Disclaimer: I do not own Veronica Mars--RobThomas does. I am not trying to make any money off of this, so please don't sue me. Also, any characters, plotlines, and dialogue you recognize DO NOT belong to me. All the credit for those goes to Rob Thomas, The CW, and the writers of the show. Any original characters, plotlines, and dialogue are mine, so please do not anything without credit and/or permission. Thank you, and enjoy.

A/N: Seeing as this story is set during two actual episodes of the show, you will recognise some lines from both "A Trip to the Dentist" and "Leave it to Beaver." These are not mine, I don't claim that they're mine, so please do not comment that I am plagiarizing. I realize that they are the exact lines from the show, and I am giving these lines their due credit.

She couldn't get enough of him. For long moments, they kissed, their tongues tortuously dancing. At first it was teasing, fun.

When he made her stop, she pulled herself from him and sat on his lap while he lay there and told her that it was his fault that she couldn't remember losing her virginity.

In that moment, she trusted him so implicitly. He had volunteered that information. She hadn't had to investigate him and figure it out on her own. He wanted her to know that he had hurt her, and that he was sorry. It made her heart ache for a moment, but she understood his motives for drugging Duncan. It was something he had done out of friendship, and she couldn't hold that against him.

She could, however, hold it against Dick, whose motive was his teenage male sexual appetite. He was just as much of an ass as ever, and though his actions couldn't really surprise her, she wasn't in love with him and thus had no reason to forgive him like she was doing for Logan.

Veronica paused. The only Dick she wanted to be thinking about was the one she was currently sitting on. She let her anger for Logan's actions go, and felt her trust for him build.

The words he was speaking were so sweet. This man truly cared for her, she could tell.

She leaned down again, kissing him sweetly, filling it as much with forgiveness and understanding as passion.

Laying herself down on top of him once more, she opened her mouth up, allowing his tongue to invade it. He wanted her to trust him. She said she does. And she meant it.

She trusted him completely. Were there not twenty people partying in the main house a mere thirty feet from where their pool house tryst was taking place, she might have gone further. Further than him stroking her back gently, barely brushing the skin at her middle, wanting to move his hand under her shirt. Further than intensely making out on a bed in a secluded room.

The ease with which they transitioned from rounding second to laying next to him as he playfully moved off the bed to get them some liquor showed that they really were comfortable with each other.

But then he left her. He knowingly left Veronica Mars alone in a relatively unfamiliar place. Not the best idea. This is Veronica Mars, PI. Of course she's going to notice things most people wouldn't. Of course she's going to thoroughly examine her surroundings. Of course she's going to think the worst when she finds the hidden cameras, recording her very private rendezvous with her boyfriend.

It's generally understood in her line of work that people are guilty until proven innocent. It's not exactly what the law claims, but the law isn't exactly innocent either. So, when Veronica saw those cameras and snooped further to find the hidden place from where they were recording, her natural instincts kicked in.

How could Logan not know they were there. He's in the pool house constantly. He should have found them, unless they were his. It had to be him.

Veronica's trust in Logan vanished as quickly as her fall from grace in Neptune. She couldn't believe that she had trusted him. Him. Why had she gotten herself into this in the first place. Logan had been one of the cruelest people she knew when she was cast out from the 09ers.

Why had she ever trusted him in the first place? Why? She should have known better. Veronica wracked her brains for someone to call and pick her up. Dad… no, that would not end well. Logan would get his ass beat up and chewed up by Backup. Not that that would be all bad, but causing a scene would be. Plus, what would I tell him we were doing? Yeah Dad, I was just making out on a bed with Logan Echolls. I don't think so.

Duncan…no. He didn't look so happy when he left earlier.

Wallace…no. I just got his mom fired. Not really a great time to be asking him for favors, even after this afternoon.

Weevil…hmm. Probably a bit embarrassing, but I'm really running out of options here.

Veronica quickly took out her cell and dialed the number she had dialed so many times before. He was always there when she needed a favor, just like she was always there when he needed help.

He asked no questions, just where to pick her up.

She loved that about him. No judgments about where she was or why, just a look that said, "I'll never understand you".

When she glanced outside, she spotted Logan, drinks in hand, talking to Meg. She appeared angry and a bit startled. Probably something about Duncan. Any other time and Veronica would have gone to her friend to see what was bothering her, but she really didn't want to talk to Logan.

She hurried out of the pool house while Logan was occupied with Meg. Only a few steps away, Weevil was pulling up on his bike. He took his helmet off, and asked her steadily, "You okay?"

Loaded question.

No, she was not okay. She was so not okay. But, she nodded and told him, "Thanks for coming to get me."

He produced another helmet, from where she couldn't ascertain. She got on his bike quietly, putting on the helmet he handed her as she did so. He put a helmet on as well, and then started up his bike. They rode off, Veronica settling herself behind him and situating her arms around his waist. Except for the noise of the bike's engine, the ride was silent.

It seemed like a lifetime before they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. She had gone over what happened in the Echolls pool house until her head hurt. She didn't want to believe that Logan had put those cameras there to fulfill some sick male fantasy, but she didn't have another plausible explanation.

She thought so deeply about it that she didn't even realize when Weevil turned off his bike and carefully removed his helmet. "V," he said. "Everything alright? You seemed not so great back there."

She removed her helmet and sighed. "Not really, but I don't to talk about it right now."

He turned away, hurt. She saw his reaction and amended her statement. "It's not that I don't want to talk to you, Weevil, it's just that I'm still processing."

"Kay, V. I get it. It might help to process if you talk to someone about it though. And I'm thinking it might not be something you want to talk about with your dad."

A hint of a smile showed itself on Veronica's innocent face. "Yeah, you're right about that one."

"So. What did Echolls do this time?" Weevil asked her, head still turned towards her in a gentle tilt.

"Nothing. I mean, he didn't really do anything to me, it's just…"

"Come on, V, whatever it is, I'm here to help. I won't judge."

She sighed deeply. Veronica looked over at him to say, "Okay, but you're not gonna like it…" She shifted nervously, obviously uncomfortable on the bike now that it wasn't in motion. "I'm kind of uncomfortable, could we sit down or something?"

