Come Around (3/?)
Rating: NC-17 for language, sex, and some very mild violence
Word Count: 9676 in this chapter
Category: AU, after “The Bitch is Back”
Characters/Pairings: Veronica, Logan, Keith, Parker, Dick, Logan/Veronica, slight Veronica/Piz, Logan/OFC, slight Veronica/OMC, some merry Neptune residents
Spoilers: Up to 3.20 “The Bitch is Back.”
Disclaimer: The characters were created by Rob Thomas and remain the property of Thomas, the CW, and Warner Bros. Television. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Special Thanks: To the betas of this fic, afrocurl and solflower22, who are so very patient with me while I struggle with this monster (currently 100 pages and counting!). Any and all mistakes after their betas are my own.
Dedication: Once again, the main reason this is being posted now is all because of smiles1_9's charity. THANK HER.
Summary: This was definitely rock bottom. Veronica Mars was cruising the self-help section.
A faintly disgusted frown formed on Veronica’s lips as she flopped back on the new and improved Mars Investigations couch, crossing her arms over her chest. Her father was currently showing Ashley: Super Secretary how to use a camera- a Nikon Coolpix 8700 to be exact. Much to Veronica’s dismay, Ashley appeared to be getting the hang of it rather quickly and Keith was quick to show his pride for his new protege.
Ashley laughed, shaking her head as she adjusted her fingers, peering at the lens before pointing the camera at Keith, who struck a rather silly pose. Veronica didn’t even know why Ashley was there- it was a Friday afternoon- why wasn’t she hanging out with her friends or something? She wasn’t a normal teenager and crap, she was hugging Keith’s arm.
Primitive instincts told Veronica to march over to the receptionist desk, shove Ashley aside and proclaim “MY DADDY” but she subdued them, instead opting to glower at the pair, her legs bobbing rapidly against the coffee table. She didn’t know why she sat there when she could’ve just stayed home like Keith had probably expected her to, but she didn’t want to continue the awkward dance with Harmony, nor did she want her father to helpfully tell her to “be normal.” She would suffer the indignity of being the third wheel. For the time being.
Keith glanced at Veronica, giving her a slight smile. “Veronica, want to show Ashley how to shoot a wide shot?”
Veronica forced a smile on her face, leaning forward and picking up her bottle of vitamin water. “I think you’ve got it covered, dad.”
He hesitated for a moment before nodding, turning back to Ashley. “Let’s go over to the window and I’ll show you how this old man does it.”
Veronica’s eyes closed shortly as Ashley’s high laugh echoed through the empty office. She stifled a sigh, her fingers clutching at her water bottle. “Dad,” she said through gritted teeth. There was no response as Keith continued to talk. “Dad.”
“Yes, honey?”
“Doesn’t Ashley have homework to do?” she laughed slightly. “Aren’t you wasting her time?”
“No problem!” Ashley chirped, giving Veronica a bright smile. “I did most of it during study hall. I just have this one project for AP English-”
Veronica gave Ashley a tight smile. “Then why don’t you get to it?”
Ashley’s smile faltered. “I will. Tonight.”
The front door opened, and Veronica silently thanked whatever God was listening for the sudden interruption. She turned, ready to greet the potential customer before the great Ashley could. The sight of Logan paralyzed her, and she sat there, mouth open in mid-greeting, and then exhaled sharply when he smiled at her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he responded, giving her a short nod before walking past her to the receptionist desk, a small duffel bag flung over his shoulder.
Veronica sat up, setting down her vitamin water as she watched Logan move across the room. He looked like he was ready to go to the gym, and she was tempted to ask if she could tag along, just to get the hell out of that office. Her eyes lingered on his back for a moment before sharply darting down to the coffee table and quickly picking up a magazine and flipping through it.
Silently, she questioned Logan’s timing- he had a knack for showing up when she looked her worst. The jeans and oversized hoodie she currently wore had seemed comfortable at the time, but in hindsight her clothes undoubtedly made her look frumpy, especially when Logan’s workout clothes looked brand-spanking new.
Keith offered Logan a smile as he approached. “Good afternoon.”
“It’s not a very good afternoon,” Logan muttered, glancing at Ashley. “Hi.”
Ashley flushed crimson and gave him a quick, awkward wave, and Veronica fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“Listen,” Logan reached into his bag, pulling out a black folder and holding it up. “I want you to read this,” he said, waving the folder for emphasis. “Before I mail it.”
Keith frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m doing battle with the realtor. I’ve had it.”
“Then you might want to get your lawyer to read it.” Keith shrugged when Logan made a face. “Cliff? What happened to Connie?”
“Cliff’s a lawyer,” Logan said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “Connie said she doesn’t give a shit about my frivolous issues and to call her when I get involved in the long overdue custody battle. You, on the other hand, are well-equipped to read and critique a freaking dissatisfied customer letter.”
Veronica eyed the group across the room and she could almost feel her ears perk up in curiosity. “Why are you doing battle with a realtor?”
Logan glanced at her over his shoulder, giving her a tight smile. She weakly returned his smile, rubbing her hands along her knees anxiously. The stubble still bothered her and he looked tired and rather pissed off, but his smile still got to her. His entire presence did- his head wasn’t down, he wasn’t mumbling as much as she remembered, he didn’t look depressed or insecure- she still hadn’t gotten used to it.
It wasn’t attraction that was making her dwell on Logan. Definitely not attraction, but she was fascinated. Intrigued. She wanted to know what caused the change and why it bothered her so much. She wanted to get under his skin and see what happened to him. Of course, as much as she wanted to know the truth, she knew she wouldn’t follow through on the curiosity. At least, not yet. She didn’t need Logan’s incredible journey to personal and professional success to twist the knife in her back even more than it already was.
“I was told there were no fire ants,” he explained. “And surprise, fire ants all over my mini-lawn.”
“I could look up some exterminators-”
“Keith,” Logan ignored Veronica, turning back to the conversation at hand. “I refuse to pay for this.”
Keith shook his head, opening up the folder and skimming the page inside. “Logan, I honestly don’t think you’re going to be able to make your realtor pay for this...especially when it’s such a trivial thing. Besides, you’re a millionaire with thousands of dollars in investments and stocks. It kind of makes you look like...” he trailed off, glancing at Logan.
“A douche?” Veronica offered with a bright smile.
Keith, Logan, and Ashley stared at Veronica, not one even humoring her with a smile. Finally, Logan chuckled, lowering his head as he nodded. “I really missed you busting my balls, Mars.”
Veronica shrugged, smiling even though she felt like crawling underneath the couch. “That’s what I’m here for!” she said, inwardly cringing at the sound of her voice reaching that infuriatingly high-pitched level of embarrassment.
“Logan,” Keith handed him the folder. “Bite the bullet, pay for pest control, stop throwing a tantrum. Shred that letter.”
“I’m going to burn it. And the ants.”
Keith picked up his camera again, glancing at Ashley. “You know you have to call Connie before you use any flammable objects.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s just a precautionary rule!”
Being the odd man out was never fun and it was even less fun witnessing the quipping currently going on between Logan and Keith, with Ashley the Super Receptionist smiling like an idiot. Veronica had seen enough, and it was time for her to get the hell out of there.
“I’m going out,” Veronica announced loudly, jumping to her feet. She waited although she wasn’t sure for what, and she wasn’t really surprised when no one responded to her. All three stared at her blankly and she wanted to run from the room screaming. “I want to go to the bookstore...” she trailed off, glancing at Logan helplessly.
He gave her a quick smile. “Replaced by a Barnes and Noble. There’s also a Borders near Hearst.”
She grinned weakly, picking up her bag from the couch. “Okay, then. See you guys later.”
“You’ll be back for dinner?” Keith called after her as she walked to the door.
Veronica forced a smile on her face, inhaling sharply through her nose and forcing the smartass remark back down her throat as she turned to face the group. “I will.”
Logan stepped forward, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. “Want me to drop you off? It’s on my way.”
She shook her head swiftly, her eyes lowering to the floor. There was no way she was going to allow Logan to drive her anywhere, not after the way she made an ass of herself at that restaurant. Distance was a good thing at the moment, at least until she got back on her feet and he wasn’t standing there waving the upper hand right in her face. “No. Thank you. I don’t mind the drive. Alone.”
The look exchanged between Keith and Logan wasn’t lost on Veronica and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from talking. She watched as Logan turned to face her again, an obviously forced smile on his face and she wanted to hit him, then.
“Okay,” Logan sighed, giving her a nod. “You have my number if you need anything.”
“I won’t,” Veronica said lightly, opening the door. “Just going to the bookstore.”
“The new V.C. Andrews is worth a read...”
She hesitated, giving him a look. Now he was fucking with her. There was no way he wasn’t, he knew she hated those books with a passion and always had. He was really fucking with her and she couldn’t blame it on paranoia or insanity or self-pity. Logan Echolls was definitely fucking with her and right in front of her father because he knew that was an obscure dig and she couldn’t say a thing without seeming crazy. “I hate V.C. Andrews.”
His smile was genuine now. “I know.”
Veronica scowled, flipping her hair over her shoulder before stomping out into the hallway and she could’ve sworn she heard him laugh.
* * * * *
Finding Meaning In Your Crisis. A Guide To Loving Yourself. Ten Days to Self-Improvement. What’s Right With Me: 30 Ways to Celebrate Your Inner Strengths. When Perfect People Fail: Rebuilding Your Life Toward Success. You’re Fired, Now What?
This was definitely rock bottom. Veronica Mars was cruising the self-help section.
She had gotten there completely by accident. All the true crime books were ones she had already read (with the exception of all the Lilly Kane “tell-alls”), she wasn’t touching the latest Stephen King, and the CSI tie-in books just made her eye twitch. After wandering aimlessly for nearly forty minutes, she had ended up in the self-help section with a short man with steel-rimmed glasses. He was currently looking at a book for overcoming nicotine addiction.
Her eyes ran over the same row of titles, a frown on her lips. Somehow, she didn’t think she was going to find Everyone Hates You, Now What? in this section.
In spite of everything that had happened, she knew she didn’t need any books to help her with her problems. Therapy hadn’t helped all those years ago, these books wouldn’t, either. No book could help her if she walked into the police station begging for a job before trying to explain her layoff from the FBI. Unfairly, the FBI hadn’t prepared her for that.
With a sigh, Veronica reached up, pulling a book from the top shelf and gazing at its cover. New Life, New Me. She turned the book around, reading the back cover and her eyebrows rose. This book actually looked promising. It was all about rebuilding self-esteem and confidence and surely, it wouldn’t be a waste of twenty bucks...
“RONNIE!”
Veronica jumped, nearly throwing the book back on the shelf and spinning around toward the awfully familiar voice. “Dammit,” she hissed through gritted teeth before fixing what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face. “Hello...”
Dick Casablancas lifted his hands in the air, giving Veronica a big grin as he walked down the aisle toward her. “Ronnie Mars! Welcome home, ya frickin’ hottie!”
Her eyes widened as he abruptly scooped her up in a tight hug. “Dick...” His hands moved down her lower back and she scowled. “That’s enough, Dick.”
He released her, looking her up and down as he ran his hands down her arms. “I can’t believe it took me almost three weeks to find you,” he said loudly, ignoring the shushes he got. “Logan said he ran into you and might I say, you’re looking tasty-”
“That’s enough,” she said, her voice rising as she pushed his hands away. She silently reminded herself to be on her best behavior and as happy as she could be because anything that happened would definitely be relayed back to Logan for their two-man gossip party. “How are you?”
“Living large, Ronnie!” Dick glanced over his shoulder. “Waiting for the missus to finish up...” he leaned in, waiting for Veronica to do the same before continuing. “Getting some karma sutra books for those slow nights,” he whispered loudly, giving her a wink.
Veronica’s smile faltered, and she forced the disgust back down her throat, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “You’re married!”
He snorted. “No! Rita’s my lady- total hottie.”
“Is she blind?”
“No, but she’s got a nice rack-” Dick frowned, glancing around. “RITA!”
Veronica closed her eyes shortly as several people turned to stare. Logan might have changed, but not much if he was still friends with Dick. Obnoxious Dick. Idiotic Dick. Inappropriate Dick. At least that hadn’t changed. “Dick,” she hissed, running her hands through her hair. “Shut up.”
Dick glanced at Veronica, grabbing her hand and leading her down the aisle. “No, you gotta meet Rita- you’ll love her,” he grinned down at her. “It’s awesome that you’re home. Logan must’ve loved seeing you, right?”
