Title: Variations on a Theme
Author: InTheVAST
Pairing/Character: Lilly, Logan/Veronica, Lilly/Weevil
Word Count: 8000
Rating: Very mature (explicit sex, language, violence)
Summary: Lilly's going to get back at Logan for messing around with Veronica.
Spoilers: Season one and reading the prequel to this, Like Leather on Skin, should be all you need. This fic takes place the day after it.

A/N: Late for both challenges, but this was for vmwhat_if and the "Dire Straits challenge" at the vm_library. I never would have gotten through this, if not for the most wonderful, insightful rindee beta-ing this in bits and pieces until the end, and giving me all of the bestest suggestions. How someone gets to be so smart, I do not know.

2014 note: Wrote this a while back on Livejournal but posting it here for any new VM fans!

I'm too good for this school.

Weevil's M.I.A and Lilly's not going to get to spend the period cruising down the PCH with him, like she has been for the past two months. She scans the lunch tables in the quad with a dismissive glance, band geeks, weird goth kids, the boring snobs… even her old crowd seems awkward and unappealing now.

At the stairs, Lilly pauses for a second, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

She doesn't want to sit alone either; it too pathetic and mopey, not her style.

Her mind is made up when Duncan waves her over from the 09er table, a doped up grin on his face. Looks like the meds have kicked in. Daddy and Mommy will be sooo pleased…

Lilly finds herself smiling gratefully at her brother, hips sashaying as she makes her way to the 09er section. At her approach, Logan looks up from his Dim Sum and glares openly.

"Damn, Lil'!" Dick shouts, eyeing her mini-skirt, sliding further up her thighs with every step. "Lookin' hot."

She sits down next to Duncan, in Veronica's usual spot. A quick glance across the table reveals either Veronica is absent or pouting in a bathroom somewhere. Lately, Lilly hasn't had time to keep up with Veronica's drama, whether it's Duncan or mom related.

It's not like she can just invite Veronica to hang out with her now, the girl could barely muster enough up courage to skip out on Homecoming. And there's absolutely no way pretty-in-pink Mars could get through the Tijuana rave Lilly's planning on hitting with Weevil this weekend, at least, not without having a fit of the vapors.

Sometimes, people just grow apart, and while she misses Veronica, it's probably for the best. The girl just refuses to live a little, take a risk now and then!

Lilly pushes away guilty thoughts of her former best friend, crossing her legs as she makes herself comfortable. Dick tracks the movement with an appreciative stare, and she rolls her eyes, but as usual, it doesn't seem to deter him.

He leans forward eagerly, swiping shaggy blonde bangs to the side. "You free tonight Lil'? It's been a while since you've spent some time with the Dickster."

"Sorry, bud," Logan smoothly cuts in. "I think Lilly's already got a full schedule of dick, if you know what I mean."

Lilly smirks back at Logan, flipping glossy ribbons of hair over her shoulder. Could he be any more obviously jealous? If it wasn't for certain… family gifts- she would've cut him loose and never looked back the moment he left that stupid, whiny note in her car. She should've known he wouldn't be able to handle a little fun with her and Weevil.

"Yeah, sorry, Dick, but Logan's right," she says to Dick with feigned sweetness, but her eyes are cold as she stares at Logan.

Dick snickers, looking back and forth between them. Finally, when he turns his amorous attentions to Caitlin Ford, the washed up blonde sitting next to him, Lilly leans forward and speaks in a low murmur, just loud enough for Logan's ears. "I've finally found someone who does it for me."

Logan's eyes darken, and she watches his throat work as if in pain. There are shadows under his eyes, he looks like he hasn't slept in who-knows-when, and admittedly, a part of her is slightly gleeful that she can still do this to him. It's powerful… intoxicating.

"Come on guys," Duncan says cheerfully, flinging his arm around her shoulders and smiling at Logan. "Can't we all just get along?"

"Tell that to Veronica," Logan spits, shoving his plate of Chinese to the center of the table as he gets up and stomps away.

"What's your problem, dude?" Duncan yells at Logan's retreating back.

The Kanes watch in silence as Logan stalks across the courtyard, his hands balled into fists. Duncan turns his attentions back to his adoring masses with a patented shrug, but Lilly's still watching, eyes narrowing as Logan passes by an almost empty table, one that's solely occupied by a certain petite blonde.

Veronica looks up as Logan walks by, her face twisted in wistful longing as, unseeing, he continues past her. Lilly doesn't miss a second of it, not Veronica's delicate, doll like features falling in rejection, or the fact that Logan walked several tables out of his way to avoid Veronica.

Something's going on.

It takes two periods, but Lilly gets to the bottom of it. After some careful digging, Madison confides that she was about to enter the bathroom yesterday when she heard certain noises… It sounded suspiciously like Logan making out with someone in one of the stalls, but Madison has no idea who the girl with him was.

