Fic: You Found Me, LoVe, NC-17
Title: You Found Me
Author:
isdon_isgood9
Characters/Pairings: LoVe, Duncan, Mac, Weevil, Wallace and Keith.
Word Count: 7,665 (I’m sorry but it just wouldn’t stop.)
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers/Warnings: I’ve left it open to interpretation when it comes to season 3 cause I haven’t seen it so there is no direct reference to it but if you wish to think that season 3 happened that’s up to you.
Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own Veronica Mars.
Prompt/Recipient: This is written for
love_is_epicwho really wanted a fic written around The Fray’s song You Found Me because she believes it’s perfect for them, which it is.
A/N: This story has a lot of first for me as an author. It’s the first time I’ve written a song fic, it’s the first time I’ve ever written smut, it’s the first time I’ve made up a case of my own, it’s the first time I’ve ever thought a case I’ve come up with may actually fail and it’s the first time I’ve ever had someone beta my piece. So you will find the lyrics of the song in italics, they are part of the dialogue and settings, which means a few words have been changed to make sure they fit in. A big thank you to metchick01for the wonderful beta and putting up with my pretty bad punctuation. I hope you enjoy!
Summary: Years and years and years and years later you found me...
“This is it. It’s perfect.” Veronica said turning to Wallace.
“Are you sure?” Wallace asked wanting to make sure that the day to come would be his step sister’s happiest day ever.
“Yes, this is where Lilly wanted to be married. So it has to bring us some kind of luck.” Veronica said, “It seems like a part of her is here when we get married.”
“So the church at the corner of First and Amistad it is. It’s good you picked the location so fast seeing as you’re getting married in a two weeks time. I still can’t believe rich boy convinced you to do it that quickly.” Wallace said with a little laugh.
“Well after everything that has happened in the last few weeks can you really blame him?” Veronica asked.
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7 weeks ago
Veronica woke up Monday morning to a loud knocking on. Rolling over she looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw it was only 7 in the morning. Groaning she stood up and grabbed her robe before heading to the door. Opening it just enough so she could see who was standing on the other side she quickly shut the door. Opening again she realized that she wasn’t dreaming and Duncan Kane really was standing on the other side.
“Surprise!,” Duncan cried opening his arms looking for a hug.
“You can’t be here.” Veronica said shaking her head.
“Sure I can. I’m surprising the love of my life.” Duncan replied
“No.” Veronica said shaking her head.
“No what?” Duncan said confused.
“Duncan you shouldn’t be surprising me at seven in the morning and no you aren’t the love of my life.” Veronica said.
“Are you dating someone?” Duncan asked.
“No but that’s not the point.” Veronica protested, “It’s 7 in the morning and we haven’t seen each other in 10 years Duncan. This conversation couldn’t wait till a decent hour, like 7 at night.”
“Fine let’s go have dinner tonight.” Duncan said, “We can pick up were we left off.”
“I’m busy tonight Duncan. I’m having dinner with my dad and his wife.” Veronica said with a sigh.
“Well tomorrow night then.”
“Go away Duncan.” Veronica said before closing the door in his face. Sighing she decided to get ready for the day early.
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Veronica knocked on the door to her father’s apartment at 7 that night. She was a little worried about Duncan. When she had gotten home she had found his number posted to her door with a note saying 'call me'. Another one of her father’s guests noticed she was lost in thought so he decided to try and sneak up on her.
“Hey Bobcat,” Logan whispered in her ear.
“What will it take to get you to stop calling me that?” Veronica asked as her father answered the door.
“A million dollars,” Logan said as the pair started to move inside.
“Hi dad,” she said hugging him quickly.
“Hey honey,” he said returning his daughter’s hug, “Logan.” He greeted the young man with shaking his hand.
“Mr. Mars.”
“Everyone else is already here.” Keith said leading them into the small dining room.
“Why we meet here is beyond me.” Wallace said as he and Mac stood cramped in a corner. Veronica and Logan just shook their heads at them.
“So where have you been hiding?” Logan asked.
“Who says I’m hiding?” Veronica questioned
“Please I know your hiding.” Logan replied with his trademark smirk.
“Fine I’m hiding.” she said before shrugging, “Just in my office.”
“What are you hiding from?”
“Can I ask you something? In private,” Veronica said.
“Ask anything,” he said before following her to the tiny hallway which housed the way to the 2 bedrooms.
“What would you say if Duncan showed up?”
“I don’t know but it’s not like he’s going to.” Logan replied confused, “I thought you’d gotten past the phase where you ask me really weird questions so what’s going on.”