Veronica sighed loudly. “Yeah, he also loved the whole me getting kicked out of the FBI story. Thanks!” she said, delivering a hard punch to his arm.
Dick’s mouth widened in pain and he quickly let go of her arm, taking a step away from her. “Calm down, Buffy! It wasn’t a secret.”
She halted, crossing her arms over her chest and staying put so Dick was forced to stop in his tracks. “Who told you?”
“Maddy.”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed. “How did she find out?”
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “From Casey. He lives in D.C. with his wifey, saw you being escorted out with your shit by some security guard.” He grinned. “He put two and two together and called to see if I heard anything from Logan...like you kept in touch with him or something.”
She sighed, ignoring his last dig and pretending to be disappointed. “And he couldn’t even say hi...”
“He figured it was the wrong time. Casey was always the sensitive one, when Logan wasn’t beating people up. And Duncan wasn’t fleeing the country.”
“Did Madison tell anyone else?”
Dick shrugged again. “Probably. You know Maddy, always getting joy out of someone else’s problems.”
Veronica forced a bright smile on her face. “What’s Maddy doing with herself?”
“Married some Hollywood agent, she lives in Studio City now. Two kids.”
She blinked, surprised. “Madison has two kids?”
“Adopted,” Dick gave her a look. “You really think Maddy’s going to give up her figure for a bunch of kids? She doesn’t even like her husband that much.”
“Oh,” Veronica grinned happily. “I am so glad to hear that.”
Dick’s eyes lit up as he looked at someone past Veronica and she turned, coming face to face with a tall, slim woman with a blonde bob. She was in long white skirt and a lime green tube top and this definitely wasn’t the type of girl she expected Dick to be seeing. She didn’t even look skanky. Already, this might have surpassed Logan’s 180 to be the most surprising news upon her return.
“Rita!” Dick exclaimed, resting his hands on Veronica’s shoulders. “This is Veronica Mars. You know, Logan’s ex.”
“Hi,” Rita glanced at Dick, confusion in her eyes. “Which one?”
Veronica’s jaw clenched and she inhaled sharply, refusing to respond.
Dick laughed, nudging Rita’s shoulder with his knuckles. “Veronica! You know...”
Rita shook her head, her brow furrowing, and Dick nodded. She kept shaking her head and he kept nodding and Veronica nearly rolled her eyes at the silent conversation that was going on right in front of her.
Suddenly Rita’s green eyes widened as she smiled, and Veronica grinned back, relieved. “OH! Veronica!” she glanced at Veronica, her smile fading. “Oh.”
Veronica’s smile disappeared abruptly. “Oh? What do you mean, oh?”
Rita opened her mouth and was steered away by Dick. “Go pay for your books, babe,” he said quietly, smacking her ass as she walked away. “Don’t worry about it,” he told Veronica, winking at her. “She read Keith’s book. And this one,” he reached over to the bargain books table, picking up a paperback with Lilly’s face on the cover. He pointed to another book. “And that one.”
“Ah...”
“And she reads Logan’s column.”
Veronica’s face fell, and she could feel the panic bubbling in her. “What does Logan say about me in his column?” she asked, her voice rising to that irritatingly anxious level.
“You haven’t read it yet?”
She blinked rapidly, looking to recover. “I have no interest,” she said before she could stop herself. “I mean, I haven’t had the chance...”
Dick nodded, dropping the book back on the table. “It’s cool. I don’t read his stupid column either unless he talks about me,” he grinned. “So, what do you think of Rita? She’s hot, right?”
“She’s definitely pretty,” Veronica offered weakly. “What does she do?”
“She’s a teacher.”
She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly, and the image of Rita’s tongue ring now struck her as inappropriate, especially for a teacher. She sincerely hoped Rita was teaching some college course and not impressionable young children. “Really.”
“Hell yeah- third grade and she did seventh grade English last summer. You should see her in her school clothes- skirts and heels and-”
“That’s enough, Dick.”
Rita reappeared, giving the two a grin as she swung her plastic bag merrily. “All ready to go!”
Dick smiled at her, and Veronica was taken by the faint glimpse of admiration in his gaze. “Good job, baby,” he faced Veronica again. “Gotta cut this reunion short. We’re going shopping for school supplies,” he explained, rolling his eyes.
Rita smiled sweetly. “Something for him, something for me,” she grabbed Veronica’s arm, unaware of the way Veronica tensed at the contact. “Hey, we’re going to the beach tonight- a big group of us, you wanna go? We can get better acquainted!”
Veronica gave the woman a weak grin, trying to pull her arm away. “Oh, I don’t want to intrude...”
“What?” Rita snorted, rolling her eyes. “Please! It’s a party! Everyone’s invited. You better show up, you’re like an urban legend around these parts. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Good or bad?”
Rita laughed loudly, turning and walking toward the front entrance and Veronica couldn’t help but cringe. It was the same flippant laugh Ashley: Super Receptionist gave during their first meeting. She inhaled deeply, facing Dick. “Well.”
“We’re meeting up at ten,” Dick gave her a look. “So, yeah, you better show. If Rita wants you there, you gotta be there. What Rita wants, Rita gets,” he paused. “And don’t look all Veronica Plain and Short, ‘kay?”
“Do you really think I’m plain?” Veronica frowned playfully. “I always thought I was cute. And charming.”
“Whatever, you should come,” he grinned, nudging her. “It might be fun, Ronnie- we can see you in your skimpy bikini...a thong, maybe?”
Her mouth set in a thin line at his comment and she chose to ignore it rather than egg him on. “I’ll think about it.” She frowned when Dick continued to stand there, staring at her expectantly. “What?”
“Go ahead, ask me. You know you wanna.”
“Ask you what?”
Dick shifted impatiently. “Is Logan coming?”
Veronica snorted, a sharp, harsh laugh escaping her. He was still an idiot, after all those years. She had to revel in the familiarity of it. “Honestly, I don’t care if Logan’s going or not. He’s probably off with one of his skanks-”
“Yeah, Logan really isn’t into the parties anymore. He’s all grown up and boring. I invited him anyway, our crew’s got money on whether he’s going to show or not. You want in?” Dick smiled wickedly. “Or do you wanna bet on how many drinks it’ll take for you to take your top off?”
Veronica stared at Dick blankly as he continued to grin like an idiot. Finally, she nodded, turning on her heels and walking down the aisle. She ignored the self help books as she went, knowing full well if she stopped for a moment, she was going to take one of those books and hit Dick with it.
* * * * *
“Where is she buried?”
Keith’s fingers halted over his laptop keyboard as he glanced to his right, his eyes resting on Veronica. Veronica, who sat stiffly with her hands on the counter, her eyes intently on her half-full glass of soda. Her jaw clenched, her mouth setting into a firm, thin line and he just didn’t know how to react to her question.
It was definitely a random question- they had both sat in silence for nearly an hour in the kitchen, she eating her dinner and he finishing a background check. Even with Harmony nowhere in sight Veronica wasn’t talkative and he made no attempts to engage her in conversation. She had come from the bookstore in bigger funk than she had previously been in and he had braced himself for some smartass remarks, maybe even a fit or a tantrum, but definitely not that question.
That phone call three years ago still didn’t seem real. He had the unfortunate task of informing Veronica that her mother had been found dead in a hotel room just a couple of miles south of Vernal, Utah. There hadn’t been any foul play of any sort- Lianne had died of natural causes. All the drinking had caught up with her and her heart just failed.
Keith and Jake Kane had been the only numbers in the cell phone found in her hotel room, so Keith wasn’t surprised when he was called to identify the body. He had waited a couple of days between going to Utah and bringing Lianne home- in retrospect, he was probably just trying to buy some time before making the phone call to Veronica.
He didn’t know what he had expected when he called Veronica. Certainly not tears, but he had at least hoped she would say she was returning home for the burial. Instead she had merely said “okay” and hung up. For almost a week she didn’t answer his calls and when she finally did, she hurriedly told him that she was on her way to New Mexico on a case.
It was then, four years after she had left, that Keith had finally accepted that Veronica was long gone. Yet, here she sat, tense and wondering about her mother who had been buried years ago. She didn’t look at him, just continued to sit there like a statue, her face blank but her posture rigid.
“At the cemetery. I didn’t want to cremate her...she never told me what she wanted.”
Veronica was silent, blinking rapidly. “Are her things still in storage?” she asked, her voice even as she clenched and unclenched her fists.
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I want her cabinet. The oak one that was in our old house.”
Keith stared at Veronica for long moment, waiting for her to clarify. Of course she didn’t, and he sighed. “Did you get her jewelry I mailed to you? You never told me-”
“I got it,” Veronica mumbled, finally shifting in her seat as she leaned back and pushed her hair behind her ears. “Can I have her cabinet?”
“You can have whatever you want.”
Veronica nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer.
Keith frowned faintly. “Why the sudden question?”
She shook her head, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I’m going to hang out with Dick and his girlfriend tonight,” she said quietly. “I’m gonna be normal like you said.” She ignored his gaze as she stood, walking to her bedroom. After a moment, the door shut behind her and Keith was once again alone.
* * * * *
Veronica feigned amusement at Rita’s overwrought, ten-minutes-too-long story on how she met Dick two years ago at some charity event. The yells and splashes of Dick and his rowdy friends sounded distant, but she could make out Dick’s surfboard behind Rita’s wet hair. The moonlight made Rita look beautiful and Veronica was certain Rita looked better than she did at the moment. Hell, Veronica was certain she looked like a wet cat after one swim, she certainly didn’t look as hot as Rita did.
Ridiculously long story short, Rita and Dick had met through Logan, who had an allegedly innocent working relationship with Rita’s sister, Stacey. Logan was the reason Rita had found her soul mate in Dick.
Logan the Great struck again and Veronica had to admit she shouldn’t have been so surprised. Instead of voicing these admittedly bitter concerns, she chose to drink more vodka.
“So, Logan’s cool, you know? And I’m thinking, oh, Stacey’s hooking me up with this guy and he’s totally cute so I’m game, you know?”
Veronica had already figured out three things about Rita in the two hours they had spent talking and drinking while Dick swam and surfed with his buddies: 1. Rita liked to talk, 2. Rita said “you know” a lot when drunk, and 3. Rita didn’t seem to mind or care that Dick was Dick, and in fact found it to be quite endearing.
“Logan spent the entire evening talking to me. I mean, he quizzed me on everything like an interrogation, you know?” Rita paused, adjusting the strap of her pink bikini top. “I’m thinking he’s totally interested in me and he’s a writer and this is awesome, you know?”
“Oh, I know,” Veronica said sardonically, taking a long drink out of her plastic cup and using the opportunity to discreetly glance at her watch. 12:27am.
Another thing she realized was that even though it had been seven years since she had interacted with Neptune’s residents, the 09ers were still alive and well. Yes, the original 09ers were long gone, but there were replacements and it was like that group never left. All they were missing was Logan as their king.
“It gets to the point that I start to fuckin’ like him, you know? He’s witty and self-deprecating and he looks really good in a suit- turns out, he’s pretty much interviewing me for his buddy! I was so pissed, you know?”
Veronica forced a smile on her face, nodding quickly. “I know.”
Rita sighed, glancing at her half-empty plastic cup. “But then I met Dick, and-”
“You threw up?” Veronica offered cheerfully.
“No,” Rita frowned, downing the rest of her drink. “No...I liked him. More than I thought I would, you know? He acted all pervy and like a jerk at first and that kind of infuriated me, but I realized that it was an act, you know?”
“Oh, that’s not an act,” Veronica muttered.
“-He was merely acting out because of how he was raised by his father...he told me all about Cassidy and the horrible abuse-”
Veronica’s smirk faded away at the mention of Cassidy Casablancas and she felt her stomach turn. Her lips pressed tightly together as she struggled to keep her liquor down. As Rita continued to talk and nearly propel Cassidy to sainthood, Veronica felt the sand begin to tilt and she closed her eyes, trying to drown out Rita with a rousing rendition of some Madonna song she had forgotten the name to that was playing on the stereo at that moment.
“Rita, baby!”
Veronica’s eyes shot open and she inhaled sharply, breathing in the ocean air as Dick came running over. He scooped Rita out of her seat, hugging her from behind as she squealed. Veronica blinked in shock at the sight of Dick being affectionate toward anyone as he was never even that tender with Madison, not that Madison Sinclair ever deserved that kind of treatment, but that was beside the point.