"I thought it was you!" She says with fake innocence, her eyes lighting up at the thought that it might've been another girl.

"Oh, it was. I just wanted to see if anyone else knew," Lilly replies easily, successfully concealing her irritation behind fluttering lashes and a broad smirk. "I thought I heard someone come in. I'm not quite ready for the news to get around, you know?"

Lilly waves goodbye with an icy smile and heads outside to meet Dullnut for a ride home. Inwardly, she's seething. How dare Logan fuck around with her best friend.

He's sooo going to regret that.

He likes the way their skin looks together; hers pure, pale white, as smooth and cool as milk, his rough, brown, and tattooed. There's just something right about it, her being in his arms as they lounge against the headboard of his bed.

Their fingers entwine. Lilly sighs as he runs his other hand down her smooth belly, fingers splaying over the shadows cast by the brilliant sunlight slanting through the window blinds.

"Everything okay, babe?"

"I'm fine," she says, turning to face him, the smile on her perfectly curved lips not quite reaching her eyes.

Strange as it is, he knows her. They haven't been together long, but he already feels closer to her than any girl he's ever been with. And now, he's got this gut feeling something's bothering her.

"You know you can talk to me," he suggests gently, kneading her arm. She hisses in pain, and his fingers still.

"What the…" he breathes. She pulls away, but he holds fast, studying her arm. He feels sick when he sees the bruises dappled across her skin, purple and green, like something rotten.

"Who did this to you?" he yells, pulling away the sheets to examine the rest of her naked body, but there are no other marks. The rest of her skin is clean and flawless.

"Weevil…" Deep emerald, filling with tears, her eyes are fixed on his. There's no turning back, no doubt in his head, he's going to find out what happened.

"Who did this, baby?" he asks, trying to be gentle in his clumsy way, to ease it out of her. He rubs soothing circles into her back and pulls her close. She sniffles on his shoulder.

"Christ, please tell me, Lil," he pleads, but he's pretty sure he already knows the answer. "It was Logan wasn't it?" He chokes. "That fuckin'… I'm gonna fuckin' kill that fuckin' bitch."

"It was my fault," Lilly insists, hands clenching over his, stopping him when he tries to grab his shirt from the side of the bed.

"When? When did it happen?"

"Today, I saw him- with Veronica. They were outside, by his X-terra… I thought it was weird you know? They've never really been friends. But he was leaning in, touching her hair. I've seen it all before," she says bitterly. "He was trying to seduce her."

Sweet, innocent Veronica Mars. In his English class, the girl with the sad eyes.

"I know he was trying to get back at me," Lilly whispers, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "So I waited for Veronica to leave, then I told him to stay away from her. He grabbed me, twisted my wrist."

She wraps her arms around herself. Knuckles knotted and white, Weevil expels a breath full of pure loathing. That fucker. Oh, I'm going to make him pay, he's gonna hurt, I'm gonna kick his fuckin' head in. How dare he touch my girl.

"I'll take care of it, babe." He reaches for her, feeling her skin against him, her soft breasts pressed to his side. Her eyelashes tickle his shoulder as her hands drape around his neck.

"I know you will. It's just … I'm still worried about Veronica," she murmurs after a while. "Maybe you could spend some time around her? Keep her away from him?"

He shrugs against her, brushing a few silky strands of hair from her face. "Me? Hang out with Blondie? The Sheriff's daughter? Nuh uh. But I'll tell you what I can do; I'll keep Echolls away from her. I'll see to it personally, so don't worry, it's done. I got it."

"Veronica once said you were cute," she says softly, with a small laugh. "Wouldn't it be funny if you, you know, hit on her? Can you imagine Logan's face?"

"The only way I want to imagine that pendejo's face is under my fists, while I'm bashing it in," he replies stiffly, gently extracting himself from her arms.

She mock pouts, beautiful cat like eyes sparkling as she watches him. "You don't think she's pretty?"

"Yeah, she's pretty," he mutters, putting his hands behind his head and falling back on his pillow. "Matter a' fact, she's very pretty. But she still ain't you, you're beautiful all over."

She smirks, leaning on top of him and kissing his throat. "We should all hang out sometime."

"No more talking about Veronica okay?" he says with a sigh, one hand sliding through her tresses as her warm lips trail lower, down his abs.

"No more," she agrees. "But Logan… you'll take care of him right?" The question is puff of air against his hipbone.

"Anything you want," he groans, as the pink tip of her tongue slides up the seam of his cock. Swallowing, he closes his eyes, a skein of gold wrapped 'round his fist, and there's no more talk about Veronica or Logan.

She hates him. The endless, punishing litany runs through her mind when he passes by her at lunch without even a sideways glance. Once again, Veronica's reduced to nothing. Over and over, she stabs her spork into her mystery meat until, finally, the bell rings.

The rest of the day passes in a blur. No one talks to her. For the first time ever, she skips last period and pep squad practice.