“Duncan showed up at my door this morning.”
“Oh. Congrats!”
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
“Congrats. It’s usually what someone says when they’re happy for something that’s happened in someone else life.”
“And your happy Duncan’s back?”
“No I was thinking I should be congratulating you on your new found relationship.”
“Careful Logan, you’ll sound like a jealous ex.”
“What?! You’re not back together with the love of your life?”
“Why does every keep assuming that Duncan’s the love of my life? Why does it always have to be him? What if is someone else?” Veronica cried, “And just so you know I was telling you because I thought you might like to see him... But I sent him away and I don’t really want to see him anytime soon.” She continued before turning to leaving
“Wait!” Logan said turning and grabbing her arm, “Who’s the love of your life then, 'cause as far as I know the only guys you see on a regular basis anymore are me, your dad, Wallace and Weevil.”
“Who do you think Logan?” Veronica breathed.
“I don’t know that’s why I asked.”
Veronica drew in a shuddered breath before saying anything, “It’s you, idiot.” She whispered before pulling back her arm and heading for the door, leaving a stunned Logan alone in the hallway.
------------------------
Veronica sat at her desk searching the missing persons' rewards page trying to see who they should track down next at Mars Investigations when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Veronica called, hoping it would be her dad bringing her coffee as he headed to the Sheriff’s office for his day of work. Her father had finally been elected Sheriff after his third time of running for the position. Of course he made sure that he dropped everything when his wife or daughter needed something. Veronica was happy her father was in the job he loved so much and it meant she got to take over Mars Investigations on the promise that she would hire someone else to catch the bail jumpers for her. That was a promise she was more than willing to keep.
The door opened and a man in uniform stepped, “I hear you can find people.”
“Yes I can find people. Is there anyone in particular you want found?”
“Yes. This guy,” He replied placing a file on her desk.
“You're a cop... can’t you find him?”
“I’m too close to this according to my work colleges and I can’t lose my job. I have three kids to think about. This man kidnapped and killed my wife when he realized how close I was to catching him... That’s why I can’t find him.”
“If the cops are handling it than why do you need my help?”
“They are running out of leads to follow. They’re going to close the case next week. I need this man brought to justice.”
“Ok.” she said with a small nod. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
“Now tell me everything you know.” Veronica said, while pulling out a note pad and pen.
“He’s name is Joseph Renwick. He’s a thirty seven year old white male. He’s wanted in several states, mainly for drug dealing.”
“You said he murdered your wife but he’s a drug dealer. They usually don’t do that.”
“That’s because most drug dealers are doing the drugs they're selling but Mr. Renwick is clever. He sells drugs without actually doing them.”
“So other than murder and drug dealing, is he known for any other criminal activities?”
“He kidnapped my wife before murdering her. Held her for a week, I never looked any further into the file than that. I’d prefer to remember my wife as she was, not what happened to her. The file of her case is there, though.”
“Ok anything else I should know that isn’t in the files?” Veronica asked.
“No, everything we know is in there. Thank you for this Miss Mars.”
“That’s ok Mr.-”
“Mr. Darby.” The man said standing and shaking Veronica’s hand.
-----------------------
6 weeks ago
Veronica was sitting at her desk with her head craned back so she could stare at the ceiling while waiting for the search she had just performed to finish running. She had been trying to find the drug dealer all week and was still having no luck. Of course it didn’t help matters, when her conversation with Logan was going through her mind twenty-four/seven. It wasn’t that she minded Logan knowing how she summed up their relationship. The problem was, since she had said it, did that mean something more was going to happen? She and Logan had finally found a good place. It was almost like the relationship they had before Lilly had died and she liked it that way. It's not that she didn’t want more, but she didn’t want to screw everything up again by running straight into another physical relationship with Logan. She knew without dealing with all the emotional issues that had lead them to failure in the past, history would repeat it's self. Veronica was dragged from her thoughts when the search she was running on the computer made its finishing noise. As she looked down at it she noticed Logan standing in the doorway.
“How long have you been standing there?” Veronica asked brushing her hair out of her eyes.
“Not that long.” Logan said, “Maybe five minutes.”
“You should have said something.”
“Why? You’re so beautiful when you’re staring off into the distance.” he replied as he took the seat across from her. “So what are you doing?”
“Working, Logan. Some of us need to do that so we can have money.”
“Really?!, I never would have guessed.” Logan replied sarcastically, “I meant what cases you’re working on at the moment.”
“Well there’s the bailer jumper worth a couple of thousand and a drug dealer that a cop from LA wants me to find for him.”
