Fic: There and Back Again (LoVe/VD) PG-13 {3.5/?}
Title: There and Back Again
Word Count: 8,704 {chapter three only}
Rating: PG-14 {for language may change in the future}
Warnings/Spoilers: If you know that Veronica and Logan broke up, Logan asked Parker out and Cassidy Casablancas’ role in the second season, you’re more than good to go.
Summary: On the first anniversary of Aaron Echolls death, Veronica and Logan decide to finally set their issues to rest, at the Echolls’ cabin, with six of their nearest and dearest friends.
Official Disclaimer: All Veronica Mars characters and plots belong to Rob Thomas and the CW. I do not hold stock either the man or the company. Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls, and any other character featured are NOT mine.
3:23 pm
Sunday, June 10th 2007
Lunch had gone smoothly enough, with everyone grabbing what they wanted from the basket and entertaining themselves. The boys had started up an odd game of football shortly after Parker decided that no one was getting in the lake for at least an hour so no one would drown. Lilly had exhausted herself, and her new Uncle Logan, and Veronica couldn’t help but to laugh at the fact that they were now napping together, the smaller one of the two resting on top of her counterpart’s stomach while everyone else was more or less trying to overcome their own exhaustion so they could walk back to the house.
“Anyone wanna play a game?” Parker had pulled her wet hair up into a ponytail, and was now toying with Mac’s long brown locks. “We could try another round of Getting to Know You.”
“Getting to Know You?” Even as he took another handful of the chips that he and Wallace had dumped onto a plate between them, Piz sat up to frown at Parker.
The look that crossed Parker’s face was somewhere between irritation and joy. “Yeah, like twenty questions.”
“Otherwise known as the game we played last night.” Veronica snagged Duncan’s drink and shook her head. The last thing that everyone needed was another round of absolute truth.
Lilly shifted, and Logan opened his eyes long enough to locate his water bottle to the left of Veronica’s hip. “You know, one of these days you’re going to have to try positive thinking.” He downed a few gulps and rolled, holding Lilly to his chest so he could set her down on the blanket. “Why don’t you start us off Piz.” He decided.
For a moment, Piz looked confused. “Uh, okay…” He wiped the grease from his chips on his swim trunks and looked around. “Wallace.” His roommate looked up and cracked a grin. “Finish this sentence; the day I met my best friend I…”
“And the obvious doesn’t count.” Logan told Wallace quickly, eyeing him and then his clothes. Parker and Piz may not have been aware of the flagpole incident, but Logan was only sure that something else interesting had happened that day.
Wallace sighed and shrugged. “Okay. The day I met my best friend I… I learned Eli Navarro is scared of short blondes.”
“I didn’t scare him.” Veronica protested harshly. And it was true. If anything that day Veronica only proved that she wasn’t intimidated by him. Weevil had found it more amusing than anything else.
“You did something, Superfly.” Wallace watched Veronica huff and take another sip of her drink. “Echolls.” Logan sat up straighter and Wallace laughed. “I used to covet my best friends…fill in the blank.”
“Piece of ass.” He said without hesitation, only noticing afterwards that he probably should have phrased it differently. Or maybe not said it at all.
Veronica screeched his name and smacked his shoulder even as Dick looked up carefully. “You used to like Madison?” He asked offhandedly.
Logan winked at Veronica and smiled. “I also used to dream about my girlfriend’s best friend, in case any of you are interested.”
Duncan stole his drink back from Veronica and thought about tossing the bottle at his friend. He would have too, if not for the fact that Lilly was laying just a little too close. “I didn’t need confirmation on that.” He decided after a second then he laughed. “Although Lil would be happy to know that she was right.”
“She already knew.” Logan threw out, even as he sat up. “Veronica.”
“Oh God.” The blonde shook her head. “What?”
He tapped his index finger against his lips as if he were thinking about what it was that he was going to ask her. There were a million and one things that he wished he could ask. Then again there were just as many that he wanted to ask when they were alone. “We’ll start easy.” He decided. “Strangest thing you carry in your purse on a daily basis.”
Veronica bit her lip as she thought. All of the things she carried were essential to her life and what she did. She didn’t think that any of them were too strange. “I have two key cards to the Presedential Suite of the Neptune Grande.” She decided at last, looking up to Logan to ask for confirmation that that was enough.
But Logan wasn’t looking at her. He and Duncan had turned to each other at the mention of the key cards and it was a true comedic moment when their mouths opened at the same time. “You never got yours back?”
