. Veronica thought that sort of thing naturally rubbed off when you hung out with Madison Sinclair.
But there wasn't a trace of maliciousness in Gia's smile, just sympathy. Veronica smiled in return. "I'm good, thanks for asking." She shrugged. "I'm past the emo phase, I think. You know, bad music, not showering, generally mopey."
Gia laughed. "Totally. At my last school, I was sooo in love with this guy, Tristan, and we dated for like, half of junior year, but then we broke up before the holiday break and I just locked myself in my room for days." She capped her lipstick and stowed it back in her tiny purse before looking at Veronica sheepishly. "Which is kind of why I wanted to talk with you."
"Because you spent the holidays impersonating a hermit?" Veronica asked.
"No, because of a boy." Gia bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I really like Dick."
"And that's a valid lifestyle choice," Veronica responded.
Gia laughed. "Not like that. Well like that, but I meant one Dick specifically. Casablancas."
Veronica nodded. "I got that. I'm not sure how I can help you there. Dick and I, we're not exactly what I'd call close. But from what I've seen, Dick's a pretty . . . easy guy when it comes to the fairer sex."
Gia's face darkened. "The problem's Madison. They're totally not going out anymore, but she keeps hanging all over him at every party, like a dog guarding her bone."
Veronica fought to keep her lips from twitching with laughter as Gia raved on.
"I mean, I would never try to steal someone's boyfriend, but I've asked around and she broke up with him last year. I think she just doesn't want anyone else to date him because he’s ‘her Dick’,” Gia air-quoted in a bad imitation of Madison’s voice.
"Well, that's probably true. Madison doesn't share well with others. Or at all really." Veronica stepped away from the sink and gave a shrug, knowing the bell would be ringing soon. "I'd love to help, Gia, and but I don't think there's anything I can do for you. Why don't you-"
"No, no, you can." Gia's face lit up. "You can go on a double date with me."
"What?"
Gia nodded excitedly. "You and me and Dick and Logan. Dick told me how you guys used to go out, and how Logan was so bummed after you broke up. Dick would totally go out with me if it's to help out Logan. They're like best friends."
Veronica stepped back from Gia, as though she were slightly insane and it might be catching. "Yeah, they're total BFFs, alright. Gia, first, I think Dick would probably go out with just you, no accessories required, if you asked. And second, I don't think Logan is interested in going out with me anymore. We were . . . that was all a long time ago."
Gia shook her head. "Veronica, I can't just ask Dick out! The girl can't do that."
"They can't?" Veronica frowned. "I'm pretty sure they can. And do. It's this crazy new millennium thing."
Gia shook her head. "No, Veronica. I know I could. But it works so much better if he thinks it's his idea. Guys totally get complexes if they think they're not in control. So you have to make them think they are."
Veronica stared, hoping her mouth wasn't open. "Gia . . ."
Gia continued earnestly on. "But if he thinks it's to set you guys up, and I can totally make him think it's his idea, then he'll go for it. And it would be so perfect, 'cause I totally think you and Logan would make a cute couple."
Veronica shouldered her bag and turned towards the door. "Gia, I wish I could help, I really do. But I . . ." she paused as she watched Gia's face fall, "it's just too soon for me, you know. After Duncan? I don't think I'm ready to go out with anyone quite yet."
Gia made a small moue of disappointment as she patted Veronica's arm and followed her to the door. "I'm so sorry, Veronica, I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine. Listen, I have to get to class, it was good to talk with you." Veronica hurried down the hallway. Double date with Dick? Shudder. It would be a cold day in hell. And her and Logan? So very many reasons not to go there again.
====================
Veronica wiped the dust off the bottom of the television stand, flying over the books collected there. Not quality housekeeping, but maybe Backup would at least quit sneezing every time he snuffled past. She stopped as one of the author's names on the spines caught her eye. Bill O'Reilly? Her dad was reading something by Bill O'Reilly?
She caught the spine and pulled the book out for a flip through when the cover swung open and a pile of tiny cassette tapes carefully marked with the Balboa County's Sheriff's Department evidence labels fell to the floor.
An hour later, after listening to the tapes, she realized hell had possibly just frozen over.
====================
Veronica stood outside the door and took a deep breath before knocking firmly. She waited, listening as she heard him curse under his breath as he fumbled with the lock on the other side.
