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“Hey, have you seen Beaver and Mac?” she asked as she grabbed Logan’s arm and pulled him away from the people he’d been talking to.
“Yeah, they were here earlier,” he replied, noticing she looked a little panicked. “What’s wrong?”
“I think Beaver…” she trailed off as Dick walked up to them.
“What?” Dick asked.
“Where’s your brother?”
“I think he took ‘Ghost World’ up to his room. They’re probably up there makin’ love. Or playing dungeons and dragons. Or both. At the same time,” Dick joked as Veronica started rushing toward the exit without waiting to hear the rest of what Dick had to say.
Logan noticed Veronica looked more nervous as Dick explained which made him concerned enough to follow her.
“Hey, what’s going on?” He asked, catching up to her and gently grabbing her arm to pulling her to a stop.
“Logan, I think Beaver blew up the bus.”
“What?”
“I think Mac is in danger with him, I think he killed everyone on the bus. I need to get to her. Now. I think he’s dangerous.”
“Veronica, slow down, what are you talking about?”
“We’ve known for a while that Woody Goodman was abusing boys on his little league team. Cassidy played for Woody’s little league team with Peter Ferrer and Marcos Oliveres. All three of them were molested by Woody as kids. Peter and Marcos wanted to come forward, and they were going to tell. So, I think Cassidy decided they had to die before they could reveal his secret.”
“Oh my God, Veronica. Are you serious?”
“My guess is he got the explosives from Curly Moran, the stunt man that worked with your dad as a stunt coordinator on that film?” She reminded him. “Curly told Weevil that he knew who blew up the bus. Cassidy killed Curly, too, and drove his body off a cliff. Cassidy hired me to catch Kendall cheating, not because he wanted to protect his dad, he wanted me to uncover the things his dad was doing. To punish him for how he treated Beaver. Beaver put so many plans into place, and so many people died to keep his secrets.”
“This is insane, Veronica. I can’t believe this,” Logan said, running his hands through his hair.
“You don’t believe me?” she asked, a little hurt.
“Of course I believe you. This is just...I don’t have words.”
“There’s more. Logan…Cassidy raped me.”
“God, Veronica, what?”
“The night of Shelley Pomroy’s party. I thought I’d figured out what happened when I learned about Duncan. But that’s not all that happened. Cassidy raped me and gave me the chlamydia he’d gotten from Woody Goodman. That’s why I asked you if Duncan had been…with…anyone but Meg; why that sleezy defense attorney brought up my medical history for the whole world.”
“God, Veronica,” Logan said, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her head. He wanted to kill Cassidy for hurting her.
“I have to find them, Logan. I’m so scared for Mac. She isn’t safe with him.”
Veronica had already tried texting Mac several times. But one more try to call her couldn’t hurt. “Please, pick up,” she said into the phone while she stood in Logan’s arms in the lobby. She didn’t get any replies. She was so scared Mac would be hurt.
“You’ve lived here a while. Do you have any inside connections?”
“Inside connections like what?”
“Like someone on staff you’re pals with that might sneak you info they maybe aren’t supposed to?” she asked hopefully.
She could tell by the look on his face that he had just the connection she needed.
*************************************
“Can you tell me which room Cassidy Casablancas is in?” Veronica asked, urgently.
“Anything for Logan,” the kind blonde said from behind the counter, sending a flirty smile Logan’s way. Veronica reached for Logan’s hand, and squeezed, thankful he was there to help smooth the way; and a little bit jealous the lovely hotel receptionist helping them was flirting with him.
“There is a ‘Do Not Disturb’ on the room… so you didn’t get this from me,” she said, writing down the room number and slipping it to Veronica.
“Thank you so much,” she said gratefully. Logan squeezed her hand.
“We really appreciate it, Tina.”
Veronica’s phone alerted her to a text, “Meet me on the roof now.”
“Logan, look at this. Why would she want me to meet her on the roof? Is she suddenly the girl in the horror movie that dies because she runs upstairs instead of running out the front door?” Veronica asked.