Parker shook her head at the guys and then frowned. “Doesn’t count.” She pointed out. “They were given to you by your boyfriend. Not strange.”
“Uh…Then I’m not sure.” Veronica’s hand came over her hair reflexively, tugging at the roots before pulling the tip. “I’ve got a cell phone interceptor, a few of those coasters from the last frat party, my tazor, Dad’s lock pick kit-“
Logan’s laugh was enough to get her to stop tallying off the contents of her purse. “That’s enough. It’s all weird.” He finished off his bottle of water and tossed it over in the direction of the trash bag. “Although I would have gone with the silly putty you hide in the Altoid case. Your turn.”
“Duncan.” Veronica held her hand out for the drink they were sharing and watched as her ex-boyfriend didn’t even flinch. “If you could pick a theme song for your best friend, what would it be?”
“Depends on the best friend.” He answered honestly, passing Veronica a look that read that Logan wasn’t his only true friend. “I’m kind of partial to Every Me, Every You.” He threw a grin over at Logan and then laughed. “Or Superman, the Five for Fighting version.”
The smile on Veronica’s face only amplified when Wallace shook his head. “And here I’m thinking a little Right Said Fred.”
“I’m too sexy.” Logan dead panned, trying to keep the grin off of his face, his usual cockiness taking a backseat to the fact that he’d had a toddler attached to him for the last hour or so. Then again, he could probably attribute it to the fact that he’d been three rounds with Duncan in the last two days.
As if he realized where the conversation was likely to go, Duncan laughed and pulled out another drink from the cooler. “Mac.” He decided at last, watching the brunette staring up at the clouds finally sit up. “What is the weirdest thing you ever did on a date?”
There were plenty of things that came to mind at that question. Her and Bronson had roped Parker and Logan into a scavenger hunt once, and then there was the time that Bronson decided that she was too serious and took her to Chuck-E-Cheese for dinner. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to look in Dick’s direction, and the smile that lit her face was one that she couldn’t fake. “I shopped for a transvestite escort on a date once.” She said carefully, trying a little too hard to make it sound nonchalant.
“An escort?” Parker sat up a little straighter as Logan readjusted himself on his side of the blanket. “Was it for you?”
“No.” Mac coughed to get the gravel out of her voice and then she laughed. “A perv at a fair I went to needed a little lesson in etiquette.”
“Did he learn it?” Although he wasn’t sure what was more interesting, the fact that Mac bought an escort or was teaching someone a lesson that didn’t involve Veronica, Duncan definitely knew that he wanted to know this story.
Mac threw a smile over her shoulder at Dick and shook her head. “Don’t think so.” She said after a minute. “Although I’m only sure he won’t forget it any time soon.”
“Would that you could spit out the memories.” Logan’s smirk was all it took for Mac to understand that he knew exactly what it was that she was talking about. “Interesting night for us all.” He nodded.
“You were there?” Duncan’s eyebrows rose and Logan nodded. “Why is it I miss the good stuff?”
He had a few answers to that one. Most of them would get Logan assaulted if he thought to say them aloud, but they were there. “You’ll be here the next time we rent an escort.” He promised with a smirk, looking to Mac. “Your turn.”
“Veronica.” The blonde’s head shot up again, and Mac remembered just how easily her friend had faded into the background the night before when they had played. She had answered a few questions, when they had come to her, and dodged anything remotely personal about herself. It was typical Veronica Mars. “Worst break-up.”
It required a lot of thought really, because each of her breakups were bad on so many levels. There was her first, when Duncan thought they were siblings and cut her from his life without warning or explanation. Then there was the one after that, when she had her boyfriend arrested for falsifying an alibi and facing possible murder charges. Veronica studied her bottle of water for a minute before remembering the pain she had felt when Duncan had left town the second time and her drive to dive into all things case related. “It’s a toss up.” She decided at last, watching as Wallace sat up and scooted closer to her. She’d lay odds down that almost anyone at the blanket who went to school with her would say that she and Duncan’s first break up hit her hardest. “Finding out my boyfriend slept with the one person on the planet I loathe the most…” She allowed Logan to soak it in before smiling slightly. “Or the night the lamp died and Dad got the pleasure of throwing my boyfriend into a wall.”
“I’m sure he’s just thankful that you guys hadn’t put the picture on the wall yet.” Logan laughed, rubbing the wrist on the arm that had been pulled behind him. He’d been arrested quite a few times in his life, but he could honestly say that nothing about cops had truly terrified him until Keith Mars had introduced him to the living room wall.