Veronica felt her chest tighten as Dick kissed Rita’s neck and their eyes locked for a moment. Suddenly, Veronica felt like she was intruding on a personal moment between the two that she didn’t think Dick was capable of. Then, the moment was over as Dick spun Rita in his arms as she screamed happily.
It was in that moment that Veronica tried to recall the last time she had someone grab her like that, made her that happy doing so little, and she couldn’t come up with a single occurrence, at least not in the last five years or so. Piz had attempted to be carefree once, she had pushed him away and gotten back to her schoolwork. After that, she had told him to start a band and he did. The rest was ancient history.
With a weary sigh, Veronica downed the rest of her drink, holding up the empty glass.
Dick let out a whoop, opening the cooler Rita had been sitting on and pulling out two beers. “Another drink for the lady?”
“Hit me,” Veronica said glumly, nodding as he opened the bottle and poured its contents into her cup.
Rita shook her head, tossing her cup on the sand and leaning over the cooler. “No more drinking- let’s go swimming!”
Veronica laughed, shaking her head. “I think I’m too wasted to go swimming...”
“Whatever- let’s go!” Rita grabbed Veronica’s arm, jerking her out of her seat.
“If I drown,” Veronica handed her cup to Dick, following Rita to the water. “If I drown, someone needs to tell my dad I died saving a puppy. Or a small child.” Veronica grinned as Rita laughed loudly at her weak joke and she was grateful for Rita’s friendliness. She was happy to have fun, even if it was with this girl she had just met hours before.
Veronica laughed when Rita stumbled and hugged her tightly for support, allowing herself to hold Rita up. This was wasn’t bad at all, it was like hanging out with Lilly all over again. She glanced over her shoulder, expecting Dick to be right behind them but was startled by the bright headlights of an SUV parking next to the other cars along the boardwalk. Her smile faded as she could only guess who was the new arrival.
Logan glanced out the window as he pulled up beside the other SUVs and sports cars of the crowd that had been Dick’s for the last couple of years. He let out a heavy sigh, glancing at Carmen. “It’s almost one in the morning,” he told her matter-of-factly.
Carmen nodded, adjusting her tank top. “Fact.”
“We could be at my place, having some fun.”
“Also fact.”
“So why are we still sitting here when we could be ditching this disaster?”
Carmen grinned, giving Logan a look. “Because Dick invited both of us, that’s why. You haven’t gone to one of these things for a while.”
Logan rolled his eyes, throwing his arms over the back of his seat. “It’s not my thing anymore. It’s the same old, same old and I’m just tired.”
She frowned playfully. “So...you’re tired of me?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, smiling slightly. “On the plus side, Dick’s probably betting big money that I’m not going to show, so it’ll be awesome seeing him hand back all that money to his friends.” He paused, tapping his knees absently. “Okay. Let’s go.”
The sound of two doors slamming caught Veronica’s attention, and she started to turn toward the boardwalk. She was suddenly distracted by Rita, her eyes widening as Rita cupped her face. A laugh escaped her when Rita kissed her cheek firmly, and they both stumbled as the waves crashed into them. Two hours and many drinks after Rita’s epic storytelling and Veronica was feeling perfectly fine. Great, even.
“Oh!” Rita lifted her hand, waving wildly near the rows of cars. “Hey, look!”
Veronica leaned against Rita, glancing over her shoulder in the direction Rita was gesturing at. She squinted, trying to make out the shadowy figures getting closer. She nearly groaned at the sight of Logan walking alongside Carmen, her arm wrapped around his like they were a couple. Of course it was Logan. “Here comes Perfect Logan!” she said loudly.
Rita laughed, grabbing Veronica’s arm and pulling her toward the sand. “Let’s have another drink!”
Dick groaned at the sight of Logan and Carmen, reaching into his pocket. “God dammit, Logan,” he said bitterly, pulling out a wad of bills. “He always fucking does that to me- every single time...”
Logan laughed at the sight of the group across the sand. “Look!” he intoned while nodding at Dick, who was busy handing back money to his buddies. “I fucking told you...” he told Carmen, trailing off as he watched Veronica stumble about on the sand with an equally unsteady Rita. He absently reached out, grabbing at Carmen’s shirt and pulling her back. “What is wrong with her?”
Carmen glanced over at the group, squinting. “Veronica? Is she drunk?”
“Veronica doesn’t get drunk.”
Carmen’s eyebrows rose as Veronica cackled loudly as Rita fell to the sand. “She’s kind of drunk, Logan.”
“She can’t go home like that,” Logan said, cringing as Veronica took a tumble. He knew what he had to do before he said it out loud and he cursed his conscience, then. “Keith is going to flip.” He glanced at Carmen, catching her eye. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Carmen shook her head, brushing his apology off. “Don’t- just take her home before she hurts herself. We can hang some other time.”
Dick smirked when Logan approached. “Nice of you to show late...lost my winnings. Again. You hate me, don’t you?”
“No, I love you,” Logan mumbled, unzipping his khaki hoodie. “How much did she have to drink?” he asked, gesturing toward Veronica, who was loudly singing along with Rita to the song playing on the radio.
Dick shrugged. “Four? Maybe five. But that was before I stopped counting- the girl can drink, dude.”
Logan rolled his eyes as he pulled off his hoodie, reaching over and grabbing Veronica’s arm as she danced by. “We’re leaving,” he told her firmly, wrapping his hoodie around her soaked body. He caught the bag- Veronica’s bag, he assumed- that Dick tossed at him and he handed it to Carmen.
“We?” Veronica laughed, hanging on to his arm. “We? We’re exclusive, now? Me and Logan the Great, I should be flattered-”
He ignored her, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. “We as in you, me, and Carmen, Veronica.”
“Oooh, threesome!” Rita squealed, laughing as Dick picked her up and carried her to the water. “Bye, Veronica!”
Veronica blinked slowly, laughing as Logan led her to his truck, Carmen’s arm wrapped around her waist. “Where are we going?”
“We’re having a sleepover,” Logan said dryly, pressing his car remote and unlocking the car doors. “You’re ridiculously drunk and you really don’t want Keith seeing you like that. Get in the car.”
Veronica dug her heels into the boardwalk, yanking her hand out of Carmen’s hold. “I’m not going anywhere-”
Logan’s patience seemed to evaporate dramatically and his hand slammed down on the hood of his truck. “Get in the car!” he barked.
Carmen rolled her eyes, opening the backseat of Logan’s truck. “Logan, chill.”
“I’ll chill when she gets in the damn car,” Logan snapped, grabbing Veronica’s hand and pulling her toward his car. “Veronica, get in.”
Veronica was stunned by Logan’s abrupt outburst, clumsily climbing into the backseat. She sighed as Logan leaned inside, buckling her in. “Logan, Logan, Logan...aren’t you the bestest little thing ever,” she mumbled, her eyes darting down as his elbow brushed over her bare knee. She was confused by the care he put into buckling her in safely and she frowned when he leaned forward, adjusting the shoulder strap. “What are you doing?”
“Stay put,” he said, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him.
Veronica swayed as Logan walked over to Carmen, talking to her. Veronica could already guess what he was telling her. Carmen was going to drive Veronica’s car and follow them. He looked annoyed, and Veronica had to roll her eyes. He was definitely playing the martyr card to a tee.
She laughed as Logan climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the car. He sat there for a moment, clutching the wheel and she sighed, glancing at the ceiling of his car. “Logan...”
“Don’t,” he said sharply.
Veronica’s mouth clamped shut as Logan pulled out onto the road and drove toward the city. She could see how taut his grip was on the steering wheel, he was upset. Of course he was.
“You hooked Dick and his girlfriend up,” she slurred, laughing weakly before she could finish the sentence.
“Just wanted to get Dick laid,” Logan muttered, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, quickly dialing.
The car shifted and she squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers clutching at the sleeves of Logan’s hoodie as a wave of dizziness swept over her. “And they lived happily ever after thanks to you, the relationship maestro...”
“Keith!”
Veronica’s eyes shot open, and she struggled to focus on the conversation Logan was having with her father. She started to laugh at her predicament, unable to stop, and her laughter continued when Logan glanced at her, a flash of annoyance in his eyes.
“Yeah, she partied a bit too hard and asked if she could crash at my place...no, she didn’t want to drive, she drank enough to- what?” Logan let out a strained chuckle. “Maybe four drinks? She’s a lightweight...mixed drinks, Keith. Nothing solid, no drugs.”
Veronica opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she gazed out the window. The scenery flew past her, all blotched lights and blurry shadows. A wave of nausea overwhelmed her and she shut her eyes once more.
“Keith, dude, she’s fine, I promise. Mostly embarrassed...” Logan trailed off, listening to Keith. He sighed, shrugging as though Keith were in the car with him. “You know Veronica, safety first. Don’t worry about it- she’ll sleep on the couch and I’ll send her home before I go to the gym.”
“Still obsessed with working out, huh?” Veronica mumbled. “Must’ve been your minor. Writing and lifting weights- they go hand in hand.”
His jaw clenched. “Yep. No problem. You too. Night.”
Logan tossed his phone on the passenger seat as he pulled to a stop at a red light, using the opportunity to turn and glare at her. “All you can do is sit there and laugh, huh? Laugh and throw insults...just like old times. Right, Veronica?”
He faced the road again as the light turned green, and his foot slammed down on the gas, sending the car speeding down the street. “You- you know, my life was fine and dandy before you came back,” he laughed slightly. “It was perfect, just perfect. Now, you’re here and just like that-” he snapped his fingers for emphasis, “My drama-free life now has- wait for it- drama! How about that? I mean, how old are you, huh? Aren’t you too old to be getting drunk off your ass? I’m not here to be your damn chaperone.”
Veronica smiled lazily, unable to stop the laugh from escaping. “You sound so pissed...it’s so cute.”
Logan glanced at her, not bothering to hide his disgust. “You’re not even going to remember any of this tomorrow, are you?”
Veronica didn’t respond, and it was then Logan realized that she was fast asleep. He shook his head, sighing as he pulled into his driveway. “Fucking unreal...”
Carmen climbed out of Veronica’s car a moment later, smiling at Logan as he slowly backed out of the backseat, Veronica in his arms. “This was fun!” she said cheerfully, shoving Veronica’s car keys into his pocket.
“Yeah,” he wiggled the hand underneath Veronica’s back at her, keys hanging off the tips of his fingers. “Get my door, will ya?”
Carmen opened up the front door to Logan’s apartment, stepping to the side as Logan carried Veronica in. She watched as he gingerly lowered Veronica to the couch before adjusting the pillow beneath her head. “Okay! I’m off.”
Logan’s head whipped in her direction, his eyes widening in panic. “What- where the hell are you going?”
“I’m going home.”
“No. No- you can’t leave me with her.”
Carmen laughed. “It’s Veronica!”
He smiled weakly, glancing down at Veronica. “What if she throws up? I’m not prepared for this.”
Veronica’s eyes slowly opened, and she was able to make out Logan’s legs as he walked away from her. She could hear Carmen talking somewhere above her, maybe a couple of feet away. Another wave of nausea struck Veronica and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a ball and sleep.
“Logan, I think you have more than enough experience in the vomit category,” Carmen laughed.
“I lost the bucket.”
“Well, you could always use one of those wok bowls you never cook with...”
“Nice. And ew.”
Veronica swallowed hard as Carmen laughed and then there was silence. A moment later there was a certain smacking noise that Veronica was able to associate clearly- a make out session was going on just a couple of feet away from her. She inhaled sharply, a loud groan escaping her, loud enough to make it clear that she was conscious and not having any of this.
Several feet away, Logan sighed. “See you around,” he muttered.
“Sleep well,” Carmen walked to the door, opening it. “Feel better, Veronica!” she called.
Veronica didn’t reply, closing her eyes tightly.
The door shut and was promptly locked, if the added click told her anything. She could hear Logan moving around somewhere in front of her and he suddenly grabbed her hand, moving it off the couch. Her eyes opened and she came face to face with an orange plastic bucket used for sand castles, her fingers grazing the edges.
“I’m leaving this here,” he told her matter-of-factly, setting the pail down on the floor. “And now I’m going to bed. Don’t touch anything.”
Veronica’s eyes fluttered shut, and Logan stifled the frustrated sigh threatening to break through. He straightened up, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. “You’re really not going to remember this tomorrow, are you?” She didn’t respond, and he nodded, turning and walking to his bedroom. “Fucking unreal...”
