Into the Blue 4/?
Aug. 4th, 2005 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anjouficTitle: Into the Blue, 4/?
Author: Anjou![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
anjoufic
Pairing/Character: Logan/Veronica, Logan's POV
Word Count: 4404
Rating: PG 13 to mild R
Summary: It's almost summer, and Logan is sinking into the blue.
Spoilers/Warnings: S1. Beyond that is just my imagination, running away with me.
A/N: Thanks, as ever to my betasuzanne_laura, and thanks to all of you who have been so kind as to leave feedback. It's very much appreciated
~*~
Driving thru your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue Blues
Into your blues, ohh, yeah
I see your hair is burnin'
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
The Doors …………………………… LA Woman
~*~
Of all of the many ways that Logan Echolls had pictured he might die, careening around Neptune in the back of a patrol car being driven ineptly by Sheriff Don Lamb was never one of them. In Vegas, in the company of five hookers and a mountain of blow, quite possibly. Surfing after a night of drunken debauchery with the Coors twins, also a possibility. Killed by Angelina Jolie’s jealous jilted lover, definitely. He had even pictured being smeared up against an embankment wall while being pursued by paparazzi, but he’d always figured that he’d have Jenna Jameson, or at least Scarlett Johannsen, with him in his Maserati. He’d certainly never imagined any death in a car scene that included pictures of him splayed against the cage that separated the prisoner from the cop, while the blue lights strobed merrily.
“Fuck!” Logan yelled as Lamb cornered sharply and he smacked his head against the window. “Aren’t there any seatbelts back here?” He was absolutely terrified.
Lamb was sweating, and sweating hard, which was even more terrifying. Nobody had listened to him when he said that Aaron’s CIA-trained driver, and not this dickless wonder, should be the one to transport him to school. Lamb insisted that this was a job for the professionals, and that he wouldn't authorize a private driver to take a minor to school. Of course, what he really meant was that he needed the good press, and that escorting Logan was a prime opportunity to get his mug in front of the cameras.
As more of the whole sordid story about the Lilly Kane murder investigation had come out, Veronica and her dad were looking like they were on the side of justice and all that was right and good. Lamb had looked exactly like what he was: a weasel trying to curry favor with Neptune’s richest man. With the case against Abel Koontz totally falling apart, the rumblings in the local press of a recall election had begun.
And now, Lamb's big bid to get his face on the news in a positive story had turned into a disaster. Logan had stopped counting at ten lawns that Lamb had driven over -- they now appeared to be in a neighborhood park heading, unless Logan missed his guess, for the freeway where the state police could join the fray.
Logan jammed his foot under the front seat and tried to stay upright, dialing information on his cell phone with shaking hands as they lurched through a shrub and onto the road. They jumped the curb and his head bounced off the ceiling. The sound of the siren was nearly deafening.
“Cliff!” he yelled, when the line connected. “Cliff! This is Logan Echolls! Are you my lawyer?”
“Do you need a lawyer?” Cliff said smoothly, and then paused. “Where are you, Logan?”
Logan pinballed across the backseat and couldn’t help the grunt that he let out when his shoulder connected with the doorframe again. “Are you watching TV?” he asked.
“Yes,” Cliff said, “and you’ll be happy to know that your father’s case isn’t the top of the news right now. There’s some sort of massive high-speed chase going on. I think someone stole a patrol car.”
“That’s me!” Logan yelled above the siren.
“You stole a patrol car?” Cliff asked in disbelief. “That’s new.”
“No,” Logan said, “the sheriff is driving me to school.”
There was a long pause.
"Cliff?!" Logan yelled, afraid they'd been cut off.
“Wow,” Cliff said, “he’s really going the long way.”
~*~
When the EMT finished checking out Logan and stepped away, the first thing that he saw was Vice Principal Clemmons’ irate face. Clemmons was looking at Logan as if this whole debacle were somehow his fault.
“I think it’s fairly obvious that some alternative kind of instruction and test taking will have to take place, not only for my client’s safety, but for the safety of the general student population,” Cliff said smoothly. “I understand that many of the paparazzi showed up on campus to stake out positions for my client's arrival?”
“Yes,” Mr. Clemmons snapped, “and not only did they terrorize the students and disrupt the entire school, they caused a great deal of damage. The bills,” he informed Sheriff Lamb, “are going to come out of your budget.” Clemmons continued talking over the Sheriff’s protests, “As for Mr. Echolls, if he was capable of adhering to an alternative schedule, he would have submitted his assignments electronically, an option which is readily available to all Neptune High students via their school e-mail.”
“They have my laptop,” Logan said, pointing at Lamb.
Clemmons looked even more exasperated.
“They took all of the computers in the house,” Logan emphasized. “And they took my class notebooks.”
“That was part of a legal search,” Lamb said defensively.
“And since that avenue of investigation is now officially closed, there’s no reason why those items cannot be returned to my client,” Cliff said smoothly.
“The investigation is not concluded,” Lamb said.
“Well,” Cliff said, “we could always ask a judge what his opinion is, especially when it becomes clear that your investigation may result in my minor client’s education being materially damaged.” He paused. “I’m sure there would be a lot of interest in that story.”
“Give him his computer and his books back, Lamb” Vice Principal Clemmons said. “Today.”
