Halloween Plot

[echolls_cursed]

They'd been spared.

It was Halloween morning, and there wasn't a pair of hooker-boots between them. It was a huge relief, one which they promptly celebrated with a little roughhousing and a lot of kissing. Both of which were going well until Logan backed into one of Neil's shelves, knocking it down and banging his head.

That sort of killed the mood.

After a brief argument about who's fault it had been, Neil had left in hopes of borrowing some nails and a hammer from the building crew, leaving Logan to tidy up and get dressed. He wasn't alone for long though, and when Logan heard the door open behind him, he instantly assumed it was Joe, coming to see just what the hell they'd been doing.

"You know, in some cultures, they have this thing called 'knocking'. Apparently it stops people from walking in on one another while they're getting dressed," Logan quipped, pulling on a t-shirt and turning around.

He really wished he hadn't.

""Nothing I haven't seen before," Aaron replied, his voice laced with that carefully practiced tone of a loving father. "I spent a good six years bathing you after all."

Something told him that Aaron wasn't going to simply vanish this time, and Logan struggled with himself for a moment as he tried to decide how to react. "You mean the Nanny spent six years bathing me," he corrected, forcing himself to stay casual and relaxed. "Rosalita always had a softer touch than you anyway."

Aaron laughed, a forced and cold sound that Logan was all too familiar with. The calm before the storm. "I've missed you, Logan. I'm really looking forward to becoming a family again."

Logan just shook his head. "You're not my family anymore," he said firmly, voice level and calm. "I'm twenty now, and you're not my father. You were never my father. Just the asshole that..."

He was promptly cut off by the back of Aaron's hand as it hit his cheek, snapping his head to the side with a sound that seemed to echo off the hut walls. "Don't be disrespectful," his father said simply. "I don't care how old you are, you are my son, and you'll show me some respect. You're right, you're not a child anymore, and I won't treat you like one if you don't act like one."

Rubbing his cheek, Logan glared, fighting back the feeling of fear that sat deep in his gut. "You're not my father," he said again, looking up at the older man for a long moment, and then trying to push past him so he could leave.

He really should have known better, but after all this time, he didn't want to be the weak child he'd been two years ago. He didn't want to cave and let Aaron shove him around. He'd built a new life here, and if would take more than a slap in the face to get him to give it up. When Aaron grabbed his arm though, fingers digging into his forearm as he shoved him roughly back into the room and onto the bed, Logan couldn't fight the fear any longer. In that moment, he was seven again, and Aaron... Aaron was the most frightening person in the world.

Mouth open slightly, there was an obvious look of panic on Logan's face as he watched Aaron move closer.

"Is this how it has to be?" he father asked. "Twenty years old, and you still need to be taught how to treat someone with respect? It's embarrassing, Logan, I hope you know that. You should be ashamed of this." Fingers moving to his belt, Aaron just shook his head as he slipped it free from the belt loops on his jeans. "We'll do it this way then."

Logan didn't even argue. He knew better than that. In the long run, the belt tended to be the better option. It was usually enough to calm Aaron down, preventing bloody noses or broken bones. That didn't make it any easier to swallow though, and Logan's stomach turned as he got to his feet and pulled off his shirt. He didn't need to be told to face the wall, he just did it, forcing his mind to go blank as he heard Aaron step up behind him.

"You know I only do this because I love you," he heard his father say... right before the first lash fell.

When it was over, Logan's back burned, and he wasted no time pulling his shirt back on. "I need you to leave," he said calmly, glancing at his father. "You can go to the compound... that big building... you can get a room or something. You can't be here though. Alright?"

Aaron just raised a brow. "Don't want to introduce me to your boyfriend then? You're lucky you're mother's not alive to hear about that. It would have killed her."

Logan just frowned, knowing that wasn't true. "Lucky you drove her to suicide you mean," he corrected coldly. And this time... This time he waited to hit the ground.

(Locked to those close to Logan, If you want to tag in and didn't already get an okay from me, just drop me an e-mail.)

