Veronica Mars Fic: "The Flipside"
It's always made me sad that Logan and Duncan never got a chance to say goodbye to each other on the show, so I wrote this. It's futurefic, so as such is AU, I suppose. Logan POV, and Veronica/Logan is also a factor. No real spoilers, but I'll say to 222 just to be safe. Big love to mcfeste for once again providing kick-ass beta. Couldn't do it without you!
Feedback always greatly appreciated. ETA: The prequel to this story is here.
Even from far away, Logan recognizes him immediately - the set of his shoulders, the way he leans on his right leg and cocks his hand on his hip. It’s so familiar, and suddenly they are in the hallway at school, or playing video games, or giggling in the pool, splashing Lilly on her deck chair and making her curse like a sailor. Logan blinks, half-expecting him to disappear, but instead Duncan throws his head back and laughs. Just like he used to.
Logan smiles. He’d know his best friend anywhere.
*
The beach is crowded due to the unseasonably hot weather, but Logan doesn’t have a hard time keeping his eye on Duncan. Veronica is a ways away in the opposite direction, being taught how to pop up on a surfboard. If Logan squints, he can make her out on the sand, the instructor pacing back and forth in front of six students, all valiantly attempting to jump to their feet in one swift motion. Veronica had ordered Logan to stay away, and he’d promised not to make sarcastic comments or take incriminating photos. She hadn’t said anything about video, so he’d already recorded a few minutes of her awkwardly trying to get her feet beneath her in one movement.
Logan slips the camera out of his pocket. He zooms in, and beyond the people in the foreground and those walking in and out of the frame, he films Duncan playing with his daughter. She has light brown hair that curls over her shoulders, and her smile is wide as she digs in the sand. Duncan’s hair is longer than Logan has ever seen it - a shaggy mop that he tucks behind his ears.
The little girl pulls something out of the sand and hands it to Duncan, and he makes a show of his admiration, like she’s just unearthed the Hope Diamond. Picking up a ziplock bag, he adds the shell to what looks like a growing collection.
*
Their first day in Sydney, Veronica had been disappointed to learn that most toilets flushed with a quick rush of water, and it was hard to tell it was swirling in the opposite direction. After she’d flushed for the fifth time, Logan had dragged her out of the hotel room and down to the wharf. They rode the ferry past the Opera House and around the harbour, past North Sydney and Neutral Bay. The jet lag took its toll, and they napped in the sunshine, Veronica’s head on his shoulder.
As Logan watches Duncan and his daughter, he thinks about Meg Manning and her warm smile for the first time in years.
Veronica’s lesson is finishing, but Logan stays where he is. He could get up right now and lead her away from Duncan, but he figures it’s only fair that she gets her chance. Even if it changes everything. Veronica makes her way over, weaving through the multitude of sun-baked bodies. Logan waits to hear her sharp intake of breath when she draws near, but she doesn’t see anyone else but him. As he kisses her salty lips, she slips her hand into his, tugging in the direction of a hot dog stand.
*
“What’s with you?” Veronica asks, around a mouthful of processed meat product.
Logan has been trying not to watch Duncan and his daughter out of the corner of his eye, even though he’s not sure what he’s afraid of. (She’ll leave and never come back. Never, never, never.)
He’s about to tell her, and glances over at Duncan.
“Logan?”
Logan’s jaw snaps shut. Duncan and the girl are gone. He scans the beach, panic beating its wings against his ribcage as he realizes that the opportunity has passed. His gaze settles on Veronica, watching him with concern. He shrugs. “I think I’ve had too much sun.”
They finish their lunch, and as his eyes search the crowd, Logan tries not to think about how much he misses him.
*
The mini-bar at the hotel is stocked, and Logan toys with a bottle of vodka. He thinks about the last time he tasted alcohol, but what he remembers more is the tang of blood on his tongue, the broken glass that dug into his palms.
Veronica comes out of the bathroom, and he can practically feel her body tense.
“I was just looking,” he says. “I thought we told them we didn’t want any booze in the room.” He cracks a smile. “And I think the maid dropped off some crystal meth with the mints on our pillows. When I specifically said I prefer speedballs.”
With quick fingers, Veronica takes the bottle from his hand, and empties the contents of the fridge into the garbage can. When she comes back, the can is empty, and Logan knows the concierge has had an earful. Her smile is tight, and Logan kisses it away, letting her taste for herself that everything is okay.
That night, right before Veronica comes for the third time, he makes her say his name. She does, over and over, her breath hot in his ear.
*
Logan dreams he is back in rehab. Lilly tries to get him to take a drink, or snort a line of coke off the soft skin of her hand. Then Duncan is there, and they play rock-paper-scissors for hours, like they used to.