"Well, who have we here? Veronica Mars?" Logan mock gasped. "Why there's not even any tasty Donut here." He surveyed the room before clasping his hands to his chest. "Did you come to see little old me?" He slipped into the smug smirk that always irritated her.
Veronica pasted on her own frigid smile as she brushed past him and perched on the couch, messenger bag clutched firmly on her lap. "I need a favor, Logan. A little quid pro quo , if you will."
"Ohh, girls speaking Latin always gets me sooo hot." He sauntered over and sprawled next to her, picking back up the discarded game controller. "I'm good at favors. Or so I've been told."
Veronica responded with an eye roll and decided there was no easy way to do this. She plunged in as she stared at the paused screen, an image of a bulked up fighter frozen in mid swing. "I need you to go on a double date with me, your good friend Dick, and Gia Goodman." She shrugged as she caught Logan raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "And I need it to look believable."
He flicked off the pause on the remote and resumed his swing as he responded, "Aww, Veronica, no need for the elaborate charade. I know you still want me."
His tone was flippant as he gave her a small smirk, but something flashed briefly in his eyes that made her feel unsettled inside, like maybe this wasn't such a great plan after all. But then he was focused on the screen again and she decided it was all her imagination. She took her cue from him and pressed on.
"Logan, you know how you want me to keep investigating Dr. Griffith and clear your name for Felix's murder?"
He punched at the controller. "Yeah, how's that coming by the way?"
She tugged the controller from his hands, ignoring his protest. "It's not going to be coming at all, Logan, if you don't start cooperating. I need you to help me with something if you want me to keep helping you."
He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I get it. You want super serious Logan. What's this all about, Veronica?"
She rose off the couch and started to pace. "You remember the bus crash last fall?" she asked.
Logan nodded.
"I need to know what happened, who’s responsible."
He shrugged. "Veronica, you need to keep up with the news. Didn't you see the headlines?" He framed them with his hands, "Baseball Star Arrested for Bus Disaster."
Veronica stopped mid-pace and turned to him. "Thanks for the newsflash, Logan. Because Lamb's never arrested the wrong guy before, now has he?"
"Point taken. But why do you care? You got off the bus."
"Because I think that bomb was intended for me." Veronica closed her eyes as she steadied herself for a moment. "I think everyone who stayed on that bus died because of me. And I need to make sure whoever did it pays."
Logan stared at her. "Veronica, you're nosy and all, but who would want to kill . . ." His voice faded away. "My dad. My dad would want you dead, because then you can't testify." He ran his hands over his face, suddenly truly sober. "That son of a bitch."
She settled back beside him on the couch, placing a hand on his arm. "Logan, I don't know that for sure. But I saw Curly Moran at the site where the bus went over, and the next day Lamb's taking me in for questioning because Curly’s washed up on the beach dead. With my name on his hand."
Logan stared at her. "Curly? The guy who worked at the garage?"
Veronica nodded. "He was the stunt coordinator on your dad's film, The Long Haul. The one with the stunt where the rig goes off the cliff."
Logan pulled the cuffs of his sleeves over his hand, nervously fingering the fabric. "Yeah, I'll help you. What do you need me to do, Veronica?"
She placed her hand over his, stopping the twisting. "I don't know that it's your dad for sure, Logan. I found some stuff out the other day . . . I just need to know more. And Dick and Gia were on the bus, they may remember something that doesn't seem important, or relevant. So I need to talk to them, but casually, not the third-degree. I don't want them to know I'm investigating the crash."
"So no threatening of surfboards?" Logan asked, tracing his thumb over her fingers.
She smiled. "No threatening of surfboards. Gia cornered me the other day and wanted to know if we could all go out, she wants to date Dick and Madison keeps running interference on her, apparently. But she thinks Dick's one of those bros before hos kind of guys who'll totally stand up to Madison if you ask him to."
"And it gives you a chance to talk to them. So everybody wins, huh? Gia gets Dick, Dick gets laid, you get answers, and I get-"
Veronica realized that Logan was still holding her hand and she pulled it away on the pretext of grabbing her messenger bag. "You get my renewed devotion to finding out who really killed Felix." She rifled through her bag and pulled out her Sidekick. "So do we have a deal?"
Logan nodded as Veronica searched through her contacts and pressed the send key.
"Gia? How are you? Listen, you know that think you asked me about the other day? I've been thinking a lot, and you know what? I think you're right. I totally need to get back out there."