The EMT had packed up all of his stuff. “I still say he should be transported to a hospital for observation,” he said to Cliff. “He took a really hard knock to the head. He's probably got a concussion, but that should be confirmed and categorized.”
Cliff looked at Logan, who shook his head.
“If my client requires medical attention, we’ll see that he gets it, but understandably, he’s opting to stay here in a secure locale. He won’t be alone,” he assured the EMT, who looked dubious.
“Who is home?” Vice Principal Clemmons asked suddenly.
“Mrs. Navarro is here during the day,” Logan said, “and my sister is home at night.”
“Mrs. Navarro?” Vice Principal Clemmons asked incredulously. “As in Eli Navarro’s grandmother?”
“Yes,” Logan said, “that Mrs. Navarro.”
“Wonderful,” he said bitterly, then turned to Cliff. “If he is going to be taking tests from home, he will need to be observed.”
“Fine,” Cliff said, “as long as whoever is administering the test is vetted through my client’s security firm and signs a binding agreement of non-disclosure about any contact they may have with my client.”
Clemmons visibly bristled at that, “Now, see here, McCormack,” he said, “my staff has already passed a CORI check and been bonded in accordance with California law.”
“Yes,” Cliff said, “but I think we’ve all seen today just how high the interest is in my client. The temptation to sell that story and supplement a public servant’s meager salary, perhaps even with pictures taken surreptitiously, would be very hard to resist.”
Clemmons was fuming, but Lamb looked smugly happy. “I’m simply not going to subject my staff to that.”
“Well, then we are at an impasse,” Cliff said, “and as much as I would hate to, I could go to court and ask a judge if he feels that my request is reasonable under California’s educational statutes. Those statutes, I believe, require that you make reasonable accommodations to fit the special needs of individual students. Given the circumstances, I don’t see how a judge couldn’t see that this meets the criteria.”
There was a momentary silence.
“We use duBois,” Logan said from the couch. He was exhausted, and his head hurt.
“Fine,” Clemmons said through gritted teeth. “Mr. Echolls, as soon as you are online, I expect to see your missed assignments submitted in a timely fashion.” He left, Lamb following a beat behind.
“Well,” Cliff said, “that was an interesting morning.”
“Is what you said true,” Logan asked, “about them having to accommodate me?”
“I have no idea if it meets the letter of the law,” Cliff said, “but it seemed the best way to go at the moment.”
Logan looked down at the coffee table, gathering his thoughts. “Are you my lawyer, Cliff?”
“Once you pay my bill,” Cliff said easily.
Logan started to nod, but caught himself with a wince, “I’ll write you a check," he said quietly. "I have some questions.”
“All right,” Cliff said, and put his briefcase back down.
“Why isn’t my father in jail?”
“Well, for one thing, he’s still in the hospital, and in rather serious condition, from what I understand,” Cliff said. “For another, he hasn’t been convicted of anything yet. He hasn’t even been arraigned yet on the charges he has pending.”
“But when he gets released from the hospital, he’ll go right to jail to wait for trial, right?” Logan asked.
“I don’t think so, Logan,” Cliff said. “He has no prior record, and although the charges he’s currently facing are serious, they aren’t capital offenses. Plus, a good lawyer would argue that he’s too ill to be in jail at the moment.”
Logan had wrapped his arms around himself while Cliff spoke. “Why hasn’t he been charged with Lilly’s murder?” Logan asked softly.
“Ah,” Cliff said. “Well, the short answer is that there is already a conviction in the Lilly Kane murder case. And even though it seems likely that verdict will be set aside any day now, until it is set aside, another suspect can’t be charged.”
Logan was staring at his feet. “What’s the long answer, Cliff?”
Cliff sighed. “Logan ... a case for murder that is based entirely on circumstantial evidence is pretty hard to make, but, where the accused is someone that’s known to the community, especially someone who’s a celebrity, it’s even harder. I’m thinking that the District Attorney wants to have a more …” he paused, “solid case before formally charging him.”
Logan got up and began pacing around the room. “So, he could get away with this.”
Cliff didn’t answer him.
“I mean, you’ve seen who he hired,” Logan said.
“He has hired the best of the best.”
“Does that mean he could be coming back here from the hospital?” Logan couldn’t actually look at Cliff.
“Yes,” Cliff said.
“Can I stop him from coming here?” Logan asked.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” Cliff answered, “but I don’t see how. This is his house.”
“He was having sex with my girlfriend!” Logan yelled.
“I know,” Cliff said, “and I don’t think the court will approve, but it doesn’t necessarily make him an unfit parent. He would have to have done something more directly to you.”
Logan wrapped his arms around his waist. His head was killing him. “OK,” he said, “um, let me go get my checkbook.”
“Logan,” Cliff called out as he walked away. “If it’s any consolation, the rumor is that your father will have to go to a physical rehab center when he's released from the hospital. I've also heard that he'll be checking himself into a treatment center immediately after that.”
Logan stopped walking away. “A treatment center?”
“Yes,” Cliff said slowly, “for sex addiction.”
Logan laughed, but it was wrenched out of him. “Brilliant,” he said. “That is fucking brilliant.”