Logan wakes, and as the images slip away, regret is heavy in the pit of his stomach. He scribbles a note for Veronica, and soon he’s at the water’s edge. He walks back and forth as the beach fills up, searching every face for the right one.
After an hour, he accepts defeat.
*
His throat is dry, and sweat drips down his forehead as the sun moves higher into the sky. Logan ducks into to a surf shop, a bell ringing overhead. He’s just slid the fridge door open when Duncan says his name with disbelief and the faint twang of a new accent that has taken root.
Duncan’s face lights up, and Logan finds himself grinning back. “Hey,” Logan says, for lack of something better.
“What are you doing here?”
“Vacation. You work here?”
“Yeah. I mean, we own it. Not the Fortune 500 company my dad wanted me to helm, but we do pretty well for ourselves.”
“We?”
“My wife Sarah. She and Lilly are shopping.” Duncan digs his wallet out of the pocket of his board shorts. “Hold on, I have a picture…here.” He holds out a small, glossy shot of a pretty, red-headed woman and his daughter. “She’s six now.”
“They’re both beautiful. Lilly, huh?” Logan doesn’t ask what name Duncan is using now.
Duncan laughs. “I know, she’d probably roll her eyes and call me a doofus.”
“Yeah, but secretly she’d love it,” Logan chuckles. It’s strange how comfortable it feels to talk to Duncan again. How normal. “What’s Sarah like?”
“She’s...awesome.” He gets a goofy look on his face that Logan remembers from long ago. “She and Lilly are my whole world.” A smile lifts the corners of his mouth and his eyebrows raise. “How’s your wife?”
Logan barks out a laugh. “We’re not married; Veronica doesn’t believe in that particular institution. But how did you know...”
“We get Tinseltown Diaries Down Under, too.” Duncan deepens his voice and imitates the show’s somber voice-over. “After tempestuous years of depression, drinking, and drug abuse, Logan Echolls has cleaned up his act and settled down with his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Ironically, the very woman who accused his father of murder.” Duncan drops the dramatic tone. “Although I don’t think that’s actually ironic.”
“Insert obligatory Alanis Morissette joke here.”
Duncan smiles. “You know, you should try asking.”
“Huh?”
“Veronica. You never know, she just might make an honest man of you yet.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, but her dad would be happy.”
“How is he these days?”
“Good. He married Wallace’s mom last year.”
“Glad to hear it. He’s a great guy.”
He thinks about Keith hauling him into his car and driving two hundred miles to rehab, listening to Logan scream obscenities. “Yeah, he is.”
“You guys are living in San Diego now, right? Do you get back to Neptune much?”
“Yeah, pretty often to visit Veronica’s dad and Alicia. Wallace still lives there, too - he teaches little kids and coaches basketball. Veronica puts in crazy hours at law school, but we try to go back every couple of weeks. Neptune’s…I don’t know. The same, I guess.”
It hits him that Duncan will never go home again.
“Have you decided on a career path yet?”
“Besides living well off my father’s money? Not so much. I’m enrolled for college next month.” He shrugs. “I’ll see what I like. I’ve been sober for a year, so I guess it’s time to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
“Do you ever think about him?”
“Who? My father?”
“Yeah.”
“Not if I can help it.” Duncan nods, but doesn’t say anything. Logan asks, “Do you ever talk to Jake and Celeste?”
“When I can. We have to be really careful. And you won’t say anything about this, right?” His look is meaningful. “Not to anyone.”
“You can trust me.”
“I know,” Duncan says.
Logan takes a deep breath and blows it out. “I’d better go, we have to check out. We’re working our way down the coast to Adelaide.”
“Cool. Make sure you do the Great Ocean Road. It’s incredible.”
“Yeah, we will. Thanks.”
They stare at each other, all out of travel tips and small talk. Logan knows this is it, and they both move into a hug without a word. For a moment, he holds on tight. Duncan smells like suntan lotion, and pineapple, and him. Logan’s throat is like sandpaper. “I love you, man.”
They step back, and Duncan says something that Logan thinks is “Me too,” but he can’t tell for sure. Duncan clears his throat. “Take care of yourself. Both of you.”
“We will.” He takes a long look, and smiles. “Catch you on the flipside, DK.”
Smiling in return, Duncan gives him a salute, and Logan pushes the door open, blinking into the glare of the sun as he walks away.
*
Later, they stop at a lookout over the ocean, and Logan pulls the camera from his bag. He turns it on as Veronica asks, “How are we doing for space on the card?” She stands by the railing, the breeze blowing her hair into her eyes. “Logan? Did you hear me?”
Logan realizes he’s staring, and checks the display, pressing a few buttons. Duncan and Lilly are frozen on the tiny screen, two small blips in the crowd. His thumb hovers over the button. “It’s okay, there’s still lots of room.”
