Fic: Some Truths Hurt (V/Logan, all) R [27of ?]
Title: Some Truths Hurt
Author: jenwin23
Pairing/Character: all, LoVe
Word Count: 16,504
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 1
Warnings: Slight violence, cussing, discussions about rape and possible incest.
This story so far recaplet: Canon up until Echolls Family Christmas. Veronica copied Duncan’s laptop hard drive to get his journal. Connor and Veronica were dating for awhile, until she and Logan finally managed to work through their issues enough to get together. Veronica took a paternity test and is a Mars, Duncan wants to date her again, awkwardness ensues. LoVe investigates the rape and the truth is revealed (but is it the whole truth?). Lynn tried to commit suicide but Logan found her and got her to the hospital in time. LoVe breaks up, Lynn disappears, LoVe work together to find Lynn in a rehab center in Santa Barbara. Logan finally removes his head from his ass, but V isn’t ready to try again. After some creative courtship methods, LoVe gets back together. Mac is dating Enbom. Casey has hooked up with the new girl, Nadia, who has ulterior motives and an unhealthy interest in Logan. Duncan and Meg are dating, and Veronica is worried. V finally tells Logan about the paternity issue with Duncan, and tells Meg to be careful. Logan and Veronica don’t see eye to eye on Duncan, but they manage to disagree and not break up. Alicia and Keith are going strong. Veronica busts a rogue ATF agent, Dick had a birthday party, LoVe has a bunch of sex. Logan visits Lynn in rehab and they discuss his abuse. The prank calls Veronica has been getting for weeks turn out to be from Leanne. LoVe heads to Barstow chasing after another wayward mother.
Chapter 27
(Saturday)
Scene opens outside the Sagebrush Cantina. Leanne is trying to get away from Veronica and Logan. Leanne stumbles and knocks over a trashcan. Logan pulls her back upright and looks at Veronica to see what she wants to do next.
Leanne: I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine. Honey, just please go. Please go, baby.
Veronica: I have been searching for you for a year. I’m not going anywhere.
Veronica grabs her mother and hugs her hard. Leanne hugs back.
Leanne: (whispering) Oh, god, I’ve missed you so much.
Leanne pulls out of the hug. Veronica looks around and sees a small all night diner down the street. With Veronica on one side and Logan on the other the teenagers maneuver Leanne down the street. Inside the restaurant, Veronica directs her mother onto an open booth’s seat. Veronica goes round the table to the other side next to Logan.
Leanne: But this is bad. This is very bad, you shouldn’t be here.
Veronica: (tearfully) Neither should you.
Logan slides his hand up and down Veronica’s thigh in comfort and she gratefully takes his hand in hers, holding it tightly. She looks out the window to see if Weidman is still nearby watching.
Veronica Voiceover: He had to have seen me. He knows I’ve made contact.
They order coffee for Leanne and breakfast food for themselves, pancakes for Logan and French toast for Veronica. Leanne hangs her head over the table sipping at the black coffee.
Leanne: I’m trying, though, I’m trying to protect you and I can’t. I can’t. It’s just so hard.
Leanne weeps into her arms and Veronica moves over to sit next to her mom. Leanne turns into Veronica’s arms. Veronica calls out to the waitress wiping a table.
Veronica: Can we get some more coffee over here please?
The waitress nods and goes off to get the coffee. Uncomfortable, Logan tries to find something else to focus on, but there are not a lot of distractions in the vicinity. Logan would wait outside, but he didn’t know what was going on. Who was that man earlier? He did look vaguely familiar. And who was blackmailing Veronica and Leanne? He remains in his seat ready to help or protect, whichever is called for.
Veronica: It’s okay. Mom.
Veronica lifts Leanne’s head to look at her.
Veronica: Mom, everything is gonna be okay.
Leanne smiles hopefully through her tears.
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(Sunday)
Scene opens on a dingy hotel room. The two full size beds are occupied. Leanne sleeps soundly in one and Veronica and Logan lie in the other. Veronica is awake facing her mother, afraid that she might disappear at any moment. Logan is spooned up behind her. She reaches over to pull his arm more tightly around her. Her face is sad and worried.
Later. Logan is standing awkwardly on the hotel balcony watching Veronica walk towards him with several bags. Veronica had walked down the block to a store to get some necessities for Leanne and Logan, leaving Logan to watch Leanne.
Veronica: Hey.
Logan: You get everything?
Veronica: Yeah.