"Sure, V."

Weevil took hold of her helmet and placed it over one of the mirrors and then held her hand to steady her as she dismounted the bike. He let go of her hand and put the kick stand up so that the bike would stay in place.

When he stepped cautiously off the bike, he placed his own helmed on the seat. Veronica had her arms crossed over her chest, but he held out his arm and pulled her gently towards the nearest curb.

He sat down, adjusting his leather jacket. She seated herself on the curb, next to him but with a foot or so between them. Looking at the ground, she rested her arms over her knees.

"Logan was mad at me because I accused him of killing Lilly," she told him, and Weevil didn't respond well to this. He shook his head angrily, but Veronica cut in, "We made up earlier today after I figured out that it wasn't him after all. So we were okay. We were gonna go over to his house to…well, to make out, and when we got through the door his dad had planned a surprise party to make up for how bad a father he's been.

"Suffice to say that everyone was shocked to see pretty boy Logan Echolls kissing trailer trash outcast Veronica Mars. Logan was being a great boyfriend; he told Dick to leave, along with anyone else who had a problem with me. Duncan was really upset—he left almost right after we got there, and then he and Meg hashed it out because she thinks he is still in love with me. He might be my brother, though, so I really don't see a future with him," she added sarcastically. "Anyway, I found out some stuff about how I was— you know, I really don't think I should talk about this." Veronica had a sudden change of heart and quickly stood up, not wanting to tell Weevil about Shelly Pomroy's party last year. She wiped her hands on her jeans and linked her fingers together, as if that would help her find a way to explain.

"Look, V, if you really don't want to talk to me about it, you don't have to. You can just go into your apartment and act like everything's perfect around your dad and then cry yourself to sleep. Or you can get it off your chest and just tell me about it. I'm really not going to make fun of you or tease or mock you. And I won't hold whatever is going on against you. So what's it gonna be?" he finished, looking slightly disappointed, like he wished she would trust her more.

The look on his face made her crack. A lone tear ran down her cheek. She wiped it away without a word and then sat back down. "I'm sorry, Weevil, I don't mean to be insensitive and rude. Here's what happened: see, last year at Shelly Pomroy's party someone roofied my drink and, well I'm sure that you can probably guess what happened to me. Anyway, I found out a lot of what actually happened that night this week. Part of that included Logan, so we were talking about it mid make out session in his pool house, but he left for a minute to get some drinks for us. When he left, I found out that there were two hidden cameras in the pool house taping our little make out session in the bed. That's when I called you. I had just started to really trust Logan, and that wonderful discovery just freaked me out. So that's it. Well, that's the Cliff's Notes version of what happened. But you get the point," Veronica finished.

She still looked at the ground, waiting for him to say something. Anything. The silence was killing her.

Unlike their usual interaction, this exchange was quickly becoming all too serious. The safety they found in their banter had disappeared. It caused the night's silence to be amplified by their vulnerability and discomfort in the new atmosphere.

"God, V. That's horrible. I mean, it's awful what happened to you last year. Did you ever catch the son of a bitch that did that to you?"

"Well, apparently Duncan and I slept together. He might not have been the only one, though. A lot of guys were all over me that night, and I can barely remember a thing."

"You sure Echolls was taping you?"

"No. But, I mean, even if it wasn't him that put them there, he had to have noticed them at some point. One at least was incredibly obvious. If he didn't put them there, he must have at least know they were there. So I can't trust him either way."

Weevil nodded and looked down. "Sorry, V. That's sick, you know. Even with all my vices, I wouldn't ever do that to a girl without her knowing."

"Which? The raping or the taping? Pardon the rhyme."

Veronica's vulnerable side had disappeared and now sassy, smart, emotionally unavailable Veronica was back, wit and all.

"Both. Especially the former, though."

"Yeah, well, it's too bad you weren't at Shelly Pomroy's party, to stop all the fun having with the unconscious girl."

"Don't talk like that. It's not funny. You shouldn't joke about it."

"I shouldn't joke? It's the only way I can talk about this."

"C'mere, V," he motioned with his arm. She moved slowly closer to him, until he wrapped his arm around her in a loose half-hug. With him holding her, she could feel the strength in his arms.

He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You don't deserve to be treated like that, V."

She looked at him and smiled weakly. Then, with her free hand, she locked her fingers with his. She pulled him tighter around her and told him, "Thank you, Weevil, you've been great. I'm glad we talked."

"You tossing me out, Mars?"

She looked at him for a moment, and then silently brushed the barest of kisses on his soft mouth. She pulled away, still in his embrace, and held his gaze.

"No, just thanking you," she told him. "Stay as long as you like. I certainly wouldn't mind having you here."

He looked at her, puzzled, as if he were trying to find something in her eyes. "Are you inviting me in?"

"Maybe…"

"Yes or no, girl."

"Yes. Come in, talk to my dad a bit. He hasn't seen you in a while, and I think that he'd like this new side of you."

"It's not new, V. It's just a side I don't show to many people. Just my family."

"And Lilly, right?"

"You figured that out?"

"Please. I saw you crying at her memorial. Plus, it's my job to know these things."

"Yeah, well. She was a sweet girl. Might have loved her. She didn't love me back, though. She was just looking for a good time."

"That was Lilly."

"Yeah. Anyway, V, I should probably get going."

"You don't want to come in?"

The look on her face was inexplicable. Something he had never seen on her before. She was looking at him in an entirely different way. She looked like she wanted him.

"Next time."

"And that will be, when?"

"How about this Friday? We could go do something…"

"Are you asking me out?"

"Are you saying yes?"

"I think I am."

"Good," he affirmed. "Then I'll come talk to your dad when I pick you up. You like Italian food?"

"I love Italian food."

This time, he kissed her. It was short and sweet. No tongue, just innocent closed mouth kissing. He separated their hands and ran his fingers over her cheek softly. When they broke away, he ran his fingers lightly through her hair.

"What are we doing here, Veronica?"

