Title: ULTIMATUM
Author: Amalia Kensington (amaliak)
Rating: PG
Fandom/Pairing: Veronica Mars, Logan/Veronica
DISCLIAMER: I own nothing. Rob Thomas is king. All hail.
Spoilers: Through 2x01. A/U.
Summary: A different scene. It should have happened like this, but it didn't.



Veronica is staring at their entangled hands. She's trying to keep herself in check because she needs to get this out, but the look of complete anguish on his face is just making it that much harder.


"I kept thinking that if I just stuck by you…" she trails off, taking a deep breath and deciding to start again. "Logan, I thought that maybe all of…this that's going on was just a phase, something you had to get out of your system and that you'd get better. But you're not getting better. Instead, you're making things worse, cruising around with your toadies, hatching plans and refusing to let things get back to normal. Someone's going to get killed, Logan."


"Someone was already killed!" Logan argued back, pulling away from her. "Or did you forget?"


Veronica's jaw tightened just a little.


"I just don't want anyone to get hurt. I don't think it's right to be actively seeking these types of revenge. It drives me crazy to think that maybe some little part of you might be enjoying it. It's petty and selfish and you're above that."


Logan looked at her shell shocked for a minute. "You think I'm enjoying it? You think I'm being selfish?" his voice was dangerously quiet. She could see the anger in his eyes, mixed in with the tears. "They scared us to death, Veronica. Do you remember that?!" his voice was rising in volume as he was getting more agitated, standing up to tower over her. "They're trying to hurt you! And you think I'm being selfish by going out there and showing them that I'm not gonna take it?"


Veronica finally snapped, standing up to meet him. "You're scaring me, Logan! You're hurting me!" Her voice cracked at the end as her tears finally broke through.


This silenced Logan immediately, deflating his anger completely. He tried to place a hand on her shoulder to pull her towards him but she violently pushed him away.


"No, this isn't a game, Logan."


"I know, dammit!" he snapped back at her.


"No, I really think you don't. Do you know what it's like? Do you? Do you have any idea what it feels like to nearly kill myself worrying about you? That every time that you leave my sight, it might be the last time that I see you? I hate it, Logan!" She stood in front of him, not bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes. "And I'm not going to do it anymore. It's killing me."


There was an eerie sort of silence.


"Are you breaking up with me?" Logan asked quietly.


Veronica tried to get a handle on her anger.


"No, I'm not, Logan," she said in a gentler tone. But her words where still laced with steel. "I'm giving you an ultimatum. You have to choose between this insane vendetta of yours or me."


"It's not that simple, Veronica," Logan started.


"Yes, actually, it is," she interrupted him. "It is. So here we go, right here, right now. What's it going to be?"


Just then the front door opened and Keith Mars walked in. The tension in the room hit him like a ton of bricks.


"Kids," he addressed them tentatively.


Veronica ignored him, continuing to stare at Logan.


"Figure it out," she said quietly. With that she turned around and left Logan and her father standing in the living room, shutting the door to her room quietly.

END


A/N: Yes, I'm still writing...something. Whatever.
Please review. I like to know that people are actually reading. ConCrit is gold.

cheers.
--Lex