Seven Years Ago
Piz watched as Veronica paced the almost empty apartment, waiting until she walked past him once more before rising from his seat on his suitcase. She had been pacing and staring at her cell phone for the last ten minutes, chewing on her bottom lip and he was certain that she had bitten through skin at this point. “Veronica,” he said, a hand rising to his hair as he swiped it off his forehead.
“Hold on,” she muttered, not bothering to continue the conversation.
“Just call your dad.”
She shook her head swiftly. “Maybe he’ll call first.”
With a sigh, Piz fell into step behind Veronica, lunging forward and wrapping his arms around her waist and forcing her to stop. “We can go back anytime you want,” he whispered against her neck.
Veronica coaxed a tight smile on her face, turning toward him. “I don’t want to go back,” she said, ignoring the shake in her voice. “I kind of like it here. With you. Alone.”
Piz grinned happily, and she was grateful that she wasn’t forced to elaborate. Her fingers ran over the back of his neck, her nails scraping over the small hairs there.
“I love you,” he said quietly, kissing the top of her head. He coaxed her to the carpet, stretching his legs out in front of him. “We should’ve gone furniture shopping before we moved.”
Veronica sighed, her lips pressing together as she played with her phone, switching the ring tone from loud to vibrate before dropping it to the carpet. “Yeah, well, we live in a studio- we’re not going to need that much.”
He grinned, glancing at her. “Not until you’re Veronica Mars, secret agent man.”
She returned the smile, batting her eyelashes at him. “Aw, you’re going to live off my riches? That’s so cute!”
Piz nodded, the grin fading from his face as he turned serious at the sight of Veronica’s gaze dropping to her lap. “Seriously, Veronica, we can go back whenever you want.”
Veronica shook her head, forcing a smile as she turned, facing him completely. “I’m fine, Piznarski,” she said lightly, smirking as she straddled his lap. She wasn’t going to worry about anything anymore. Everything was going to be fine because she was going to make it so. No one was going to decide her destiny anymore.
“Are you sure?”
Her jaw set at his tentative question. “I’m fine!” she laughed and her hands ran down his chest as she tilted forward, leaving a faint kiss on his temple. “And I’m going to be even better in a minute...” she trailed off, kissing him firmly. Several feet away, she could hear the distinctive buzz of her phone and she kissed Piz harder as she pushed him down on the carpet. She ignored the buzzing, focusing on Piz and her new life and not on the life she left behind.
Now
The first thing Veronica was able to figure out, even before she opened her eyes, was that she definitely wasn’t in her father’s apartment. She wasn’t on her father’s couch. There was no sickening vanilla smell; in fact, the place smelled like cinnamon, coffee and some sort of cleaner or detergent.
Her eyes opened slowly and her gaze focused on Logan, who sat on the loveseat across from her. He was in blue and yellow board shorts and a black t-shirt. There was no gel in his hair, and the look in his eyes was indescribable.
A feeling of dread filled her then as she glanced down at her body, covered with an oversized sweater that must’ve been Logan’s. She swallowed hard as she struggled to recall the previous night. She had gone drinking with Dick and his girlfriend, his girlfriend was telling a story and then after that...nothing. The last time she couldn’t remember her actions after drinking had been the worst night of her life, and this was nowhere near as horrible as that night, but the feeling was similar. Helplessness. Confusion. Fear.
“Hi,” was all she could manage, sitting up slowly. She stared at him fearfully, the tension in her easing when she saw his gaze soften.
“Morning.”
“Oh my God, last night-” she cut herself off, a weak laugh escaping her as she rubbed at her throbbing head. “I don’t- we didn’t...we didn’t, right?”
He gave a swift shake of his head. “No.”
Veronica felt herself relax at the sight of his expression, annoyed and almost bored. She realized then that nothing questionable had happened between them, but the relief was soon trumped by the unspoken confirmation that while they didn’t do anything, she herself must’ve done something to land her on his couch. “How much did I- I made an ass out of myself, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yeah,” Logan jumped to his feet, scratching the back of his neck as he walked to the front door. “I covered for you, so don’t worry about it. Keith just thinks you got tipsy, so stick with the story. Your car’s outside, and I’m going to the gym, so just let yourself out when you’re ready.”
Veronica licked her lips, cringing at the stale taste of liquor on her dry mouth. “Did I say anything incriminating?”
He didn’t respond, shutting the door behind him.
* * * * *
Keith’s jaw clenched as he gripped the bottom of the oak cabinet, inching down the hallway. “To the right,” he grunted.
“Dude, I’m in the freakin’ tub,” Logan said through gritted teeth, his voice strained as he tried to move out of the bathroom. “Why are we moving this thing into Veronica’s room, anyway?”
“It’s hers. Her mother’s, actually. She wants it back.”
Logan chuckled, adjusting his grip on the cabinet. “She was gone for seven years. To me, she loses all claim to possessions left behind,” he cringed as the cabinet pressed against his shoulder. “Dammit, Keith- pivot!”
Keith sighed heavily, taking a small step backwards. “This is different. Lianne died, so she wants...” he trailed off, another sigh escaping him. “She’s having a normal reaction. It’s all normal.”
“Yeah, I know it’s normal. I still have my mom’s lighter. Key word, lighter. Something I can put in my pocket. Not a fucking cabinet. You can’t fit a cabinet in your pocket.”
“She has her mother’s jewelry, but she really wants the cabinet.”
Logan inhaled sharply, the pads of his fingers digging into the oak as he felt a bead of sweat slip down his back. “Where the hell is she, anyway?”
“She went food shopping with Harmony. I didn’t even have to ask her twice,” Keith smiled, slightly pleased. “I really think Veronica’s starting to warm up to her-”
“Hopefully there won’t be any tears or bloodshed-” Logan gasped, grimacing as his shoulder hit the wall. “Keith, I can’t hold on to this thing-”
“Set it down, set it down,” Keith said quickly, and they lowered the cabinet to the floor. Logan poked his head around the edge of the cabinet, raising his eyebrows playfully, and Keith rolled his eyes. “You’ve never done any moving of your own, have you?”
Logan grinned cheekily. “That's what the help is for, Mr. Mars.”
Keith nodded, leaning against the wall. He was quiet for a moment, rubbing at his eyes. “Veronica told me you guys were hanging out.”
“Yeah, if by hanging out you mean her sitting in her car and freaking out when I happened to walk by and engage her in conversation.”
“I was actually talking about the beach thing,” he frowned as he ran Logan’s words through his head. “What was she upset about?”
“She didn’t know where the boutique was- no one told her it had closed down years ago,” Logan paused, a frown on his lips. “Then she accused me of stalking her, not knowing that I worked just one block down,” another pause, and the frown on his face turned into a scowl. “Then she slept on my couch.”
Keith shook his head. “She's having a rough time settling in.”
Logan shrugged, leaning against the cabinet. “She isn’t in Veronica Land anymore.”
“I know, and I think she knows...” Keith sighed, wiping at his brow. “I’m really, really angry with her, but I still feel like I should be protecting her. She has no idea how Neptune has changed- how we’ve changed-”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Whatever, dude. She walked out, we didn’t. She just wants to waltz in like nothing’s changed, and she’s gonna get a rude awakening. That’s it. We can’t freakin’ baby her anymore if she just doesn’t get it.”
“I know that,” Keith said with a hint of annoyance, shooting Logan a hard look. “But we just have to be...nicer.”
“She's a vampire, Keith,” Logan said matter-of-factly. “An emotional vampire. I couldn’t concentrate on my work today, and I wasn’t even thinking about her. She just...drains souls. Or something.”
Keith smiled slightly, choosing to ignore Logan’s choice of words and deciding to focus on what he was most likely trying to say through the insults. “She has that tendency. She just sticks with you.”
“I don't know if I want to kick her ass out of Neptune, or comfort her,” Logan cringed at the sight of Keith’s icy stare, waving him off. “I alternate between a strong annoyance and a sense of pity, don't worry about it.”
Keith nodded, slipping away from the cabinet and into the kitchen. “She’s a good girl,” he called from the kitchen, opening up the refrigerator.
Logan nodded, his lips pressing together. “She’s a very good girl,” he agreed. “With an attitude problem.”
Keith reappeared by the cabinet, holding out a beer bottle over the top of the cabinet. Logan accepted it, and Keith waited until Logan had opened the bottle to talk. “If I recall, you still have quite the attitude problem yourself, young man,” he said sternly.
“Yeah, well, we’re not talking about me, are we?” Logan grinned as Keith chuckled. “We spent the last seven years talking about me. Let’s change topics.”
“She’s a good girl,” Keith repeated.
“I know she is,” Logan said quietly. “Don’t think for a second I don’t know that, man. It’s just...she just came back like nothing happened. You know?”
“She’s going to have a really tough time fitting back in,” Keith agreed quietly.
“Such is life,” Logan said, taking a long swig of his beer. A small grin perked on his face. “She ditched you, and instead of giving some tough love, you’re feeling sorry for her. You’re such a dad, dude.”
Keith chuckled, moving his arm around the cabinet and wiggling his bottle at Logan, who tapped the neck with his own bottle. “You’re giving me parenting advice?”
Logan smirked. “Yes...yes, I am. It’s a scary and confusing time, I know.”
Keith nodded, downing half of his beer. “She’s going to have some drinks with us tonight, Logan,” he muttered, staring inside his bottle. “When she comes home, I’m going to tell her we’re all going out.”
Logan’s response was too quick. “Fine.”
Keith gave him a warning look over the cabinet. “I want you to be nice.”
“I’m always nice,” Logan laughed as Keith rolled his eyes before walking to the kitchen. “What?” he called after him. “I’m Mr. Congeniality!”
Seven Years Ago
Logan slouched down on the hard chair with the stiff, uncomfortable maroon cushion, his eyes closing. He swallowed hard, his throat hurting from the mere action, and he wiped the sweat from his face as some girl whose name he had forgotten more than four hours ago continued to service him.
He didn’t know what time it was. His bender of booze, drugs, and various indecent sex acts had been nonstop and he didn’t even know what day it was. After he had nearly burned the rubber off his tires during his great escape from Neptune, after he fled to Mexico without a second thought, after he had said “fuck it” and dove back into old habits, he was certain he was losing his mind.
Being threatened with death wasn’t a problem for him. His father had done more than his fair share of endangering the welfare of his child and Logan had been dealing with his father’s brand of punishment since he was old enough to walk, so that asshole’s weak ass kiss of death at Hearst had been nothing. Logan knew he should’ve punched him again for being so unoriginal.
What really got him was how alone he was. Parker was long gone, Dick would be, and Veronica was no longer any sort of safe zone. As he lay in his suite amid empty beer bottles and filth that generally disgusted him, Logan had realized that he was truly, completely, and utterly alone. Even if these were his last days, he had no one to share them with, and this trip proved that.
Somewhere, he knew his father was laughing at what a fuck up his son had turned out to be, just as he knew Logan would.
Logan gasped as that familiar, welcomed rush swept over him, his body tensing as his fingers grasped at blonde hair that wasn’t familiar, not at all.
His eyes shut tightly, trying not to remember the last mouth that had done these things to him, the last pairs of hands that had worked on him until he was helpless in their grasp. That girl was gone, happier and better off without him.
God, he didn’t want to think about the way she had smiled at him in that cafeteria. The way she had looked at him. The way she had walked out on him. He didn’t even know who he was thinking about anymore.
The blonde stranger gave Logan a wicked smile as she lifted her head, wiping at her mouth. “That was great. What’s your name again?”
This girl had lips like Parker’s. Or maybe Lilly’s. He was definitely going insane. Maybe he would visit the roof of the hotel before the sun came up. Doing cartwheels off the edge was definitely a way to go.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said breathlessly as he grinned, grabbing her by the shoulders and lifting her up on his lap. “I’m a dead man anyway.”
He frowned as she turned away from his embrace, lazily reaching over to the table next to them. She helped herself to the last of the drugs he had purchased at some bar, and he rolled his eyes. “And I bet you’re expecting payment.”
“Do I look like a hooker?” she asked icily and scowled when he started to smirk. “Fuck you, loser.”
Logan laughed, snatching the beer off the table before she could grab at it, taking a long swig. “If you want me to fuck you, you could just beg-” His phone started to ring, and he laughed, pulling it out of his pocket and glancing at the screen. “Another telemarketer...”
His smile faded at the sight of two words on his caller ID: V Home.