Him using her full name caught her attention. She though for a moment. Am I cheating on Logan? We are technically still dating… but he video taped us. That has to merit a break up.

"Well, right now we're kissing. And, as of Friday, we'll be dating."

"You're such a smartass."

"You know it."

He smiled in response. Still fingering her hair, he asked quietly, "What about Logan?"

She bit her bottom lip.

Sighing, Veronica looked at him. "I might have loved Logan. But I couldn't trust him. Come tomorrow morning he'll probably be wondering why the hell I left tonight. I'm thinking avoidance would be the best response. I kinda don't want to talk to him. Part of me's afraid that he really did know that we were being taped, because that would mean everything we had was a lie, and part of me's afraid that he knew nothing about it."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to have a reason to go back to him. I want to see what happens here; I don't want to pass this up."

"That's sweet, V," he said, chuckling.

"Well, you know me. I'm notorious for my enchanting personality."

"Just like I am! What a coincidence," he deadpanned, smiling.

"Hey, anyone who witnessed this interaction knows that you're a big softie."

"Yeah, yeah." He grinned at her again, and repeated his earlier action. Their comfort level had returned to normal due to the banter, and so he felt confident in kissing her. This time it wasn't so sweet. More like the kisses one would expect from the leader of a biker gang who brags constantly about his sexual prowess.

Weevil removed his arm from around her shoulders so he could touch her with both hands. This time, he was rougher and more passionate, insistent on getting his tongue into her mouth. With one hand, he held the back of her head, and he wrapped the other around her waist.

For a few more seconds they kissed, and then she pulled away. "What was that?" she asked him, touching her lips and looking up at him.

"That was something to hold you over till Friday."

She laughed. He loved hearing her laugh. Most of the time they spent around each other was business related—no time for laughter. "I should probably go inside. I'm sure my dad's wondering where I am right now, or at least why I haven't called."

"Sure, V. I'll see you tomorrow at school, then."

"Bye, Weevil."

"Hey, not that it bothers me, but you don't have to call me Weevil if you don't want to. Eli works too."

Veronica nodded absently. Weevil kept on, "And if Logan or anybody bothers you at school tomorrow, you call me or come find me. I'll take care of it."

Even though Veronica didn't exactly want him to get in a fight with Logan or some other 09er over her, she certainly appreciated the gesture. And somehow, it made her feel safer.

"Thanks, Eli."

"I like how that sounds coming off your pretty little tongue."

"Good, cause I do too. You'll probably be hearing it a lot more."

"Er… at school, is it gonna be like this? Or just like normal?"

"You know, I think people can just think what they want to. We'll just be us. Just natural, like it always is. Whatever happens is fine with me."

"Okay then. Night, babe."

"You just call me babe?"

"You mind?"

She just shook her head and laughed as she turned around and walked through the gate and into the apartment complex.

In that instant, the discomfort disappeared and their familiar contact was re-established.

She turned around once, to wave at Weevil. He had put his own helmet on and stashed hers somewhere. When he started the bike up, she paused. He revved it a bit before taking off, waving at her as he passed.

She grinned and opened the apartment door, the sound of his bike fading into the distance.

Her father was sitting on the couch watching TV when she entered. "Hey honey, how was your evening?"

She leaned against the door frame, still considering what had just occurred outside with Weevil. "Earth to Mars! Veronica? You there?"

"Right, sorry dad. Let's just say my evening was… interesting." With that, Veronica pushed off the door frame and walked to her room.

After she closed the door, Keith turned back to the television screen, which held and image of a CSI rerun. "Teenagers," he said with a laugh.

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When Veronica awoke, the first thing she felt was joy. She smiled as she turned off her alarm clock, musing about her chat with Weevil the night before. Then, as she remembered why exactly she had been with Weevil, her joy faded.

What was going to happen at school today? Would Logan approach her and demand a reason for her leaving the night before? Or would he ignore her completely?

She shook her head to clear her mind, and then focused herself on getting ready for school.

When she arrived at Neptune High, her most favorite place on the planet, she parked her LeBaron in her usual spot. After turning the car off, she got out and grabbed her messenger bag. She locked her car and then headed towards her high school. She spotted Meg on the way and called out to her. At first Meg strangely ignored her.

Hoping that Meg just hadn't heard her, Veronica walked up to Meg and touched her shoulder. "Hey Meg," she greeted.

Meg turned to look at her finally, and then responded viciously, "Destroyed any other relationships since I last saw you?"

"Huh?" Veronica asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Look Veronica, I should really get inside." Meg's excuse seemed semantically apologetic, but her tone revealed otherwise. Meg didn't wait for Veronica's response, but instead turned on her heel (a pale pink pump) and walked away abruptly.

Veronica hurried into Meg's path and confronted her. "Homeroom isn't for another twenty minutes. What's going on, Meg? Is this about Duncan?"

"Of course it is. He's still in love with you! He flipped out at Logan's party, practically destroyed his car… we're not together anymore, and it's all your fault!" Meg's tirade ended in Meg breaking down into tears.

"Meg…whatever's going on with Duncan, it's not my fault. I haven't done anything to make him think that we could get back together. I'm not in love with him anymore, Meg. I've moved on." It hurt Veronica a bit to admit this. Whether she was referring to Logan or Weevil, or even both, she wasn't sure. While she had moved on, it didn't mean that seeing Duncan and Meg didn't hurt a little.

She had been uncomfortable around the couple to say the least, but telling Meg that now would only lead to more tears and yelling.

Somehow, after a few moments, Meg's tears lessened. Veronica put her arms around Meg for a minute to calm and comfort her. Meg quietly spoke, almost as if she were thinking out loud or even talking to herself: "It's just not fair, you know. He and I were really getting along great and things were perfect. We were really close, and then you show up making out with his best friend and suddenly he won't touch me. He got all violent, almost destroyed his car… he's so different. You might not have done anything, Veronica, but you don't need to. Just the fact that you kissed his best friend two years after you and Duncan broke up was enough to get him crazy jealous. He's in love with you, and that means I've lost him."