He hits Erase and tells Veronica to smile, even though he knows that always makes her stick her tongue out instead.
Feedback always greatly appreciated. ETA: The prequel to this story is here.
Even from far away, Logan recognizes him immediately - the set of his shoulders, the way he leans on his right leg and cocks his hand on his hip. It’s so familiar, and suddenly they are in the hallway at school, or playing video games, or giggling in the pool, splashing Lilly on her deck chair and making her curse like a sailor. Logan blinks, half-expecting him to disappear, but instead Duncan throws his head back and laughs. Just like he used to.
Logan smiles. He’d know his best friend anywhere.
*
The beach is crowded due to the unseasonably hot weather, but Logan doesn’t have a hard time keeping his eye on Duncan. Veronica is a ways away in the opposite direction, being taught how to pop up on a surfboard. If Logan squints, he can make her out on the sand, the instructor pacing back and forth in front of six students, all valiantly attempting to jump to their feet in one swift motion. Veronica had ordered Logan to stay away, and he’d promised not to make sarcastic comments or take incriminating photos. She hadn’t said anything about video, so he’d already recorded a few minutes of her awkwardly trying to get her feet beneath her in one movement.
Logan slips the camera out of his pocket. He zooms in, and beyond the people in the foreground and those walking in and out of the frame, he films Duncan playing with his daughter. She has light brown hair that curls over her shoulders, and her smile is wide as she digs in the sand. Duncan’s hair is longer than Logan has ever seen it - a shaggy mop that he tucks behind his ears.
The little girl pulls something out of the sand and hands it to Duncan, and he makes a show of his admiration, like she’s just unearthed the Hope Diamond. Picking up a ziplock bag, he adds the shell to what looks like a growing collection.
*
Their first day in Sydney, Veronica had been disappointed to learn that most toilets flushed with a quick rush of water, and it was hard to tell it was swirling in the opposite direction. After she’d flushed for the fifth time, Logan had dragged her out of the hotel room and down to the wharf. They rode the ferry past the Opera House and around the harbour, past North Sydney and Neutral Bay. The jet lag took its toll, and they napped in the sunshine, Veronica’s head on his shoulder.
As Logan watches Duncan and his daughter, he thinks about Meg Manning and her warm smile for the first time in years.
Veronica’s lesson is finishing, but Logan stays where he is. He could get up right now and lead her away from Duncan, but he figures it’s only fair that she gets her chance. Even if it changes everything. Veronica makes her way over, weaving through the multitude of sun-baked bodies. Logan waits to hear her sharp intake of breath when she draws near, but she doesn’t see anyone else but him. As he kisses her salty lips, she slips her hand into his, tugging in the direction of a hot dog stand.
*
“What’s with you?” Veronica asks, around a mouthful of processed meat product.
Logan has been trying not to watch Duncan and his daughter out of the corner of his eye, even though he’s not sure what he’s afraid of. (She’ll leave and never come back. Never, never, never.)
He’s about to tell her, and glances over at Duncan.
“Logan?”
Logan’s jaw snaps shut. Duncan and the girl are gone. He scans the beach, panic beating its wings against his ribcage as he realizes that the opportunity has passed. His gaze settles on Veronica, watching him with concern. He shrugs. “I think I’ve had too much sun.”
They finish their lunch, and as his eyes search the crowd, Logan tries not to think about how much he misses him.
*
The mini-bar at the hotel is stocked, and Logan toys with a bottle of vodka. He thinks about the last time he tasted alcohol, but what he remembers more is the tang of blood on his tongue, the broken glass that dug into his palms.
Veronica comes out of the bathroom, and he can practically feel her body tense.
“I was just looking,” he says. “I thought we told them we didn’t want any booze in the room.” He cracks a smile. “And I think the maid dropped off some crystal meth with the mints on our pillows. When I specifically said I prefer speedballs.”
With quick fingers, Veronica takes the bottle from his hand, and empties the contents of the fridge into the garbage can. When she comes back, the can is empty, and Logan knows the concierge has had an earful. Her smile is tight, and Logan kisses it away, letting her taste for herself that everything is okay.
That night, right before Veronica comes for the third time, he makes her say his name. She does, over and over, her breath hot in his ear.
*
Logan dreams he is back in rehab. Lilly tries to get him to take a drink, or snort a line of coke off the soft skin of her hand. Then Duncan is there, and they play rock-paper-scissors for hours, like they used to.
Logan wakes, and as the images slip away, regret is heavy in the pit of his stomach. He scribbles a note for Veronica, and soon he’s at the water’s edge. He walks back and forth as the beach fills up, searching every face for the right one.
