I wrote this a few years ago and decided to post the first part. It's a alternate universe story that sees what would have happened if Logan Echolls was ostracized from the beginning, rather than Veronica Mars.

-1-

Logan Echolls learned, long ago, how to take it. Even before the scandal and the subsequent "witchery by association". He was nothing if not adaptable. On his bleaker days, he was nothing. And though he could take it, he also knew how to throw a few back in the opposite direction. He experienced his fair share of bloodied lips and bruised limbs from knowing the difference with fellow classmates. People always thought the sons of rich families were prissies - delicate things buffeted from manhood by a thick wad of Benjamins. Sure, his hand were smooth and uncalloused; he'd never known an honest day's work in his life and maybe he'd indulged in a manly manicure or two. But his opponents were always surprised at how a prissy, pampered son of a movie star, jackass like Logan Echolls could absorb a punch like a brick wall. And always with such relish. Truth be told, many of them never measured up.

They lost everything. Lynn tried to go back into the business, but no reputable director or producer wanted her in their movies. Logan knew she thought she didn't have a choice; despite his many attempts to dissuade her, Lynn ended up posing as the centerfold for the lurid men's magazine that Logan himself used to paw through. The thought of seeing his mother naked made him ill; despite the large reserve he had during challenging times, even he couldn't stomach going to school the day the rag was out on the newstands. Instead of boosting Lynn's career, it only furthered the notoriety of the Echolls' name and reputation. Trina, bless her, didn't waste a second in reverting back to her mother's maiden name, especially after the family coffers dried up. Sliding deeper into the pocket of debt, Lynn and Logan were forced to move out of the illustrious 090909 neighborhood, settling in an apartment complex that was ironically and inappropriately named "Windsor Expanse". In the new apartment, Logan couldn't turn around without bumping into his mother - whenever she wasn't off filming a B-movie for the next self-proclaimed Steven Spielberg wannabe. Without the luxury of Senora Navarro to cook and clean for them anymore, Lynn would buy groceries in bulk, cooking up a storm when she was home and freezing everything in single serve portions. If she had the time, while on location, she would mail over a Ziplock of cookies. Lynn was overcompensating, he knew. He wished he had some sort of skill to contribute to the family finances, other than taxing his mother's nerves when she had to pull him out of Van Clemmonns' office from yet another scuffle. He really should make her life easier but he was still enough of a punk not to care about making anyone else's life easier when he still had so much pent up emotions inside.

All of this was swirling in his head when he was pulled over late one night. It wasn't a rare occasion for ass hat deputies like Lamb to stop him over bullshit reasons and give him a hard time. He stopped giving lip after a few tickets - honestly, he couldn't afford it, and, it shamed him to admit it.

"License and registration, please." It didn't take Logan a long time to realize the mighty Sheriff himself had come to haggle with the poor Echolls kid. He glared at the Sheriff and pulled out the necessary paperwork in angry but controlled movements. Logan didn't want to give him any excuses for firing the gun strapped to his body.

"Do you know how fast you were driving above the speed limit, Mr. Echolls?"

"No, but it must have been pretty fast for Sheriff Mars to have pulled me over. What's the damage, Sheriff?"

Quietly, Keith Mars said, "Fifteen, Mr. Echools. You were doing 60 in a 45-miles-per-hour zone." He made no move to write out the ticket; he kept fingering the corner of Logan's ID card whith the tip of his pointer finger.

"Well, you know what they say, Sheriff: like father, like son - can't keep the foot off the gas pedal." Of course he was referring to the absurdity of Aaron Echolls who, upon hearing he would be charged and arrested for murder, had taken off in his car in some sad OJ Simpson parody. Logan supposed it was Aaron's attempt to make it into Tijuana. It all ended on a rather flat note for him, though - Aaron hadn't remembered to fill the tank and was caught ten minutes later, trying to pump gas at the Sack 'n' Pack. Comedians and the press had a field day over the whole affair.

"I hear you're getting into a lot of fights in school, son. I know things have been rough…" Logan tuned out the rest of Sheriff Mars' words. Who would have told him… who else but Veronica Mars? Lilly's confidant, when Lilly was alive. Duncan Kane's ex-girlfriend. The sweet darling angel of Neptune High. Logan really wanted to smash her face in.

"Word through the grapevine, Sheriff, is there's a rough patch inside the Mars household, too. Care to open up?" He struck gold - he could see the shutters closing down in the other man's eyes.

"Logan, I understand what you're going through is not easy. Please understand, this is not how I wanted your family's situation to end up."

"I'm sorry, where were you when they were handcuffing Aaron and my mother was being eviscerated by reporters and surrounded by paparazzi? Oh wait, you were the one leading Aaron away."

Sheriff Mars sighed. "I'm not happy with the ways things turned out. I always liked your mother - she's a nice woman and neither of you deserve this." He scribbled on his notepad as he spoke the words. "Believe it or not, there are people in Neptune looking out for you. You just have to get that chip off your shoulder first." He tore the ticket out of the pad and handed it to Logan. Through the rearview mirror, Logan watched the sheriff return to his vehicle and drive away, presumably on his way home. He looked down at the ticket in his hand, but it turned out to be an ordinary piece of notepad paper. His eyebrows lifted in surprise at the message scrawled on it.