Comments

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Seems to be a running theme here," Aaron replied, moving a little closer.

Stepping forward a little, moving so he was between Aaron and Veronica, Logan forced himself not to lash out. "I told you to leave, alright?" he said, finding some sort of courage in his need to protect Veronica. "I don't care where you go, but you're not welcome here. Stay away from me, and stay away from my friends."

Aaron judt smiled, lips curling nastily as he slid his hands into his pockets. "You really think that's how this works Logan?" he asked, not giving his son time to reply as he turned to Veronica next. "I must say, Veronica, I did enjoy your testimony in court. The part about your STD was especially riveting."

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"Well, gee, thanks, Mr Echolls," Veronica chirped. "But it was nothing compared to the little act you put on, was it?" She might not have been there to see firsthand, but she had heard enough and she knew what it had to have been like. She wouldn't let it faze her, refused, though she couldn't even muster up a proper smirk now, her expression hard and cold, hands curling into tight fists at her side.

It hadn't even occurred to her that might have come up in court, that it was something her dad would have known, must have known - that he had never mentioned. "It was nothing to the lies you must have told."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Veronica," Logan said quietly, watching the change in his father's expression. "You should go, okay? Just... I'll find you later."

Reaching out, Aaron pushed him out of the way.

"Don't be rude, Logan. Let Veronica say what she wants to say."

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"Don't touch him." The words snapped out of her before Veronica knew what she was saying. Even with a moment's thought, she would have said it anyway. He was dangerous, but she was dangerous now, too.

"I'm not leaving you alone with this homicidal maniac," she said, glancing to Logan with an exasperated tilt of her head.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Aaron took a firm step forward at that, and Logan instantly moved to shove him away as hard as he could. "I'll be right out, okay?" he promised. "Just... Just let me-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence though, not before Aaron landed a blow. ...Apparently shoving was disrespectful too. Logan slipped as he stumbled, banging his head on the bed before hitting the ground.

Swearing, he forced himself back onto his feet, watching Aaron closely and realizing Veronica probably had the right idea. They needed to just get out of there.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"Logan!" In the instant that he fell, Veronica turned toward him, her instincts warring with themselves: go to Logan and help him or lash out, attack, defend. She stepped in his direction, but already he was rising, and her anger was overriding all the lessons she'd worked so hard at, lessons she'd started taking in the event of something like this.

Whirling toward Aaron, she strode closer, not knowing what she would do but wanting to make it count. Don't touch him seemed like a poor choice of words in retrospect - almost a challenge - and for the first time in a good long while, Veronica Mars' words failed her. She hesitated, forced herself not to draw back. Eyes fixed on Aaron, her voice hard, she said, "Logan, come on. We're leaving."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan didn't argue that time, sparing Aaron nothing more than a glance before resting a hand on Veronica's arm and nodding towards the door. His ears were ringing, and he was silently thankful that Aaron seemed to make no move to follow them.

Apparently even he knew he'd blown it this time.

After all, it was one thing to strike your kid behind closed doors. There were lies you could tell and smiles you could flash. But even Aaron knew that you didn't fool Veronica Mars twice.

"He just showed up this morning," Logan said after they were a short ways down the path. "I wasn't... you know, hiding him or something like that," he assured her, not sure what she was thinking had happened.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

Veronica moved quickly, short, purposeful steps carrying her down the path. For a moment, she didn't look at Logan or try to answer. "Good," she said finally. "We have to tell the IPD. My dad, Vimes, someone has to come take care of him."

Her hands flexed at her sides, fingers splaying wide and curling into fists. She ached for the opportunity to turn back and hurt him - hurt him the way she'd been hurt, the way Lilly had been and Logan - but she couldn't give him the satisfaction. She couldn't allow herself to be the same kind of violent freak he was. Mostly, though, I'm not interested in letting myself get locked up over that bastard.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"No," Logan said suddenly. "Veronica... He's my dad," he said, pausing awkwardly and shifting from foot too foot with a small wince.

