AN I: Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter was worth it. Kind of filler, kind of not. I'd love you're your opinion. Thanks for reading.

Breathe the boy says, thought Veronica. Her nose was smashed into her thigh, limiting her airflow to tiny wheezing whistles. Still she refused to look up, even when Logan's hand left the back of her neck and tried to gently pry her chin up.

"Come on Ronnie, you gonna stay like that forever," griped Logan?

"Yes."

"Why?" Logan's tone was warm and rich, his natural cadence and infection flowing over his words in the way only the child of two actors could. Even when he was torturing me with his rapier sharp wit and chasm deep sarcasm, I could listen to Logan's voice, mused Veronica. The tones were deep and thick as honey, rolling over themselves, in their effort to lull you into compliance. Logan really was a natural born speaker; a fact he had used relentlessly when rousing the rebels to riot, crying for Veronica's immediate and total social annihilation.

Veronica felt her breathing hitch again, panic trying to bubble over the brim, at the feelings his simple question provoked. Memories when Logan was safe, when her feelings mattered, flitted through her subconscious. But the panic was stronger, and any words she might have dredged up, froze in her throat.

She heard rather than saw Logan scoot down and crunch his six foot frame down to her level. He wormed his way into her lap, shoving his head through the veil her hair had created. She couldn't see his features, not when they were both crammed together in the dark crevices between her hunched upper body and her knees. It felt invasive and intimate, things she hadn't expected to associate with Logan ever again.

She could feel his stare, steady and sure. His warm breath tickled her eyelashes, slow steady puffs of air ghosting across her skin, as he waited. The moment was heavy, electrically charged, yet still and silent; chemicals waiting for the right catalyst, waiting to ignite and burn.

"Roooooonnnnniiiiieeee," he whined. "I'm rich and spoiled. No one has paid attention to me in at least 5 minutes. This is completely unacceptable."

Leave it to Logan to break the seriousness with juvenile humor. Veronica tried to stifle the giggle which only turned it into a very embarrassingly and unlady like snort.

"Alas, she speaks. Put me out of my misery fair maiden and regale my bereft ears with the dulcet sounds of your angelic voice." At this, Veronica couldn't contain the laughter anymore and the giggles burst through her lips, light and free, even if they were muffled into the fabric of her pants. She knew what he was doing and she had to give the boy credit. As far as distractions go…..Logan Echolls wasn't half bad.

Deciding to through caution to the wind and take a risk, Veronica raised her head, opening her eyes.

God, he's beautiful, was her first overwhelming thought.

Logan lay with his head in her lap, brown hair no longer artfully tossled, instead naturally falling over onto his forehead. His brown eyes were laughing. The happiness looked good on him, even as it played out against the backdrop of his fading bruises and pale skin.

"It's just," she trailed off trying to find the words to skirt around the mountain of fear and protective moat of non-trust she was sure lived in her heart. "So, what happens now? I mean, we know each other's deepest darkest secrets. What happens Monday?"

Logan shrugged. "We do what we want." Seeing Veronica's features narrow, he clarified, "You mean at school?"

"Yes, Logan….school. The place where you have made it abundantly clear I am to be ostracized and degraded on a daily basis."

"Oh, that place."

"Uhh huh," prompted Veronica. Grilling Logan about his intentions once back at school was a chance to put some much needed distance between Veronica and the rape; non-memories of the event and the awful memories of the morning after were flitting through her inner eye like a seizure inducing strobe light. Besides she really was curious. This interlude with Logan, a cease-fire in their war, had been equal parts mortifying, terrifying and enlightening.

Being best friends with the feelings of disappointment and betrayal, Veronica tried to steel herself against the impending return to normal Logan/Veronica interactions. But she couldn't deny she'd missed Logan. Next to the Lily sized hole in her life, a Logan shaped tar existed, jagged and frayed against the fabric of Veronica's existence. Verbal sparring with Logan was very stimulating, but she hoped she'd get a straight and honest answer. For once Veronica wasn't looking forward to the fight.

"Fuck 'em," spoke Logan flippantly. "I am King and as minions, they will follow my example or suffer my rath." Veronica flinched at his words and by the narrowing of his gaze, Logan had caught the sharp aborted movement. Veronica remembered with painful clarity just how well the "minions" had followed Logan's example after Lily's murder.