It's Logan's fault. If he hadn't made her believe he cared about her, she'd be comfortably numb, not restless and confused, not again. She trusted him, confided in him, about Lilly, Duncan, her mother, but in the end, he turned out to be the same as all the others. Cut from the same damn, self-absorbed cloth.

When Veronica gets to the parking lot, she considers going home, telling her dad she's not feeling well. But he doesn't need that, doesn't need to worry about her even more than he already is. She can't handle the thought of further burdening him.

With a deep sigh, she walks past cars that cost more than her house, her backpack heavy on her shoulders. She can see Logan's X-terra up ahead. A tiny, vindictive part of her itches to let out all the air in his tires out. She doesn't though, doesn't have the energy or the will to hurt him.

He's a coward, she thinks. Unwanted tears brim in the corners of her eyes. Why did he leave me in the bathroom? Why didn't he return my calls? He could have at least called, even if it was just to tell me he didn't like me, wasn't attracted to me. She knew she could never hope to compete with Lilly, but if he would just tell her… give her something, some reason… other than silence, the not knowing.

Is it something wrong with her? Something ugly or stupid or backward about her? Something Duncan saw - and now Logan's seen it too?

She stares hard into the gloom of his SUV, as if the dark tinted windows could reveal something. And they do, only it's something much worse than she could have ever expected.

On the other side of Logan's truck, she can see several PCHers assaulting someone. Whoever it is, whoever's unlucky enough to have pissed them off, is crumpled on the ground, taking a beating. Not that he has much choice. He's outnumbered, eight to one.

All the bikers are wearing helmets, and Veronica can't see over or between them. Taking turns, they're viciously kicking the guy, in the ribs, gut, and back. She swallows a scream when she hears a crack and a soft groan of pain. Keeping her eyes trained on them, she fumbles for her phone. Her dad will know what to do.

Her fingers are slow and unsteady, and she misdials twice. When the PCHers slow the beating to talk amongst themselves, she almost drops the phone in relief, but her other hand, the one questing for her taser, doesn't stop until her fingers close around the present her dad got her on her fourteenth birthday.

One of the bikers has backed off the one-sided fight and removed his helmet. She knows him instantly. It's is a face you can't really forget, handsome, dark and fierce. It's Weevil, Lilly's new boyfriend.

"This is what you get," Weevil says to the bleeding and broken body before him, his lip curling in disgust. "For putting a hand on Lilly." He kicks the figure again, the force of the blow causing the other boy to flop onto his back.

Veronica squeezes her eyes shut, feels like she's going to throw up. What has Lilly gotten herself mixed up in?

She knows one thing, they can't keep beating up this guy. He's bloody, and barely moving. All signs indicate he needs to go to a hospital right away, or else. She cracks open her eyes again, struggles to get it together, she has to come up with a plan, a diversion or something… and that's when she sees him.

Oh God. No! His face is swollen and bloody but the aristocratic, boyish structure, the strong, angular jaw and aquiline nose are unmistakable. Logan.

When she realizes it's him, she cries out, comes rushing from behind his car, no longer thinking about her plan to summon help, or her own safety. She has to get to him before they hurt him worse. After she pushes the PCHers away, she can see him clearly.

His head has a deep gash, right below his hairline. One of his eyes is puffed up and will undoubtedly be black by morning. He's barely conscious, but she can't see any other injuries, his clothes are probably covering the rest.

Drooping to her knees, she cradles his head in her lap, wrapping her arms around him protectively. "Logan? Logan?"

"Veronica," he murmurs, his eyes opening a sliver.

"What did you do?" she yells, looking up at Weevil with hatred.

The leader of the gang looks around nervously. Look blondie. There's a lot going on here you don't understand," he says, glancing from her to Logan. "This punk hurt Lilly."

"No," she shakes her head vehemently, sudden tears spilling down her cheeks. "Logan would never do that."

"That's not what Lilly said," Weevil replies, studying his bruised knuckles.

"You don't even know Lilly! She lies. To everyone, about everything. She manipulates people. It's how she gets her kicks. And if you think," Veronica laughs bitterly, "she has any sort of feelings for you, just wait till she stabs you in the back. You weren't the only one she cheated on when she was with Logan."

At least Weevil has the decency to look slightly guilty.

"Veronica, just go. I don't want you to get hurt…" Logan croaks. "Let them do whatever they want to me."

"Look, we're not going to do anything to you," Weevil says to Veronica, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"That's good," she replies, reaching into her pocket for her old birthday present.

Weevil sees it immediately, stepping back and putting his hands out in front of him. "Woah, girl. I said we ain't gonna do anything to you, okay?" he repeats.

"I'm going to take Logan," she tells him, voice quavering. "The bell's going to ring soon. I don't think you want to try anything."

His full mouth quirks into a smile of almost admiration. The rest is something darker, something she can't quite grasp as he looks from her to Logan and back again.