“You’re right, that doesn’t make any sense. Mac is a lot smarter than the girl that gets murdered first in a horror movie. Let’s try the room first before we make any classically bad horror movie decisions.”
They ran to the elevator.
“Ah…Logan and Veronica. Don’t look so surprised, Veronica. It’s a small town. Now that I’m no longer in jail we might run into each other from time to time,” Aaron Echolls said. If there was ever someone she wanted to run into less, she’d be shocked.
“I’ll have to pay better attention to where I’m going, then,” Veronica’s voice turned to steel.
“Well, it’s a free country.”
Logan wanted to interject but knew Veronica could handle herself. His father was right about something. Aaron Echolls being out of jail definitely came with a risk. Veronica could verbally spar like no other, and no doubt she had her stun gun in the bag she had slung over her shoulder. Logan forced himself to remain calm.
“You know, dad, threatening Veronica with a good time is what landed you in jail in the first place. Maybe you want to avoid a repeat performance?”
The elevator dinged to the floor Veronica and Logan needed, with one last lingering glare, they both stepped out of the elevator and raced to the correct door.
Veronica thought she could hear Mac crying, but desperately hoped she couldn’t. She pounded on the door. “Mac! It’s me! Open up!” She called out frantically.
The door opened marginally, and Mac poked her head out to see Logan and Veronica there. “He took my clothes,” she said, tears running down her cheeks.
“Logan, could you please go grab her something to wear?”
“I don’t want to leave you two here, Veronica. What if Cassidy comes back?” Logan said nervously.
“Ok, valid point. Mac is there anything in there you could put on before we go to Logan’s suite?”
“Here,” Logan pulled off his tee. “Put this on, are there any towels you could wrap around your waist?”
“He took everything,” Mac said, her voice indicating her complete devastation.
“Oh, God. Mac,” Veronica said. Mac put on Logan’s shirt, and let Veronica hug her. “Logan’s shirt is long enough to cover everything important…let’s go. Lean on me, and cowboy up, Mackenzie.”
*************************************
Logan sat on the couch and called emergency services and the front desk while Veronica helped Mac in his bathroom. He’d given the computer genius some pajamas to wear so she would feel comfortable and less exposed. Where the hell was Cassidy?
“She’s okay, but shaken,” Veronica said, coming out of the bathroom. “I told her I think she should lay down. I hope that’s okay.”
“Whatever she needs. Whatever YOU need, you know that,” Logan said, sincerely.
Veronica sat next to him and reached for his hand. “I don’t know what I would have done without you, Logan. They never would have given me the room number. You got her up here mostly clothed and safely.”
Veronica leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth like she’d done what felt like a lifetime ago at the Camelot. Both that time and this not only felt like she was thanking him for rescuing her, but that she was coming home.
Suddenly she felt like she understood Epic love. It was going into battle and knowing he would be there to back her up if she needed. He’d done so when he followed her knowing there was something wrong, he’d done so in the elevator with his father. It was charging into the River Styx and getting her out of a situation she wouldn’t have gotten out of on her own, despite the danger it put him into. And he’d done so even though she had broken his heart. It was punching an ATF agent in the face repeatedly. He was in the periphery every significant time she needed him, through lives ruined, and bloodshed; even when the bloodshed was his own.
Epic love was kissing him on the corner of his mouth, holding his hand, feeling his arms around her and his kiss on her head when she’d revealed Cassidy raped her. It was being there for each other through thick and thin.
She really allowed herself to look at him. “Logan, I…”
A knock interrupted whatever she was going to say.
Logan kissed her head, though he wanted to do significantly more, and got up to answer the door.
*************************************
They found Cassidy and arrested him without incident. He realized very quickly his handgun wasn’t going to help him put up much of a fight when it wasn’t Veronica that showed up on the roof.
Woody’s plane arrived also without incident. Woody and Cassidy would be booked with the appropriate charges for the terrible things they had done.