Veronica winced when Meg stated—well, implied—their intimacy, but still listened. When Meg had finished, Veronica pulled away and looked directly at her. "You haven't lost him," she told her friend. "He's just distraught. When he gets over this—and he will eventually get over it—he'll go back to loving you just like before. And the anger, well, Duncan's not perfect. He has some issues, and that's one of them. If you really love him, though, you'll be there for him and help him through it. That's not my job anymore. I've made it perfectly clear to Duncan that our time together is over, and I'll continue to drill that particular sentiment into his head until he finally gets it. You and Duncan are perfect together, Meg. Everyone knows it. Duncan just hasn't gotten the memo yet."

Meg had quieted and nodded soberly. "Sorry, Veronica. I know it isn't really your fault. I just…"

"It's okay, Meg. I get it."

"So, are we okay now?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I'm gonna try and avoid Duncan for a while until he cools off gets the whole 'Veronica doesn't want to be with me anymore' idea."

Meg nodded.

"Well, I guess I really should go inside now."

"Sure, I'll see you later, Meg."

Meg said a quick goodbye and headed inside the high school. Veronica followed after her, still thinking about Duncan.

Veronica snapped out of her reverie as she approached her locker. She did the combination, opened it, and got her books for her first few periods. Wallace met her there just as she was about to walk to first period. "Hey girl, how you doing?"

"Oh. Hey Wallace. Listen, I can't talk now, I've gotta get to 1st period. How about we talk between 2nd and 3rd in the girls room?"

"Yeah, sure. Hey, Veronica, you okay?""I'm fine," she assured him with a smile, and then walked away.

She was headed to the bathroom to meet Wallace when she spotted Logan. She had managed to avoid him earlier in the morning, and Wallace had noticed. She saw him headed to their meeting place and pulled him in quickly.

"What?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Everyone's staring at you, and you're not your usually chipper self. What's up, Veronica?"

"Just, well Logan and I sort of inadvertently came out as a couple at a party last night."

"What? You've been dating that son of a… oh, I should have known. That's why you used a tardy slip on him. I get it now. You're one of them again, aren't you?"

"No, Wallace, it's nothing like that. I was dating Logan because we liked each other, and I still hate the 09ers. Nothing has changed."

While she didn't realize she had been using the past tense regarding Logan, Wallace certainly noticed.

"What do you mean, you 'were dating' Logan? What, are you not dating him anymore?"

"No. I mean, well, not really. As far as he knows, yes. But not really, no."

"I hope that you realize that makes no sense whatsoever."

"Yeah, I know. I just, I can't really explain it right now Wallace. I'm still kind of figuring things out myself."

"Kay. That's cool. But, you know I'm always here if you wanna talk, right Veronica?"

"Yeah. You're a great friend, Wallace."

"You know it." She was looking at him funny. "What do you need me to do?" he asked with a smile.

"Go out there and tell me when Logan leaves?"

"Sure."

As Veronica walked past the shop area, she spotted Weevil talking to Felix animatedly. Veronica smiled to herself. The more she saw of Weevil, the more she liked him. She had never really chosen to look at him this way. And the more she thought about it, she realized how honest, loyal, and caring he really was.

In her musing and staring she failed to realize that Weevil had stopped looking at Felix and was now glancing at her with a smirk on his face. She smiled back and then continued walking.

During her free period, Veronica went to the Journalism room. She was working on a layout when Cassidy entered. She drifted in and out of listening to him as he told her about the fallacy of Logan's alibi. Why it caught her off guard she had no idea. Compartmentalize, Mars. Don't think about him as your (former?) boyfriend. He's a suspect now, so just forget about everything else except the facts.

When Cassidy left, Veronica headed out of the Journalism room. The hallway was practically deserted, but she spotted Logan at his locker. He looked up and saw her, and she knew she owed him something. She couldn't run now.

At the same time, though, she didn't want to break up with him. The news about the very distinct possibility that he killed her best friend and his girlfriend made her want to not upset him. She made her excuses about the night before and told him she needed a few days to do 'whatever.' It was all she could think to do. She needed to stall until she could get more information about his involvement with Lilly's murder, and until she could figure out how to break up with him.

When he left, Veronica took out her cell phone and called her dad. "It's me. I just ran into Logan… I know, I know, I couldn't help it. He's trying to pin it on Duncan. Any news on Tijuana?"

On the line, Keith told her, "The Border Patrol got back to me. Logan's car crossed the border at 8:57 am on the day Lilly was murdered. Beaver was telling the truth."

Veronica responded, "He had plenty of time to get back to Neptune and kill her. Okay, I'll see you later."

"Hey," Keith said, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm fine." She tried to sound convincing.

He told her he loved her and she replied similarly.

As she turned off the phone, Weevil stepped out of the dark room behind her. She turned slightly towards him. He did not look happy.

"That's not what it sounded like," she protested.

He shook his head. "It sounded a lot like Logan killed Lilly." He approached her, stopping a little less than a foot away from her.

"No, Weevil, he just might have killed Lilly. Please don't do anything to Logan. I want to prove it legally, if it was him." She put her phone back in her bag.

He leaned back against the doorway. She walked closer to him, and kissed him softly, their lips barely brushing against each other.

He sighed. "Fine, V. I won't kill Echolls."

"Thank you. Hey, are you okay? It's gotta be hard for you. You loved her, and now you might know who killed her."

"It's tough. But it helps knowing that if Echolls did kill her, I'm gonna return the favor."

"After I prove it. You do absolutely nothing until I prove it."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey, seeing as I'm sure you heard every bit of my conversation with Logan, you get why I lied to him, right? And why I haven't broken up with him?"

"I get it."

She sighed in relief. "Good. I just didn't want you to think… I'm not… I'm with you now. He just doesn't know it yet."

He kissed her this time, pulling her into the classroom. He leaned her up against the wall and tilted his head forward until it touched hers. He held her up, and she felt safe in his arms. She dropped her messenger bag to the floor and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. His body made her feel safe.

With her fingers she traced the crown tattoo on his neck, and he leaned down and kissed hers softly.

"This is right," he told her. She nodded as he kissed her once again, this time with tongue.