"Fine," he says, looking her up and down in an appraising way. "Today you get the nice Weevil, tomorrow..."

Veronica ignores him as he signals his biker pals to leave. She struggles alone against Logan, trying to help him up. He sags in her arms, but she's able to lever him high enough to drag him to her car, keeping one wary eye on the PCHers.

He falls back into the passenger seat of her LeBaron, managing to pull in his legs. She rushes to the other side, slamming the door behind her. Leaning over she buckles his seat belt, her other hand hastily twisting the keys in the ignition.

Veronica looks behind, in the rearview mirror as she peels out of the parking lot. She can hear Logan breathing- quick and heavy. She gets onto the freeway as fast as possible, the minutes passing like hours.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital okay?" she says, glancing over at him as she weaves in and out of lanes, fast.

"No," he groans, slumped in his seat. "Just take me home."

"You need to go to the hospital, Logan."

"Listen to me, Veronica," his voice hitches. "If my dad finds out about this, he'll do me ten times worse than Weevil and his merry men. Trust me, okay?" She bites her lip and looks over at him. His eyes are clear and lucid, though his tense body radiates suppressed pain.

"Please, Veronica."

She presses on the gas, taking the exit for the Echolls mansion.

He leans on her like she's a crutch, careful not to put too much weight on her. She helps him hobble to the front door, where the realization hits him as she fumbles in his pockets for his keys.

"We need to go to the pool house. My parents might be home soon."

"Okay," she says, forehead creasing with concern as he leans on her shoulder again.

It's getting dark outside, the sun starting to fade over the fake palm trees his mother had planted last summer. He knows Veronica will have to go home soon. Her father, everything by the book.

Slow and steady, she guides him through the entrance and into the pool house. She helps him sit awkwardly on the edge of the bed, her tiny frame barely able to support him.

"Thanks," he says, smiling weakly up at her. "Do you think you could open the liquor cabinet for me? I could really use a drink."

Veronica nods, hesitantly walking over to the liquor cabinet and opening it. "What's your poison?" she asks, rummaging through the bottles.

"Just give me something strong."

A second later, she presses a cool glass of something clear into his hand. He gulps the fiery mix without question. He doesn't want to upset her by asking her about the concoction, it might be possibly related to her mom.

The alcohol settles into his stomach, effectively numbing the pain in his ribs and head. He'd lay back down, but he still feels slightly dizzy. Veronica's eyes are bright and shiny on his, and she reaches forward, touching his hair gently. Her fingers come away slick and red.

"You're still bleeding," she murmurs, looking down at the fresh blood.

"There's a tub full of medicine under the bed. There's some antiseptic, bandages and stuff like that," he offers helpfully. There's a sudden look of shock on her face, delicate blue eyes wide and guileless. It's only there for a second, and then her face turns hard, her jaw stiffening; he can see her mental resolve as she decides her questions are off limits. She knows enough to come to her own conclusions.

Her decision is strangely relieving. For Lilly, his abuse, and scars, were a fascination, almost a turn on, but with Veronica, her expression is one of pain and burdened silence. She can't bare to ask him the questions he knows she wants to, or generate any naïve plans to right the wrongs and save him.

Her hands shake when she finds the box, lifts it onto the bed. He watches in silence as she pulls the lid off and begins pulling out the rubbing alcohol and gauze. She soaks a pad of cotton into the alcohol and presses it firmly against his forehead. It stings like a bitch and he hisses, biting into his lip.

"Sorry," she says softly, "I need to clean it to see how deep it is." Veronica squints down at him, looking at his forehead as she dabs the cotton against the gash. "It's not that bad," she says after a moment, sighing in relief. "Though you definitely shouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon. You might have a concussion."

He swallows his fast response - she should keep him up. It'll sound wrong, and God, he doesn't want to be an ass to her. Not now. But regardless, the words, though unspoken, seem to hang in the air and he watches, fascinated, as her cheeks turn a vivid, dark pink.

"Could you…?" Her eyes drop shyly to his chest, then lower, demurely to the carpet. "I should check your other injuries."

"Mars, if you want to see me naked, just ask."

"Logan." One elegant eyebrow raises in warning.

He obeys with a shaky grin, slipping one arm and then the other from his tee-shirt. The room tilts alarmingly for a moment, and then rights itself. He pauses for a second before taking it off, unable to peel it over his head right away. He hears her sharp intake of breath and stares down at his own torso, at the red and purple bruises swelling across his ribs.

"It's not very pretty," he says, licking his lips and swallowing.

"No, it's not." Veronica's voice is very faint. He watches as she carefully begins to apply the Neosporin over the abrasions. "You really need to go to the hospital," she frets.

"My mom has a doctor who'll come to the house," he tells her, having no better way to reassure her. "I'll be fine."