Word Count: 9676 in this chapter
Category: AU, after “The Bitch is Back”
Characters/Pairings: Veronica, Logan, Keith, Parker, Dick, Logan/Veronica, slight Veronica/Piz, Logan/OFC, slight Veronica/OMC, some merry Neptune residents
Spoilers: Up to 3.20 “The Bitch is Back.”
Disclaimer: The characters were created by Rob Thomas and remain the property of Thomas, the CW, and Warner Bros. Television. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Special Thanks: To the betas of this fic, afrocurl and solflower22, who are so very patient with me while I struggle with this monster (currently 100 pages and counting!). Any and all mistakes after their betas are my own.
Dedication: Once again, the main reason this is being posted now is all because of smiles1_9's charity. THANK HER.
Summary: This was definitely rock bottom. Veronica Mars was cruising the self-help section.
A faintly disgusted frown formed on Veronica’s lips as she flopped back on the new and improved Mars Investigations couch, crossing her arms over her chest. Her father was currently showing Ashley: Super Secretary how to use a camera- a Nikon Coolpix 8700 to be exact. Much to Veronica’s dismay, Ashley appeared to be getting the hang of it rather quickly and Keith was quick to show his pride for his new protege.
Ashley laughed, shaking her head as she adjusted her fingers, peering at the lens before pointing the camera at Keith, who struck a rather silly pose. Veronica didn’t even know why Ashley was there- it was a Friday afternoon- why wasn’t she hanging out with her friends or something? She wasn’t a normal teenager and crap, she was hugging Keith’s arm.
Primitive instincts told Veronica to march over to the receptionist desk, shove Ashley aside and proclaim “MY DADDY” but she subdued them, instead opting to glower at the pair, her legs bobbing rapidly against the coffee table. She didn’t know why she sat there when she could’ve just stayed home like Keith had probably expected her to, but she didn’t want to continue the awkward dance with Harmony, nor did she want her father to helpfully tell her to “be normal.” She would suffer the indignity of being the third wheel. For the time being.
Keith glanced at Veronica, giving her a slight smile. “Veronica, want to show Ashley how to shoot a wide shot?”
Veronica forced a smile on her face, leaning forward and picking up her bottle of vitamin water. “I think you’ve got it covered, dad.”
He hesitated for a moment before nodding, turning back to Ashley. “Let’s go over to the window and I’ll show you how this old man does it.”
Veronica’s eyes closed shortly as Ashley’s high laugh echoed through the empty office. She stifled a sigh, her fingers clutching at her water bottle. “Dad,” she said through gritted teeth. There was no response as Keith continued to talk. “Dad.”
“Yes, honey?”
“Doesn’t Ashley have homework to do?” she laughed slightly. “Aren’t you wasting her time?”
“No problem!” Ashley chirped, giving Veronica a bright smile. “I did most of it during study hall. I just have this one project for AP English-”
Veronica gave Ashley a tight smile. “Then why don’t you get to it?”
Ashley’s smile faltered. “I will. Tonight.”
The front door opened, and Veronica silently thanked whatever God was listening for the sudden interruption. She turned, ready to greet the potential customer before the great Ashley could. The sight of Logan paralyzed her, and she sat there, mouth open in mid-greeting, and then exhaled sharply when he smiled at her. “Hey.”
“Hey,” he responded, giving her a short nod before walking past her to the receptionist desk, a small duffel bag flung over his shoulder.
Veronica sat up, setting down her vitamin water as she watched Logan move across the room. He looked like he was ready to go to the gym, and she was tempted to ask if she could tag along, just to get the hell out of that office. Her eyes lingered on his back for a moment before sharply darting down to the coffee table and quickly picking up a magazine and flipping through it.
Silently, she questioned Logan’s timing- he had a knack for showing up when she looked her worst. The jeans and oversized hoodie she currently wore had seemed comfortable at the time, but in hindsight her clothes undoubtedly made her look frumpy, especially when Logan’s workout clothes looked brand-spanking new.
Keith offered Logan a smile as he approached. “Good afternoon.”
“It’s not a very good afternoon,” Logan muttered, glancing at Ashley. “Hi.”
Ashley flushed crimson and gave him a quick, awkward wave, and Veronica fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“Listen,” Logan reached into his bag, pulling out a black folder and holding it up. “I want you to read this,” he said, waving the folder for emphasis. “Before I mail it.”
Keith frowned. “What is it?”
“I’m doing battle with the realtor. I’ve had it.”
“Then you might want to get your lawyer to read it.” Keith shrugged when Logan made a face. “Cliff? What happened to Connie?”
“Cliff’s a lawyer,” Logan said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “Connie said she doesn’t give a shit about my frivolous issues and to call her when I get involved in the long overdue custody battle. You, on the other hand, are well-equipped to read and critique a freaking dissatisfied customer letter.”
Veronica eyed the group across the room and she could almost feel her ears perk up in curiosity. “Why are you doing battle with a realtor?”
Logan glanced at her over his shoulder, giving her a tight smile. She weakly returned his smile, rubbing her hands along her knees anxiously. The stubble still bothered her and he looked tired and rather pissed off, but his smile still got to her. His entire presence did- his head wasn’t down, he wasn’t mumbling as much as she remembered, he didn’t look depressed or insecure- she still hadn’t gotten used to it.
It wasn’t attraction that was making her dwell on Logan. Definitely not attraction, but she was fascinated. Intrigued. She wanted to know what caused the change and why it bothered her so much. She wanted to get under his skin and see what happened to him. Of course, as much as she wanted to know the truth, she knew she wouldn’t follow through on the curiosity. At least, not yet. She didn’t need Logan’s incredible journey to personal and professional success to twist the knife in her back even more than it already was.
“I was told there were no fire ants,” he explained. “And surprise, fire ants all over my mini-lawn.”
“I could look up some exterminators-”
“Keith,” Logan ignored Veronica, turning back to the conversation at hand. “I refuse to pay for this.”
Keith shook his head, opening up the folder and skimming the page inside. “Logan, I honestly don’t think you’re going to be able to make your realtor pay for this...especially when it’s such a trivial thing. Besides, you’re a millionaire with thousands of dollars in investments and stocks. It kind of makes you look like...” he trailed off, glancing at Logan.
“A douche?” Veronica offered with a bright smile.
Keith, Logan, and Ashley stared at Veronica, not one even humoring her with a smile. Finally, Logan chuckled, lowering his head as he nodded. “I really missed you busting my balls, Mars.”
Veronica shrugged, smiling even though she felt like crawling underneath the couch. “That’s what I’m here for!” she said, inwardly cringing at the sound of her voice reaching that infuriatingly high-pitched level of embarrassment.
“Logan,” Keith handed him the folder. “Bite the bullet, pay for pest control, stop throwing a tantrum. Shred that letter.”
“I’m going to burn it. And the ants.”
Keith picked up his camera again, glancing at Ashley. “You know you have to call Connie before you use any flammable objects.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Oh, that’s just a precautionary rule!”
Being the odd man out was never fun and it was even less fun witnessing the quipping currently going on between Logan and Keith, with Ashley the Super Receptionist smiling like an idiot. Veronica had seen enough, and it was time for her to get the hell out of there.
“I’m going out,” Veronica announced loudly, jumping to her feet. She waited although she wasn’t sure for what, and she wasn’t really surprised when no one responded to her. All three stared at her blankly and she wanted to run from the room screaming. “I want to go to the bookstore...” she trailed off, glancing at Logan helplessly.
He gave her a quick smile. “Replaced by a Barnes and Noble. There’s also a Borders near Hearst.”
She grinned weakly, picking up her bag from the couch. “Okay, then. See you guys later.”
“You’ll be back for dinner?” Keith called after her as she walked to the door.
Veronica forced a smile on her face, inhaling sharply through her nose and forcing the smartass remark back down her throat as she turned to face the group. “I will.”
Logan stepped forward, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. “Want me to drop you off? It’s on my way.”
She shook her head swiftly, her eyes lowering to the floor. There was no way she was going to allow Logan to drive her anywhere, not after the way she made an ass of herself at that restaurant. Distance was a good thing at the moment, at least until she got back on her feet and he wasn’t standing there waving the upper hand right in her face. “No. Thank you. I don’t mind the drive. Alone.”
The look exchanged between Keith and Logan wasn’t lost on Veronica and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from talking. She watched as Logan turned to face her again, an obviously forced smile on his face and she wanted to hit him, then.
“Okay,” Logan sighed, giving her a nod. “You have my number if you need anything.”
“I won’t,” Veronica said lightly, opening the door. “Just going to the bookstore.”
“The new V.C. Andrews is worth a read...”
She hesitated, giving him a look. Now he was fucking with her. There was no way he wasn’t, he knew she hated those books with a passion and always had. He was really fucking with her and she couldn’t blame it on paranoia or insanity or self-pity. Logan Echolls was definitely fucking with her and right in front of her father because he knew that was an obscure dig and she couldn’t say a thing without seeming crazy. “I hate V.C. Andrews.”
His smile was genuine now. “I know.”
Veronica scowled, flipping her hair over her shoulder before stomping out into the hallway and she could’ve sworn she heard him laugh.
* * * * *
Finding Meaning In Your Crisis. A Guide To Loving Yourself. Ten Days to Self-Improvement. What’s Right With Me: 30 Ways to Celebrate Your Inner Strengths. When Perfect People Fail: Rebuilding Your Life Toward Success. You’re Fired, Now What?
This was definitely rock bottom. Veronica Mars was cruising the self-help section.
She had gotten there completely by accident. All the true crime books were ones she had already read (with the exception of all the Lilly Kane “tell-alls”), she wasn’t touching the latest Stephen King, and the CSI tie-in books just made her eye twitch. After wandering aimlessly for nearly forty minutes, she had ended up in the self-help section with a short man with steel-rimmed glasses. He was currently looking at a book for overcoming nicotine addiction.
Her eyes ran over the same row of titles, a frown on her lips. Somehow, she didn’t think she was going to find Everyone Hates You, Now What? in this section.
In spite of everything that had happened, she knew she didn’t need any books to help her with her problems. Therapy hadn’t helped all those years ago, these books wouldn’t, either. No book could help her if she walked into the police station begging for a job before trying to explain her layoff from the FBI. Unfairly, the FBI hadn’t prepared her for that.
With a sigh, Veronica reached up, pulling a book from the top shelf and gazing at its cover. New Life, New Me. She turned the book around, reading the back cover and her eyebrows rose. This book actually looked promising. It was all about rebuilding self-esteem and confidence and surely, it wouldn’t be a waste of twenty bucks...
“RONNIE!”
Veronica jumped, nearly throwing the book back on the shelf and spinning around toward the awfully familiar voice. “Dammit,” she hissed through gritted teeth before fixing what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face. “Hello...”
Dick Casablancas lifted his hands in the air, giving Veronica a big grin as he walked down the aisle toward her. “Ronnie Mars! Welcome home, ya frickin’ hottie!”
Her eyes widened as he abruptly scooped her up in a tight hug. “Dick...” His hands moved down her lower back and she scowled. “That’s enough, Dick.”
He released her, looking her up and down as he ran his hands down her arms. “I can’t believe it took me almost three weeks to find you,” he said loudly, ignoring the shushes he got. “Logan said he ran into you and might I say, you’re looking tasty-”
“That’s enough,” she said, her voice rising as she pushed his hands away. She silently reminded herself to be on her best behavior and as happy as she could be because anything that happened would definitely be relayed back to Logan for their two-man gossip party. “How are you?”
“Living large, Ronnie!” Dick glanced over his shoulder. “Waiting for the missus to finish up...” he leaned in, waiting for Veronica to do the same before continuing. “Getting some karma sutra books for those slow nights,” he whispered loudly, giving her a wink.
Veronica’s smile faltered, and she forced the disgust back down her throat, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “You’re married!”
He snorted. “No! Rita’s my lady- total hottie.”
“Is she blind?”
“No, but she’s got a nice rack-” Dick frowned, glancing around. “RITA!”
Veronica closed her eyes shortly as several people turned to stare. Logan might have changed, but not much if he was still friends with Dick. Obnoxious Dick. Idiotic Dick. Inappropriate Dick. At least that hadn’t changed. “Dick,” she hissed, running her hands through her hair. “Shut up.”
Dick glanced at Veronica, grabbing her hand and leading her down the aisle. “No, you gotta meet Rita- you’ll love her,” he grinned down at her. “It’s awesome that you’re home. Logan must’ve loved seeing you, right?”