After an hour, he accepts defeat.
*
His throat is dry, and sweat drips down his forehead as the sun moves higher into the sky. Logan ducks into to a surf shop, a bell ringing overhead. He’s just slid the fridge door open when Duncan says his name with disbelief and the faint twang of a new accent that has taken root.
Duncan’s face lights up, and Logan finds himself grinning back. “Hey,” Logan says, for lack of something better.
“What are you doing here?”
“Vacation. You work here?”
“Yeah. I mean, we own it. Not the Fortune 500 company my dad wanted me to helm, but we do pretty well for ourselves.”
“We?”
“My wife Sarah. She and Lilly are shopping.” Duncan digs his wallet out of the pocket of his board shorts. “Hold on, I have a picture…here.” He holds out a small, glossy shot of a pretty, red-headed woman and his daughter. “She’s six now.”
“They’re both beautiful. Lilly, huh?” Logan doesn’t ask what name Duncan is using now.
Duncan laughs. “I know, she’d probably roll her eyes and call me a doofus.”
“Yeah, but secretly she’d love it,” Logan chuckles. It’s strange how comfortable it feels to talk to Duncan again. How normal. “What’s Sarah like?”
“She’s...awesome.” He gets a goofy look on his face that Logan remembers from long ago. “She and Lilly are my whole world.” A smile lifts the corners of his mouth and his eyebrows raise. “How’s your wife?”
Logan barks out a laugh. “We’re not married; Veronica doesn’t believe in that particular institution. But how did you know...”
“We get Tinseltown Diaries Down Under, too.” Duncan deepens his voice and imitates the show’s somber voice-over. “After tempestuous years of depression, drinking, and drug abuse, Logan Echolls has cleaned up his act and settled down with his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Ironically, the very woman who accused his father of murder.” Duncan drops the dramatic tone. “Although I don’t think that’s actually ironic.”
“Insert obligatory Alanis Morissette joke here.”
Duncan smiles. “You know, you should try asking.”
“Huh?”
“Veronica. You never know, she just might make an honest man of you yet.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, but her dad would be happy.”
“How is he these days?”
“Good. He married Wallace’s mom last year.”
“Glad to hear it. He’s a great guy.”
He thinks about Keith hauling him into his car and driving two hundred miles to rehab, listening to Logan scream obscenities. “Yeah, he is.”
“You guys are living in San Diego now, right? Do you get back to Neptune much?”
“Yeah, pretty often to visit Veronica’s dad and Alicia. Wallace still lives there, too - he teaches little kids and coaches basketball. Veronica puts in crazy hours at law school, but we try to go back every couple of weeks. Neptune’s…I don’t know. The same, I guess.”
It hits him that Duncan will never go home again.
“Have you decided on a career path yet?”
“Besides living well off my father’s money? Not so much. I’m enrolled for college next month.” He shrugs. “I’ll see what I like. I’ve been sober for a year, so I guess it’s time to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”
“Do you ever think about him?”
“Who? My father?”
“Yeah.”
“Not if I can help it.” Duncan nods, but doesn’t say anything. Logan asks, “Do you ever talk to Jake and Celeste?”
“When I can. We have to be really careful. And you won’t say anything about this, right?” His look is meaningful. “Not to anyone.”
“You can trust me.”
“I know,” Duncan says.
Logan takes a deep breath and blows it out. “I’d better go, we have to check out. We’re working our way down the coast to Adelaide.”
“Cool. Make sure you do the Great Ocean Road. It’s incredible.”
“Yeah, we will. Thanks.”
They stare at each other, all out of travel tips and small talk. Logan knows this is it, and they both move into a hug without a word. For a moment, he holds on tight. Duncan smells like suntan lotion, and pineapple, and him. Logan’s throat is like sandpaper. “I love you, man.”
They step back, and Duncan says something that Logan thinks is “Me too,” but he can’t tell for sure. Duncan clears his throat. “Take care of yourself. Both of you.”
“We will.” He takes a long look, and smiles. “Catch you on the flipside, DK.”
Smiling in return, Duncan gives him a salute, and Logan pushes the door open, blinking into the glare of the sun as he walks away.
*
Later, they stop at a lookout over the ocean, and Logan pulls the camera from his bag. He turns it on as Veronica asks, “How are we doing for space on the card?” She stands by the railing, the breeze blowing her hair into her eyes. “Logan? Did you hear me?”
Logan realizes he’s staring, and checks the display, pressing a few buttons. Duncan and Lilly are frozen on the tiny screen, two small blips in the crowd. His thumb hovers over the button. “It’s okay, there’s still lots of room.”
He hits Erase and tells Veronica to smile, even though he knows that always makes her stick her tongue out instead.