It got a bit heated, and the warmth from both of their bodies pressed together made her a bit dizzy, in a good way. As the passion subsided, their kissed returned to short, open mouthed ones, as he pulled away a little so he wasn't pressing her so forcefully against the wall. She smiled at him, and tilted her head.

"Hey, are you gonna bring your bike on Friday to pick me up?"

"I was planning on it. Why, do you want me to borrow a car or something?"

Wide eyed, she objected, "No! No."

"Well, well, someone seems a little eager to take a ride on my hog…" he commented, eyebrows raised, grinning.

She tried not to blush and failed. "No, it's just, I was checking. You know, I in case I was thinking of wearing a skirt."

"Wear a skirt. Definitely wear a skirt. If it flies up while we're riding, all the better."

She shook her head and smiled at him. "It's not like you could actually see anything. I'll be behind you. Where are we going, anyway?"

"Anxious for Friday, aren't we?"

"Well, yeah, aren't you?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her again. "Were you not you in that classroom with me a minute ago? Cause you should have noticed how anxious I am for our date."

She smiled once again at him, and he noticed how for the first time in a while, the smile really seemed to reach her eyes.

She looked at the clock in the hallway and frowned apologetically at him. "I should go. Don't do anything to Logan. Let the police handle it." Then, to herself, "I can't believe I actually just said that. Who knew I'd actually be wanting Lamb to take care of something?"

She shook her head and kissed him one last time. "I'll see you later, V. Be careful if you run into Echolls again."

"Don't worry. If everything goes right, my dad will have Lamb pick up Logan before school's over today. I'll be fine." She touched his shoulder as she walked past him and left for her next class.

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She had known all along that Keith Mars was her father. Sure, she hadn't opened up any DNA testing results like he had, but she knew with the same certainty that he was her dad. So signing away her right to sue the Kanes had been easy.

When she got home from the Mars Investigation office, her father was still at work but her mother was home. While her mom was in the bathroom, Veronica took a sip of the water bottle her mother had left on the counter. She spit it out into the sink immediately. Vodka.

She put the bottle back where Lianne had left it and went to the fridge, taking out some orange juice to wash the vodka flavor out of her mouth. That was when Logan called. She tried to sound supportive and helpful, but inside she was frightened. So, he obviously didn't know yet that she and her father had turned him in, but what would he do when he did find out?

She sat down on the couch, holding her head in her hands.

Lianne came out of the bathroom. "Oh, hey honey. Did you just get home?"

"Yeah, mom."

"Do you want a snack or anything, honey?"

"No thanks, Mom. I'm just gonna take Backup for a walk."

"Okay, honey."

"But first, mom, you need to leave."

"What, Veronica?"

"You need to go. I know that you're still drinking, mom. I know that you wasted all of my college money. Now I just need you to go. Now, please, mom. You can't be in our lives like this."

Lianne stared at her daughter in shock. Then, quietly, she went into the master bedroom. It took all of five minutes for her to gather her things. All the while Veronica sat on the couch, nearly in tears.

When Lianne came out, Veronica approached her. "I love you, mom. I always will. Now, where's your key?"

Lianne took a house key out of her pocket and placed it quietly in Veronica's hand. Veronica clasped it in her fist as she handed her mother the water bottle containing vodka.

Then, Veronica opened the door and stood by it. She looked down. Lianne kissed her forehead as she walked outside. Veronica closed and locked the door behind her.

She sunk down to the floor and took out her cell phone. Dialing her the Mars Investigation phone number, she collected herself.

When her father picked up the phone, she told him, "Hey dad. Listen, I know that you broke the news about mom to Alicia earlier. I need you to get her back. You love her."

Keith was puzzled. "Honey, I did what was best for our family. With your mother back,"

"Mom's gone," she interrupted. "She's still sick, dad. She had vodka in her water bottle. She's still an alcoholic. So I told her to go. We deserve so much better. You deserve so much better."

Keith was silent in disbelief for a moment. "Are you okay, Veronica?"

"As well as can be expected after kicking one's mother out of the house."

"I'll be home soon, honey, I just need to finish something up here. I'm waiting on a call from Lamb about Logan."

"No, dad. It's okay. I'm gonna take Backup to Dog Beach and then we'll be back. I want you to stop worrying about me. Go see Alicia. Get on your knees and beg for her to take you back. Use me as an excuse. Tell her I just wanted you and mom to get back together, and how young and naïve I was for thinking my parents would get back together and be happy. Tell her you love her."

"I love you, Veronica. You're the best daughter a father could ask for."

"Yeah, I am pretty awesome. Now go. Get your girl."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The beach wasn't crowded. A few surfers milled around; some people lounged on towels on the flat beach as the wind roared.

She looked around as she led Backup on his daily walk. Her hat his some of the sunlight from her face and held her hair down, but she fiddled in her messenger bag anyway, searching for her sunglasses. Giving up on the search, she removed her hand from her bag as Logan came up behind her, his voice carrying in the wind, "So I guess we broke up, huh?"

She sighed and turned, looking at him, then kept walking. Backup was restless, and she was antsy. Being around Logan with so few people around after he presumably was just questioned by Sheriff Lamb (and probably just found out exactly who turned him in) made her nervous. She didn't think that he'd actually hurt her, but then again she had thought that he wasn't capable of murder and now she wasn't so sure.

"What do you want me to say, Logan?"

"Logan, I'm gonna go home and put my head in an oven because I can't go on living knowing what a heartless bitch I am! Something like that," he told her angrily.

"So you're saying you want me dead?" Veronica asked, not really wanting to hear his response.

"No," he told her incredulously. "No. I want to know why you think I killed Lilly, and why you wouldn't just come to me for an explanation instead of going to the police."

"I can't trust you," she told him. "I didn't come to you for an explanation because I can't trust you."

"I thought you did. You told me you did. What happened, Veronica? Why don't you trust me?"

"I found the cameras, Logan."

"What cameras?"

"The ones in the poolhouse bedroom. Those cameras."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Veronica."