Veronica sighed loudly. “Yeah, he also loved the whole me getting kicked out of the FBI story. Thanks!” she said, delivering a hard punch to his arm.
Dick’s mouth widened in pain and he quickly let go of her arm, taking a step away from her. “Calm down, Buffy! It wasn’t a secret.”
She halted, crossing her arms over her chest and staying put so Dick was forced to stop in his tracks. “Who told you?”
“Maddy.”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed. “How did she find out?”
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “From Casey. He lives in D.C. with his wifey, saw you being escorted out with your shit by some security guard.” He grinned. “He put two and two together and called to see if I heard anything from Logan...like you kept in touch with him or something.”
She sighed, ignoring his last dig and pretending to be disappointed. “And he couldn’t even say hi...”
“He figured it was the wrong time. Casey was always the sensitive one, when Logan wasn’t beating people up. And Duncan wasn’t fleeing the country.”
“Did Madison tell anyone else?”
Dick shrugged again. “Probably. You know Maddy, always getting joy out of someone else’s problems.”
Veronica forced a bright smile on her face. “What’s Maddy doing with herself?”
“Married some Hollywood agent, she lives in Studio City now. Two kids.”
She blinked, surprised. “Madison has two kids?”
“Adopted,” Dick gave her a look. “You really think Maddy’s going to give up her figure for a bunch of kids? She doesn’t even like her husband that much.”
“Oh,” Veronica grinned happily. “I am so glad to hear that.”
Dick’s eyes lit up as he looked at someone past Veronica and she turned, coming face to face with a tall, slim woman with a blonde bob. She was in long white skirt and a lime green tube top and this definitely wasn’t the type of girl she expected Dick to be seeing. She didn’t even look skanky. Already, this might have surpassed Logan’s 180 to be the most surprising news upon her return.
“Rita!” Dick exclaimed, resting his hands on Veronica’s shoulders. “This is Veronica Mars. You know, Logan’s ex.”
“Hi,” Rita glanced at Dick, confusion in her eyes. “Which one?”
Veronica’s jaw clenched and she inhaled sharply, refusing to respond.
Dick laughed, nudging Rita’s shoulder with his knuckles. “Veronica! You know...”
Rita shook her head, her brow furrowing, and Dick nodded. She kept shaking her head and he kept nodding and Veronica nearly rolled her eyes at the silent conversation that was going on right in front of her.
Suddenly Rita’s green eyes widened as she smiled, and Veronica grinned back, relieved. “OH! Veronica!” she glanced at Veronica, her smile fading. “Oh.”
Veronica’s smile disappeared abruptly. “Oh? What do you mean, oh?”
Rita opened her mouth and was steered away by Dick. “Go pay for your books, babe,” he said quietly, smacking her ass as she walked away. “Don’t worry about it,” he told Veronica, winking at her. “She read Keith’s book. And this one,” he reached over to the bargain books table, picking up a paperback with Lilly’s face on the cover. He pointed to another book. “And that one.”
“Ah...”
“And she reads Logan’s column.”
Veronica’s face fell, and she could feel the panic bubbling in her. “What does Logan say about me in his column?” she asked, her voice rising to that irritatingly anxious level.
“You haven’t read it yet?”
She blinked rapidly, looking to recover. “I have no interest,” she said before she could stop herself. “I mean, I haven’t had the chance...”
Dick nodded, dropping the book back on the table. “It’s cool. I don’t read his stupid column either unless he talks about me,” he grinned. “So, what do you think of Rita? She’s hot, right?”
“She’s definitely pretty,” Veronica offered weakly. “What does she do?”
“She’s a teacher.”
She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly, and the image of Rita’s tongue ring now struck her as inappropriate, especially for a teacher. She sincerely hoped Rita was teaching some college course and not impressionable young children. “Really.”
“Hell yeah- third grade and she did seventh grade English last summer. You should see her in her school clothes- skirts and heels and-”
“That’s enough, Dick.”
Rita reappeared, giving the two a grin as she swung her plastic bag merrily. “All ready to go!”
Dick smiled at her, and Veronica was taken by the faint glimpse of admiration in his gaze. “Good job, baby,” he faced Veronica again. “Gotta cut this reunion short. We’re going shopping for school supplies,” he explained, rolling his eyes.
Rita smiled sweetly. “Something for him, something for me,” she grabbed Veronica’s arm, unaware of the way Veronica tensed at the contact. “Hey, we’re going to the beach tonight- a big group of us, you wanna go? We can get better acquainted!”
Veronica gave the woman a weak grin, trying to pull her arm away. “Oh, I don’t want to intrude...”
“What?” Rita snorted, rolling her eyes. “Please! It’s a party! Everyone’s invited. You better show up, you’re like an urban legend around these parts. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Good or bad?”
Rita laughed loudly, turning and walking toward the front entrance and Veronica couldn’t help but cringe. It was the same flippant laugh Ashley: Super Receptionist gave during their first meeting. She inhaled deeply, facing Dick. “Well.”
“We’re meeting up at ten,” Dick gave her a look. “So, yeah, you better show. If Rita wants you there, you gotta be there. What Rita wants, Rita gets,” he paused. “And don’t look all Veronica Plain and Short, ‘kay?”
“Do you really think I’m plain?” Veronica frowned playfully. “I always thought I was cute. And charming.”
“Whatever, you should come,” he grinned, nudging her. “It might be fun, Ronnie- we can see you in your skimpy bikini...a thong, maybe?”
Her mouth set in a thin line at his comment and she chose to ignore it rather than egg him on. “I’ll think about it.” She frowned when Dick continued to stand there, staring at her expectantly. “What?”
“Go ahead, ask me. You know you wanna.”
“Ask you what?”
Dick shifted impatiently. “Is Logan coming?”
Veronica snorted, a sharp, harsh laugh escaping her. He was still an idiot, after all those years. She had to revel in the familiarity of it. “Honestly, I don’t care if Logan’s going or not. He’s probably off with one of his skanks-”
“Yeah, Logan really isn’t into the parties anymore. He’s all grown up and boring. I invited him anyway, our crew’s got money on whether he’s going to show or not. You want in?” Dick smiled wickedly. “Or do you wanna bet on how many drinks it’ll take for you to take your top off?”
Veronica stared at Dick blankly as he continued to grin like an idiot. Finally, she nodded, turning on her heels and walking down the aisle. She ignored the self help books as she went, knowing full well if she stopped for a moment, she was going to take one of those books and hit Dick with it.
* * * * *
“Where is she buried?”
Keith’s fingers halted over his laptop keyboard as he glanced to his right, his eyes resting on Veronica. Veronica, who sat stiffly with her hands on the counter, her eyes intently on her half-full glass of soda. Her jaw clenched, her mouth setting into a firm, thin line and he just didn’t know how to react to her question.
It was definitely a random question- they had both sat in silence for nearly an hour in the kitchen, she eating her dinner and he finishing a background check. Even with Harmony nowhere in sight Veronica wasn’t talkative and he made no attempts to engage her in conversation. She had come from the bookstore in bigger funk than she had previously been in and he had braced himself for some smartass remarks, maybe even a fit or a tantrum, but definitely not that question.
That phone call three years ago still didn’t seem real. He had the unfortunate task of informing Veronica that her mother had been found dead in a hotel room just a couple of miles south of Vernal, Utah. There hadn’t been any foul play of any sort- Lianne had died of natural causes. All the drinking had caught up with her and her heart just failed.
Keith and Jake Kane had been the only numbers in the cell phone found in her hotel room, so Keith wasn’t surprised when he was called to identify the body. He had waited a couple of days between going to Utah and bringing Lianne home- in retrospect, he was probably just trying to buy some time before making the phone call to Veronica.
He didn’t know what he had expected when he called Veronica. Certainly not tears, but he had at least hoped she would say she was returning home for the burial. Instead she had merely said “okay” and hung up. For almost a week she didn’t answer his calls and when she finally did, she hurriedly told him that she was on her way to New Mexico on a case.
It was then, four years after she had left, that Keith had finally accepted that Veronica was long gone. Yet, here she sat, tense and wondering about her mother who had been buried years ago. She didn’t look at him, just continued to sit there like a statue, her face blank but her posture rigid.
“At the cemetery. I didn’t want to cremate her...she never told me what she wanted.”
Veronica was silent, blinking rapidly. “Are her things still in storage?” she asked, her voice even as she clenched and unclenched her fists.
“Yes.”
She nodded. “I want her cabinet. The oak one that was in our old house.”
Keith stared at Veronica for long moment, waiting for her to clarify. Of course she didn’t, and he sighed. “Did you get her jewelry I mailed to you? You never told me-”
“I got it,” Veronica mumbled, finally shifting in her seat as she leaned back and pushed her hair behind her ears. “Can I have her cabinet?”
“You can have whatever you want.”
Veronica nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer.
Keith frowned faintly. “Why the sudden question?”
She shook her head, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I’m going to hang out with Dick and his girlfriend tonight,” she said quietly. “I’m gonna be normal like you said.” She ignored his gaze as she stood, walking to her bedroom. After a moment, the door shut behind her and Keith was once again alone.
* * * * *
Veronica feigned amusement at Rita’s overwrought, ten-minutes-too-long story on how she met Dick two years ago at some charity event. The yells and splashes of Dick and his rowdy friends sounded distant, but she could make out Dick’s surfboard behind Rita’s wet hair. The moonlight made Rita look beautiful and Veronica was certain Rita looked better than she did at the moment. Hell, Veronica was certain she looked like a wet cat after one swim, she certainly didn’t look as hot as Rita did.
Ridiculously long story short, Rita and Dick had met through Logan, who had an allegedly innocent working relationship with Rita’s sister, Stacey. Logan was the reason Rita had found her soul mate in Dick.
Logan the Great struck again and Veronica had to admit she shouldn’t have been so surprised. Instead of voicing these admittedly bitter concerns, she chose to drink more vodka.
“So, Logan’s cool, you know? And I’m thinking, oh, Stacey’s hooking me up with this guy and he’s totally cute so I’m game, you know?”
Veronica had already figured out three things about Rita in the two hours they had spent talking and drinking while Dick swam and surfed with his buddies: 1. Rita liked to talk, 2. Rita said “you know” a lot when drunk, and 3. Rita didn’t seem to mind or care that Dick was Dick, and in fact found it to be quite endearing.
“Logan spent the entire evening talking to me. I mean, he quizzed me on everything like an interrogation, you know?” Rita paused, adjusting the strap of her pink bikini top. “I’m thinking he’s totally interested in me and he’s a writer and this is awesome, you know?”
“Oh, I know,” Veronica said sardonically, taking a long drink out of her plastic cup and using the opportunity to discreetly glance at her watch. 12:27am.
Another thing she realized was that even though it had been seven years since she had interacted with Neptune’s residents, the 09ers were still alive and well. Yes, the original 09ers were long gone, but there were replacements and it was like that group never left. All they were missing was Logan as their king.
“It gets to the point that I start to fuckin’ like him, you know? He’s witty and self-deprecating and he looks really good in a suit- turns out, he’s pretty much interviewing me for his buddy! I was so pissed, you know?”
Veronica forced a smile on her face, nodding quickly. “I know.”
Rita sighed, glancing at her half-empty plastic cup. “But then I met Dick, and-”
“You threw up?” Veronica offered cheerfully.
“No,” Rita frowned, downing the rest of her drink. “No...I liked him. More than I thought I would, you know? He acted all pervy and like a jerk at first and that kind of infuriated me, but I realized that it was an act, you know?”
“Oh, that’s not an act,” Veronica muttered.
“-He was merely acting out because of how he was raised by his father...he told me all about Cassidy and the horrible abuse-”
Veronica’s smirk faded away at the mention of Cassidy Casablancas and she felt her stomach turn. Her lips pressed tightly together as she struggled to keep her liquor down. As Rita continued to talk and nearly propel Cassidy to sainthood, Veronica felt the sand begin to tilt and she closed her eyes, trying to drown out Rita with a rousing rendition of some Madonna song she had forgotten the name to that was playing on the stereo at that moment.
“Rita, baby!”
Veronica’s eyes shot open and she inhaled sharply, breathing in the ocean air as Dick came running over. He scooped Rita out of her seat, hugging her from behind as she squealed. Veronica blinked in shock at the sight of Dick being affectionate toward anyone as he was never even that tender with Madison, not that Madison Sinclair ever deserved that kind of treatment, but that was beside the point.