She paused, listening to Gia's excited exclamation.
"But here's the thing, do you really think Logan would want to go out with me again? I mean, I've heard he's, you know, totally doing Dick's stepmom," Veronica chirped into the phone.
Logan shot her a dirty look and she gave him a sweet smile.
"Oh, Dick told you Logan's so done with her? Well, that's awesome."
Logan stuck out his tongue at her and started to reach for the controller again before she slapped his hand away.
"So do you want to call Dick and see if he thinks Logan would want to go out with me again? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah. Okay. Great. You're too sweet. Call me when you find out."
Logan cocked his head to the side. "So? What's the deal Mars?"
"Gia's going to call Dick. He should be calling you in a few. We wait. You act surprised, maybe a little resistant, don't be too easy."
"Veronica, I think I can handle it." He reached for the controller again. "Want to play?"
Veronica grabbed the other controller. "Don't you ever get tired of this?"
He focused on the screen as he waited for her to initiate her player. "Nope. It's something to do. I just get tired of playing alone."
She smiled regretfully at him before cuing up and joining the game.
Twenty minutes later, his phone sounded. He glanced over. "Showtime."
He flipped open the phone and stuck it between his shoulder and ear as he continued to punch buttons in an attempt to defeat Veronica's moves.
"Yo, Dick, how's it hanging?"
"Put it on speaker," Veronica hissed at him.
He shot her a look, but complied, tossing the phone on the couch between them and hitting the speaker button.
"Sorry, Dick, I'm playing a game, put you on speaker. Say that again?"
"You'll never guess who wants a piece of you, dude," Dick’s voice echoed between them.
"Ahh, let me guess, Kendall's been begging again," Logan smirked.
"Don't even get me started on that, bro. No, Duncan's ex is all hot to trot for some Logan loving. Veronica's a gold digger if you ask me, but I wouldn't kick her out of bed. That is one more sweet ass. So you want to tap that again, or what?"
Veronica imagined Dick's face as she hit the button just a little harder, slamming a kick into Logan's player that sent him flying back across the arena.
"What, are you like Veronica's girlfriend or something now, Dick? Stop pulling my chain," Logan said as he stole a glance at Veronica's clenched jaw.
"Dude, I'm not lying. Gia Goodman just called me, wanted us all to go out so the two of you can totally hook back up. She says Veronica's into you,” Dick responded.
"You sure Gia's not just looking for a piece of you?" Logan asked.
"Oh, she wants her some Dick, alright. And I am happy to oblige. But it sounded like a package deal. So, you in?"
Logan glanced at Veronica. "Yeah, count me in. When?"
"This Friday night."
"Okay. You want to take them out on the boat?" Logan asked.
"Dude, that's an awesome idea. Boats totally get girls horny. Let's do that."
"Set it up then, man. See you tomorrow."
He hung up the phone and turned to Veronica. "How'd I do?"
Veronica tossed the controller on the sofa and stood up, her voice cold. "You're a pro. I'll see you on Friday, Logan."
He followed her as she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, catching her arm. "What, Veronica? You told me to act normal. What did you expect me to do? Tell Dick I've been pining for you since you dumped me last summer and that he can fuck off for talking about you like that? That wouldn't be normal."
He dropped her arm and stepped away. "Even if I wanted to."
Veronica stared at him for a long moment, then pulled open the door and walked out without a word.
====================
Veronica opened her bag. Appropriate outfit for '09er date? Check. Makeup? Check. Butterflies in stomach? Check.
She rang the doorbell of the Goodman's home and took a deep breath.
“Veronica! Hey! I'm so glad you wanted to get ready over here. It's going to be so much fun," Gia bubbled as she led Veronica through the door. Veronica reached down and immediately began tugging off her shoes, handing them to Gia who stowed them without breaking stride as she continued on about the outfits she was thinking of wearing.
One slightly painful hour later Veronica retrieved her shoes and slid into them as Gia opened the door to reveal a smiling Dick with Logan lurking behind.
"Ladies, you are looking fine tonight." Dick offered his arm to Gia. "Shall we? We have a surprise planned for you."
Veronica raised a brow as she stepped up next to Logan. "Surprise? Why Logan, you know how much I just love surprises," she drawled, giving him a hard look.
He draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked to his Xterra where Dick was already opening the rear door for Gia. "I think you'll like this one. Boats and booze, what could be more fun?" He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "And no better way to loosen Dick's tongue. Trust me."
