SUMMARY: If you don't deal with the past, the past will deal with you. This is a future-fic about fatherhood, consequences, and redemption. Someone from Logan's past is murdered; angst ensues, and Veronica investigates. There's plot, quite a bit of it: in fact, I consider this an homage to Season 2. You say plot hole and red herring; I say opportunity.
RATING: NC-17 (please see warnings).
SPOILERS: All of Veronica Mars
is spoiled. You are expected to be familiar with all three
seasons.
WARNINGS: My previous fic, 'The Year of Living
Dangerously', was 'broadcast' on the Teen FX channel. The censors
were not happy with Chapter 47. Therefore, 'The Year of Living
Dangerously' is now being 'broadcast' on Showtime (woot, woot) and IS
INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES. Well, maybe not MATURE, but 18 AND
OVER PLEASE. There is NC-17 material here: graphic sex, violence, and
perversion. Now you're really interested! Plus, my characters
curse...A LOT. Angst warning: there is a massive amount of angst in
this fic, mostly dealing with the fallout from events in season 2.
Not much fluff–sorry, I'm not a fluffy person, deal with it. I
tried to spike it with enough humor and smut that no one will become
suicidal. Contains references to past relationships V/D and HaLo.
MINOR CHARACTER DEATH.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to Veronica Mars. This story is written as a tribute only. No celebrity endorsement is implied by product placements. All real persons' names are used in the sense of "wouldn't it be cool if this person had this gig?"
A/N: This is truly a sequel to my previous fic. If you read it and just need a refresher, see below for what you need to know. If you never read it, why the hell not, and go read it right NOW (please). [Click on my name up there on the left and find my story at the bottom of my profile under 'Stories Authored'
A note to nitpickers about characters' birthdays: I'm sure someone has figured out when everyone's birthday is, and supposedly the writers' bible contains that information. But I don't have the writers' bible, and I was not able to determine everyone's ages. If I got the ages wrong according to your calculations, try to just go with it: the ages I picked have certain legal ramifications that are important to the plot and essential to my retconnage.
A big thanks to my beta reader, poniesforall. All errors are my responsibility.
Here's something you may not have realized: writers LIVE for reviews. Seriously, we'll just mope in bed if we don't get reviews. In fact, I'd even rather have reviews than my favorite adult beverage...well, maybe not Ketel One, but I'll definitely take reviews over Svedka or Skyy. Send me a review-tini and let me know what you think, and I'll buy the next round when you're in town.
PREVIOUSLY ON...
'THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY'
The story begins fall of junior year at Hearst College. Veronica has done the FBI internship twice. Veronica's mother has been killed, and a witness comes forward identifying the killer as Clarence Wiedman. Wiedman is himself killed and forensic evidence is found that points to Veronica, supposedly avenging her mother's murder; Logan bails Veronica out of jail and hires attorneys to help with her defense. The evidence is found to have been planted, but Veronica is not completely exonerated and must clear her name.
Keith lost the sheriff's race (like duh); he has written a steamy fictional novel called 'Neptune Undercover'. After the book was published, he started to receive threatening letters.
Both Veronica and Logan have moved on in their lives and started new romantic relationships: Veronica with a somewhat older FBI agent and Logan with a fellow student at UCLA, where he has transferred to pursue a degree in film studies, primarily focusing on screenwriting. Logan has become friendly with Keith and is in therapy with a Dr. Leah Friedman. As part of his effort to reinvent himself, he creates a charity called 'The Bridge', a shelter for battered wives and children.
Mac and Veronica are roommates on campus at Hearst; they develop a web site called 'YourCheatingHeart•com' which vets potential matches for internet dating. Mac also goes to Las Vegas frequently and has become a proficient card counter.
Wallace has been working at Mars Investigations and is still a slamming B-ball god; Weevil still works in the maintenance department at Hearst College but has been promoted to a supervisory position. It is not known if Weevil is completely following the letter of the law, but he is still susceptible to the siren call of Veronica's head tilt. Vinnie Van Lowe is sheriff and seems to be purposely targeting Veronica in the investigation of Wiedman's death. Leo D'Amato, still working at the sheriff's department after Keith had rehired him, has advanced in the department to chief deputy and runs for sheriff. Deputy Leo is instrumental in helping the investigation.
Veronica discovers her FBI boyfriend, Mike Fields, is married and breaks up with him; Logan's girlfriend Carrie Murray dumps him. Mac and Dick plot to get Veronica and Logan back together, somewhat unsuccessfully; Dick is intrigued by Mac's gambling prowess and manages to get in her pants.
Veronica, along with Keith, Wallace and Mac, investigates the murders of Wiedman and her mother; the suspects are the Kanes, the Fitzpatricks, the Mannings, and the writers of the anonymous threatening letters received by Keith. Along the way, Duncan Kane shows up; he's had massive amounts of plastic surgery and is played by a much hotter actor. While on the run, Duncan has taken the name of 'Daniel' and Lilly has become 'Jane'. The Kanes are trying to get amnesty for Duncan so he can return to the U.S. Celeste Kane is still a bitch.
Veronica gets a gun (after all she's had two summers of weapons training at the FBI internships). As usual, she takes chances and doesn't keep Keith informed. Logan rats out Veronica to Keith; she pulls the plug on their fragile resumed friendship, and Logan spirals into an alcoholic binge.
Logan's ex-girlfriend Carrie turns out to be an undercover investigative reporter who does an exposé of Logan and Veronica, focusing on Veronica's status as chief suspect in the murder of Wiedman. Logan, still half in the bag from his alcoholic binge, expresses his anger at Carrie inappropriately by putting his hand through a glass shower door. The cuts on his hand require medical attention, and Dick takes Logan to the hospital. They are pursued by a lunatic reporter who causes an auto accident. Logan is seriously injured, with a badly broken leg and head trauma. Dick, as always, is relatively unscathed by the events around him.
Veronica rushes to Logan's bedside and realizes that she was a heartless bitch in season three /wait, scratch that!!/ Veronica realizes she is still in love with Logan. Logan recovers, but does not immediately fall into Veronica's arms. To try to reverse the bad publicity from the muckraking journalist Carrie, Logan and Veronica give an interview of their own.
Veronica offers to let Logan do his recovery and rehab at the Mars apartment. He reluctantly agrees, wary of their volatile relationship. Animal attraction ensues anyway, and they end up DOING IT, like whoa. Veronica says "I wuv you". (Aww!)
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO AVOID THE MAIN SPOILER.
CLICK ON 'VANESSAGALORE' UP ABOVE IF YOU WANT TO READ 'THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY' FROM THE BEGINNING. (YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO!!)
CLICK 'NEXT' TO READ THE SPOILER.