She ignored him and continued. "And you lied to me about Lilly. If you had told me in the first place that you came back to see her, I might have trusted you. But no, I had to find out from Beaver."

"I couldn't. I couldn't tell you. I was scared of this happening. I was probably the last person to see her alive, other than the murderer. I have nothing, no proof that I didn't do it." He looked so ashamed and sad. She couldn't be sure, but in that moment she didn't think he killed her.

While she stood there silently, he launched into an explanation, "I... I knew Lilly was seeing someone."

Veronica nodded and muttered, "Weevil."

"It was driving me crazy. When I left for Neptune, I didn't know if I was gonna scream at her for treating me like dirt or beg her to take me back. Then, I saw her at the car wash."

"I didn't see you there," she told him.

"Well, I just parked across the street and watched her. And this feeling came over me, you know, I don't... I don't know how to describe it, but I just knew it was over. So I sat in my car and wrote this note to her, explaining it."

"Did you give it to her?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah, I left it in her car."

"With a shot glass?" she queried.

He looked at her as if to say "How would you know that?" and then actually responded, "Yeah, with a shot glass. If you read that letter, you'd know I'd never hurt her." I'd never hurt you, his eyes said.

"Do you know where the letter is? The shot glass was found in her car, but no note."

"No. I left it in her car, I don't know where else it would be."

She sat down in the sand. Logan sat down in the sand next to her. She took off Backup's leash but left his collar on. He ran towards the water. She knew he'd find his way back. "I know that Lilly must have seen the note. She got a speeding ticket the day she died, so she must have driven her car and thus seen said note. But what would she have done with it?" Veronica mused.

Logan blinked a few times and then told her, "She might have put it in her air vent."

"Maybe, but then why would she leave the shot glass in the car? It doesn't make sense."

"I don't know. I don't understand. Maybe we should check Lilly's air vents anyway. We don't have to explain why she didn't take the shot glass in, just that she had the note."

"Okay. Do you have a plan," he asked her.

"I do. Do you want in on it?"

"If it'll help prove I didn't kill Lilly, then yeah."

"Fine. But Logan," she began, and he looked at her. "Even if you didn't kill Lilly, it has to be over between us. I'll still hang out with you and help you out, but I'm not going to date you anymore."

He nodded sullenly and replied, "Because you can't trust me."

"That, and something else," she told him. "I'm telling you this now because I don't want you to pull a Duncan. I'm seeing someone else."

He looked at her in surprise. "Already? Or--you weren't seeing him while we were dating, were you?"

"No. He took me home from your house last night."

"Who? Wait, no, let me guess. It's not Duncan. Not Wallace. Okay, I'm out of ideas."

"Weevil."

He looked at her. He stared at her. And then, calm as she had even seen him, he asked her, "What is so special about him? Lilly left me for him, and now you're leaving me for him. What is it about him? Or is it something about me?"

She could tell he was trying to appear strong and indifferent, but his tone of voice betrayed his hurt.

"I think Lilly was with him for the danger element."

"And you? What do you see in him?"

"I can't explain it, Logan."

"Fine. So what's this plan of yours?" he asked, voice laced with sarcasm.

"You wanna meet the governor?"

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They were quite the pair. She had on a dark curly wig and glasses, and his hair was dyed dark brown. He, too, wore glasses. While her disguise was fairly convincing, anyone who looked too closely at Logan would know exactly who he was.

They moved towards Lilly's room, Veronica staying about 10 feet behind Logan so that it didn't look obvious they were going to the same place.

While Veronica opened the air vent in Lilly's room, she noticed that one of the screws was already very loose, like someone had almost opened it before she got there.

Logan stood near her as she stood on the chair. He looked around the room sadly. "Is there anywhere else it could be?"

"I don't think so. The police already took an inventory of her room, so we would know if they found a letter from you in here. The air vent is the only place where the police probably wouldn't think to look," she replied, taking three tapes out of the air vent, along with a letter.

"Is this it?" she asked Logan, handing him the folded piece of paper.

He opened it and read a few lines. "Yeah, this is it." He looked at her as she climbed off the chair. "What're those?"

"No idea. Can I read the note?"

"Here. Hopefully now you'll believe me."

She glanced at him, frowning, and then read the letter he wrote to Lilly. When she had finished, she looked at him, and tears were visible in her eyes. "Okay," she told him. "This should prove your innocence."

"What about the tapes? Should we see what's on them?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, just in case. They might have something to do with all of this."

"Well, I know Duncan has a camera that could play these. We could go find him."

"Hmm. Well, neither of us is exactly on good terms with him right now, but this could be important. Did you see him out there?"

"Yeah. I'll go grab him. Okay, I'll meet you in his room."

She headed out of Lilly's room and toward Duncan's. Logan left after her. She was in Duncan's room for only a minute before Duncan entered followed by Logan, who closed the door after him.

Duncan did not look happy, but he got out his camera anyway. "We're not dating anymore, man. You can stop hating us both now," Logan told his former best friend.

Duncan paused in setting up the camera to look at Veronica. "You didn't have to do that."

"That's not why we broke up, Duncan."

"Whatever," he replied. "Okay. Now where are those tapes?" Veronica gave him the first one, and he put it into the camera.

On the screen, the first tape showed Lilly on the day she died. She discovered the cameras, and then the screen went fuzzy.

Duncan took it out and put in the next one after Veronica handed it to him. Duncan proclaimed it was dated October 1st. It showed Lilly in the throes of sex. After realizing exactly what was happening, Duncan looked away. Logan kept watching. "That's not me," he said, his voice cracking.

The tan skin of the man under Lilly gave Logan the impression that it was Weevil she was in bed with, so when Lilly was rolled over to reveal Aaron Echolls having sex with her, Logan's eyes went wide. He backed away, almost tripping over the bed.

Veronica was speechless. She was running through her mind what could have happened. Aaron killed Lilly. She found the cameras and took the tapes the day she died. He found out and followed her. When she was smart with him, he hit her in the head with an ashtray, killing her. Then he ran, and Duncan found her.

They all sat down on the bed, seemingly staring into space as they considered the magnitude of the situation.