~*~
After Cliff left, Logan sat in the living room with the bottle of vodka he'd left in the freezer. The TV was on, but it was just noise to drown out the empty silence of the house, or maybe to muffle the sound of his pounding heart. He'd been warned against drinking when he had a concussion, but at the moment he didn't really see what was so bad about lapsing into possibly permanent unconsciousness.
He, of all people, should have known better than to conflate what happened on TV and in the movies with real life. On TV, when the bad guy was arrested, no matter how rich and famous he was, he was sent to jail to await trial, his passport confiscated. In real life, the only reason that OJ had gone to jail before the trial was because he'd obviously tried to flee when he was being arrested. Aaron was too smart not to learn from OJ's example, good and bad. After all, in the end OJ had gotten away with it.
He had just never considered that Aaron could come back to the house. The idea of having to live with Aaron again … he couldn't do it. One of them would end up dead. He had to figure out how long he had until Aaron got back and he had to do something fast.
He lifted the bottle to his lips when his eye was drawn to the action on the TV and he choked in mid-drink. Veronica Mars was being chased across the Neptune High schoolyard by a pack of paparazzi. She was with that kid Wallace; she looked furious and he looked terrified. He turned up the volume.
"… awaiting his arrival at Neptune High. Echolls, the son of movie stars Aaron Echolls and the late Lynn Lester, has been absent from school and sequestered in the Echolls family home since his father was arrested and charged with assaulting the father/daughter PI team of Keith and Veronica Mars. Miss Mars is seen here trying to escape the paparazzi. Aaron Echolls is rumored to be the lead suspect in the recently reopened Lilly Kane murder investigation."
The coverage switched over to show a helicopter shot of a Neptune patrol car careening across a roadway. It was being pursued by a pack of cars, including at least one TV news van.
"When word got out that Logan Echolls would be returning to Neptune High, it resulted in a police-led high speed car chase that spanned all of Neptune and parts of several neighboring towns, and sparked a near riot at the High School."
The camera angle was back on the ground now, returned to the parking lot outside of the high school, where it looked like cars had been damaged. "Paparazzi intent upon staking out good camera angles actually got up on the private vehicles of students and teachers at one end of the high school campus." Logan groaned as the camera showed Dick and other 09ers yelling and pushing cameramen. "As you can imagine, the resulting damage was not popular with the car owners and, as our cameras captured, the situation spun out of control when other students involved in the Lilly Kane murder case were spotted."
Logan's TV screen filled with an image of Veronica and Wallace back-to-back and surrounded by cameras. Logan wasn't sure, but it looked like Veronica had her Taser out and was ready to use it when Duncan suddenly appeared in the camera shot, having shoved some paparazzi out of the way. "Duncan Kane, whose parents have been charged with obstruction of justice in the murder of his sister Lilly Kane, is seen here coming to the defense of Miss Mars." Duncan was visibly angry and threw a punch at a cameraman, after saying something that was bleeped out.
"Oh, that is just awesome," Logan said bitterly. "Duncan the Hero rides again!" The next few shots showed an out and out brawl. Logan was pretty sure he spotted Dick pulling a cameraman off the top of a car, but it was hard to see what was really going on and who was involved with all of the jumbled camera angles.
"Meanwhile, the high speed chase that started all of the activity continued on," the anchorman said, cutting back to an overhead shot of the cruiser Logan had been in taking a wide U-turn over a median strip, wiping out flowers and bushes, only to drive right into the paparazzi who'd crossed the median behind the patrol car and cut it off, effectively ending the chase. The patrol car was boxed in and smashed up and sat there defeated, its blue lights whirling as cameramen began to pour out of their vehicles.
The coverage cut over to an exasperated older woman, as Logan sat there with his mouth open. "Look what they did!" she said, pointing at the damaged median strip. The patrol car that Logan was sitting in was just visible behind some crushed shrubbery. "We just had that whole thing planted, you know, our homeowners association adopted it and …" she gestured wildly, "and then the police drove over it and … it's just destroyed! And my lawn!" she pointed back at her house. "And my neighbors' yards!" The camera panned back to show the general destruction. "They smashed the lawn service's truck!"
"After California Highway Patrol intervened," the announcer intoned, "Logan Echolls was taken home." Suddenly, there he was, shakily getting out of the back of Lamb's patrol car, his hand clasped to his head and blood on his shirt. Lamb was sitting with his head against the wheel of the car, but Logan knew he wasn't injured, just hiding from the contempt of the CHP. "And although it appeared that he was injured, we have heard reports that his injuries appear to be minor and that he is resting comfortably at home." The TV broadcast an image of the now empty schoolyard at Neptune, which was covered with bits of glass, books, bags, and the occasional shoe. A car with its roof smashed in was being loaded up onto a tow truck.
"Oh.My.God." Logan was stunned.
"Classes at Neptune High have been canceled for the rest of the day, and parents and the city council are demanding answers as to how this situation got so out of control."
The camera's point of view shifted back to the anchor desk as the male anchor concluded that part of the report. The female anchor, Mandy Driscoll, was shaking her perfectly coiffed head in disbelief.
"That's a really good question, Mike," she said. "From the footage that we just saw, it's amazing that nobody was killed, especially during the chase."