Veronica felt her chest tighten as Dick kissed Rita’s neck and their eyes locked for a moment. Suddenly, Veronica felt like she was intruding on a personal moment between the two that she didn’t think Dick was capable of. Then, the moment was over as Dick spun Rita in his arms as she screamed happily.
It was in that moment that Veronica tried to recall the last time she had someone grab her like that, made her that happy doing so little, and she couldn’t come up with a single occurrence, at least not in the last five years or so. Piz had attempted to be carefree once, she had pushed him away and gotten back to her schoolwork. After that, she had told him to start a band and he did. The rest was ancient history.
With a weary sigh, Veronica downed the rest of her drink, holding up the empty glass.
Dick let out a whoop, opening the cooler Rita had been sitting on and pulling out two beers. “Another drink for the lady?”
“Hit me,” Veronica said glumly, nodding as he opened the bottle and poured its contents into her cup.
Rita shook her head, tossing her cup on the sand and leaning over the cooler. “No more drinking- let’s go swimming!”
Veronica laughed, shaking her head. “I think I’m too wasted to go swimming...”
“Whatever- let’s go!” Rita grabbed Veronica’s arm, jerking her out of her seat.
“If I drown,” Veronica handed her cup to Dick, following Rita to the water. “If I drown, someone needs to tell my dad I died saving a puppy. Or a small child.” Veronica grinned as Rita laughed loudly at her weak joke and she was grateful for Rita’s friendliness. She was happy to have fun, even if it was with this girl she had just met hours before.
Veronica laughed when Rita stumbled and hugged her tightly for support, allowing herself to hold Rita up. This was wasn’t bad at all, it was like hanging out with Lilly all over again. She glanced over her shoulder, expecting Dick to be right behind them but was startled by the bright headlights of an SUV parking next to the other cars along the boardwalk. Her smile faded as she could only guess who was the new arrival.
Logan glanced out the window as he pulled up beside the other SUVs and sports cars of the crowd that had been Dick’s for the last couple of years. He let out a heavy sigh, glancing at Carmen. “It’s almost one in the morning,” he told her matter-of-factly.
Carmen nodded, adjusting her tank top. “Fact.”
“We could be at my place, having some fun.”
“Also fact.”
“So why are we still sitting here when we could be ditching this disaster?”
Carmen grinned, giving Logan a look. “Because Dick invited both of us, that’s why. You haven’t gone to one of these things for a while.”
Logan rolled his eyes, throwing his arms over the back of his seat. “It’s not my thing anymore. It’s the same old, same old and I’m just tired.”
She frowned playfully. “So...you’re tired of me?”
“Absolutely not,” he said, smiling slightly. “On the plus side, Dick’s probably betting big money that I’m not going to show, so it’ll be awesome seeing him hand back all that money to his friends.” He paused, tapping his knees absently. “Okay. Let’s go.”
The sound of two doors slamming caught Veronica’s attention, and she started to turn toward the boardwalk. She was suddenly distracted by Rita, her eyes widening as Rita cupped her face. A laugh escaped her when Rita kissed her cheek firmly, and they both stumbled as the waves crashed into them. Two hours and many drinks after Rita’s epic storytelling and Veronica was feeling perfectly fine. Great, even.
“Oh!” Rita lifted her hand, waving wildly near the rows of cars. “Hey, look!”
Veronica leaned against Rita, glancing over her shoulder in the direction Rita was gesturing at. She squinted, trying to make out the shadowy figures getting closer. She nearly groaned at the sight of Logan walking alongside Carmen, her arm wrapped around his like they were a couple. Of course it was Logan. “Here comes Perfect Logan!” she said loudly.
Rita laughed, grabbing Veronica’s arm and pulling her toward the sand. “Let’s have another drink!”
Dick groaned at the sight of Logan and Carmen, reaching into his pocket. “God dammit, Logan,” he said bitterly, pulling out a wad of bills. “He always fucking does that to me- every single time...”
Logan laughed at the sight of the group across the sand. “Look!” he intoned while nodding at Dick, who was busy handing back money to his buddies. “I fucking told you...” he told Carmen, trailing off as he watched Veronica stumble about on the sand with an equally unsteady Rita. He absently reached out, grabbing at Carmen’s shirt and pulling her back. “What is wrong with her?”
Carmen glanced over at the group, squinting. “Veronica? Is she drunk?”
“Veronica doesn’t get drunk.”
Carmen’s eyebrows rose as Veronica cackled loudly as Rita fell to the sand. “She’s kind of drunk, Logan.”
“She can’t go home like that,” Logan said, cringing as Veronica took a tumble. He knew what he had to do before he said it out loud and he cursed his conscience, then. “Keith is going to flip.” He glanced at Carmen, catching her eye. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Carmen shook her head, brushing his apology off. “Don’t- just take her home before she hurts herself. We can hang some other time.”
Dick smirked when Logan approached. “Nice of you to show late...lost my winnings. Again. You hate me, don’t you?”
“No, I love you,” Logan mumbled, unzipping his khaki hoodie. “How much did she have to drink?” he asked, gesturing toward Veronica, who was loudly singing along with Rita to the song playing on the radio.
Dick shrugged. “Four? Maybe five. But that was before I stopped counting- the girl can drink, dude.”
Logan rolled his eyes as he pulled off his hoodie, reaching over and grabbing Veronica’s arm as she danced by. “We’re leaving,” he told her firmly, wrapping his hoodie around her soaked body. He caught the bag- Veronica’s bag, he assumed- that Dick tossed at him and he handed it to Carmen.
“We?” Veronica laughed, hanging on to his arm. “We? We’re exclusive, now? Me and Logan the Great, I should be flattered-”
He ignored her, his fingers wrapping around her wrist. “We as in you, me, and Carmen, Veronica.”
“Oooh, threesome!” Rita squealed, laughing as Dick picked her up and carried her to the water. “Bye, Veronica!”
Veronica blinked slowly, laughing as Logan led her to his truck, Carmen’s arm wrapped around her waist. “Where are we going?”
“We’re having a sleepover,” Logan said dryly, pressing his car remote and unlocking the car doors. “You’re ridiculously drunk and you really don’t want Keith seeing you like that. Get in the car.”
Veronica dug her heels into the boardwalk, yanking her hand out of Carmen’s hold. “I’m not going anywhere-”
Logan’s patience seemed to evaporate dramatically and his hand slammed down on the hood of his truck. “Get in the car!” he barked.
Carmen rolled her eyes, opening the backseat of Logan’s truck. “Logan, chill.”
“I’ll chill when she gets in the damn car,” Logan snapped, grabbing Veronica’s hand and pulling her toward his car. “Veronica, get in.”
Veronica was stunned by Logan’s abrupt outburst, clumsily climbing into the backseat. She sighed as Logan leaned inside, buckling her in. “Logan, Logan, Logan...aren’t you the bestest little thing ever,” she mumbled, her eyes darting down as his elbow brushed over her bare knee. She was confused by the care he put into buckling her in safely and she frowned when he leaned forward, adjusting the shoulder strap. “What are you doing?”
“Stay put,” he said, climbing out of the car and slamming the door behind him.
Veronica swayed as Logan walked over to Carmen, talking to her. Veronica could already guess what he was telling her. Carmen was going to drive Veronica’s car and follow them. He looked annoyed, and Veronica had to roll her eyes. He was definitely playing the martyr card to a tee.
She laughed as Logan climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the car. He sat there for a moment, clutching the wheel and she sighed, glancing at the ceiling of his car. “Logan...”
“Don’t,” he said sharply.
Veronica’s mouth clamped shut as Logan pulled out onto the road and drove toward the city. She could see how taut his grip was on the steering wheel, he was upset. Of course he was.
“You hooked Dick and his girlfriend up,” she slurred, laughing weakly before she could finish the sentence.
“Just wanted to get Dick laid,” Logan muttered, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone, quickly dialing.
The car shifted and she squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers clutching at the sleeves of Logan’s hoodie as a wave of dizziness swept over her. “And they lived happily ever after thanks to you, the relationship maestro...”
“Keith!”
Veronica’s eyes shot open, and she struggled to focus on the conversation Logan was having with her father. She started to laugh at her predicament, unable to stop, and her laughter continued when Logan glanced at her, a flash of annoyance in his eyes.
“Yeah, she partied a bit too hard and asked if she could crash at my place...no, she didn’t want to drive, she drank enough to- what?” Logan let out a strained chuckle. “Maybe four drinks? She’s a lightweight...mixed drinks, Keith. Nothing solid, no drugs.”
Veronica opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she gazed out the window. The scenery flew past her, all blotched lights and blurry shadows. A wave of nausea overwhelmed her and she shut her eyes once more.
“Keith, dude, she’s fine, I promise. Mostly embarrassed...” Logan trailed off, listening to Keith. He sighed, shrugging as though Keith were in the car with him. “You know Veronica, safety first. Don’t worry about it- she’ll sleep on the couch and I’ll send her home before I go to the gym.”
“Still obsessed with working out, huh?” Veronica mumbled. “Must’ve been your minor. Writing and lifting weights- they go hand in hand.”
His jaw clenched. “Yep. No problem. You too. Night.”
Logan tossed his phone on the passenger seat as he pulled to a stop at a red light, using the opportunity to turn and glare at her. “All you can do is sit there and laugh, huh? Laugh and throw insults...just like old times. Right, Veronica?”
He faced the road again as the light turned green, and his foot slammed down on the gas, sending the car speeding down the street. “You- you know, my life was fine and dandy before you came back,” he laughed slightly. “It was perfect, just perfect. Now, you’re here and just like that-” he snapped his fingers for emphasis, “My drama-free life now has- wait for it- drama! How about that? I mean, how old are you, huh? Aren’t you too old to be getting drunk off your ass? I’m not here to be your damn chaperone.”
Veronica smiled lazily, unable to stop the laugh from escaping. “You sound so pissed...it’s so cute.”
Logan glanced at her, not bothering to hide his disgust. “You’re not even going to remember any of this tomorrow, are you?”
Veronica didn’t respond, and it was then Logan realized that she was fast asleep. He shook his head, sighing as he pulled into his driveway. “Fucking unreal...”
Carmen climbed out of Veronica’s car a moment later, smiling at Logan as he slowly backed out of the backseat, Veronica in his arms. “This was fun!” she said cheerfully, shoving Veronica’s car keys into his pocket.
“Yeah,” he wiggled the hand underneath Veronica’s back at her, keys hanging off the tips of his fingers. “Get my door, will ya?”
Carmen opened up the front door to Logan’s apartment, stepping to the side as Logan carried Veronica in. She watched as he gingerly lowered Veronica to the couch before adjusting the pillow beneath her head. “Okay! I’m off.”
Logan’s head whipped in her direction, his eyes widening in panic. “What- where the hell are you going?”
“I’m going home.”
“No. No- you can’t leave me with her.”
Carmen laughed. “It’s Veronica!”
He smiled weakly, glancing down at Veronica. “What if she throws up? I’m not prepared for this.”
Veronica’s eyes slowly opened, and she was able to make out Logan’s legs as he walked away from her. She could hear Carmen talking somewhere above her, maybe a couple of feet away. Another wave of nausea struck Veronica and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a ball and sleep.
“Logan, I think you have more than enough experience in the vomit category,” Carmen laughed.
“I lost the bucket.”
“Well, you could always use one of those wok bowls you never cook with...”
“Nice. And ew.”
Veronica swallowed hard as Carmen laughed and then there was silence. A moment later there was a certain smacking noise that Veronica was able to associate clearly- a make out session was going on just a couple of feet away from her. She inhaled sharply, a loud groan escaping her, loud enough to make it clear that she was conscious and not having any of this.
Several feet away, Logan sighed. “See you around,” he muttered.
“Sleep well,” Carmen walked to the door, opening it. “Feel better, Veronica!” she called.
Veronica didn’t reply, closing her eyes tightly.
The door shut and was promptly locked, if the added click told her anything. She could hear Logan moving around somewhere in front of her and he suddenly grabbed her hand, moving it off the couch. Her eyes opened and she came face to face with an orange plastic bucket used for sand castles, her fingers grazing the edges.
“I’m leaving this here,” he told her matter-of-factly, setting the pail down on the floor. “And now I’m going to bed. Don’t touch anything.”
Veronica’s eyes fluttered shut, and Logan stifled the frustrated sigh threatening to break through. He straightened up, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. “You’re really not going to remember this tomorrow, are you?” She didn’t respond, and he nodded, turning and walking to his bedroom. “Fucking unreal...”