"You're the expert." She settled into the seat beside him and flipped through Logan's CDs as she listened to Dick and Gia banter in the back seat. Logan was silent beside her, seemingly absorbed in the road. She watched as they turned into the entrance of the marina.
"Ohhh, we're going out on a boat?" Gia clapped her hands excitedly as Logan pulled into the parking lot and pulled the key from the ignition.
"Yeah, we're taking you ladies for a moonlight cruise." Dick slid out of the car followed by Gia, but Veronica placed a hand on Logan's arm to stop him.
"Logan? Wait. You can't go out there, can you? Won't it set off your hardware?"
Logan smiled. "Aww, worried about me?" He twirled the key and put it in his jacket pocket. "We just have to stay in the harbor. I checked with my parole officer. Sweet of you to care though, sugarpuss."
“Just don’t want to end the evening being hauled in by the harbor patrol,” she replied sarcastically.
Logan turned in his seat. “Veronica? If you want this to work, can you try to thaw a little and act like you want to be on this date? Trust me, okay. I’m not going to screw you over tonight.” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, “At least not until you ask nicely.”
His breath on her neck felt good, and she resisted the urge to shiver and lean closer. He was right, she couldn’t play the ice princess if she wanted to play happy couples with Dick and Gia tonight, but pretending with Logan felt a little too real every now and then.
They exited the car and caught up with the others. "Isn't this so romantic?" Gia grabbed Veronica's arm. "Aren't they just the sweetest?"
"The very sweetest," Veronica singsonged back as she settled onto the seat while Logan made the necessary preparation to cast off. "And what's in the basket?"
"Just a little something to get this party started." Dick flipped open the top. "Aww yeah, we've got some wine coolers for the ladies, cause we know you like those fruity drinks, and," he pulled out a bottle, "the real stuff for us men."
"Ohh, do you have any Pina Colada? That's my favorite kind," Gia chirped to Veronica.
"Dude, put that stuff back until we get farther out, okay?" Logan commanded and he started the engine and reversed out of the berth.
"Chill, man. We'll save the cold ones until later. He grabbed Gia's hand and pulled her to the seats at the front of the boat as they moved smoothly into the harbor.
Veronica slid into the seat behind Logan. "I give it ten minutes until he does a Titanic."
Logan grinned back at her. "Oh, it'll be less than five." She laughed as they watched Dick urging Gia up on the seat as he flung his arms out behind her and declared he was the king of the world at the top of his lungs.
Logan killed the motor and let the boat drift for a moment as they neared the entrance to the harbor. The sun had begun to set and Veronica watched entranced as the golden globe sank towards the edge of the ocean and Logan took the seat beside her, throwing his arm around the back of the seat. She tensed slightly as she felt his arm brush her shoulders.
"I don't bite, Veronica. And a little contact might be smart if you want Olive Oyl and Surfer Boy to play nice and answer your questions," he whispered in her ear. “Now let’s get this party started.”
====================
Three hours later, Gia stumbled to her feet. “Whoa. I think I lost my sea legs. Dick, could you help me to the ladies’ room?” She fluttered her eyelashes as Dick rose a little unsteadily himself.
“Right this way.” He glanced back over his shoulder as Gia descended into the lower cabin. “Don’t come a knocking if the boat’s a rocking.”
Veronica contained herself until the door was closed. “How do you even stand to hang out with him?”
Logan shrugged lazily as he drained his bottle and tossed into the barrel beside his seat. “Dick’s not complicated. He’s easy to figure out, and he’s always got my back.”
He shifted and turned on the seat to face her. “Cold?”
“A little.” She took the blanket he pulled out from under one of the storage compartments gratefully. “Thanks.”
“So did you find out what you needed? Because that ramble about carpe diem and life being too short to waste you started on was not the most subtle of segues, if I do say so, Mars.”
She tucked the ends of the blanket around her bare toes, and then slid them closer to the warmth of his thigh. “Well if someone hadn’t suggested a drinking game first, I might not have been tipsy by the time we finally got around to it. Besides, it was all true. And I didn’t really learn anything new.” She shrugged. “I guess it’s been so long, they’ve started to forget.”
“I wish it was that easy sometimes.” Logan’s voice was quiet.
“To forget?” she asked. He nodded.
“Me too. I guess some things are harder to forget than others, aren’t they?”