Her mouth creases in worry, but she says nothing as she begins to wrap the bandages on his chest. He watches her, studying as she sets to the task, her soft hair falling across her face. On impulse, he reaches for the silken strands, pushing them behind her ear so he can see her. He doesn't know why, but he just needs to see her. He needs to soak up her presence, her touch, while he can.

He observes her eyelashes fluttering, crystalline tears clinging before they slip down her flushed cheeks. His chest constricts.

"Don't cry, Veronica," he pleads, pained. "I'm going to be okay." She sniffles as he gently rubs the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "I'm sorry," he says ruefully. "You never should have gotten involved in this." A second too late, he realizes his words are the wrong ones.

"And- what - what would have happened if I hadn't?" she chokes out, pushing his hand away. "Why is it so hard for you to accept that I want to help you?! God - maybe I should just go."

She's crying harder now, sobs wracking her small shoulders. His stomach lurches as she starts throwing her things in her purse, grabbing her car keys from the coffee table, her cell from the edge of the bed.

"No, don't," he breathes, lifting himself from the bed, trying to stand on his own. He can't let her leave like this.

"Logan, stop!" she cries, reaching for him as he staggers toward her. She rushes forward to grab him quickly, helping him to the bed and shouldering him into it.

"What are you thinking?" she demands, easing him back against the pillows. Even though his vision is suddenly filtered through a hazy red, he can see how tense and distressed she looks. She's trembling, she's that worried, about him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Veronica," he murmurs against her hair, curling his arm around her waist, drawing her close. "Don't leave."

"I won't," she promises with a deep, shaky breath, laying across from him, his arms fitting loosely against her sides. She still looks worried and upset though.

"I am sorry about what happened at the parking lot, but I'm glad you were there," he admits, grimacing at the thought of how he screwed up expressing this earlier. "But what I really need to say is thank you. You stood up for me, and I don't think anyone other than my mom's ever done that for me. And I know I don't deserve it - after what I did to you yesterday…."

"I'm such a fool," he whispers, and it's not just what he did in the girls' bathroom. It's all this time he's been chasing Lilly, with Veronica right there, with Duncan. He reaches forward to touch her again, brushing her cheekbone before letting his hand drop to trace her soft, parting lips. She captures his fingers and presses a kiss against the tips of them. The simple touch is enough to send a electric surge through his body, so strong it's almost painful.

She leans close enough for his mouth to replace his hand. Their lips meet gently, then more ardently as his tongue opens her mouth and she cups the back of his head. He locks his hands around her back, fingers sliding under her tee-shirt to feel her warm, bare skin. She presses her body to his, wrapping her legs around him. It hurts, but he doesn't care.

"Veronica," he moans against her lips.

"Oh!" she gasps, breaking apart, trying to pull away. "I'm hurting you, aren't I?"

"No," he says, "Not at all." And even though it's a lie, he'd cheerfully go through a lot more pain to feel this again.

He crushes his lips against hers, and their tongues touch as he falls back, bringing her with him. He's hard already, just from kissing her, exploring her soft, sweet mouth. She breaks the kiss to tug her tee-shirt over head, smiling shyly at him.

"Is this okay?" she asks hesitantly, her voice soft. She holds her shirt in one hand as if she's ready to put it back on. He squints in the darkness, eyes drawn helplessly to her bra, to the delicate pink cups and the satin bow nestled between the supple curves of her breasts.

"Yes," he says, strangely out of breath. "Yes, it's… it's fine. But if you're more comfortable with your shirt on, it's good too."

"I'm not," she replies, grinning bashfully as she carefully leans against him again, "I like it better when our skin touches."

"Mmm, good," he breathes, kissing her throat, feeling her pulse race against his tongue, and he shouldn't be doing this, not after all that's happened…. They need time, but he wants her more than he's ever wanted anything, and he can't make himself stop, not when she's responding this way, as if she wants him just as badly.

She moans hot in his ear, fingers threading through his hair as he pushes a satin bra strap aside to lay fervent kisses against her shoulder. "Logan," she says, urgently, "Wait."

"Oh, shit… I'm sorry," he curses, pulling away. What in the hell is wrong with him? He should have asked her first.

"No," she amends quickly, flushing. "I didn't mean 'wait' like that. It's just… I really care about you - more than Duncan. More than I've ever cared about anyone," she says timidly, "I know I could never compare to Lilly but…"

"God, fuck the Kanes, Veronica. I'm done with her - you mean so much to me, it scares me."

She sighs happily, giving him a slow, pleased smile. "Kiss me," she commands in a whisper, and he holds her tight, pressing his mouth greedily against hers. Their tongues touch as his fingers slide up and down the curve of her spine, and she rocks into him, panting. When she reaches behind to undo her bra and peel it away, he watches intently until it's gone, until there's more skin for him to kiss.