Veronica takes her supplies into the bathroom where Leanne is showering. Returning to the main room, she knows Logan will have questions.
Logan: Is she ok?
Veronica: I guess. Hung-over, I think. But, ok.
Logan: And you?
Veronica: I’m fine.
Logan: That’s good. (hint of anger) Cause with some weird dude following you, and maybe the same dude blackmailing you and your mother, I don’t know. You might consider yourself to be somewhat less than fine.
Veronica: Logan. I know you have questions. There are a lot of things I haven’t told you.
Logan: You think?
Veronica: This all started before we got together Logan.
She shakes her head, obviously unwilling to explain anything.
Logan: Should I even be here?
Veronica: What do you mean?
Logan: Why am I here if you’re not going to let me help you?
Veronica: (softly) You are helping me. Having you here helps me.
He is unsatisfied with her answer, but opens his arms as she walks towards him, coming to a stop with her face pressed in his chest.
Logan: I won’t drop this.
Veronica: When do you ever?
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Cut to the diner. Leanne’s coffee is being poured into a cup.
Waitress: Just let me know if you need something else.
Leanne shakily slurps down a gulp. She puts her cup down with both hands and turns to her daughter, grinning ruefully. The table reveals three mostly empty plates of food, but Logan is not there.
Leanne: How do I look?
Leanne’s face is clean and shiny except for some smudged eye makeup. Her hair is stringy and her skin is sickly pale and yellowish. She laughs before responding more somberly.
Leanne: I wish you weren’t seeing me like this.
Veronica: You should have seen me Friday night. Dick had a costume party dance for his birthday.
Leanne: Oh, that sounds fun. Was that fun?
Veronica doesn’t lose her stricken look.
Leanne: Well, I guess things don’t just stop, do they. (softly) There’s still birthdays and dances and Christmas.
Veronica: No, there’s really not.
Leanne: (giggles) You remember that time you wanted to have a clambake for your birthday?
Veronica: (earnestly) I know about you and Jake Kane. I wanna know what was between the two of you. Were you so adamant that dad not go after Jake for Lilly’s murder because you still had feelings for him?
Leanne: Oh Veronica.
Veronica: Tell me.
Leanne: (certainty ringing in her voice) Jake was innocent.
Veronica: How do you know that?
Leanne: I just know that.
Veronica: (emotional) Like in your heart because you love him?
Veronica’s eyes are filled with unshed tears and her voice nearly breaks.
Leanne: (matter-of-factly) No. Because I was with him at the time of the murder. We were in a hotel room at the Neptune Grand.
Shocked, Veronica takes a deep breath and falls back against the bench.
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Veronica and Leanne are sitting in the hotel room around a small table when Logan comes back in with a shopping bag of new clothes. He checks Veronica’s face for her emotional state and sees she is holding on. Commenting that he is going to shower, he goes into the bathroom.
Leanne: (smiling) I didn’t see that one coming.
Veronica: What?
Leanne: You and Logan. How did it happen?
Veronica: It’s a long story.
Leanne smiles sadly. Veronica faces Leanne.
Veronica: I guess you couldn’t tell Dad you were in a hotel with your ex.
Leanne: It wasn’t like that.
Veronica: I think that is exactly what it’s like, Mom.
Leanne: I just went there to talk to him.
Veronica: (sarcastic) On the one day all the Starbucks were closed.
Leanne: (justifying) Well, it had to be in private. (a little desperate) Everything’s just not so easy to explain, Veronica.
Veronica: (impatient) Could you just try? Do you think maybe I could have some real, actual answers? You left us.
Leanne considers, then answers.
Leanne: Well, a few days before, I was in your room putting up the laundry. Your phone rang, the machine got it. I heard Celeste’s voice.
Veronica: (incredulous) Celeste Kane was leaving me a message?
Leanne: She said she had important information involving me and her husband. (snorts) Things she thought you ought to know.
Veronica frowns as she pieces together the timeline.
Leanne: She didn’t want you seeing Duncan. So I called Jake, I met him at the Neptune Grand and I told him to tell his wife to back off. (off Veronica’s look, whispering, urgently) I was protecting you.
Veronica is disbelieving.
Veronica Voiceover: Celeste told Duncan that I was his sister on September 20th. She had to know he broke up with me right after. Why would she call me a week later to tell me the same thing? What would she gain? Is my mom lying or is she just confused about when Celeste called?