“Everybody got to beat the hell out of Logan for that one.” Duncan told the blanket quickly.
“Where is the most awkward place you ever got caught having sex?” Veronica looked up at Parker and smiled.
Parker stopped for a second, remembering one rather unfortunate make out session at the Grande where Veronica and Wallace had seen more than they probably had bargained for. But that wasn’t the question. “Probably in kitchen at my parent’s house.” She answered, biting her lip. “My sister and her little friend caught us, thankfully before it got too far.” There was a gleam in her eye and she looked across the blanket. “Mr. Echolls, very same question.”
“Alas, it was in a bed.” He ran a hand over his hair at that particular memory and then laughed. “We were caught by my girlfriend’s mother.”
Duncan shook his head. “A bed? As in, in a house?” Logan nodded. “And Celeste caught you?”
There was a slight grin on Veronica’s lips as Logan noticed her recalling the same incident. He had no doubt that she had gotten the play by play about it from Lilly. “Apparently she wasn’t too happy with our location.” He threw out.
“Which was?”
Logan’s laugh told Duncan all he needed to know. “Her bed.” Logan clarified, flashing a smile to Wallace and Mac. “Now, DK, since we’re talking about family. Who’s your favorite member of yours?”
“Scooter.”
There had been no hesitation in Duncan’s voice as he threw the name out.
“Scooter was a dog.” Veronica’s face was full of confusion as she watched everyone turn to stare at Duncan.
“So…”
Logan shook his head at his friend and laughed. “Scooter was my dog.”
6:10 pm
Sunday, June 10th 2007
The den was more than dark when he opened his eyes. It didn’t amaze him that he couldn’t see two feet in front of him when he groped for the lamp on the table. With his eyes still closed he felt for the switch. He could hear a soft giggle as he felt rather than saw the light flood into the room. The giggle happened again and he finally opened his eyes, not moving from his spot on the couch.
He didn’t know if he was supposed to be surprised at the fact that he wasn’t surprised at what he saw.
“You see dead people.” His sister was sitting on the coffee table in front of him as comfortably as if she were alive and well and had come on the trip with them. She was dressed down for once, looking more as she had before harassing Celeste had become the main objective in her life. Her black halter was tight enough to show more than enough of her ample cleavage, but it tapered off under her breasts to cover her down to her hip in the soft fabric. Her jeans, something that Duncan hadn’t seen her in in years, were flare bottoms, and he had to strain to see the tips of her bare toenails. One leg was crossed over the other and she leaned back, her hair falling away from her face. “And for once you’re not drugged.”
He ignored her, more out of habit then anything else. Most of his high school career after her death he had caught glimpses of her everywhere. The only difference was the face that this time she was actually interacting with him and he was more than fairly certain that he was asleep. After all, eight adults and a toddler couldn’t be this quiet.
When Duncan realized that Lilly was going anywhere, he pulled his head from the throw pillow and raised an eyebrow. “If I ask you why you’re here, will you go away?”
Lilly’s smile grew as she pulled both feet up onto the table and hugged her knees. “Someone’s gotten bolder.” When Duncan sighed, she leaned back. “Freedom looks good on you little brother.”
“You sucked at being coy when you could breathe, Lil.” Duncan finally gave up lying still and leaned up to drop his feet to the floor. He had to admit that this was more than a little disturbing. The last time he had had a conversation with Lilly postmortem was shortly after he had stopped taking his medications. Upside to this was the fact that the hideous gash on the side of her temple was gone. “Are you here for a specific reason, or just to annoy?”
She seemed to think for a moment, propping her chin on the top of her knees while one hand scratched absently at the back of her neck. Duncan vaguely noted that her nails had French tips on them. “I never annoy.” She informed him haughtily. “I confuse, I enlighten…once or twice I’ve seduced…” Her eyes clouded with a past memory and then when his caught her attention she wrinkled her nose. “But I never annoy.”
“And which of those can I expect?”
“Maybe a bit of all three.” She considered it a moment before nodding.
“And which do I get first?”
Laughter poured from Lilly’s open mouth, and had Duncan not realized that he was well and truly asleep in the den, he would be worried about her bringing the other inhabitants of the house into the room with them. “Confusion is a prerequisite with you.” She started, tucking one foot under the other and fanning her hair over her shoulder. “And the only sister you’ve wanted to seduce you isn’t really your sister.”
“It’s good to see you’ve grown as a person. “Duncan shifted just enough to ease the tension in his legs. The fact that Lilly was trying to piss him off from beyond the grave somehow didn’t bother him as much as he thought it should. “What do you want?”