“No ex-boyfriends wanted of kidnapping showing up out of the blue again?”
“No. Duncan hasn’t visited me again but I’m sure he’s spending his days by the telephone waiting for it to ring.”
“But it never does right. Sometimes all you need to do is call. ” Logan said quietly.
“Why do I have the feeling we’re not talking about Duncan anymore?”
“Maybe it’s because we’re not, well I’m not.” Logan whispered, “If I had called about last week would we have ended up in an argument?”
“Depends on whether or not you said something to make me want to argue with you.”
“What if I said I wanted us to go on a date?”
“Logan,” she sighed. “We finally got to a really good place with our relationship, do you really want to go add something physical to it?”
“Veronica, sex would be nice but for the moment I just want the emotional side back. The side that says things like 'I’m the love of your life' and other sentimental gushy stuff you know warms my girlie heart.”
“Logan.” Veronica sighed.
“I’m not asking for much... Just one date.”
“I don’t know, Logan. Don’t you think it’s all, too much too fast? Like, we’re doing it just because Duncan is back?”
“No! I don’t think that at all. But why do you have to wait? Why do we have to wait until a time our lives aren’t dictated by a Kane?” Logan cried before lowering his voice to whisper, “If you had said that to me when Duncan wasn’t back I’d still be having this reaction. One date won’t kill you Veronica.”
Veronica took a deep breath before continuing, “One date. That’s it. If we screw this up there will be no do over's, ok?”
“Ok.” Logan replied as his face broke out into a giddy grin, “I will pick you up tonight at 7:00.”
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The doorbell to Veronica’s house rang at 7 pm precisely. Veronica was so excited she could have sworn that she bounced over to the door to answer it. She wasn’t sure how she had gone from being overly cautious about this date to being excited about it but she was sure that had to mean something good. At least that is what she had hoped until she opened the door to be greeted by Duncan.
“What do you want Duncan?” Veronica asked praying Logan didn’t show up while Duncan was here.
“I wanted to talk. Maybe we could go get dinner.” Duncan suggested, “You’re already dressed for it.”
“I have plans Duncan.”
“So cancel them they can’t be that important.” Duncan replied. Unknown to the pair Logan had arrived and had caught the tail end of their conversation.
“Actually they kinda are Duncan. So you need to leave.”
“But I have so much to tell you.”
“Too bad. It’s not my fault you didn’t keep in contact so I moved on.”
“Well last week you weren’t dating.”
“And the week before that you weren’t here messing up my life.” Veronica replied before finally noticing Logan over Duncan’s shoulder. Noticing her stiffen Logan placed a finger to his lips signaling she should not tell Duncan he was there.
“But I have things to give you.”
“What do you have unsent letters or are there messages that could have been left on an answering machine at some point? They don’t make a difference now Duncan. I don’t want to be with you.”
“Well they should.” Duncan protested.
“ You’ve got some kinda nerve .” Logan whispered finally revealing his presence to Duncan.
“And why’s that?” Duncan asked turning to see his best friend’s slightly mad face.
“After years and years and years and years you’re still trying to take all I want .” Logan replied bluntly.
“No I think it’s you who’s taken all that I want.” Duncan replied before he left abruptly. When the pair where alone Veronica turned to Logan.
“I was hoping it would be you when I opened the door.” Veronica whispered. “I was really disappointed when it wasn’t though. I should have guessed it wasn't you since you’re never on time.”
Logan laughed, “Yes that should have been a tip off. Do you still want to go out tonight?”
“Yes. Let’s not let that silly man get in between us again.” Veronica said while grabbing her bag and pulling the front door shut behind her
“What man?” Logan replied as he laced his hand with one of hers as they headed for his car.
----------------------------
“So was this a good date or a bad date?” Logan asked cautiously several hours later as they made their way back up to Veronica’s front door.
“Well I'll give you points for originality.”
“It was carnival!” Logan cried, “I won you a bear through a display of my ring tossing ability. That has to count for something.”
“I guess. Overall it was pretty good.”
“Pretty good as in 'we go stumbling towards your bedroom losing our clothes' or 'pretty good as in I kiss you goodbye and you call me in three days to tell me it’s not going to work'?”
“No stumbling to the bedroom but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to tell you this isn’t going to work.”
“Ok so what happens now?”
“Now you kiss me goodbye and hand me the bear. I’ll then go into the house with several backwards glances and watch you drive away through the window.”
“Ok and what happens tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, I call you and we talk about one of the things that led us to failure before. I’ll even let you pick the topic.” Veronica replied.