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In Neptune, Mac hugs Lauren goodbye carefully with a wistful, but happy look. She smiles awkwardly at Cheryl Sinclair, who had stood silently watching Mac and Lauren work for the duration of Mac’s visit. Bo Sinclair, had come and gone, looking at Mac reverently, smiling kindly and asking her about school, friends, and future plans with avid interest. Shutting the door Mac drove away from what could have been her family to the people who were her family.
She had gotten used to the reality of her situation in the last few months and was mostly at peace with it. Being able to see her biological family and know them a bit soothed the ache. She equated it with how an adopted kid felt. The family that raised you was still your family, but your biological relatives held a piece of who you were. Arriving back at home she smiles as her mother greets her at the door with a big smile. Natalie Mackenzie had been troubled that morning when Mac told her where she was going, and welcomed her chosen daughter back with an affectionate hug.
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Afternoon. In the hotel room, Logan, Veronica and Leanne are eating takeout. Leanne is pouring packets of sugar into her coffee. Her food is untouched.
Veronica: You should have something to eat.
Leanne: That’s not gonna do it. I just need a little sip of something.
Veronica: (shaking her head) No.
Leanne: Honey, my head is pounding. It’s like tangled and-
Veronica: (begging) I don’t want you to, Mom. I want you to keep talking to me. What did Jake say when you told him about Celeste’s call?
Leanne looks at Veronica then at Logan. She’s concerned.
Veronica: It’s alright. Logan knows.
Logan: Well, not really.
Veronica: He knows about the affair.
Logan nods, Leanne looks ashamed.
Veronica: What did Jake say?
Leanne: I don’t know, nothing. (standing up) I’m just gonna get a beer.
Leanne moves towards the door. Veronica follows and holds onto her arm to swing in front of her. Logan stands up too and waits.
Veronica: What happened with Jake?
Leanne: (evasive) I don’t know, I just, I convinced him to make her back off.
Leanne tries to get past Veronica to the door, and the beer she wants to badly, but Veronica won’t move out of her way.
Veronica: (dogged) How did you convince him?
Leanne: It’s very complicated Veronica, I don’t know how to explain it to you or have it make any sense…
Veronica: (desperately) Just tell me the truth! How did you convince him?
Leanne: I told Jake that if Celeste tried to contact you again, I’d have a paternity test done and take him for millions.
Veronica stares at her mother.
Veronica: (voice breaking) You don’t know? All this time you didn’t know who my father is?
Veronica looks sick and Leanne looks ashamed.
Veronica: If you were so sure that the test would prove that Jake was my father, (accusing) then how could you let me date Duncan?
Leanne pauses, stricken.
Leanne: I didn’t know. I, I thought since you and your dad were so close that he had to be your father’s…You’re so alike.
Veronica: (angry) So when you wanted to, you believed dad was my real dad, but later you thought, hey, I’ll just use my daughter’s questionable paternity to get my lover to get his wife to back off? Is that it?
Veronica is crying and disappointed, her rose covered glasses ripped from her eyes again. She had wanted to believe that Leanne had left with her best interest in mind. To protect her like she said. But if Leanne hadn’t known Veronica’s paternity then why let her date Duncan? Why not just get the damn test done once and for all? Had she left not because of the threat to Veronica, but rather because with all the media attention she couldn’t see Jake anymore? Logan moves to Veronica’s side and hugs her. When Leanne tries to move past them, Logan steps back to lean against the door with Veronica still in his arms, blocking the only exit.
Veronica: (to Leanne) How could you?
Veronica is nearly hyperventilating.
Leanne: (crying) I don’t know.
Distressed, mother and daughter stare at each other. Veronica stays in Logan’s embrace and Leanne slumps back in her seat.
Once Veronica has calmed down she wipes away her tears and turns to face her mother.
Veronica: (tired) I had a test done. A paternity test. Keith Mars is my father. Biologically and in every way that counts.
Leanne: (face crumpling) I’m glad for you Veronica.
Deciphering that odd statement, Veronica and Logan independently conclude that Leanne wished that Veronica had been Jake’s, no matter what that would mean for Veronica, Duncan, or Keith. Veronica’s face hardens.
Veronica: I want you to go to rehab.
Leanne: (shaking her head) No, Veronica. I don’t want that. I’m fine.
Veronica: You’re not fine. You’re an alcoholic. You live in a hotel. Moving around from place to place. You have no friends with you. No family. You’re not fine.
Leanne: I’ll go stay with a friend, I can stop drinking on my own Veronica. I can…
Veronica: Like who? Adrianna in Arizona?