For a brief, painful instant, she covers her breast with her hands, until he says "please, don't" and she allows him to nudge her fingers aside, slowly. Her breasts fit perfectly in his palms, warm and soft, nipples plump and swollen. His mouth slides down her neck and over her collarbone, down to the curves of her breasts. She gasps as he sucks the tender pink flesh, teasing lazy circles with his tongue.

"Oh, Logan," she gasps, rubbing against him. He's not sure if it's intentional until she reaches below the bandages on his chest, pressing her hand firmly over the fly of his pants. He's dizzy and it's completely unrelated to his injuries, when his zipper rasps down and he can feel the heat of her hand so close.

"Veronica, are you sure?" he groans, and Goddamn it, he's really not supposed to be the voice of reason here. It's not exactly his calling.

She says "yes" over and over between kisses, pressing her lips and tongue against his again and again, until he loses count. One of her hands is between them, tickling and stroking down to his navel. When he makes a needy sound, she gently raises off him, nimble fingers sliding under the waistband of his jeans.

Veronica slowly eases them over his various scrapes and bruises, cautiously extracting his boxers along the way. His dick springs free, hard and swollen. When she wraps her fingers around and experimentally caresses him, Logan licks his lips desperately.

"Fuck," he groans, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Is this okay?" she asks, breathy and unsure. "Am I doing it right?"

"Yeah, that's really good," he says, trying to thrust into her warm hand, but his chest moves when he does, and fuck - it hurts.

He strains for her, reaching for the zipper on the side of her skirt. When she grasps his intention, she tugs it down for him, letting it pool around her knees before kicking it off. Her panties are more pale pink, and soft, like the rest of her under his searching fingers. Tracing the damp seam with his middle finger, he looks at her for her approval. He's never felt so unsure and unsteady before, constantly afraid that he might be asking for too much.

Her head is thrown back, gold hair falling in wild waves down her shoulders, kiss swollen lips parted as she moans his name. Beautiful. She's absolutely beautiful and for some crazy reason she trusts him. Enough to allow him to slide her underwear down slowly. Oh, God.

He says it aloud with awe and she giggles shyly, the laugh turning to a low, throaty moan when he slides his hand between her thighs again, finding where she's wet. He wants to taste her so bad, give her all the pleasure she deserves. But there's no way he could, not the way he is now.

Veronica has other plans. She straddles him, knees tucked beside his hips.

"Veronica, please ... don't do anything you don't want to…"

"Stop saying that," she says, and he can feel her smile against his lips, her hair trailing silky smooth against his chest.

"I want to be with you." She presses more firmly against him, his cock nestled between her tummy and his bandaged chest. "Tell me what to do," she whispers, fisting his cock again.

"Sit up a little," he groans, and when he feels her weight come off his hips, he reaches forward, rubbing two fingers against her clit until the insides of her thighs are slick and slippery.

"Logan," she whimpers, china-blue eyes hazy with lust.

His index finger slides further down in answer, nudging against her wet opening. He presses forward gently, slowly sinking his finger into her. His eyes stay on her face, searching for signs of pain or discomfort. But there are none, not even when he's in all the way to his second knuckle.

His cock is aching, along with the rest of his body. When he eases out of her pussy to rub his erection against her clit, she arches against him in a perfect bow.

"How's this?" he mummers, holding her hips and watching his cock slip-slide against her.

"Good, so good, Logan. But ... can you ... I want to really feel you." She flushes, moaning softly into his ear.

"Veronica - I can't," he stammers. "I don't have that kind of control tonight."

"It's okay, you're fine. I just want to..."

She leans forward to kiss him, her mouth opening hungrily to his. She slides lower against him, his cock pressing harder against her, and when their tongues touch, the tip of his cock is against her taut opening.

"Fuck," he hisses. "Oh, God, Veronica. Don't ... don't ... I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm good," she breathlessly assures him, rocking her hips up and down, until he's an inch deeper, pulsing against the strain of her muscles.

He touches her clit, teasing it as she slowly sinks down, she's so tight and hot around him. It's a good thing his chest and head still throb, and there's alcohol in his system, or this would be over already.

When he's halfway in, she gives a little gasp of pain, eyes glittering with tears.

"It hurts," Veronica cries out, stilling.

"You don't – we don't have to – put it all the way in, not right away," he tells her, gritting his teeth. "You're so tight, you might need - more time, to get used to it - me." He guides her back up his length, to the tip, and back down again.

"Does that feel good?" he asks, keeping his own body still. God, he so badly wants to thrust all the way in, but he won't, he can't do that to her, not until she's ready.

"Yeah, it's good," she moans, repeating what he showed her, sliding carefully up and down as low as she can. He cups her breasts, massages them, then plays his hands down her sides and to her clit, rubbing in time with her agonizingly slow movements. It's so slow it's painful.

"Mmm, Logan" she breathes, pink lips falling open, and when he presses his hand even harder against her, she cries out, muscles tightening around the tip of his cock. She's so close he can hear how wet she is, and with her eyes fluttering shut as she moans his name, her breasts heaving against his chest, it's sensory overload.