Seven Years Ago
Piz watched as Veronica paced the almost empty apartment, waiting until she walked past him once more before rising from his seat on his suitcase. She had been pacing and staring at her cell phone for the last ten minutes, chewing on her bottom lip and he was certain that she had bitten through skin at this point. “Veronica,” he said, a hand rising to his hair as he swiped it off his forehead.
“Hold on,” she muttered, not bothering to continue the conversation.
“Just call your dad.”
She shook her head swiftly. “Maybe he’ll call first.”
With a sigh, Piz fell into step behind Veronica, lunging forward and wrapping his arms around her waist and forcing her to stop. “We can go back anytime you want,” he whispered against her neck.
Veronica coaxed a tight smile on her face, turning toward him. “I don’t want to go back,” she said, ignoring the shake in her voice. “I kind of like it here. With you. Alone.”
Piz grinned happily, and she was grateful that she wasn’t forced to elaborate. Her fingers ran over the back of his neck, her nails scraping over the small hairs there.
“I love you,” he said quietly, kissing the top of her head. He coaxed her to the carpet, stretching his legs out in front of him. “We should’ve gone furniture shopping before we moved.”
Veronica sighed, her lips pressing together as she played with her phone, switching the ring tone from loud to vibrate before dropping it to the carpet. “Yeah, well, we live in a studio- we’re not going to need that much.”
He grinned, glancing at her. “Not until you’re Veronica Mars, secret agent man.”
She returned the smile, batting her eyelashes at him. “Aw, you’re going to live off my riches? That’s so cute!”
Piz nodded, the grin fading from his face as he turned serious at the sight of Veronica’s gaze dropping to her lap. “Seriously, Veronica, we can go back whenever you want.”
Veronica shook her head, forcing a smile as she turned, facing him completely. “I’m fine, Piznarski,” she said lightly, smirking as she straddled his lap. She wasn’t going to worry about anything anymore. Everything was going to be fine because she was going to make it so. No one was going to decide her destiny anymore.
“Are you sure?”
Her jaw set at his tentative question. “I’m fine!” she laughed and her hands ran down his chest as she tilted forward, leaving a faint kiss on his temple. “And I’m going to be even better in a minute...” she trailed off, kissing him firmly. Several feet away, she could hear the distinctive buzz of her phone and she kissed Piz harder as she pushed him down on the carpet. She ignored the buzzing, focusing on Piz and her new life and not on the life she left behind.
Now
The first thing Veronica was able to figure out, even before she opened her eyes, was that she definitely wasn’t in her father’s apartment. She wasn’t on her father’s couch. There was no sickening vanilla smell; in fact, the place smelled like cinnamon, coffee and some sort of cleaner or detergent.
Her eyes opened slowly and her gaze focused on Logan, who sat on the loveseat across from her. He was in blue and yellow board shorts and a black t-shirt. There was no gel in his hair, and the look in his eyes was indescribable.
A feeling of dread filled her then as she glanced down at her body, covered with an oversized sweater that must’ve been Logan’s. She swallowed hard as she struggled to recall the previous night. She had gone drinking with Dick and his girlfriend, his girlfriend was telling a story and then after that...nothing. The last time she couldn’t remember her actions after drinking had been the worst night of her life, and this was nowhere near as horrible as that night, but the feeling was similar. Helplessness. Confusion. Fear.
“Hi,” was all she could manage, sitting up slowly. She stared at him fearfully, the tension in her easing when she saw his gaze soften.
“Morning.”
“Oh my God, last night-” she cut herself off, a weak laugh escaping her as she rubbed at her throbbing head. “I don’t- we didn’t...we didn’t, right?”
He gave a swift shake of his head. “No.”
Veronica felt herself relax at the sight of his expression, annoyed and almost bored. She realized then that nothing questionable had happened between them, but the relief was soon trumped by the unspoken confirmation that while they didn’t do anything, she herself must’ve done something to land her on his couch. “How much did I- I made an ass out of myself, didn’t I?”
“Oh, yeah,” Logan jumped to his feet, scratching the back of his neck as he walked to the front door. “I covered for you, so don’t worry about it. Keith just thinks you got tipsy, so stick with the story. Your car’s outside, and I’m going to the gym, so just let yourself out when you’re ready.”
Veronica licked her lips, cringing at the stale taste of liquor on her dry mouth. “Did I say anything incriminating?”
He didn’t respond, shutting the door behind him.
* * * * *
Keith’s jaw clenched as he gripped the bottom of the oak cabinet, inching down the hallway. “To the right,” he grunted.
“Dude, I’m in the freakin’ tub,” Logan said through gritted teeth, his voice strained as he tried to move out of the bathroom. “Why are we moving this thing into Veronica’s room, anyway?”
“It’s hers. Her mother’s, actually. She wants it back.”
Logan chuckled, adjusting his grip on the cabinet. “She was gone for seven years. To me, she loses all claim to possessions left behind,” he cringed as the cabinet pressed against his shoulder. “Dammit, Keith- pivot!”
Keith sighed heavily, taking a small step backwards. “This is different. Lianne died, so she wants...” he trailed off, another sigh escaping him. “She’s having a normal reaction. It’s all normal.”
“Yeah, I know it’s normal. I still have my mom’s lighter. Key word, lighter. Something I can put in my pocket. Not a fucking cabinet. You can’t fit a cabinet in your pocket.”
“She has her mother’s jewelry, but she really wants the cabinet.”
Logan inhaled sharply, the pads of his fingers digging into the oak as he felt a bead of sweat slip down his back. “Where the hell is she, anyway?”
“She went food shopping with Harmony. I didn’t even have to ask her twice,” Keith smiled, slightly pleased. “I really think Veronica’s starting to warm up to her-”
“Hopefully there won’t be any tears or bloodshed-” Logan gasped, grimacing as his shoulder hit the wall. “Keith, I can’t hold on to this thing-”
“Set it down, set it down,” Keith said quickly, and they lowered the cabinet to the floor. Logan poked his head around the edge of the cabinet, raising his eyebrows playfully, and Keith rolled his eyes. “You’ve never done any moving of your own, have you?”
Logan grinned cheekily. “That's what the help is for, Mr. Mars.”
Keith nodded, leaning against the wall. He was quiet for a moment, rubbing at his eyes. “Veronica told me you guys were hanging out.”
“Yeah, if by hanging out you mean her sitting in her car and freaking out when I happened to walk by and engage her in conversation.”
“I was actually talking about the beach thing,” he frowned as he ran Logan’s words through his head. “What was she upset about?”
“She didn’t know where the boutique was- no one told her it had closed down years ago,” Logan paused, a frown on his lips. “Then she accused me of stalking her, not knowing that I worked just one block down,” another pause, and the frown on his face turned into a scowl. “Then she slept on my couch.”
Keith shook his head. “She's having a rough time settling in.”
Logan shrugged, leaning against the cabinet. “She isn’t in Veronica Land anymore.”
“I know, and I think she knows...” Keith sighed, wiping at his brow. “I’m really, really angry with her, but I still feel like I should be protecting her. She has no idea how Neptune has changed- how we’ve changed-”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Whatever, dude. She walked out, we didn’t. She just wants to waltz in like nothing’s changed, and she’s gonna get a rude awakening. That’s it. We can’t freakin’ baby her anymore if she just doesn’t get it.”
“I know that,” Keith said with a hint of annoyance, shooting Logan a hard look. “But we just have to be...nicer.”
“She's a vampire, Keith,” Logan said matter-of-factly. “An emotional vampire. I couldn’t concentrate on my work today, and I wasn’t even thinking about her. She just...drains souls. Or something.”
Keith smiled slightly, choosing to ignore Logan’s choice of words and deciding to focus on what he was most likely trying to say through the insults. “She has that tendency. She just sticks with you.”
“I don't know if I want to kick her ass out of Neptune, or comfort her,” Logan cringed at the sight of Keith’s icy stare, waving him off. “I alternate between a strong annoyance and a sense of pity, don't worry about it.”
Keith nodded, slipping away from the cabinet and into the kitchen. “She’s a good girl,” he called from the kitchen, opening up the refrigerator.
Logan nodded, his lips pressing together. “She’s a very good girl,” he agreed. “With an attitude problem.”
Keith reappeared by the cabinet, holding out a beer bottle over the top of the cabinet. Logan accepted it, and Keith waited until Logan had opened the bottle to talk. “If I recall, you still have quite the attitude problem yourself, young man,” he said sternly.
“Yeah, well, we’re not talking about me, are we?” Logan grinned as Keith chuckled. “We spent the last seven years talking about me. Let’s change topics.”
“She’s a good girl,” Keith repeated.
“I know she is,” Logan said quietly. “Don’t think for a second I don’t know that, man. It’s just...she just came back like nothing happened. You know?”
“She’s going to have a really tough time fitting back in,” Keith agreed quietly.
“Such is life,” Logan said, taking a long swig of his beer. A small grin perked on his face. “She ditched you, and instead of giving some tough love, you’re feeling sorry for her. You’re such a dad, dude.”
Keith chuckled, moving his arm around the cabinet and wiggling his bottle at Logan, who tapped the neck with his own bottle. “You’re giving me parenting advice?”
Logan smirked. “Yes...yes, I am. It’s a scary and confusing time, I know.”
Keith nodded, downing half of his beer. “She’s going to have some drinks with us tonight, Logan,” he muttered, staring inside his bottle. “When she comes home, I’m going to tell her we’re all going out.”
Logan’s response was too quick. “Fine.”
Keith gave him a warning look over the cabinet. “I want you to be nice.”
“I’m always nice,” Logan laughed as Keith rolled his eyes before walking to the kitchen. “What?” he called after him. “I’m Mr. Congeniality!”
Seven Years Ago
Logan slouched down on the hard chair with the stiff, uncomfortable maroon cushion, his eyes closing. He swallowed hard, his throat hurting from the mere action, and he wiped the sweat from his face as some girl whose name he had forgotten more than four hours ago continued to service him.
He didn’t know what time it was. His bender of booze, drugs, and various indecent sex acts had been nonstop and he didn’t even know what day it was. After he had nearly burned the rubber off his tires during his great escape from Neptune, after he fled to Mexico without a second thought, after he had said “fuck it” and dove back into old habits, he was certain he was losing his mind.
Being threatened with death wasn’t a problem for him. His father had done more than his fair share of endangering the welfare of his child and Logan had been dealing with his father’s brand of punishment since he was old enough to walk, so that asshole’s weak ass kiss of death at Hearst had been nothing. Logan knew he should’ve punched him again for being so unoriginal.
What really got him was how alone he was. Parker was long gone, Dick would be, and Veronica was no longer any sort of safe zone. As he lay in his suite amid empty beer bottles and filth that generally disgusted him, Logan had realized that he was truly, completely, and utterly alone. Even if these were his last days, he had no one to share them with, and this trip proved that.
Somewhere, he knew his father was laughing at what a fuck up his son had turned out to be, just as he knew Logan would.
Logan gasped as that familiar, welcomed rush swept over him, his body tensing as his fingers grasped at blonde hair that wasn’t familiar, not at all.
His eyes shut tightly, trying not to remember the last mouth that had done these things to him, the last pairs of hands that had worked on him until he was helpless in their grasp. That girl was gone, happier and better off without him.
God, he didn’t want to think about the way she had smiled at him in that cafeteria. The way she had looked at him. The way she had walked out on him. He didn’t even know who he was thinking about anymore.
The blonde stranger gave Logan a wicked smile as she lifted her head, wiping at her mouth. “That was great. What’s your name again?”
This girl had lips like Parker’s. Or maybe Lilly’s. He was definitely going insane. Maybe he would visit the roof of the hotel before the sun came up. Doing cartwheels off the edge was definitely a way to go.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said breathlessly as he grinned, grabbing her by the shoulders and lifting her up on his lap. “I’m a dead man anyway.”
He frowned as she turned away from his embrace, lazily reaching over to the table next to them. She helped herself to the last of the drugs he had purchased at some bar, and he rolled his eyes. “And I bet you’re expecting payment.”
“Do I look like a hooker?” she asked icily and scowled when he started to smirk. “Fuck you, loser.”
Logan laughed, snatching the beer off the table before she could grab at it, taking a long swig. “If you want me to fuck you, you could just beg-” His phone started to ring, and he laughed, pulling it out of his pocket and glancing at the screen. “Another telemarketer...”
His smile faded at the sight of two words on his caller ID: V Home.