“I can live with that.” Logan said with a nod before swooping down and placing his lips on Veronica’s causing her to moan. Hearing the moan almost made Logan want to push her straight back into the door frame and continue kissing her but instead he fought all those urges and pulled away. Holding the bear up for Veronica to take he used it as a buffer so that he could keep resisting his urges. As she took the bear she made sure to graze his fingers with hers before she stepped away and opening the door but not before she glanced back at him twice. Smiling Logan slowing began his retreat to the car throwing glances over his shoulder at Veronica who was watching him through the window. As he slowly drove out of the driveway he promised himself things would be different between them, this time.
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5 weeks ago
Veronica sat at her office smiling to herself waiting for the computer to finish yet another computer search to find the drug dealer that was still eluding her. Something wasn’t adding up but she wasn’t sure what yet. While she wasn’t paying attention Weevil walked into the office. Noticing his boss was staring off into space he shook his head before saying anything.
“V!” He called, “I got the guy.”
Veronica shook her head and brought the world back into focus, “That’s good Weevil. I hope you got the reward too.”
“That I did. Three thousand dollars right here.” He said pulling out a check and showing it to her.
“You did well! I’m still working on tracking down the drug dealer so you can run some back ground checks.” Veronica said as the phone on her desk started to ring and the smile she wore before was back on her face.
“Yeah, I’ll do the work and you can talk to rich boy.” Weevil said shaking his head in mock disappointment. Truthfully he was happy that Veronica had finally found someone who made her smile again but that didn’t mean he had to be happy it was Logan Echolls.
“Go do your work and close the door behind you.”
“I will if you finally put the boy out of his misery and tell him you love him.”
“Go away Weevil.” Veronica said hurtling a pen at him. Once he had closed the door she quickly picked up the phone, “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. You know answering the phone with a ‘hey’ isn’t very business like of you.”
“What would you prefer a ‘Hello this is Mars Investigations. How may I help you?’ Cause if you really see me doing that when I know it’s you then you clearly don’t know me at all and I may just have to rethink this whole dating thing.”
“Really?! Well I don’t believe you.” Logan said.
“Keep up that attitude and I won’t answer the door when you come to pick me up tonight.”
“You know you shouldn’t tease like that otherwise I might stand you up for date number three.”
“I doubt that”
“And why’s that?”
“Because you, more than anyone, know what happens on date number three.”
“You mean you’re going to put out because I thought you’d be more inclined to making me wait it out for a little longer.”
“Logan we’ve been dating one week and three days. How fast do except this to go?”
“As fast as you want it to go 'cause if you let me set the pace we may be getting married next week.”
“Funny. So what issue do you want to talk about today?”
“How about the one we’ve both been avoiding?”
“Logan, my dad really doesn’t care that you smashed a horrible lamp 10 years ago.”
“I wasn’t talking about Keith.” Logan sighed.
“I know but I was trying to make you laugh before we get all deep and meaningful about Donut.”
Logan laughed, “Since when do you call him Donut.”
“Since I’m not in love with him anymore,” Veronica replied with a small shrug she knew Logan couldn’t see.
“Not even a little bit?”
“Not even the tiniest bit. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Are you still in love with Duncan?”
“I was never in love with Duncan.”
“Well that’s good to know.”
“Contrary to your beliefs Duncan and I did not have a forbidden gay relationship.”
“If you say so...” Veronica said as the computer made its finishing noise. Cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder she looked to see at what the search had come up with.
“I’m not protesting anymore because I know what you’ll say to that.”
“Am I that predictable?”
“Yes.”
“Logan can hang on a second I got to talk to Weevil.”
“You want to talk to Weevil instead of me?”
“Don’t be like that,” Veronica replied. “I think I may have found the drug dealer I’ve been looking for and I want him to go there and see if he can find him”
“I’m really glad you hired Weevil to do the heavy lifting.”
“So am I. Now I don’t have to cancel on you.”
“Ok well I have go do some work so how about I just talk to you tonight?” Logan asked.
“What?! Does your hair have to be just right for tonight?”
“Yeah that’s it” Logan replied, “I’ll see you tonight”
“See you tonight.”
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“So are you having any doubts yet?” Logan asked as he walked Veronica up to her front door after their date.
“No. No doubts... Only happy, happy thoughts.”
“Well that’s good.”
“Of course, Luigi’s always helps with that.”
Logan chuckled, “Goodnight Veronica.” He whispered before swooping in and kissing her softly. As he was about to pull away she snaked her arms around his neck and ran her tongue across his lower lip. Opening his mouth to allow her to deepen the kiss he walked her backwards so that her back could rest on the doorframe. Circling his arms around her he ran his hands up and down her back until she pulled away.
