Title: Say it Again
Summary: LoVe. Reworking the scene in the series finale, an interruption completely changes the outcome of Veronica's "you're out of my life" speech. revised
Disclaimer: Rob Thomas created the characters, but I love 'em more.
A/N: well, here comes another post-finale fic. just my way with dealing with the anti-LoVe ending (yes i realize there was that longing look between them, but thats just not enough for me) of the series. you should expect some season 1/ complete au fic from me in the future though, because that is by far my favorite. I also want to note that Parker may seem a little oc here, but in my defense I thought her anger in the actual finale, though not unfounded, was also out of character. Some of the lines in this story are also actually from the real episode, but only a little bit, and all in the beginning before I spin off in my own direction. Now, on with the story.
Say it Again
With each passing second that the elevator neared his floor, Veronica grew angrier. There was never a time in her life when she had been so furious. And as the doors opened and she stormed down the hall towards his room, she felt as if she'd completely lost control of her own body. He remotions now had complete control over her.
She raised her hand to knock on his door, realized it was shaking, and then lowered it. When she raised her fist to the door a second time, she had hardened her resolve.
In order to do what must be done, she must be void of all emotion. She came to do one thing only, and she could not let her heart get in the way. That would be weak, and Veronica Mars was anything but weak.
Dick was the one to answer her knock. Warning him that he would be next, she stormed into past him into Logan's room.
He was lying on his stomach on his bed, pretending to read a magazine. Had the situation been any different, she would have found his sudden need to read Oprah Magazine completely hilarious.
But he wasn't really paying attention to the article on how to get the perfect abs for beach season. It was his shield. His shield from the fight he'd known was coming. It had been inevitable, and he'd sensed her anger and presence before Dick had even opened their door.
She stood in his doorway, waiting for him to acknowledge her. He knew she was there, and she knew that he knew.
Patience had never been either one of their strong suits, but it was Logan who had more to loose in this situation.
So it wasn't suprising that Veronica was the one to give in first. Sighing to show how put out she felt, her first words were biting and accusing. "He's having trouble breathing because of his ribs. He got five stiches over his eye."
"Well... that's unfortunate."
She didn't know if it was his careless, sarcastic retort, or the fact that he didn't even look up from the magazine that bothered her more.
Frustrated, she picked up the closest object to her, which happened to be a pen from his dresser, and threw it at him. It hit him between the shoulder blades, and seemed to have the desired affect of finally gaining his full attention.
He put down the magazine, and sat up on the end of his bed. His eyes were dark with anger, but other than that, his expression was completely unreadable.
"Only five, huh? He got lucky." He smirked. Even when it was his own ass on the line, he couldn't help but bait her. He was right, and he was sure of it.
"You're a lunatic!"
"You didn't know he was taping you?"
She hated the way his voice sounded in this instance. The accusation was so condescending. For a second, she let herself wonder if that had been the tone she'd used when they were together more often than not. She wondered if it hurt him as much as this had hurt her. Her gut was telling her yes.
But she hadn't come here to feel guilty about the past. She'd come to make him feel guilty about the present.
"Because he didn't!"
"Oh come on, Veronica! Who else would have or could have done that?"
"Here's what I know," She stated. "It wasn't Piz, and it could not be less of your business."
That was a lie. She wanted to believe it, but it didn't change the falsety in that statement. It was still completely his business. It was partially her own fault for not completely cutting him out of her life, but even that wouldn't have changed things that much.
As long as he still cared, it would always be his business. As long as he was still Logan, and she was still Veronica, there was no way he would be cut out of her life for good. But that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't try.
"Aren't we trying to be friends? As your friend, I was angry at what happened to you. Someone's always supposed to pay, right? Isn't that the rule we live by?"
He'd always been good at arguing his point. But expressing the reasoning behind his actions was not what Veronica needed right now.
She couldn't listen because she needed to do this. Needed to free herself from the emotional rollercoaster she had been riding these past few months.
"We tried to be friends, and it didn't work. This is the moment Logan, right now... where it is just done."
She wasn't finished yet though. She had to completely rip the band-aid off. Had to say it all before she lost both the courage and the willpower to. But the words 'you're out of my life' died on her lips as she heard a sarcastic laugh from the doorway.
Veronica turned to see Parker leaning against the doorway, arms crossed. At the silence of the two inside the room, the other blonde rolled her eyes and entered.
"By all means, don't let me interrupt you guys. Did I make it in time for the good part, or did you two kiss and make up already?"
Veronica glared at Logan, still seething with anger, him staring back at her. "Trust me, not why I'm here," she responded through gritted teeth.
Parker just rolled her eyes. "You two just don't get it, do you? You're just one of those couples that are always together, even when you're broken up! You still argue with him like you're having a lover's spat, and you still go around beating up anyone that dares to hurt her! The only difference between when you're off and when you're on is the sex!" As if her words weren't biting enough, the tall blonde was waving her arms around for emphasis.
Veronica and Logan just continued to glare at one another, giving no indication that they'd even been listening. This seemed to frustrate Parker even more. "Thats it! I've had enough! Just deal with your damn issues, because you're not just hurting each other here!"
Parker walked briskly towards the door, only to turn around and put in one last word. "PS. Logan, we just broke up."
At this, Logan's head did snap in her direction, as he watched her exit his bedroom and then the suite, slamming the door behind her.
When he turned back towards Veronica, his gaze was burning, his anger emnating from the hard set of his jaw. "Thanks. Alot."
Veronica's mouth dropped open as she took a step closer to him. "How exactly is this my fault?"
"Because you wanted this to happen! You just can't stand to see me happy!"
"Maybe I just can't stand seeing you happy with someone else!" Now it was Logan's turn to look shocked.