“Testy.” Lilly mimicked his actions, squaring her jaw and narrowing her eyes. When Duncan bit back a retort, she shook her head. “Why’d you do it?”
That got his attention.
“I’ve done quite a few things. You’re going to have to be more specific.”
“You know damn well what I’m talking about.” She dropped her feet and leaned her elbows onto her knees. There were only a few things that she could really care about. Although seeing as though she was traipsing around his subconscious there really was no telling what Lilly would know and want to talk about. “I could care less about what CW did to Aaron. And you knocking up a girl? Not as interesting as it sounds. Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
She was getting pissed now, or at least as pissed off as an apparition could get. “You and Logan and your little agreement?” She dropped both hands and shook her head. Still, Duncan refused to acknowledge what she was referring to. “Why did you just give up like that?”
“What’s it to you?” He asked carefully, trying to decide if this argument would be better had standing or sitting. “Seriously Lilly, why would you care?”
“Because you’re my brother.” The tone of her voice left no room for hesitation. She watched seriously as Duncan shifted onto his feet and moved to the other side of the coffee table. He was nervous now. “You’re my brother, Duncan.” She said again, this time louder. “And I want what you want, and you want Veronica.”
He wished that his sister wasn’t right.
Duncan scanned the half empty shelf above the television and tried to remember which pictures used to be there. The ones that were left were ones that he was only sure Logan had chosen himself. There was one or two in the house of Trina, and more than a handful of Lynn. The family rooms were filled with their Fab Four days, however. His eyes rested on a picture of Veronica and he sighed.
“I don’t want Veronica.” He said slowly, tearing his eyes away from the picture. “I want her to be happy.”
Lilly rolled her eyes. “You want Veronica to be happy with you.” She stood just for a moment, turning and dropping onto the couch that her brother vacated. “The sooner you stop lying to yourself the happier all three of you will be.”
“I’m not lying, Lilly.” Duncan finally turned back to face his sister and sighed. “She’s not mine and she won’t tolerate me treating her as if she was.” He reminded her, trying his hardest not to raise his voice. Lilly didn’t respond to threats and shouting. Then again, seeing as though she was dead, there was no telling what she did respond to. “And she loves Logan.” He said softly.
“She doesn’t know who she loves.” Lilly leaned back on the couch and shook her head. Her brother was one of the best men she had ever had the pleasure of meeting; it was a shame that he didn’t see it that way. “She and Logan are close because of you and you’re handing her to him without a fuss.”
Duncan laughed. “Even dead you’re trying to shake us up.” His voice rang through the room and once again he had to remind himself that he was asleep. “What Lil, it wasn’t enough to fuck with Logan when you were alive?” When Lilly blanched Duncan fully turned to face his sister. “He has a shot at actually being happy. So does Veronica. For once just let them be, or help them.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was so much easier said than done. “I’m on the run, a thousand miles away with a child. That’s no life for her.”
Their eyes met and Lilly nodded. “She’s amazing.” She admitted softly, causing Duncan to try to decide whether she was referring to his daughter or their friend. “You’re a good dad, Donut.”
Coming from his sister it was definitely something. “Thanks.” He allowed softly. Lilly stood, straightening her top and running a hand through her hair. “Do me a favor Lil, before you go?”
“What now?” She wasn’t nearly as annoyed as she pretended to be. She would do almost anything for her brother, dead or alive.
“When you see Logan,” he gave her a nod that implied that he understood that she would. “Tell him you loved him.”
Lilly smiled, moving around the room to drop a kiss onto her brother’s cheek. “Of course.”
6:20 pm
Sunday, June 10th 2007
“You gonna tell me what it was you and Duncan were up all night talking about?”
Logan shook his head and downed the rest of the beer in his bottle, watching the beginnings of the sunset off of the front porch. “Wasn’t planning on it.” He told her after a second, not even bothering to turn to look at her. The last three days he had made it a point to give Veronica as much space as she desired. There was no telling what was going through her head at any given time, so he thought it best to just let her be. “What DK and I talk about it what DK and I talk about.”
Her laugh was closer, and if he were to guess, he’d say that she was right behind him, a little to the left. “And if it was about me?”
“You’re not the only thing we have in common.” Logan reminded her, setting his bottle onto the rail. “How’s Mac?”
“Playing chess with Wallace.” She said softly. Her best female friend still wasn’t talking to her, and it annoyed her slightly. “What did you say to her, anyway?”