Her colleague agreed and Mandy turned to the camera. "As Mike said, there are a lot of people with questions about how this situation got so out of hand. We've been told that Aaron Echolls, in particular, is very upset about what happened to his son this morning.”
Logan stood up abruptly, dropping the vodka bottle, which smashed on the floor. “We're expecting a news conference will begin any minute at Neptune General Hospital, although it is unclear who exactly will be appearing. As soon as that news conference begins, we'll be cutting over there for live coverage, but until then …"
Logan changed channels until he found that CNN was already broadcasting a window within a window, showing a press conference set up at the main door of Neptune General, and he stopped there, turning the volume up with shaking hands. He had the urge to run away -- the mere idea of seeing Aaron again had prompted the kind of fearful paralysis that used to happen to him when he was a little kid. He had worked for years to overcome it, but now he seemed to have reverted. He jumped when the phone rang, and slipped on the vodka and broken glass, sitting back down on the couch, hard.
"Are you all right?" Mrs. Navarro said from the doorway, the phone in her hand. "It's Cliff McCormack for you."
Logan nodded, and choked out a reply, his voice cracking. "I broke a bottle," he said to her, taking the phone.
"Logan?" Cliff said. "Logan, I think you should probably turn the TV on."
"I'm watching it," he croaked out, as the doors to the hospital opened. "Can I call you back?" He hung up before Cliff could answer, since he couldn't bear to have a witness to his terror.
When Mrs. Navarro came back in to clean up the mess, he went over and stood behind the other couch, as far away from the TV as he could get and still remain in the room.
A couple of men in suits came out with Trina, and the doors closed. "There's Robert Shapiro," the TV announcer said, "It was rumored that he was taking the lead in defending Aaron Echolls, but it hasn't been confirmed until today. No Barry Scheck, though," he added, then quieted when Shapiro put on glasses and began reading from a prepared statement.
"Good Afternoon," he said, "I'm Robert Shapiro and I'll be acting as Aaron Echolls' representative for the purposes of this press conference." He introduced his colleagues, and then noted, "and, of course, Aaron's daughter Trina is here, taking time away from her father's bedside to be with us. Aaron himself is far too ill to come down and address the press directly, so before the sedatives took effect he begged his daughter to come down here and represent the family." There was a murmur from the attending press, which Shapiro quelled by raising his hands. Another one of the men in the background patted Trina on the back as she wiped away a tear. "I should say that although Aaron had been making good progress these past few days, he has shown some early signs of post-operative infection, and after this morning's outrageous events, which have left him understandably distraught, he seems to be experiencing a significant setback." Shapiro gripped the podium and paused, while the press murmur rose to a din.
"Gentlemen and Ladies," Shapiro said sharply, "I'm not feeling too well-disposed toward the members of the Fourth Estate right now, so I warn you, if there is any outburst, I will turn and walk right back through those doors and release my client's statements electronically. I only consented to do this press conference for him because I was so outraged at what had happened that I had to speak out." He peered at the press over the tops of his glasses and they quieted down.
"As of thirty minutes ago, Aaron Echolls has filed an injunction seeking to enjoin the Neptune Police Department, and specifically Sheriff Donald Lamb," and here, Shapiro's voice was icy with contempt, "from having any contact whatsoever with the minor child, Logan Echolls. My client," he said, "understands that the Police Department may have reasonable access to his property due to their investigation," he sneered, "of the crimes that they allege Mr. Echolls may have some involvement in, but their execution of warrants and other items does not give them the right to have any contact with Logan Echolls without my client's express written consent as Logan's father, and legal guardian. They are specifically enjoined from ever taking the minor child, Logan Echolls, into their custody unless, and this is highly unlikely to occur," Shapiro editorialized, "the younger Mr. Echolls were somehow involved in a legal matter. In other words, my client is taking out a restraining order against the police having any contact with his son, since it has been manifestly proven today that they are incapable," Shapiro rapped the podium for emphasis, "utterly incapable of protecting Mr. Echolls from the less honorable members of the Fourth Estate.”
Logan had wedged himself into a corner and was holding onto his pounding head. He was whispering "Oh my God," over and over again.
Shapiro took off his glasses. "Let me just veer from the text here," he said. "I will argue, in court, that Logan Echolls was actually placed in life-threatening danger by what took place this morning. Danger, by the way, which could have been better managed by the highly trained, private security that Mr. Echolls has always provided for his family. This family," he emphasized, "has been through hell in the last few months, and Aaron Echolls' number one priority has been to ensure that his children are safe. Trina," he gestured behind him, "has left the house every day and traveled to and from the hospital without incident. Without incident!" He bellowed. "Why did this happen today?" He paused dramatically. "Because Logan was not allowed to use the security forces that his father has always provided for him. Make no mistake: he was not allowed -- and it is just dumb luck that Aaron Echolls still has a son this afternoon."
Mrs. Navarro had stopped cleaning up and was staring at the TV with her mouth agape.
"That motherfucker!" Logan yelled, clutching at his head. "Son of a bitch! He's gonna fucking use me for good press! Me!"
Trina was crying quietly in the background of the shot, as Logan watched dumbfounded. "Now, as a father, I never want to go through the kind of agony that I just saw Aaron Echolls go through. You can not imagine what he suffered as he watched his son, his only connection to his late wife, be driven in that police car at high speeds until it finally crashed, not knowing if he was ever going to see his son again." Trina had covered her face with her hand, and appeared to be sobbing, shoulders shaking.