“Logan,” Veronica breathed, “I love you.”
Logan’s face broke out into a silly grin as he laid a series of quick kisses on her lips. “I love you too,” he said before kissing her again.
“Come inside Logan.” Veronica breathed pulling away and putting her key in the door. Logan caught her hand just as she was opening the door.
“Are you sure? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”
“Logan, we are finally at a place where we are truly intimate with each other. So don’t you think it’s time we stop wasting time?”
“Yes but I have to be the good guy and make sure this is what you want. So is this what you want?”
“Yes.” Veronica breathed before grabbing his hand and pulling him inside with her. Once he had closed the door she pulled him straight into her arms and towards her bedroom. Veronica ran her hand under his shirt as he kissed his way down her neck before he changed sides and kissed his way back up. Pulling back from him she grabbed the hem of his shirt and with his help pulled it over his head. Veronica stared at his well sculpted chest before she stepped forward and began peppering his chest with light kisses, caresses of her tongue and tiny painless nips of her teeth. When she reached his nipples he pulled her face away from his chest so that he could lay another passionate kiss on her lips before finding the zipper to the dress she was wearing and allowing for it to fall to the ground.
“You know some people forget this kind of behavior.” Veronica replied as she stepped over her dress pulling Logan closer to their destination.
“How many times do I have to tell you Mars? We aren’t some people.” Logan whispered against her neck before moving further down her chest.
“Oh really, we’re not people? This is news to me.” Veronica replied as she arched into his hands that were playing with her breasts.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.” Logan replied, “We are special people.” He continued finally pushing her onto her bed before joining her. Creeping up slowly he rested above Veronica on his elbows. Leaning down carefully he drew a nipple into his mouth sucking gently until she moaned. Running her fingers through his hair she held onto his head trying to keep it where it was.
“Well we special people had better stick to our own kind.” Veronica whispered lowering her hands to Logan’s belt.
“Yes we should.” Logan whispered lifting his head from her chest and pulling himself up to her face for another passionate kiss before removing the final barriers between them and quickly sliding home.
--------------------------------
Logan watched the blond sleeping in his arms contently. He was glad to finally have her back in his life this way and had spent several hours showing her how happy he was she was finally letting down all her barriers. Stroking her hair absently he couldn’t help but think of something someone had said to him weeks earlier.
“ In the end isn’t everyone supposed to end up alone ?” he whispered repeating the phrase he had heard as quietly as he possible could. He couldn’t help but think for once that might not be happening now. When his mom had died he felt so alone. Losing her so quickly after losing Lilly made him not want to get close to another person again especially if it meant the person had to know everything about him. Then Veronica had happened and she was now the only person alive who’s ever known who he was, who he wasn’t and he who wanted to. Back in the days of high school and college there had been no way to know how long she would stay next to him but now since she stopped running they had fighting chance.
And that was all he ever wanted.
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Veronica sat in her office trying to find the drug dealer. According to Weevil, he hadn’t been where she thought he might be when he showed up and the locals that lived near there had told him that he had moved on. Weevil left the business card anyway and asked them to call if he came back. Something really wasn’t adding up anymore and when she had done a search for Mr. Darby she had come up empty on that front. There were no Darby’s in LA let alone any cops with the last name. She had planned on ringing her dad when Wallace walked in for their weekly lunch date.
“You know you might want to wipe that happy grin off your face before dealing with bitter wives looking for a divorce.” Wallace said taking the seat across from her.
“Well it’s not my fault they’re so bitter.”
“I take it things are going well with you and Logan.”
“Yes they are. Really well actually,” Veronica replied as her smile got even wider.
“Well you better tell Mac about it, in detail.” Wallace said.
“I’ll meet you at the cafe ok? I have to let this search finish.” Veronica replied shaking her head.
“Ok but if your more than twenty minutes I’m starting without you, Supafly.”
“Of course step-brother, I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Veronica replied before Wallace left. Veronica sat in her quiet office waiting for the computer to ding. “I don’t understand,” she whispered to herself before picking up the phone to dial the number Mr Darby had left only to find it had been disconnected. Hanging up she sighed before checking to see how the computer was doing on her search for Mr Darby when the search she also had running for her drug dealer hit something. There was an apparently a connection between Mr Darby and Joseph Renwick that had been left out of everything she had been given and finally some of the pieces were falling into place. But before she could look any further into the findings she heard the door open she got up to answer it thinking it was Wallace, “Seriously Wallace, I’ll meet you at the cafe. I’m just trying to figure out who this guy is who hired me.”