"Come on, baby," he groans, pinching her clit as she rides him. He can't think clearly, but he knows it's almost over for him.

When she comes, she screams, pulsing around his cock. She's so wet, so fucking good, he can't hold out any longer. His own orgasm tears through him suddenly, and, too late, he comes, just barely inside of her, realizing there's no condom between them.

His mouth opens and closes in shame as he struggles to say something.

Veronica smiles lazily back at him, cheeks bright pink. "Don't worry, my mom got me on the pill last year. When I was dating Duncan…" she mummers drowsily, and he laughs, pleased. He gently eases her off him to tuck her into his side, ignoring the aches and pains he still feels. He can nurse those wounds later.

"What time is it?" Veronica asks, voice soft and warm.

He checks his own wristwatch gingerly, and then grins. "It's only a little after 7," he says, kissing her forehead. "You can stay a little longer?"

"Mmhhmm," she replies, smiling against his skin as he strokes her back.

Her phone vibrates in her pocket and, with a deep sigh, she tugs it out and flips it open.

"It's Lilly," she says expectantly, pursing her lips.

"You lied," a voice responds. It's hard and cold.

She sits straight up in her comfy bed, the Cosmo article about seducing the hard to get man completely forgotten. "Weevil?"

"Someone else you been lying to?" he inquires bitterly. "Of course there is," he continues gruffly, quickly answering his own question.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she snaps, already tiring of his cryptic comments. "What happened?"

"Let me spell it out for you, baby," his voice is dangerously low. "You lied about Echolls. He never touched you, did he?"

She inhales nervously, twirling a long strand of silky hair in her fingers. "Not the way I said," she admits to his silence. Finally, "I did it to protect Veronica," she says defensively. "She can't be with Logan."

"Really? Looks like he's already better for her than you are," he says derisively.

"He's a jerk, Weevil! A spineless worm," she explodes, standing to pace the confines of her room. "He doesn't deserve her."

"Whadda you care who he's with? Huh? Don't want him moving on just yet?"

"Weevil, no," she breathes. "It's not like that-"

"Hey, I ain't finished," he hisses, effectively silencing her. "I thought I was protecting you! Took me a minute to figure it out, but what it all comes down to - you just can't stand it cuz they don't need you anymore. You lost your faithful toadies, and they're not waiting in the wings to do your bidding." He laughs, but there's no humor in his tone. "Was I ever anything to you? Besides the leader of a biker gang, guaranteed to piss off your folks if they ever found out?"

"Of course," she swallows hastily. "We have a lot of fun together, and you know I like being with you."

"Do I?"

Hand on her head, she searches for the right words. What can she say to make this better? To fix it?

"Careful Lil'. Your makeup's starting to flake. And it's real ugly under there. Real ugly," he says grimly.

"Weevil, don't you want to know who really bruised me?" It's a desperate last-minute play for his forgiveness, and she knows they both know it. There's no mistaking, or concealing the way her voice breaks on the words.

"No. Not really," he says quietly, pausing.

She hears the slightest click on the line.

"Weevil?"

There's nothing but dial tone.

Lilly stands still for a long moment, breathing in and out, before wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She sees herself in her bedroom mirror. She won't cry over this. She won't.

What kind of jealous lies did Logan feed to Weevil anyway? What happened when Weevil went after him? There's only one way she's going to get any answers.

A few minutes later, she's in the SUV, on the road to Logan's. It's already late, and traffic has thinned out enough that she can race several miles over the speed limit to Logan's neighborhood, only a few blocks away.

It's dark when she gets there, and all the lights in the Echolls' mansion are off. Logan's parent's cars are missing from the driveway. Good, that could be… awkward.

On second glance, she realizes Logan's X-Terra is missing too. She scowls, undoing her seatbelt and opening the car door. Where would he have gone? He has nowhere else to go, she reasons, walking the stone path around the house to the backyard. She knows he goes to the pool house when he wants to avoid his father. And that reminds her… there's something she left, last time she was here.

Strolling past the pool, she spies the pool house. The lights are on. "Logan?" she calls as she goes through the entrance. There's no response.

Well, well, well… what do we have here. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stares at the unmade, rumpled sheets. She's had enough sex in this place to know what it looks like on that bed, she smirks coldly, looking up at the fan above.

It's a good thing she's come to take care of her own private collection. When she first discovered it, Aaron almost caught her, but now that she knows he's not here, it's the perfect time to retrieve it. The stakes have gone up too, now that the pervert has something of Veronica.

She crosses over to the bookcase, and pulls the two sides apart. It's just like she remembered. A black TV screen and VCR plugged in underneath, rigged to turn on by motion or by the owner. She presses a manicured fingernail on the rewind button, and the screen flickers to life.

