Title: Not Again
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing: Logan/Veronica
Rating: PG
Length: 775
Content notes: Season 2, Season 3
Author notes: I write fix-its for VM season 3 a lot, so here's another one to my list.
Summary: Veronica doesn't want to watch this happen again.

Veronica looked at the picture of the cuirass in her history textbook.

She heard laughter and the sound of it drew her like a moth to a flame. Her eyes moved away from the intricate photograph and landed on Logan and his new girlfriend as they sat on a picnic table in the courtyard.

The sound of Hannah's laughter irritated her. It brought back memories of Logan making her laugh like that, when she thought that she could depend on him, before everything went south. Then again, were things between them ever not south.

Her heart clenched when his lips touched Hannah's.

Although she had no right to be angry – she did start dating Duncan a month after breaking up with Logan – she couldn't help but want to wipe his smug smirk of satisfaction off of his face.

He looked at Hannah the way he used to look at Veronica.

No, that wasn't right. His looks at Hannah were more carefree. Even with the thought of going to jail for a crime he didn't commit, he seemed happier with the other blonde.

Veronica went through her memories, trying to pinpoint any moment he was that happy with her, whether they were friends or more. She couldn't think of one time, though, and the thought that he was happier with another blonde that he just met than he had ever been with Veronica hurt more than she would have imagined.

As her thoughts became more and more depressed, Logan looked up and his gaze met hers.

She swallowed at the look in his eyes. It almost looked as if he still cared, but she knew that wasn't possible. He had made it perfectly clear that she was nothing to him now. She averted her eyes as she stood, gathered her textbooks and bag, and left the courtyard. She needed to get away from the memories that watching him with Hannah invoked.

A Year Later

"Don't do this," Logan implored before Veronica could leave in a huff.

She stopped, but she didn't look at him. Her mind still had images of him with Madison at Aspen, and she didn't even want to see his face.

"We spent all of last year apart. I can't watch you move on with another guy. I can't once again deal with the pain of not being the one you choose."

The reminder of last year was more than Veronica could deal with. She turned to him, ashamed that he would see the tears in her eyes, but unable to stop him. "Watch me? What about watch you? I had to watch you look happier with Hannah than you ever were with me!"

"And I had to watch you look happier with Duncan before that!"

"I was never happier with Duncan."

"And I was never happier with Hannah."

She swallowed. They were at a standoff, but she knew they could fix things right then and there. They were actually talking, which was a first for them. But the pain was still too fresh. "I'm sorry," she whispered and ran out of the room, ignoring Logan's calls for her to stop.

Two Months Later

Veronica saw Logan and Parker at the table in the cafeteria. It was like Hannah all over again.

As if feeling her eyes on him, he looked right at her. Smoldering brown clashed with uncertain hazel.

And she realized this wasn't Hannah all over again. She could do things differently this time. She was no longer in denial about what Logan meant to her. She could make sure there wasn't another Hannah.

Veronica absentmindedly waved to Mac and Wallace and found a table. She shot another look at Logan who hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

His eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up, saying something to Parker.

He walked over to her and stayed on the other side of the table, waiting for her to make the first move.

"I don't want to deal with watching you with another Hannah Griffin."

"And I don't want to have to watch you with another Duncan Kane."

"I'm still angry and hurt."

Logan eyes softened. "I know, and I'll do everything I can to make it up to you."

"And I'll do everything I can to learn how to trust you."

He cupped her cheek with a gentle hand. "We can take things slow. There's no rush, is there?"

She rested her hand on top of his, feeling the warmth seep into her skin. "No rush," she agreed.

He bent over the table and gave her a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. "No rush," he echoed.