"Could he really do it?" Duncan asked.

"He's psychotic. We watched him beat a guy into a bloody mess and then ask Logan how his school day was. He beats Logan, you know?" Veronica told him, and Logan nodded numbly, looking down.

"He's here. Now. He came to meet the governor," Duncan informed her.

Logan looked up, glanced at Veronica, and then announced, "I'm going to kill him."

Veronica stood up, walked in front of Logan, and put her hands on his shoulders. "You're not going to kill him. You're going to come with me, and I'm going to drive us to the sheriff's office. We're going to tell them everything. You'll be exonerated and your dad will be brought into custody. That's how it's going to work. You can get revenge later. Right now Lilly's killer needs to be brought to justice."

He shook his head to clear his tears, not wanting to cry in front of Veronica and Duncan.

"Fine," he said, standing up. "Let's go." Veronica told Duncan to keep Aaron in his sight at all times.

Then, as Logan was leaving the room, Veronica turned and told Duncan, "My dad had a paternity test. I'm not your sister." Logan turned and looked incredulously at the both of them.

They said their goodbyes to Duncan and surreptitiously showed themselves out.

They got into Veronica's car, and as Veronica began driving to the police station, she took out her phone and called her father, telling him that she had proof that Logan was innocent and his father was guilty. Then, just as she was putting her phone away, she had an idea and got it back out. No time like the present, she thought.

Dialing Weevil's number, she put the phone to her ear and continued driving. "Hey," she greeted as he picked up. "It's me."

Logan looked over at her. The tone of her voice (soft, caring) made him (correctly) assume that she was speaking to Eli "Weevil" Navarro. He sighed.

"Listen, I just want to make sure that you know that Logan didn't kill Lilly. Now you don't have to kill him...Yes I do have proof...Yeah, it was his dad...They were sleeping together..." her voice got softer, almost as if to soothe him. "I'm so sorry, I know you loved her...Yes, Logan's with me right now. We're going to the police to give them the evidence...Okay, I will. Bye."

She put the phone away and turned to Logan. "He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry about Lilly and your dad."

"Yeah, well, we all are," he responded, turning toward the window.

They reached the police station, and Veronica parked her car. When they went inside, Veronica was dismayed to find Leo at the counter. When he saw Veronica and Logan approach together, he cleared his throat and smiled at them. "Hey Veronica, Mr. Echolls. What do you need?"

She could tell his smile was forced. And after breaking up with him because of Logan, she really didn't blame him.

"Here's the thing, Leo. We have proof," she said as she held up the letter and the tapes, "that Logan here didn't kill Lilly Kane, and that his father probably did."

Leo looked at her, eyebrows raised as if he didn't believe her, but waved them back anyway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So, what you're telling me is that this letter will prove that Logan Echolls did not kill Lilly Kane."

"Yes, Sheriff, that is exactly what I'm telling you."

"Well, Ms. Mars, as sentimental as this note is, all it proves is that Logan loved Lilly. He still could have killed here."

"Nope. He couldn't have killed her, because his father did. Watch the tapes."

"Fine."

Sheriff Don Lamb put the tapes into a camera the station had hooked up to a television screen.

He went through the two tapes that Duncan, Logan, and Veronica had watched. The third tape, which the group had not viewed, contained more footage of Aaron and Lilly doing the dirty.

"Okay. I so did not need to see that again," Logan stated, wincing.

"Well, I think that sufficiently proves that at least, Aaron Echolls is guilty of statutory rape. Note that that tape is dated the day Lilly was murdered," Veronica informed the sheriff cheekily.

She then shared her theory with him about Lilly's death. He frowned and told the two of them to leave, that he would take care of things from here.

As they left, Veronica and Leo said goodbye. When they were out of the building, Veronica told Logan, "You know, I dumped him for you."

"Some good that did."

"Yeah, well... I should take you home."

"No, I really don't wanna go home right now. Not until they take my dad into custody. Maybe not even after that."

"Sure, I get it," she assured him. "I'll take you to the Neptune Grand. You have a credit card on you, right?"

He nodded his assent.

They headed towards her car and were about to get in when Keith Mars pulled up. "Hey honey," he greeted as he exited his car. "Logan."

"Hey Dad. Whatcha doing here?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay here. In case Lamb gave you a hard time."

"Thanks, Dad, but he was actually not that much of a jackass tonight."

"Well, at least he's improving. You gonna head home now?"

"Yeah, I was just gonna take Logan to the Neptune Grand."

"Oh, Logan, I'll take you. Veronica, honey, you go on home."

"Okay. Don't kill Logan, please. Logan, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Veronica drove the LeBaron home to find that Weevil's motorcycle was in the parking lot. She got out of her car, locked it, and went to the apartment to find him sitting outside her door. When she approached, he smiled and stood up.

"Hey."

"Hey. What're you doing here?"

"Happy to see me? I figured that you had a long, stressful day and might need someone to talk with about it."

"You figured right." She took out her key and opened the door. He paused in the doorway.

"Aw, V, we haven't even had our first date yet. I don't know if I should come in," he said with a smile, before entering and shutting the door behind him.

Veronica set down her bag and then went straight to the freezer. She took out a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream and proceeded to scoop some out into a bowl. After putting the ice cream away, she got two spoons out of a drawer and went to sit on the couch. She patted the space beside her.

Weevil took off his leather jacket to reveal a navy blue wife beater. He sat to her right. When he sat down, she saw his tattoo. He put an arm around her and took one of the spoons from her hand, scooping out a generous helping of ice cream and eating it. While he had the ice cream in his mouth, Veronica commented, "I didn't know you tattooed her name on you. I didn't know she meant that much to you."

He swallowed the ice cream and told her, "I was just really upset. She didn't love me, you know, but I felt she deserved to be remembered in some special, really dramatic way."

She nodded understanding and kissed his cheek softly, right in front of his ear.

She also got a bite of ice cream and ate it, licking the spoon clean afterwards.

He chuckled. "You don't have to try so hard. You look hot just eating ice cream normally."

"Oh, I know." She grinned. "I just thought you deserved a little something extra."