*************************************
Veronica spoke to her dad, gave him an abbreviated rundown of events and let him know she was going to stay with Mac at the Grand for the night. Keith understood and used the opportunity to update Veronica about the change in his travel plans. He was driving home, so he’d be back even later than anticipated.
Veronica looked in on Mac to see she was sleeping, seemingly peacefully. It had been a long night of police questioning and explaining to Mac everything Veronica thought she knew. Mac had cried herself to sleep and it had broken Veronica’s heart.
Logan had been her rock through it all, even when Dick showed up angry and wanting to throw punches.
For once, Logan hadn’t wanted to solve the situation with his fists. Dick was his best friend, and he knew finding out about Cassidy was going to be painful. He also knew that Dick, deep in his heart, would feel a lot of remorse for the way he’d treated Cassidy throughout the years, and he might lash out in pain. Dick had so much to drink he passed out right after Logan and Veronica helped him to bed.
*************************************
Mac was in Logan’s room, Dick was occupying the other bedroom in the suite, which left an exhausted Logan and Veronica the couch, both laying down on their own portion of the L shape.
Veronica relived every moment of the evening in her head and kept going back to Logan and everything he had done for her.
She decided it was time for her to be brave.
Veronica got up, and Logan looked at her expectantly. She walked the few short steps over to him and lay down on top of him; like she’d done accidently half a year before when Logan had been wearing Duncan’s blue argyle sweater. This time, they both knew it was on purpose, and she was with exactly who she was meant to be with. They were body to body and Veronica took a deep breath, listened to his heart, and let it comfort her.
“I know you don’t remember the night of alterna-prom,” she began, as she felt his arms come around her, holding her in place. “But I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said to me that night. And maybe you only believed what you said for a second that night when you were half drunk on champagne, but I want to talk to you about it.”
“I remember more than I let on the next day. Sure, the evening was a bit blurry at first. But nothing sobers you up faster than watching the girl you believe is the EPIC love of your life walk away from you trying not to cry because you messed up so badly.”
Logan gave her the opening and encouragement she needed by using the right word.
“Epic love of your life, huh?”
“Without question,” he said, leaning his head down to kiss her. Veronica met him half-way.
“I don’t want there to be any more bloodshed, Logan. I have thought about it, and you’re always the one sacrificing his safety and losing the blood. Not to mention how many times your life has been ruined in the last few years.”
“I think you’ve also risked a limb or two,” Logan replied.
“Logan…” she trailed off, unsure exactly what she wanted to say.
“Veronica…” he prompted.
“I love you. I don’t want to keep doing this trying to be distant friends when I love you so much thing. This quippy back and forth with strained smiles and the occasional nod thing.”
“Veronica,” he said reverently, kissing her again. “I wanted to apologize the night of alterna-prom for every snide thing I’ve done over the year. You were right to be concerned about me last summer. You were right to step back from me. I was a self-destructive asshole. But I like to think I’m a little reformed. I want to be the man that deserves your love, Veronica Mars, because I will never stop loving you.”
After many more kisses, they fell asleep just like that; comforting each other, and desperately in love.
*************************************
The next day, after they had been informed about the death of Aaron Echolls, Veronica took Logan home with her. It was time for Veronica to be Logan’s rock, and she had every intention of being there for him like he was there for her.
Veronica and Logan told Keith everything that happened, including their reconciliation.
It turns out it is very, very easy to forgive a teenage boy for any past transgressions when you realize he likely saved your daughter’s life.
Keith was under no illusions about what it meant that Cassidy Casablancas was found on the roof with a handgun after he’d sent a text from Mac’s phone telling Veronica to meet on the roof. Keith wasn’t sure if it had crossed either Logan or Veronica’s mind yet, but if Logan hadn’t followed her to ask what was wrong, Veronica likely would have died.
He would be eternally grateful to Logan Echolls. Keith thought about how swift and bizarre the shift was from thinking of Logan as a punk kid who didn’t deserve his daughter, to metaphorically embracing Logan into the family. He looked over to Veronica and Logan snuggled up and sleeping together on the couch. What a strange world.