Leanne: How do you know…
Veronica: I’ve been trying to find you for a year. A year. You just left. Why?
Leanne: I was protecting you. I am protecting you.
Veronica: How? By drinking yourself to death somewhere where I don’t have to watch you do it? That’s just great. Thanks, Mom.
Leanne: Veronica. You don’t understand.
Veronica: You’re right I don’t. I don’t understand why you won’t do this. Why you won’t get help. Don’t you want to get better? Don’t you want to come home? To be with me?
Leanne: You know I do, I love you Veronica, all this has been for you.
Veronica: No. You leaving didn’t do anything for me except hurt me. I needed you.
Leanne: Veronica, I’ll make it up to you. You’ll see, I’ll get better. I will.
Veronica: Prove it. Go to rehab.
Leanne: No, I…
Veronica: (adamant) Go to rehab.
Leanne is quiet for a long moment, then nods, resigned. Logan remains silent not wanting to insert himself into the private conversation, but he worries for Veronica. She’s forcing Leanne to go to rehab, and that won’t work. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want help, and Leanne Mars was not ready to admit that she needed any help at all.
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Once Leanne agreed to rehab, Veronica got busy looking for rehab centers in southern California that she could afford. In a confusing conversation that left Logan knowing that he was missing more details than he had, he determined that Leanne had money in some sort of account but didn’t have checks or a credit card that she could use to access it. She had set it up to receive cash payouts every two weeks by Western Union and only had $1700 in cash at the moment. For some reason she didn’t want to or couldn’t pull more money out of the account in a one time transfer. Veronica had nearly $20,000 in her account and therefore was looking for low to moderately priced programs. Logan stands up and kisses Veronica lightly on the cheek.
Logan: I’ll be right back. I need to make a call.
Veronica nods and with a small grateful smile to him, returns to her search.
Outside, Logan walks down the street to avoid being overheard. He calls Assurances and asks to speak to Dr. Everett. Once the doctor is on the line Logan explains the situation and convinces the doctor to allow Logan to pay for half of the cost of Leanne’s rehab and to tell Veronica that Assurances had a sliding scale cost based on income. Veronica would believe she was paying for Leanne’s rehab, and Leanne would be in a first class facility. If she decided to really participate in the program and get help, Assurances would be able to provide more individualized care. And maybe if Leanne was in a luxury, spa type setting instead of an institutional prison like setting she would stay longer. Maybe.
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Mars Apartment, Wallace comes through the front door with Backup to find an angry Keith standing at the kitchen island reading Veronica’s note. Keith looks up hoping to see Veronica, but in seeing Wallace instead, he scowls.
Keith: Do you know where she went Wallace?
Wallace: No. She called last night, asked me to take care of Backup today.
Keith: What did she say?
Wallace: Nothing, just that she had to go out of town. (Keith stares Wallace down with his Sheriff’s look) I swear. She didn’t say anything. Just that she had to go.
Keith nods, accepting Wallace’s statement and tries to call Veronica’s phone again.
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Barstow. Another hotel room. Veronica’s phone buzzes in her bag as she and Leanne pack up the Leanne’s meager belongings. Logan carries the suitcase down to the Xterra, stowing it in the back seat. Veronica had been ecstatic when Logan told her she could afford Assurances and they had decided to stay in Barstow one more night and drive to Santa Barbara tomorrow.
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Sinclair home, Neptune. Bo and Cheryl Sinclair sit alone in their den contemplating each other in silence.
Cheryl: She knows.
Bo: Of course she knows. She’s very smart.
He looks both pleased and wistful.
Cheryl: I mean, (emphatic) she knows. That changes things.
Bo: How? (tired and sad) We agreed to leave them as they were.
Cheryl: But she knows.
Her eyes fill with tears.
Bo: Madison doesn’t. Lauren doesn’t. Mac’s little brother doesn’t.
Cheryl: Lauren will be happy. Ryan won’t care. It will just be a great story to tell one day.
Bo: And Madison?
Cheryl: Maybe knowing will grant her some humility?
Bo: (arching one brow in disbelief) We are responsible for Madison being who she is. The Mackenzies are wonderful people. It was our inability to discipline Madison that lead to her behavior. Our guilt for longing for the daughter we gave up.
Cheryl: I know. But,…
Bo: (walking over to his wife and taking her hand) I know. I want to know her too.
Cheryl: So what do we do?
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