“Not anymore.” The man said as he grabbed Veronica and pushed and a cloth soaked in chloroform to her mouth. Veronica struggled until her body gave away and she fell into a deep sleep.
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Wallace entered Mars Investigations with a sandwich and drink for Veronica seeing as se hadn’t joined him for lunch. He saw Weevil standing in the foyer surveying the scene.
“Why aren’t you going in? Are Veronica and Logan having monkey sex on her desk? Cause if they are I’m leaving now.” Wallace said shaking his head in disgust.
“No.” Weevil whispered, “I think something happened.”
“What makes you say that?”
“One of the chairs in the waiting room is over turned and the cloth over there smells of chloroform.”
“Have you called Mr. Mars?”
"Yeah the Sheriff is on his way.”
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4 week ago
Logan sat as calmly as he could in the visitor’s chair of Sheriff Mars’ office. He’s knee was bouncing out of control. He couldn’t get the thought out of his mind that he was losing someone else again. He hadn’t slept since he had been told of Veronica’s kidnapping. He tried to keep his cool but only he and Dick knew that his place was in total ruins from when Logan felt the need to take his anger out on something. Dick wasn’t too impressed when Logan had kicked in the television but Logan was just glad to take his anger out on inanimate objects rather than waiting for the first blooded male to walk up so he could pick a fight.
“Logan.” Keith said as he entered his office, “How are you holding up?”
“You know I really wish people would stop asking me that. It’s not going to change until you find her and she comes home, safe and sound to me.”
“And if she doesn’t come home?”
“It’s not weird for a guy to be a spinster, right?”
Keith chuckled hollowly, “You’re not going to be a spinster if I have anything to say about this, alright?”
“Can I help in any way? I just feel so useless sitting at home waiting.”
“I know the feeling.” Keith replied, “But I’m sorry there’s nothing you can do.”
“Ok let me know if there is.” Logan said before standing. Pausing in the doorway he turning back to say one last thing to Keith, “It's weird how Veronica never seems to be here when everything falls apart , isn’t it?”
“Well, usually you or I make sure she stays away.” Keith whispered to an empty doorway.
-------------------------------
Keith slaved away tirelessly, trying to locate his only child, stopping only when Alicia came to bring him food. His wife was nice enough to give him a distraction 3 times every day but when they weren’t eating Keith couldn’t concentrate on anything but Veronica. So Alicia spent the rest of her days helping her sons deal with Veronica’s disappearance. Keith scrounged every corner of Veronica’s office and every file she had on the drug dealer Joseph Renwick seemed to be nonexistent, as was the police officer who had given her the case. It led him, and Weevil, to believe that the man may have set Veronica up from the start. The only questions missing answers where, where was Veronica and why would this man taken her?
Keith followed every lead that landed on his desk personally. He went with every hunch but none of it seemed to be enough to find where Veronica was. He was sure everything tied back to the police officer but with only a last name written down Keith was at a lost. He decided that the only thing he could do was take another look at Mars Investigations. Sitting in Veronica’s chair Keith looked over paper work and his daughters notes trying to figure out what could have happened. Sighing, he started shifting through computer files, something small and insignificant caught his eye at the side bar of the computer. Clicking it he saw an old photo of a man and a woman in an old abandoned factory. Looking up the case file he found out that the shot was one he had taken in he’s early days as a PI when an wife was looking for confirmation that her husband was defiantly cheating. Keith remembered that he used to take all his old conquests to this factory and it gave him a hunch as to where Veronica could be.
----------------------------------
“So why are you doing this?” Veronica asked from her position in the chair. Her hands and feet were tied to arm rests and legs of the chair. She tried her hardest to not pull at the bounds after she discovered that only seemed to make the knots tighter.
“Why wouldn’t I take you? Your father destroyed everything for me!”
“How is that?”
“My wife would never have left me if your father hadn’t been snooping.”
“Your wife is alive?”
“No. It’s your father’s fault!”
“How is it my father’s fault?! He didn’t tell you to screw someone who wasn’t your wife.”
“I was good cop.” The man said placing both his hands on her arms and bringing his face as close to hers as he could. “I was good husband. Then she finds out about the affairs, thanks to your father, and I’m left with nothing.”
“How did your wife die?”
“She was dating a Joseph Renwick and when she found out about the drugs she tried to leave him. So he bashed her skull in with a glass ashtray.” Veronica gasped when she heard the murder weapon and tried to keep her disgust to herself, “Don’t worry I left something in your office so that everyone you love will find you when it’s just a little too late.”
