---x---

"We have to help Veronica." Harry's friends looked up from their lunches – they had never actually gotten to eat back at the restaurant – in curiosity.

"You mean the girl from the alley?" Hermione asked. "Help her with what?"

Harry didn't answer. He just dropped a copy of a celebrity magazine on the table. Ron leaned over and glanced at the front cover.

"Who's Jessica Simpson?" Ron asked curiously. "And why does anyone care that she's getting a divorce?"

"Shut it, Ron," Hermione said dangerously. "Jess and Nick happen to be one of the greatest couples in all of Hollywood."

Harry and Ron stared at her disbelievingly, Harry especially, as he actually knew what she was talking about. "You're not serious," he said.

Hermione blushed. "Sorry, summers can be quite boring and everyone back home watches MTV."

Harry shook his head, making a mental note to tease her about it more later, and flipped through the magazine until he found the article he wanted.

Hermione took it eagerly, glad for the change of subject, and looked at the headline. She raised her eyebrows slightly and began reading feverishly. "Oh my," she whispered when she finished. "She could give you a run for your money in the drama department, Harry."

"Yeah, and I get the feeling that isn't even the half of it." He ran his fingers through his hair unconsciously, mussing his hair even further. Realizing what he was doing, he smiled softly. He knew the kind of pain Veronica had. And for that reason alone, he had to help her if he could. From what he had seen on the news before the Dursleys' chased him out, Aaron Echolls had covered every base – every Muggle base, that is. But there was no way he could shield himself from magical investigations. A plan was forming in Harry's mind already. He would tell Hermione about it before he left to track down Veronica so that she could fine tune it. The only thing left was to convince Veronica for let him help. He had a feeling she would be less than willing to trust him, giving that her memories had taken on a whole new importance.

-x-

"Hey, Vinnie. It's Veronica."

"I figured I'd be hearing from you sooner or later. I'm assuming you need a favor, so what can I do you for, Blondie? Unless, of course, you've finally come around to the idea of working for me. In which case, I'm gonna need you to stop telling people that I wear a wig."

"I'm hurt that you would assume I told people you wear a wig. I simply mentioned to a few people that I saw you looking at toupees the other day. That's all." Logan and Duncan shot Veronica questioning looks but she ignored them. "But you were right, quite possibly for the first time ever. I need a favor."

"Good, things have been a little boring around here without you."

"I'm touched," Veronica said in a slightly mocking voice, putting her hand to her heart. "Now listen up. I need you to get me the Internet records and email inboxes for everyone in the Sheriff's Department."

Vinnie let out a low whistle. "You don't do anything small, do you?"

"Look at it this way. You'll have something to do this Saturday night besides watching Golden Girls reruns with your mother."

"Hey, those girls are great."

"I'm sure they are, Vinnie. And I'm also sure you're therapist would agree."

"She does. We discuss the episodes at the beginning of every session."

"As long as you have that something special to live for."

Veronica ended the call a few minutes later and led the way back to the hotel where they ran into Cassidy and very ticked off Dick.

"Dude! That was so not cool!" Dick yelled to his brother as Veronica and the guys approached them.

"Let me guess, you found out there's no party." Dick saw her and a frightened look settled on his face.

"No, there really was a party. We ended up playing Truth or Dare and he didn't like the dare I gave him."

Logan smirked. "Did he dare you to go a month without sex?"

Dick shook his head slowly, looking pained. "Worse."

The others stared at him in shock while Cassidy burst into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach.

"What's could be worse than that for you, Dick?" Duncan asked in disbelief.

Cassidy stopped laughing long enough to say, "Why don't you tell them, Dickie? Or better yet – show them!"

Dick gave his little brother a murderous look before taking a step forward, grabbing a stunned Veronica, and planting a kiss right on her lips. Veronica eyes grew wide and she pulled away as the initial shock wore off. She stumbled backwards, swiping at her mouth.