Veronica quickly recovered from that verbal slip-up however. She hadn't completely forgotten why she was there. "You can't honestly think you can blame me for Parker ending things! Its not my fault you're such a screw up! It's not my fault you've screwed up every relationship you've ever had!"
She'd gone too far. She knew it the second the words had left her mouth.
He stood for a moment, just staring before finally uttering, "Get out."
His voice had barely been above a whisper, but the second time he commanded her to leave, he had reached an angry yell. "Get. Out!"
Veronica just stood there, gaping at him. The last time he had screamed at her like this had been when she'd broken up with him the summer before their senior year. She had been doing the right thing back then, but there was no such reassurance for her now.
"You have no right to say that what happened between us was my fault! You were the one always pushing me away!"
At this point Veronica was shaking. Not out of fear of him, but out of fear of finally hearing the truth. Finally hearing what he had to say.
"Whenever we got close, you'd just push me away again! Every little mistake I made was immediately thrown back in my face! You made me feel like dirt even though all I ever did was love you! And I want to know why Veronica! Why'd you always have to make me feel like such shit? You never put all your other boyfriends through that type of hell!"
"My other boyfriends weren't you Logan!"
"What the hell does that mean, Veronica? I really want to know what it is about me that makes it okay to be constantly dumped on! I mean, Piz possibly makes a sex tape of you, and you can't even enteratain the fact that he had something to do with it. Troy hooks up with strippers in Mexico, you don't even mention it to him. Leo steals the Lilly tapes, and its all my fault that they're destroyed. And then Duncan. My asshole of a best friend cheated on you and then lied about the fact that his ex-grilfriend was pregnant with his baby! But then you helped him kidnap said baby and run off to God knows where!"
Logan's anger was building, if that was even possible. "So I want to know why Veronica! What is it about me that makes it okay for you to put me down so much? To punish me for every little mistake I make?"
"Because I love you, you jackass!" As Logan's mouth dropped open, Veronica didn't give him time to respond. It was her turn to rant. "And everything would be so much easier if I didn't, because every mistake you make wouldn't hurt me so damn much!"
As the realization of what she had just admitted came, Veronica's eyes widened. After of moment of silent shock between them, she made for the door, ready to run away.
But Logan made it there before her, blocking her exit. They stood in that position for a moment, Logan with each of his arms stretched out to block the doorway, and Veronica with her head hung, eyes studying the carpet below her. Her hand came up to wipe away a solitary tear which had fallen down her cheek.
When Logan spoke, her gaze remained on the floor, her eyes practically burning a hole in the rug. He needed her to look at him. The vulnerable moments in which their gazes met had always been so powerful and intense, that he needed, craved for it now.
"If I promise to be more careful with your heart, are you willing to completely give it to me?" He finally asked. His voice was low and raspy, a complete contrast to his previous yelling.
Veronica looked up to meet his gaze. "I don't know."
Logan looked away for a moment, but then met her gaze again. It hadn't exactly been the answer he'd been hoping for, but he told himself ithat t was good that she was being honest.
"But I want to try."
She sounded so sure in this statement that it made Logan's heart soar.
In two seconds he had her pulled flush against him, his mouth clashing with hers in a battle of teeth and tongue.
When the need for air became overwhelming, they came apart, Logan resting his forehead on hers.
"I should probably go break up with Piz,"Veronica stated happilly, not being able to let the prospect of ending things with the floppy-haired boy ruin her newfound sense of euphoria.
Logan chuckled, but then became serious. "Will you come back after?"
Veronica smiled her first genuine smile in weeks. "I was already planning on it."
They both grinned at each other for a moment, neither caring how foolish it may make them seem.
Veronica went to move past him, and Logan followed her to his door.
He kissed her goodbye, and watched her walk down the hallway before calling out for her to wait.
Veronica turned around, her expression confused and startled, hoping he hadn't changed his mind. But Logan's smile immediately wiped any worry she had away.
"Say it again," he stated simply.
It didn't even take her a heartbeat to respond. "I love you," she stated, the corners of her mouth lifting into an uncontrollabe smile.
She felt like skipping as she made her way down the rest of the hallway, giving Logan a little wave before the elevator doors closed between them.
As Logan reentered his suite, the silly grin still on his face, it was Dick's voice that finally pulled him out of his reverie.
"Dude! Where'd Ronnie go?"
Logan glaced toward his friend, the corners of his mouth tweaked into a smirk. "She had an errand to run, but she'll be back later."
"Aww man! She's gonna wanna chop my balls off when she finds out I emailed that video to everyone." When Dick had realized that Veronica had left the suite, he'd hoped that had meant that he was off the hook.
"You're lucky I don't chop your balls off Dick," Logan responded. At the look of horror on his best friend's face, Logan chuckled. "I wouldn't worry much if I were you, though. We're both going to be kind of busy tonight."
Sending one more grin towards the blonde, Logan hopped off towards his room.
He knew that this most likely would not be the end of his and Veronica's bickering and breakups, but his faith that they would always wind up together in the end had now fully been restored.
She had said she loved him. Him. Veronica Mars was in love with Logan Echolls.
And as long as she was willing to say it again, he would never give up on them.
Because he loves her. And she loves him.
A/N: So, there it is. alot different then my first story, but im kinda proud of this. So please review! even if its just a quick "hey, I read this", I honestly won't mind. I just want to know that someones reading it, and even beter, enjoying it. And I'm really sorry it took so long for me to post this even though I'd been done for a while. I've just been kinda caught up with trying to repost by fanvids on my youtube account. (same username, so check em out!). I have another story in the works which should be up soon. Thanks again, and please review!