Soft underbelly exposure up ahead. Escape and Evade Veronica….

"Have you been watching Princess Bride again?"

"Ahhhhh, classic, "stated Logan. And then because he just couldn't resist, he added, "as you wiiiiiiiish," and mimed rolling down a very large hill. His antics brought back bittersweet memories or a time before Lily left, before blood on pool tiles, and best friends turned mortal enemies. Before she discovered her mother was a closet alcoholic and before Veronica had given up her innocence in a murky haze of latch ditch defiance and drug induced stupors. Such a simple thing, a favorite movie, but it stung.

Veronica knew every line, it was her favorite movie. She'd seen it so many times even Lily balked at watching it again. But Logan never had, he'd plopped down on the couch next to Veronica, stealing her popcorn, and tugging her braids.

It had been a long time since Veronica had seen that movie.

Veronica shifted against the carpet, her legs kneeing into Logan's shoulders, as she searched for a more comfortable position. His sudden sharp intake of breath reminded Veronica of Logan's obviously more pressing issue; Veronica could deal with helping others and tabling her own needs. After all avoidance is key when partaking in major denial- and denial was a skill in which Veronica was very well versed.

Veronica held up a hand, watching in amusement, as Logan tracked her movement with his eyes. His head was still in her lap, his face utterly relaxed, as Veronica ran the fingers of her other hand through the strands of his soft hair. The gel had long since left the tips of Logan's hair. His bruises and cuts were stark and brash against his pale skin. Veronica swallowed. The visual reminder of Logan's less than stellar home situation was enough to encourage her to press on.

"Just so I have this straight," she began, "We are no longer enemies. You will make the dimwitted hoard behave. You will forget everything you learned about the," and no one could blame her if her voice trembled slightly, "the event." As each point was addressed, she ticked a slim finger down, to indicate the ranking of statements.

Logan nodded, but refrained from remarking. Probably hoping I'll forget all about Aaron and the abuse. Guess he thinks I'm too broken to notice his fissures and cracks. I'll get him away from Aaron, I will.

I'll fix it Lily, I'll fix Logan.

"You, know Logan, Backup pushes his way into my lap too when he wants attention." Logan smirked and nuzzled her thigh with his face. Strangely enough that didn't bother Veronica, other than a small heat flicker and flare in her belly, but no panic yet.

Small Victories

"Are you comparing me to a dog, Veronica?"

"Ohh, gosh no. Me, never. Although, he likes it when I scratch his head too. You don't have a strange predilection for rawhide and milk bones do you?"

"Depends….your bones maybe." His breath whooshed out in mild surprise as Veronica instinctively socked Logan in the shoulder.

"Gross, Logan."

He snorted but didn't respond. Veronica saw Logan grit his teeth and set his jaw. And then she remembered she'd just punched Logan in his bruises. Guilt immediately welled up, hot and fast.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"For what," questioned Logan? "Sure, the bong in my locker was a little over the top but you didn't know."

Veronica winced, remembering the look in Logan's eyes as he had slammed the crowbar into her headlights that day at Dog Beach. Knowing what she knew now, she'd give anything to change her actions that day. Although Logan's painful social torture had been fueling her decisions it didn't negate the fact that she was sure she had been the cause of Aaron's rage and discipline. Surely the ragged agony painted across Logan's skin weren't a one-time occurrence. If it happened now, it happened then.

"I'm sorry about that too, but I'm sorry my first instinct was to hit you. I don't want to be another person in your life that hurts you."

Genuine confusion swam in Logan's eyes before he gracefully pulled his body from Veronica's lap, twisting until he faced her. Long steady fingers slid down the side of her face, the trail they made sending a ghosting echo of heat straight to her stomach.

"It's nice you care…but you couldn't hurt me. At least not physically." Logan's last statement was half muttered, hidden, as if he didn't mean to voice his greatest weakness. But his eyes were clear as he met Veronicas, soul on his sleeve and metaphorical heart sluggishly licking its wounds.

Look out Neptune; under all that sarcasm and social nepotism, the boy has a heart.

"Back to the game plan," spoke Veronica mentally shrugging her determined face forward.