"Blank slate, right? Everyone gets a fresh start."

And it hurt, it actually hurt to say that. Because he didn't forgive him... he could never. It was still hard to be the one who'd turn Aaron in though, and he knew that he'd never be able to do it.

"Let me try and sort this out, and if it goes badly... I'll tell Ray," he promised.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"No, Logan," Veronica snapped, looking at him with shock narrowing her eyes. "Not everyone." He murdered Lilly. It was on the tip of her tongue to say, but they both knew it. It was already hanging there between them.

She took a few steps away, then turned, shaking her head. Her eyebrows lifted as she nodded. "Fine," she said. "You want to give him a fresh start? How about we report him for attacking you. That happened right here, I was a witness. I think it counts. He doesn't get to start off thinking that's okay." If she had her way, he wouldn't get to start off at all ever again.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I shoved him," Logan pointed out, as if he could erase everything that had happened before Veronica had found them if he just pretended it hadn't happened. "I have a history of starting fights here, you think that won't come up? That he won't know to use that as a defense?"

Though now he wasn't defending Aaron. Now Logan was looking out for himself and his pride. He didn't want Veronica seeing him as weak. Not ever.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"And then what will it be next, Logan?" Veronica demanded. "You have a history of clumsiness, you just tripped. That Mars girl was always trouble, I'm not surprised she ran into it one last time. You know, back home, that Keith Mars was so bad at his job, they ran an emergency recall just to get him out of office. A man like that could be dangerous. You better believe your dad wants a clean slate like everyone else, Logan, because someone like him? will do whatever it takes to make sure he gets one. You're not the only one in danger. It'll be my dad. It'll be Neil. It'll be me."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I know!" Logan snapped.

It took him a moment to calm down after his outburst, racking his fingers through his hair as he looked away.

"I hate him, Veronica. I hate him for what he did to Lilly. For what he did to you. I never wanted to see him free, and I never wanted to see him here. It's just hard, alright? I don't want to walk into the IPD office and tell them I need my Dad locked up because I'm too... afraid or whatever to stand up to him. I spent so long keeping that to myself. It was the one thing about my family that wasn't all over every damn tabloid. Part of you has to get that."

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"I get it," she said, looking away. "I do, Logan, but that's not a good enough reason to put all of us in danger." If he wouldn't do it, she would. Here, at least, her word was good, and she'd lost too many people to let someone else start taking them away from her again. They didn't even know what he was doing right now. It was too much of a risk.

Folding her arms, she shook her head, drawing in on herself. She looked cautiously over at him, not yet calm, but more still than before.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"You think they'd take him in without me saying he touched me?" Logan asked curiously. "Like, if someone just said he was dangerous. Like, I dunno, your dad or whoever? How do they handle situations like that?"

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

Veronica exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "The IPD can't take him in on just hearsay. They can... deal with him based on my being a witness, but if you refuse to talk, that... holds things up. He'd be added to the surveillance list, though, people the IBI's keeping an eye on." He'd be her duty, too. She would make sure of that.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Is that enough?" He asked looking for an honest answer, and knowing Veronica would give him one.

She always did when it mattered.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"Logan," Veronica said, sighing again. She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at him, meeting his eyes, taking a deep breath. "That would be enough. For now."

What she wanted and what would suffice were two different things, but if that was what Logan wanted, she would just keep an eye on Aaron at all times. Until he did something, that would have to be enough.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I'm not trying to be difficult, you know?" Logan said after a moment, even though she hadn't accused him of anything. "I'm not... I'm not protecting him. I'm protecting me," he told her.

Swallowing hard, he looked away. His back was throbbing, with all the panic he hadn't noticed, but it was torn up. Worse than he could ever remember it being in the past.

That wasn't enough to make him change his mind or swallow his pride though.

[neptune-sleuth.livejournal.com]

"Because you'll be so much safer with him on the loose," Veronica muttered. She shook her head at him, sliding her hands into her pockets and starting away. He could defend it however he wanted. She was going to talk to the IPD.