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Keith walked back into the Sheriffs office with a new found determination. He found where Veronica could be and had only returned to the office to get as many of his officers as possible, a police car and Logan. When they were finally ready to move out it had only been ten minutes but it felt like a life time to Keith. The car ride to the abandoned factory was only forty-five minutes away but it felt like an eternity. He somehow managed to keep Logan in the car, even though he complained about not being four, and he got word back from Sacks and Leo that there was indeed people in the building and one could be Veronica and that was all he needed to mobilize his officers to get into the building. That was until they heard a gun shot and a minute saw a man with the features of the man who had taken her fleeing the building.
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Logan sat in the police car, waiting. It seemed to be al he did these days. Wait. He had to wait for Keith to fill him in. Then he had to wait in the car during the forty-five minute car ride. Now he’d been told to wait in the car, like a four year old who couldn’t be trusted, while Keith and his deputies went to see if they could spot Veronica. Logan waited and waited until he heard a gun shot coming from the building. Then he’s decided that he was done waiting.
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The deputies that Keith had brought tried to capture Logan as he ran towards the building but Keith called to them to help him take the kidnapper, so they left him alone. Logan kept running through the doorway into the building before he started to yell Veronica’s name. He saw a corridor to his left and ran straight through it still yelling for Veronica. Taking a sharp turn right and almost running into the dead end he finally heard a moan coming from a room in the centre of the new corridor. Heading to it, he found the door open and Veronica laying one the floor surrounded by blood.
He moved towards her cautiously he pulled his jacket off and applied it to the wound to the left side of her stomach.
“Logan,” Veronica whispered. “Am I still lost ?”
“No. I’ve got you.” Logan whispered as the blood began to surround his hands, through the jacket.
“ You found me. ”
“Well your dad did the hard work. I just came running when I heard the gun shot.”
“ Where were you? I was so lost. ”
“Well you should think of it this way. You could have been lost and I could have been a little late. ”
“But you weren’t and you found me .” Veronica whispered before shutting her eyes to rest.
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Logan paced the floor in the hospital waiting room hoping for some news. He needed to know Veronica was ok but he hadn’t been able to see her since the ambulance had taken her away from the factory they had found her in. He barely noticed as Mac, Weevil and Wallace entered and tried to help him. He was resistant when Dick entered and offered him support and a shoulder to lean on but he was down right anger when Duncan waltzed in there like he would have been invited.
“What are you doing here?” Weevil growled before Logan could even think to speak.
Duncan opened his mouth to answer but was cut off as the Doctor entered, “Miss Mars is awake. She has lost a lot of blood so I suggest you go in one at a time and don’t stay for too long.”
Logan sighed in relief before heading for her door. When he entered he was greeted with a smiling Veronica.
“How are you doing?”
“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” Logan asked walking over to the chair next to her bed and taking hold of her hand.
“I guess. I just wanted to beat you to the punch.” Veronica whispered
“You were always a beat earlier.”
“Compared to the guy who was a beat behind? Like now, when you haven’t even kissed me hello.”
“I’m not sure you should be allowed kissing privileges yet.” Logan teased.
“I could have died in there today and you want to withhold kisses from me. Kisses, Logan, kisses.”
“Fine. It’s not like you’ll be getting anything else anytime soon.” Logan replied before standing up and kissing her lightly on the lips.
“Now was that so hard?” Veronica teased.
“For all you know it could have been.” Logan replied before picking up her hand again, “I have to ask you something.”
“No.”
“No, what?”
“No, he didn’t rape me.” Veronica whispered.
Logan moved from his chair to the edge of her bed before running a hand down her cheek and saying, “Thanks for telling me but that’s not what I wanted to ask.”
“Oh. Ok ask away.”
“Marry me Veronica?” Logan whispered, “I know this isn’t the ideal place to be asking and we’ve only been back together a few weeks but I could have lost you today and I know all I want to do is not let you go.”
“You know, your going to have to let me go. Right?” At Logan’s disappointed face she continued, “I’ll want to go to work and to visit my father without you around.”
“Even though, just to be clear, you’re saying no.”
Before Veronica could reply, Duncan came barging closely followed by Weevil and Wallace, “We tried to keep him out.” Weevil said with a shrug.
“It’s ok. We can finish our conversation later, right Logan?” Veronica replied with a forced smile which Logan noticed and it prompted him to nod.
“Good cause I need a few minutes alone with you.” Duncan said gesturing that everyone should leave. Once Veronica had nodded her ok Weevil and Wallace left, Logan however stayed where he was.