"Dick!" she yelled. No one was quite sure how she meant that.

Duncan walked forward and swung at Dick, landing a punch right in his gut. Dick groaned and doubled over. "Dude," he gasped.

"You say dude way too many times," Duncan commented.

"Duncan, just stop," Veronica said softly, reaching out and taking his arm gently. "It's just a dumb dare."

At that moment, Logan let out a gasp. They turned to look and discovered why he had been uncharacteristically silent during the entire scene. He had fallen over, laughing so hard that he had made no noise until that second. He sat up, still shaking with laughter and wiped his eyes. "That…was the funniest thing…I have ever seen!" he gasped.

Veronica stared at Logan for a second. Then her gaze traveled, first to Dick, who was just catching his breath again, then to the bewildered people standing in the hotel lobby (thankfully none of their classmates were around) and let out a giggle, and another, and another, until she was rolling on the marble tiles, which set Logan off again. Duncan joined them despite himself. And Cassidy had never quite stopped laughing. Dick, on the other hand, stalked off, shaking his head in anger.

"Thanks for that, Beav – Cassidy. Even if I'll probably get an STD or two from it, I needed a good laugh." Veronica took Duncan proffered hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"Believe me, Veronica. It was my pleasure," Cassidy assured her.

"I don't know," Logan said. "I think it was more Dick's pleasure than anyone else's, not that he'd show it."

"Oh, gross, Logan," Veronica exclaimed with a little laugh.

Duncan had just opened his mouth to say something when the sound of shattering glass filled the air followed by a whizzing noise as something dark red flew past the group in a blur. Unbeknownst to the guys, the blur – a brick – grazed the side of Veronica's head just enough to throw her to the ground once again, unconscious and bleeding. A second later, Duncan threw himself over her with the intent of shielding her from the falling shards of glass, not realizing that she hadn't fallen to the floor of her volition. When the last of the glass had fallen, Logan risked a glance upward, eyes landing on the brick, more specifically the note tied to it. He scrambled over to it, unfolded the note hurriedly, and read aloud: "Watch your back, bitch. Or you'll end up like your tramp friend."

Duncan's head whipped up and he rushed over to Logan to read the note for himself, followed closely by Cassidy, none of them noticing that Veronica hadn't moved an inch and that blood was now pooling around her head at an alarming rate.

"This is meant for Veronica," Duncan declared, horrified.

"Dear old Dad," Logan muttered bitterly.

"Veronica, we've gotta take this to the police." He glanced over at Veronica, realizing for the first time that she wasn't standing next to him. "Veronica?" He made his way over to her, eyes widening in terror and fear as he took in her unmoving body and the puddle of blood beside it. "Veronica!" he screamed, panicked, as he dropped to his knees next to her. "Somebody call an ambulance!" he yelled, reaching down and feeling for a pulse. Logan and Cassidy crowded around them, Logan dialing a number on his cell phone.

"C'mon, Veronica, wake up," Duncan pleaded with her. "Please be okay."

A siren wailed far off in the distance, more likely because of the broken window than their 911 call, as Logan had only just gotten through to the operator. After several minutes that seemed to stretch into hours, the police arrived, ambulance right behind them. The paramedics ran in, carrying a stretcher which they loaded Veronica onto, and hurried out. Duncan followed. "Let me come with you. She's my girlfriend."

The paramedic nodded and Duncan climbed in back. He looked back at his friends. Logan saw him looking and yelled, "A negative," just as the doors slammed shut.

"What's her blood type?" one of the paramedics asked a few minutes later.

Duncan blanched, and then realized what Logan had yelled to him. "A negative."

The paramedic nodded, obviously pleased he knew the blood type, and recorded it as they sped down the street, siren screaming. Internally, every part of Duncan begged Veronica to be strong, to pull through this. She had to. Aaron couldn't win again. Especially not like this, in exactly the same way he beat Lilly.