"When that patrol car was boxed in and hit?" Shapiro stopped and gripped the podium. "Well. Aaron's heart monitor was going so fast that I thought he was going to have a heart attack. You cannot imagine how upset he is at the police," he said and pointing at the assembled press corps, "and at you. And I am telling you right now, as a father, he is saying to you, 'Leave my boy alone'. Hasn't he been through enough? Shame on you," he continued scolding the press, "and shame on the Neptune Police Department for its complete ineptitude today in handling something as simple as taking a boy to school."
He gathered his notes and seemed about to stop speaking when he shook his head and said. "And let me just say something directly to the Chief of Police, or Sheriff, or whatever his title is," Shapiro paused and dropped his head, then raised it and looked right at the cameras, "Officer Lamb, if this is the way you conduct police business, I cannot wait to see you in court." Shapiro paused again, "I cannot wait!"
He paused and then added, “No questions.” Shapiro turned away from the clamor and put his arms around Trina tenderly, soothing her with 'I know, I know' head movements.
The phone began ringing immediately, but Logan backed out of the room and away from Mrs. Navarro.
"No," he said, "No!"
He turned and fled upstairs.
~*~
Part 5
Author: Anjou
anjouficPairing/Character: Logan/Veronica, Logan's POV
Word Count: 4404
Rating: PG 13 to mild R
Summary: It's almost summer, and Logan is sinking into the blue.
Spoilers/Warnings: S1. Beyond that is just my imagination, running away with me.
A/N: Thanks, as ever to my beta
suzanne_laura, and thanks to all of you who have been so kind as to leave feedback. It's very much appreciated~*~
Driving thru your suburbs
Into your blues, into your blues, yeah
Into your blue-blue Blues
Into your blues, ohh, yeah
I see your hair is burnin'
Hills are filled with fire
If they say I never loved you
You know they are a liar
The Doors …………………………… LA Woman
~*~
Of all of the many ways that Logan Echolls had pictured he might die, careening around Neptune in the back of a patrol car being driven ineptly by Sheriff Don Lamb was never one of them. In Vegas, in the company of five hookers and a mountain of blow, quite possibly. Surfing after a night of drunken debauchery with the Coors twins, also a possibility. Killed by Angelina Jolie’s jealous jilted lover, definitely. He had even pictured being smeared up against an embankment wall while being pursued by paparazzi, but he’d always figured that he’d have Jenna Jameson, or at least Scarlett Johannsen, with him in his Maserati. He’d certainly never imagined any death in a car scene that included pictures of him splayed against the cage that separated the prisoner from the cop, while the blue lights strobed merrily.
“Fuck!” Logan yelled as Lamb cornered sharply and he smacked his head against the window. “Aren’t there any seatbelts back here?” He was absolutely terrified.
Lamb was sweating, and sweating hard, which was even more terrifying. Nobody had listened to him when he said that Aaron’s CIA-trained driver, and not this dickless wonder, should be the one to transport him to school. Lamb insisted that this was a job for the professionals, and that he wouldn't authorize a private driver to take a minor to school. Of course, what he really meant was that he needed the good press, and that escorting Logan was a prime opportunity to get his mug in front of the cameras.
As more of the whole sordid story about the Lilly Kane murder investigation had come out, Veronica and her dad were looking like they were on the side of justice and all that was right and good. Lamb had looked exactly like what he was: a weasel trying to curry favor with Neptune’s richest man. With the case against Abel Koontz totally falling apart, the rumblings in the local press of a recall election had begun.
And now, Lamb's big bid to get his face on the news in a positive story had turned into a disaster. Logan had stopped counting at ten lawns that Lamb had driven over -- they now appeared to be in a neighborhood park heading, unless Logan missed his guess, for the freeway where the state police could join the fray.
Logan jammed his foot under the front seat and tried to stay upright, dialing information on his cell phone with shaking hands as they lurched through a shrub and onto the road. They jumped the curb and his head bounced off the ceiling. The sound of the siren was nearly deafening.
“Cliff!” he yelled, when the line connected. “Cliff! This is Logan Echolls! Are you my lawyer?”
“Do you need a lawyer?” Cliff said smoothly, and then paused. “Where are you, Logan?”
Logan pinballed across the backseat and couldn’t help the grunt that he let out when his shoulder connected with the doorframe again. “Are you watching TV?” he asked.
“Yes,” Cliff said, “and you’ll be happy to know that your father’s case isn’t the top of the news right now. There’s some sort of massive high-speed chase going on. I think someone stole a patrol car.”
“That’s me!” Logan yelled above the siren.
“You stole a patrol car?” Cliff asked in disbelief. “That’s new.”
“No,” Logan said, “the sheriff is driving me to school.”
There was a long pause.
"Cliff?!" Logan yelled, afraid they'd been cut off.
“Wow,” Cliff said, “he’s really going the long way.”
~*~
When the EMT finished checking out Logan and stepped away, the first thing that he saw was Vice Principal Clemmons’ irate face. Clemmons was looking at Logan as if this whole debacle were somehow his fault.