They sat in silence watching the moonlight dance across the water, lost in their own thoughts.
“Can I ask you something, Veronica?” Logan broke the stillness.
“Sure,” she replied.
“Is Duncan okay?” He hurried on. “I don’t want to know where he is, or how it happened, but he was my best friend. I don’t want it to be like with Mom, not knowing for sure.”
Veronica watched the pain in his eyes and came to a decision. “I don’t know where he is, Logan. But he’s okay. He and the baby, he named her Lilly, they’re okay.”
Logan smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Me too. I wish it hadn’t been that way, that Meg had lived, that . . .”
“She’d never gotten pregnant?” Logan asked.
Veronica shook her head. “Maybe. I don’t know. Duncan and I . . . I loved him so much. But he wasn’t mine anymore, and it took me too long to figure that out.”
“See, that’s why I hang with Dick now. Totally uncomplicated.”
“Total space cadet’s more like it. You can do better, Logan”
He caught her hand as she smoothed the edge of the blanket. “Can I? Should I follow your lead and carpe diem?”
The question hung in the air between them as he leaned over slowly and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before releasing her.
She slowly opened her eyes to find him watching her with that intense gaze she hadn’t seen since last summer.
Logan asked, “Should I apologize? We don’t have an audience to play to--”
Veronica leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, cutting him off mid-sentence. His hands slid beneath the blanket and found her smooth skin beneath her sweater, goose-bumped from his touch and the cold air that crept beneath.
Somewhere in the back of her brain a part of her was lecturing about why making out with Logan was such a bad idea right now, so soon after Duncan had left and with Logan mixed up in who knows what, and all the many, many other reasons she’d decided she shouldn’t date him in the first place.
But his kissing had not been one of those, and she couldn’t think of any of the rest to save her life as Logan nibbled at her lips and pulled her into his lap, sliding the blanket around her shoulders and cocooning them in their combined warmth.
She could put it down to the alcohol, or the way he’d been all night, the side of Logan that she’d glimpsed over the summer, where he could be that guy, the one you thought maybe you could get really serious about. Of course tomorrow he’d probably go fuck it all up again and burn down another pool or something, but at the moment . . .
Veronica lost focus as Logan trailed his lips down her collarbone and traced the edge of her V-neck sweater, caressing the swell of her breast.
“You have the softest skin,” he whispered, and she shuddered just a little as she settled more firmly in his lap. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Veronica felt his hand slide higher, playing with the edge of her skirt, then higher still. He’d done this over the summer, working her up, teasing her but never quite going all the way, leaving her flushed and always wanting a little more. She was tired of always wanting more and never getting it.
She caught his hand, slid it higher up her thigh with a little squeeze and moved her own hand between them to find his cock already hard beneath her fingers. She traced the outline of his erection through the soft cloth, eliciting a groan form him as he pushed into her hand.
She slid back a little, tugging at the button and releasing his zipper as his own fingers slipped nimbly past the edge of her own underwear and into the warm wetness pooled between her legs. His mouth found hers again as she began to stroke him with a sureness she hadn’t possessed last summer, and she caught her breath as he twisted his fingers just so.
The next few minutes were a kaleidoscope of hands and mouth frantically moving and tasting as they urged each other on with soft whispers and moans as there bodies found a rhythm together. She buried her face in his neck and stifled her scream as she climaxed and she felt the warmth of his own release on her hands as he moaned her name into her hair.
They sat for a moment, still intertwined and she wondered idly what it would be like to just stay this way, wrapped together, bodies humming with pleasure. But that was just wishful thinking.
She slowly sat back. “Guess we’d better get cleaned up, huh?” She avoided his gaze as she slipped from his lap, grabbing some napkins that had come in the basket and wiping her hands off as Logan followed suit, straightening himself before zipping his pants and rising to his feet.
“Veronica . . .”
“I know, I know. You were drunk and I took advantage of you. Totally my bad.” She tried to keep her voice light and hide the quaver that threatened to ruin it.
He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “I’m not going to wait forever for you to figure out I’m not always the bad guy, Veronica.”
The door to below swung open and Logan released her and stepped back as Dick staggered up the steps. “Dude, Gia’s got a curfew, you want to head us back in?”
“Sure thing.” Logan stepped away and Veronica wrapped the blanket around her more tightly than ever. They might could seize the night, but it always looked different come morning.