Veronica placed her face next to his ear and whispered, “I’ll be ok. Just don’t shut the door behind you,” before she pushed him off the bed and towards the door.
Duncan waited patiently for Logan to leave before he walked over to the bed and perched on the opposite side to the one Logan had just vacated. “Veronica you don’t know how worried I was about you.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
“I had every available resource looking to find you.”
“But you didn’t. Logan and my dad found me.”
“It doesn’t matter Veronica. The only thing that matters now is an answer to a very simple question. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?” Duncan asked sliding off the bed and onto one knee. Veronica was shocked. Not only had she been kidnapped and shot today but two men she had dated or was dating asked her to marry him. She began to think maybe it was all a little too much to deal with for one day.
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“Mac, not all of us can be bachelorettes for the rest of our lives.” Veronica replied with a giddy laugh as the hairdresser fiddled with her hair.
“I know but not all of us are lucky enough to finally get it right with the love of our lives.” Mac said.
“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky huh.”
“Totally.”
“Ok ladies that’s all.” The hairdresser said as Keith entered the room.
“You look stunning honey.” Keith said with tears in his eyes, “Now are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes dad, I’m positive and you’ve already scared him so if I don’t marry him now it will be a waste of a very good scare.”
“It was a good scare, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah it was and I’m afraid you’re not going to be able to pull off another one like it again.”
“Ok as long as you’re sure?”
“Dad it was going to happen sooner or later. Shouldn’t you just be glad you kinda like this one and he was more than happy to have you walk me down the isle?”
“Yeah ok and on that note we should go and stand in our positions because they’re waiting for us.”
“Ok. Mac you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Mac replied with a smile.
“Then, let’s go get me married.” Veronica replied with a giddy grin.
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“Why can’t I just go out there now?” Veronica whined.
“Because you’re best man isn’t here yet.” Mac replied.
“But I’m the one who is supposed to be fashionable late.” Veronica sighed. “He’s going to think I’m standing him up.” With that Veronica turned and opened the door that separated her from her soon to be husband. Having his back to the door she took the chance to ogle him while he wasn’t looking. He only turned around when Dick pointed at her staring at him. Logan shot her a smile that matched her own giddy smile. Taking a deep breath she watched as he tried to ask her what the hold up was when she was obviously ready. She mouthed 'Wallace' and left him and Dick in laughter when someone behind her said.
“Isn’t it bad luck to see the groom before you walk down the isle?”
“Probably but we’ll live with the bad luck.” Veronica said closing the door and hugging Wallace, “Are you ready to go now so I can marry the man I love or do you need some more time to fix your hair?”
“No, hair is fixed. Let’s get this party started.” Wallace said.
“Let’s!” Veronica said. Taking there positions Keith signaled to the band that they were ready and as the music swelled around the people in the church Mac and Wallace walked, arms linked, down to where Logan, Dick and, surprisingly, Weevil were waiting. As Mac and Wallace took their places on the steps of the alter they turned back as the crowd in the church stood for Veronica to enter. Every eye in the building was on her but Veronica’s eyes were only on the man she was about to marry and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.
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Logan held Veronica close and rested his chin on her head as they swayed to the song that Veronica had chosen to be there first dance song. He wasn’t sure of the title of the song but he found it kept him at ease when he thought about how his wife had picked the song. His wife. He would never get tired of that. Though he still couldn’t believe she had said yes when he was so sure she had been trying to find an easy way to say no to him. Although the bigger shock had come when Duncan had asked Veronica to marry him and she had promptly cut him down into as many pieces as she could with her words and sent him away telling him he should return to wherever it was he had been hiding for all these years and not return.
“Hey.” Veronica whispered, “Where is your head at?”
“I was just wondering what the name of this song was, Ronnie.”
“If you make a habit of calling me that I’m going to make a habit of not putting out.”
“Please you can’t resist the Echolls' charm honey.”
“I am an Echolls now.”
“Which just proves my point? So what is the name of this song?”
“More than anyone by Gavin DeGraw”
“Well it’s perfect.”
“Actually it’s the next song that is perfect for us.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“This song goes out from Veronica to Logan.” The DJ said as he started the next song. Logan laughed as he recognized the song.
“Well husband, you did find me so I though it made heaps of sense.”
“And here I was thinking that it had to do with the fact you know how much I love The Fray.” Logan replied with a laugh before pulling Veronica.
“I know you’ll always find me.” Veronica whispered into his shirt.
“Good cause I always will.”
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The End