“I think it’s fairly obvious that some alternative kind of instruction and test taking will have to take place, not only for my client’s safety, but for the safety of the general student population,” Cliff said smoothly. “I understand that many of the paparazzi showed up on campus to stake out positions for my client's arrival?”
“Yes,” Mr. Clemmons snapped, “and not only did they terrorize the students and disrupt the entire school, they caused a great deal of damage. The bills,” he informed Sheriff Lamb, “are going to come out of your budget.” Clemmons continued talking over the Sheriff’s protests, “As for Mr. Echolls, if he was capable of adhering to an alternative schedule, he would have submitted his assignments electronically, an option which is readily available to all Neptune High students via their school e-mail.”
“They have my laptop,” Logan said, pointing at Lamb.
Clemmons looked even more exasperated.
“They took all of the computers in the house,” Logan emphasized. “And they took my class notebooks.”
“That was part of a legal search,” Lamb said defensively.
“And since that avenue of investigation is now officially closed, there’s no reason why those items cannot be returned to my client,” Cliff said smoothly.
“The investigation is not concluded,” Lamb said.
“Well,” Cliff said, “we could always ask a judge what his opinion is, especially when it becomes clear that your investigation may result in my minor client’s education being materially damaged.” He paused. “I’m sure there would be a lot of interest in that story.”
“Give him his computer and his books back, Lamb” Vice Principal Clemmons said. “Today.”
The EMT had packed up all of his stuff. “I still say he should be transported to a hospital for observation,” he said to Cliff. “He took a really hard knock to the head. He's probably got a concussion, but that should be confirmed and categorized.”
Cliff looked at Logan, who shook his head.
“If my client requires medical attention, we’ll see that he gets it, but understandably, he’s opting to stay here in a secure locale. He won’t be alone,” he assured the EMT, who looked dubious.
“Who is home?” Vice Principal Clemmons asked suddenly.
“Mrs. Navarro is here during the day,” Logan said, “and my sister is home at night.”
“Mrs. Navarro?” Vice Principal Clemmons asked incredulously. “As in Eli Navarro’s grandmother?”
“Yes,” Logan said, “that Mrs. Navarro.”
“Wonderful,” he said bitterly, then turned to Cliff. “If he is going to be taking tests from home, he will need to be observed.”
“Fine,” Cliff said, “as long as whoever is administering the test is vetted through my client’s security firm and signs a binding agreement of non-disclosure about any contact they may have with my client.”
Clemmons visibly bristled at that, “Now, see here, McCormack,” he said, “my staff has already passed a CORI check and been bonded in accordance with California law.”
“Yes,” Cliff said, “but I think we’ve all seen today just how high the interest is in my client. The temptation to sell that story and supplement a public servant’s meager salary, perhaps even with pictures taken surreptitiously, would be very hard to resist.”
Clemmons was fuming, but Lamb looked smugly happy. “I’m simply not going to subject my staff to that.”
“Well, then we are at an impasse,” Cliff said, “and as much as I would hate to, I could go to court and ask a judge if he feels that my request is reasonable under California’s educational statutes. Those statutes, I believe, require that you make reasonable accommodations to fit the special needs of individual students. Given the circumstances, I don’t see how a judge couldn’t see that this meets the criteria.”
There was a momentary silence.
“We use duBois,” Logan said from the couch. He was exhausted, and his head hurt.
“Fine,” Clemmons said through gritted teeth. “Mr. Echolls, as soon as you are online, I expect to see your missed assignments submitted in a timely fashion.” He left, Lamb following a beat behind.
“Well,” Cliff said, “that was an interesting morning.”
“Is what you said true,” Logan asked, “about them having to accommodate me?”
“I have no idea if it meets the letter of the law,” Cliff said, “but it seemed the best way to go at the moment.”
Logan looked down at the coffee table, gathering his thoughts. “Are you my lawyer, Cliff?”
“Once you pay my bill,” Cliff said easily.
Logan started to nod, but caught himself with a wince, “I’ll write you a check," he said quietly. "I have some questions.”
“All right,” Cliff said, and put his briefcase back down.
“Why isn’t my father in jail?”
“Well, for one thing, he’s still in the hospital, and in rather serious condition, from what I understand,” Cliff said. “For another, he hasn’t been convicted of anything yet. He hasn’t even been arraigned yet on the charges he has pending.”
“But when he gets released from the hospital, he’ll go right to jail to wait for trial, right?” Logan asked.
“I don’t think so, Logan,” Cliff said. “He has no prior record, and although the charges he’s currently facing are serious, they aren’t capital offenses. Plus, a good lawyer would argue that he’s too ill to be in jail at the moment.”
Logan had wrapped his arms around himself while Cliff spoke. “Why hasn’t he been charged with Lilly’s murder?” Logan asked softly.
“Ah,” Cliff said. “Well, the short answer is that there is already a conviction in the Lilly Kane murder case. And even though it seems likely that verdict will be set aside any day now, until it is set aside, another suspect can’t be charged.”
Logan was staring at his feet. “What’s the long answer, Cliff?”
Cliff sighed. “Logan ... a case for murder that is based entirely on circumstantial evidence is pretty hard to make, but, where the accused is someone that’s known to the community, especially someone who’s a celebrity, it’s even harder. I’m thinking that the District Attorney wants to have a more …” he paused, “solid case before formally charging him.”