"Well, thanks."

"You're welcome," she responded, taking another bite of the frozen treat.

For a few minutes they ate, sharing glances and talking about the day.

When the ice cream was gone, Veronica moved to get up from the couch and put the dishes in the sink. He held on to her hips so she couldn't get up. She giggled. "Hey," she protested.

"Just, stay here a minute." She set the bowl down on the coffee table.

"Kay." She faced him and really looked at him. He had that powerful, really well built figure that made her feel safe when he held her. His shoulders were broad, his neck thick and strong. She titled her head.

"I love it when you do that," he told her, smiling.

"Good, cause you'll be seeing it a lot."

"God, I hope so."

They kissed for a minute or so, it never getting too passionate lest her father walk in. She knew he would be home soon, and so after a few more moments of bliss, she pulled away from him. "You should go. I would rather have my dad find out about us when I tell him than when he walks in and finds us nearly horizontal on the couch making out."

"Agreed. I'll see you tomorrow. 7 o'clock okay?"

"Sure. We'll have that little chat with my dad and then go on whatever excursion you've got planned." She sounded excited. He put his jacket back on and moved towards the door.

"Okay. Bye, V."

She kissed him one last time. "Bye."

She closed the door after him and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his mouth on hers before the sensation disappeared. Then she put the dishes in the sink and went into her pajamas to get ready for bed. She was tired.

Plus, the sooner she went to bed, the sooner she could wake up, and then it would be Friday.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day went by so fast. Everyone was buzzing about Logan's dad. All she heard was goosip about how he had killed the famous Lilly Kane, and how they had been having an affair, and how Logan was allegedly taking it. It sickened her. She was sure that Logan was hurting badly; he was probably channeling it into sarcasm, making him into even more of a pychotic jackass.

She understood now, though, why he acted the way he did. No one endured what he had without coming away from it somewhat changed, damaged.

Even though all the school was talking about was Logan, she couldn't seem to find him anywhere. He was probably skipping today to avoid all the prattle by Neptune High's nosiest. It was Friday, anyway, so he wasn't missing much.

She was also on people's radar. She and Duncan and Logan. Somehow the press had already gotten hold of the story and so she was now credited for solving the Lilly Kane murder case.

She ignored people, mostly. More than usual. One kid, a sophomore girl, approached her for help finding the person who stole boxes of Girl Scout Cookies from her locker. She found them within ten minutes of the girl asking for help. An easy $50.

She also talked to Wallace. He seemed to be the only one treating her normally at the school. He told her, "Your dad came over to our house yesterday. You know, my mom was crushed after they split, but when he came over... I don't know what he said but I didn't come out of my room for an hour, they were making out on the couch. Looks like things might be this way for a while."

"I hope so," she told him. And she did. As much as she was disappointed about her mom, and as much as the thought of her dad and Wallace's mom making out grossed her out, and as wierd as it was thinking she might some day be Wallace's sister, she really wanted her dad to be happy. And Alicia made him happy, so she would deal.

The thing she remembered most about the day was when she and Wallace were eating lunch at their table and Weevil just up and sat down next to her. She was surprised, as were the PCH bikers over at their table. When he pulled her towards him on the seat and kissed her hard on the mouth, putting an arm around her as he picked at her fries, almost everyone outside stared in shock.

For a moment it was very quiet, then the natural roaring buzz of lunch time took over again, and everything was back to normal. Wallace raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When 7 o'clock came around, she was dressed and ready. Instead of taking up Weevil's suggestion of wearing a skirt, she had chosen a dress. It fell about four inches above her knee and was sleeveless. The dress was black with a somewhat deep v-neck. It had a thin pink ribbon around it just under the bust line. She wore with it some comfortable pink kitten heels and a casual red jacket to dress it down a bit. When she came out of her room, her dad was settling down on the couch to watch tv.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Am I missing something here?" he asked, taking in her wardrobe.

"Oops. Did I forget to mention I have a date tonight?" Veronica grinned guiltily.

"Yes, you did. Logan?"

"You knew that I was dating Logan?"

"Honey, I know everything."

"Then I suppose you know we broke up on Wednesday. And I would then suppose that you know who I'm going out with tonight." She smiled at him, knowing he had no idea.

He shook his head.

She grinned, and then (perfect timing!) Weevil knocked.

She walked quickly to the door to avoid her father doing it instead. When she opened it, Weevil took her in from head to toe. He mouthed 'gorgeous' and gave her a kiss on the cheek as he stepped inside.

He was dressed in some khaki pants and a blue short sleeve dress shirt with his leather jacket on over it.

She closed the door and took his arm, pulling him gently toward her father, who was staring at them incredulously from the couch.

"Dad," she began, "I'm sure you'll remember Eli Navarro, my date. Well, my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," her father repeated, frowning.

"Sheriff," Weevil greeted.

"Eli," he replied, still frowning. "Veronica, are you su--"

"Yes, Dad, I'm sure about this. More sure about this than I've been about anything in a long while. So please, don't make this hard."

Sighing, Keith watched as Weevil put his arms around Veronica and she settled into his embrace. She looked so happy. "Fine," he said. "But if you hurt her I'll--"

"Sheriff, if I hurt her, which I have no intention of doing, I'll do whatever you're thinking to myself. I really care about your daughter," he told the former sheriff before glancing at Veronica.

"Thanks Dad. Don't wait up," she exclaimed, grabbing her bag and heading out the door before her father could protest her statement, pulling Weevil out with her.

She smiled at him as he handed her a helmet. He got on the bike and put his own helmet on. She got on behind him, placed her bag over her shoulder and in her lap, made sure her shoes wouldn't fall off, and put her arms around him, holding him close.

As he pulled out of the parking lot, she kissed his shoulder and squeezed legs around his more tightly. She moved her hands lower so that she was now holding his abdomen. He shivered slightly and she could feel it. She smiled.

And when they pulled up to Dog Beach on that relatively windless night to find a picnic complete with plastic wine glasses and carry out Italian food, she knew she had made the right decision. Being with Eli "Weevil" Navarro was right.