Logan’s mind blanked for a moment as he remembered just what it was he had said to get the computer tech mad at him. “Just reminded her that she was loved.” Veronica seemed to nod behind him and he turned, sliding one foot back over to her side of the railing. If he were alive, his father would have killed him for sitting on the railing. “Which goes for you too, ya know.”
“You love me?” She threw the words out before she actually thought about them, and when Logan laughed, she did to. “Good to know.” Veronica moved closer to the pillar his feet were resting against, she smiled. What time do you think we should wake Duncan up?”
“Let him sleep.” He told her. “He hasn’t been in the last few days, and we can put Lilly to bed.”
“When did you become Mr. Mom?” Veronica’s smile was wide as Logan finally looked at her.
The only thing he could think of was to return her smile and nod mysteriously. “Just because I never had to doesn’t mean I can’t.” He allowed her a wink and then turned back to the sunset. “Besides, how do you know there’s not a little Echolls out there?”
For half a second, Veronica actually considered it. It wouldn’t be too out there for Logan to have a child. After all, the man slept with more women then most Greek Gods boasted. And she wouldn’t have put it past some of the girls to try to keep him by a pregnancy. It wasn’t unheard of after all. But as she studied the lines on his face she shook his head. Logan was nothing if not meticulous when it came to sex. He was tested at least once a month, something that his mother had started when he had gotten mono his freshman year, and if it weren’t for the fact that they had been taught it was unsafe, he would probably double wrap himself. He hadn’t even considered going without a condom with her, and he had paid for her birth control pills at least twice when they had been dating.
“Because I know you.” She decided after a second. “And if there were, and that’s a big if, Little Echolls would be right here with you.” His eyes dropped and she allowed her smile to go with it. “You’re a better man than your father was.”
At her admission, Logan startled, looking into her eyes to come up with the reason why she was being this accommodating. “And you’re nothing like your mother.” He countered, pulling himself all the way around the railing to look at her fully. “I mean, you can’t hold your liquor for shit.”
Her fist connected with his shoulder before she could stop herself, and Veronica watched as he caught her hand and pulled her closer. If she was going to say anything at all, it was cut off by their proximity. His face tilted just slightly, their noses almost brushing, and Veronica sucked in a breath.
“Hey Superfly.” Wallace’s voice forced Veronica to step back, and she ran a hand over her hair just as he appeared in the doorway. “We were gonna throw a casserole in the oven, any preference?”
Logan bit his lip and hopped off of the railing, putting as much distance between himself and Veronica as possible. He wasn’t sure whether to thank or beat her best friend. “I’m gonna go check on Lilly.” He decided, skirting past Veronica. “Leaving her alone with Parker and Dick might not have been wise.”
11:23 pm
Sunday, June 10th 2007
The term ‘sleeping where you dropped’ had been taking literally by almost all of the occupants of the cabin in the last few days, although there was only one person that never stayed where she fell asleep. Duncan helped Dick clear the remnants of their poker game from the card table that they had pulled into the living room and threw a glance over to the floor where Veronica had fallen asleep with Mac and Parker halfway through this game of life. Wallace had already woken Mac to move her upstairs, and all that was left was the board game, and the tiny blonde detective.
“Whose turn is it?” He asked the room, handing the chips on his side of the table to Logan to throw into the organizer.
“I say we leave her there.” Dick dropped the cards into their designated spot and then turned, catching sight of Piz asleep halfway off of the couch. “I can carry her to her room,” he changed his min quickly, turning to look at Logan. Veronica may not have been his favorite person on the planet, but she meant a lot to his two best friends.
Logan shook his head. “I don’t think she’d enjoy the thought of you carrying her anywhere.” He reminded his friend softly, trying to figure out the logistics of getting his ex off of the floor.
“I got her.” Duncan was across the floor and had Veronica in his arms before the other two could contest. “You want to help me with the doors?” He asked Logan after a second.
As tempting as the offer was, Logan shook his head. “You go.” He told Dick. “I’ll finish up here.”
When Dick and Duncan were up the stairs, Logan sighed. Piz was still asleep on the couch, something that he wasn’t about to try to rectify. If the younger man felt like crap after a night on the couch it served him right. The idiot had been mumbling for half an hour anyway. Now in the quiet, Logan could make out what it was he was saying, or rather, who he thought he was talking to. Veronica’s name was pulled past his lips, and Logan had to resist the urge to beat him in his sleep.
“Keep dreaming.” He said at last, setting the poker chip organizer on the coffee table and turning to keep Piz out of his line of sight.
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