Logan got up and began pacing around the room. “So, he could get away with this.”
Cliff didn’t answer him.
“I mean, you’ve seen who he hired,” Logan said.
“He has hired the best of the best.”
“Does that mean he could be coming back here from the hospital?” Logan couldn’t actually look at Cliff.
“Yes,” Cliff said.
“Can I stop him from coming here?” Logan asked.
“I’m sorry, Logan,” Cliff answered, “but I don’t see how. This is his house.”
“He was having sex with my girlfriend!” Logan yelled.
“I know,” Cliff said, “and I don’t think the court will approve, but it doesn’t necessarily make him an unfit parent. He would have to have done something more directly to you.”
Logan wrapped his arms around his waist. His head was killing him. “OK,” he said, “um, let me go get my checkbook.”
“Logan,” Cliff called out as he walked away. “If it’s any consolation, the rumor is that your father will have to go to a physical rehab center when he's released from the hospital. I've also heard that he'll be checking himself into a treatment center immediately after that.”
Logan stopped walking away. “A treatment center?”
“Yes,” Cliff said slowly, “for sex addiction.”
Logan laughed, but it was wrenched out of him. “Brilliant,” he said. “That is fucking brilliant.”
~*~
After Cliff left, Logan sat in the living room with the bottle of vodka he'd left in the freezer. The TV was on, but it was just noise to drown out the empty silence of the house, or maybe to muffle the sound of his pounding heart. He'd been warned against drinking when he had a concussion, but at the moment he didn't really see what was so bad about lapsing into possibly permanent unconsciousness.
He, of all people, should have known better than to conflate what happened on TV and in the movies with real life. On TV, when the bad guy was arrested, no matter how rich and famous he was, he was sent to jail to await trial, his passport confiscated. In real life, the only reason that OJ had gone to jail before the trial was because he'd obviously tried to flee when he was being arrested. Aaron was too smart not to learn from OJ's example, good and bad. After all, in the end OJ had gotten away with it.
He had just never considered that Aaron could come back to the house. The idea of having to live with Aaron again … he couldn't do it. One of them would end up dead. He had to figure out how long he had until Aaron got back and he had to do something fast.
He lifted the bottle to his lips when his eye was drawn to the action on the TV and he choked in mid-drink. Veronica Mars was being chased across the Neptune High schoolyard by a pack of paparazzi. She was with that kid Wallace; she looked furious and he looked terrified. He turned up the volume.
"… awaiting his arrival at Neptune High. Echolls, the son of movie stars Aaron Echolls and the late Lynn Lester, has been absent from school and sequestered in the Echolls family home since his father was arrested and charged with assaulting the father/daughter PI team of Keith and Veronica Mars. Miss Mars is seen here trying to escape the paparazzi. Aaron Echolls is rumored to be the lead suspect in the recently reopened Lilly Kane murder investigation."
The coverage switched over to show a helicopter shot of a Neptune patrol car careening across a roadway. It was being pursued by a pack of cars, including at least one TV news van.
"When word got out that Logan Echolls would be returning to Neptune High, it resulted in a police-led high speed car chase that spanned all of Neptune and parts of several neighboring towns, and sparked a near riot at the High School."
The camera angle was back on the ground now, returned to the parking lot outside of the high school, where it looked like cars had been damaged. "Paparazzi intent upon staking out good camera angles actually got up on the private vehicles of students and teachers at one end of the high school campus." Logan groaned as the camera showed Dick and other 09ers yelling and pushing cameramen. "As you can imagine, the resulting damage was not popular with the car owners and, as our cameras captured, the situation spun out of control when other students involved in the Lilly Kane murder case were spotted."
Logan's TV screen filled with an image of Veronica and Wallace back-to-back and surrounded by cameras. Logan wasn't sure, but it looked like Veronica had her Taser out and was ready to use it when Duncan suddenly appeared in the camera shot, having shoved some paparazzi out of the way. "Duncan Kane, whose parents have been charged with obstruction of justice in the murder of his sister Lilly Kane, is seen here coming to the defense of Miss Mars." Duncan was visibly angry and threw a punch at a cameraman, after saying something that was bleeped out.
"Oh, that is just awesome," Logan said bitterly. "Duncan the Hero rides again!" The next few shots showed an out and out brawl. Logan was pretty sure he spotted Dick pulling a cameraman off the top of a car, but it was hard to see what was really going on and who was involved with all of the jumbled camera angles.
"Meanwhile, the high speed chase that started all of the activity continued on," the anchorman said, cutting back to an overhead shot of the cruiser Logan had been in taking a wide U-turn over a median strip, wiping out flowers and bushes, only to drive right into the paparazzi who'd crossed the median behind the patrol car and cut it off, effectively ending the chase. The patrol car was boxed in and smashed up and sat there defeated, its blue lights whirling as cameramen began to pour out of their vehicles.
The coverage cut over to an exasperated older woman, as Logan sat there with his mouth open. "Look what they did!" she said, pointing at the damaged median strip. The patrol car that Logan was sitting in was just visible behind some crushed shrubbery. "We just had that whole thing planted, you know, our homeowners association adopted it and …" she gestured wildly, "and then the police drove over it and … it's just destroyed! And my lawn!" she pointed back at her house. "And my neighbors' yards!" The camera panned back to show the general destruction. "They smashed the lawn service's truck!"