"The one where we do what we want, find the asshole that hurt you, and ride off into the sunset," queried Logan, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically.

"Sort of, but here's the thing. I will find the asshole, as you so delicately call him, but it's a problem with a long term approach. I can't fix it right now. But you, Logan we have to do something to fix you."

The way Logan's eyes shuttered at her words broke her heart.

How did we not see this Lily? How did I not see this? Looking back there were so many signs.

"Drop it Ronnie, I can handle him. I just have to make it to 18, I already told you, it's not that bad."

Veronica lightly fingered a purpling bruise painted across Logan's cheekbone, wincing as he did, but diligently pressed on. The passion for a new crusade sang in her blood, giving her the power to ignore her own trembling fragile coping mechanisms.

"Not so bad huh?"

"What we have here is a failure to communicate," intoned Logan, but his heart wasn't in it and his tone was flat. Veronica could barely keep up with her own mercurial mood swings and Logan's were starting to give her whiplash.

"So…..emancipation?"

"No!"

"CPS?"

"Seriously…..no."

"Run way to Maui and live together on Aaron's Amex?"

"First decent plan yet, kid." Logan tweaked her nose lightly.

"Okay. I can't really do that. My father would hunt me down and bring me back before we could say Rum and Umbrellas."

"New plan." Veronica blew a breathe out, feeling her hair wave with the puff of air. "I will stick to you like glue. Aaron can't do anything with witnesses, right?"

Logan stared at Veronica, eyes serious, gaze unwavering. There was something different in his expression and it took Veronica a moment to recognize the thinly veiled hope hiding in the depths of his gaze.

"We can't be together all the time," he spoke. His Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed and Veronica was momentarily distracted by the delicate movement under the skin.

Shaking her head, she flushed, and refocused. "Well, most of the time anyway. You already said you can fix the school thing, and we were certainly together in the past. I'll come to your house, you come to mine. If you're not there, and if you try and stay out of trouble, he can't get so mad at your right? You got to stop antagonizing him Logan."

Logan sputtered, hurt cursing across his features. "Most of the time it doesn't matter if I've done anything or not Veronica. A lousy movie critique, a red light that ran a little too long….it's not like he needs a reason."

"Stop, stand down boy. That's not what I meant. I know you don't ask him to hit you." Veronica stopped to gather her thoughts on the touchy subject, diplomacy having never been her strong suite. "What I meant, is we need to keep you on your very best behavior, not giving him any extra ammo, other than his own crappy fathering. Make sense?"

"Yes," answered Logan. "Other than you blatantly referring to me as a dog again; are you sure you don't have a secret fetish?"

Ignoring him, Veronica smiled only to feel the grin slide off her face as Logan maneuvered closer to her. His legs were pressed against hers and his heat seeped into her skin, muscles, and bones. Hyper alert and languid all at the same time, Veronica waited, frozen. He invaded her space until Veronica couldn't breathe without dragging Logan's breath into her own lungs. His eyes seemed endless and there was a dangerous edge to his stare.

Veronica didn't feel panicky yet. Just restless and achy and curious. What was Logan doing now?

"And just what am I supposed to be doing while, you stick to me like glue, and ride in to play the hero."

Veronica's cheeks flushed and her mouth went dry. Logan was so close. Vaguely she waited for the fear to take her over but it didn't come. Without meaning too, Veronica shivered, and the resulting all-knowing smirk curving Logan's full lips was enough to curl her toes.

"You can swoon," murmured Veronica, "in anticipation of my highly successful and heroic efforts."

Logan smirked again and reached a hand out, tracing the faint blue veins dancing across Veronica's hand. It really was getting quite warm. Veronica shivered again, muscles lightly quaking under Logan's soft ministrations.

Traitorous body. He's supposed to swoon, not you.

"See, I have a plan too. I'll let you save me, let you play the hero. But while you're pit bulling your way through my life, I'm going to be right there with you. And I'm going to touch you a little bit, every day. I'm going to teach you to enjoy your body again. New memories, Ronnie, better memories." Logan leaned in and gently kissed Veronica's parted mouth, before he nipped her bottom lip, and then licked the sting away.

"So go ahead and save me Ronnie; because I'm gonna save you too."

Ohh boy.

AN II: Thank you for reading.