Logan is on the bed alone, but she waits patiently until… Veronica is there too, her clothes on, then off. Soon enough, they're cuddling, completely naked. Reversing it further, she sees Veronica, on top of Logan, writhing as she moves up and down. Even on tape, she sees he only has eyes for Veronica, his gaze impossibly intense and – strange as it is – loving.

Lilly didn't think Veronica had in it her, but there she is, having sex on screen with Lilly's ex, and she's totally enjoying it. It's the kind of thing a virgin can't fake.

Even in rewind, their sex is slow and careful, and Lilly swallows something thick that's caught in her throat. It's intimate both ways, something she never expected between them. The thought of Aaron seeing it disgusts her beyond belief. When she found out he'd taped her, it had been amusing, even better when she realized what she could get out of it. But this, this would destroy Veronica.

Lilly doesn't watch it to the beginning, she's seen enough. She presses eject and puts the digital tape in her purse. She grabs all the other stray tapes, sweeping them into her bag as well… probably only a few have her on it, but she'll worry about that later. When they're all tucked away, she presses her lips against the TV screen, smirking when she sees a bright red residue of her lip gloss on the glassy black. Then she closes the bookshelf, hiding Aaron's little dirty secret, for the time being, that is.

There won't be any mistaking who took the tapes. The only question is, how long will it take Aaron to find out? She smiles wickedly, turns to leave, and bangs right into…

Logan. She breathes a sigh of relief as he stares at her in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" he says coldly. Quickly, Lilly takes in the cut on his head, the bandages wrapped around his chest. So.. he deflowered Veronica after he got the shit beaten out of him.

It's delightfully kinky.

"Sorry," Lilly says, smirking. "I left my favorite panties here. You remember 'em right? The little black ones?"

"Get out," he replies, without preamble, leaning against the wall. He looks tense, pained but self-satisfied, like he just got laid.

"What?" she asks, blinking in mock confusion. "You're not happy to see me? I thought we could have another… roll in the sack. For old time's sake. I see Veronica has kept the bed nice and warm…." She reaches over to pat the comforter, smiling winningly at him.

"Stay away from Veronica," he says furiously, glaring at her.

"Veronica can make her own mind up, all for herself," she snaps.

"Good luck with that," Logan responds, his mouth morphing into a cruel smile, one she's never seen directed at her before . "But for now, you can just focus on staying away from me. Does that make it any easier?"

"Awww, and here I thought we were getting to be friends again," she mock pouts. "You sure were friendly last night," she crosses over to him, running one finger down the bandages over his chest.

"Get out you fucking bitch," he snarls, pushing her away. "I don't want anything to do with you."

"Please," she rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "Like I haven't heard that one before."

"I'm serious Lilly. We're done," he says, standing up straighter with a slight grimace. "And if I have to throw you out, I will."

"And hurt your boo-boos?" she simpers, bringing her hand to her mouth. "Don't worry. I'll show myself out."

Sauntering past him, head high, she leaves the pool house and keeps going, past the pool and out into the front yard where her car is parked.

She always knew Logan was a drama queen… But really? He gets in one little tangle with Weevil and acts like she ruined his life. He should be thanking her. Not only did he get a little tender loving care from Veronica, but when her tapes go public, his father's going to be in some serious shit. There could even be jail time.

Lilly smirks to herself as she gets in her car. Logan will come crawling back like he always does, just like Weevil will, and all the other men she's been with. It's almost a curse.

She turns her keys into the ignition, and pulls out of the driveway. All of the tapes are safe in her Prada purse, and she's ready to go home.

She yanks her cell phone out of her pocket on the way. She'll just give Veronica a call, congratulate her on becoming a woman or whatever. The phone rings and she purses her lips, waiting expectantly as she accelerates, guiding the steering wheel with her other hand.

A few minutes later, when she pulls in front of her house, there's still no answer. And she's called five times.

Lilly wakes to sunshine streaming though her window. She frowns at it, rubs her eyes. Another morning. At least Dullnut is at some stupid debate competition, and her parents are at a corporate brunch. Neither activity is worth waking up early for, so she has the house to herself.

After a shower, she checks her phone again. No voice mail, no missed calls, nothing. She debates calling Veronica, leaving her a message that'll be sure to win her over. They're best friends. They can't stay mad at each other forever. But no, she'll do it later. She needs a little de-stressing time. A few hours by the pool and she'll be as good as new. It will give Veronica a little time to soften up.

First, there's something Lilly needs to take care of. She digs around in her purse, finding all of the tapes she stole from Aaron the night before. The vent will be the perfect hiding place until she decides who she'll try to sell them to first. Not that it really matters, it will go to the highest, most disreputable bidder. Her parents will just love her film debut.

She screws the vent shut with a grin, and grabs some Cosmogurl magazines from her table. Sunbathing it is.

When she's outside, putting her sunscreen and thick stack of reading material down, she hears a car door slam. She rolls her eyes, already annoyed.