"After California Highway Patrol intervened," the announcer intoned, "Logan Echolls was taken home." Suddenly, there he was, shakily getting out of the back of Lamb's patrol car, his hand clasped to his head and blood on his shirt. Lamb was sitting with his head against the wheel of the car, but Logan knew he wasn't injured, just hiding from the contempt of the CHP. "And although it appeared that he was injured, we have heard reports that his injuries appear to be minor and that he is resting comfortably at home." The TV broadcast an image of the now empty schoolyard at Neptune, which was covered with bits of glass, books, bags, and the occasional shoe. A car with its roof smashed in was being loaded up onto a tow truck.
"Oh.My.God." Logan was stunned.
"Classes at Neptune High have been canceled for the rest of the day, and parents and the city council are demanding answers as to how this situation got so out of control."
The camera's point of view shifted back to the anchor desk as the male anchor concluded that part of the report. The female anchor, Mandy Driscoll, was shaking her perfectly coiffed head in disbelief.
"That's a really good question, Mike," she said. "From the footage that we just saw, it's amazing that nobody was killed, especially during the chase."
Her colleague agreed and Mandy turned to the camera. "As Mike said, there are a lot of people with questions about how this situation got so out of hand. We've been told that Aaron Echolls, in particular, is very upset about what happened to his son this morning.”
Logan stood up abruptly, dropping the vodka bottle, which smashed on the floor. “We're expecting a news conference will begin any minute at Neptune General Hospital, although it is unclear who exactly will be appearing. As soon as that news conference begins, we'll be cutting over there for live coverage, but until then …"
Logan changed channels until he found that CNN was already broadcasting a window within a window, showing a press conference set up at the main door of Neptune General, and he stopped there, turning the volume up with shaking hands. He had the urge to run away -- the mere idea of seeing Aaron again had prompted the kind of fearful paralysis that used to happen to him when he was a little kid. He had worked for years to overcome it, but now he seemed to have reverted. He jumped when the phone rang, and slipped on the vodka and broken glass, sitting back down on the couch, hard.
"Are you all right?" Mrs. Navarro said from the doorway, the phone in her hand. "It's Cliff McCormack for you."
Logan nodded, and choked out a reply, his voice cracking. "I broke a bottle," he said to her, taking the phone.
"Logan?" Cliff said. "Logan, I think you should probably turn the TV on."
"I'm watching it," he croaked out, as the doors to the hospital opened. "Can I call you back?" He hung up before Cliff could answer, since he couldn't bear to have a witness to his terror.
When Mrs. Navarro came back in to clean up the mess, he went over and stood behind the other couch, as far away from the TV as he could get and still remain in the room.
A couple of men in suits came out with Trina, and the doors closed. "There's Robert Shapiro," the TV announcer said, "It was rumored that he was taking the lead in defending Aaron Echolls, but it hasn't been confirmed until today. No Barry Scheck, though," he added, then quieted when Shapiro put on glasses and began reading from a prepared statement.
"Good Afternoon," he said, "I'm Robert Shapiro and I'll be acting as Aaron Echolls' representative for the purposes of this press conference." He introduced his colleagues, and then noted, "and, of course, Aaron's daughter Trina is here, taking time away from her father's bedside to be with us. Aaron himself is far too ill to come down and address the press directly, so before the sedatives took effect he begged his daughter to come down here and represent the family." There was a murmur from the attending press, which Shapiro quelled by raising his hands. Another one of the men in the background patted Trina on the back as she wiped away a tear. "I should say that although Aaron had been making good progress these past few days, he has shown some early signs of post-operative infection, and after this morning's outrageous events, which have left him understandably distraught, he seems to be experiencing a significant setback." Shapiro gripped the podium and paused, while the press murmur rose to a din.
"Gentlemen and Ladies," Shapiro said sharply, "I'm not feeling too well-disposed toward the members of the Fourth Estate right now, so I warn you, if there is any outburst, I will turn and walk right back through those doors and release my client's statements electronically. I only consented to do this press conference for him because I was so outraged at what had happened that I had to speak out." He peered at the press over the tops of his glasses and they quieted down.
"As of thirty minutes ago, Aaron Echolls has filed an injunction seeking to enjoin the Neptune Police Department, and specifically Sheriff Donald Lamb," and here, Shapiro's voice was icy with contempt, "from having any contact whatsoever with the minor child, Logan Echolls. My client," he said, "understands that the Police Department may have reasonable access to his property due to their investigation," he sneered, "of the crimes that they allege Mr. Echolls may have some involvement in, but their execution of warrants and other items does not give them the right to have any contact with Logan Echolls without my client's express written consent as Logan's father, and legal guardian. They are specifically enjoined from ever taking the minor child, Logan Echolls, into their custody unless, and this is highly unlikely to occur," Shapiro editorialized, "the younger Mr. Echolls were somehow involved in a legal matter. In other words, my client is taking out a restraining order against the police having any contact with his son, since it has been manifestly proven today that they are incapable," Shapiro rapped the podium for emphasis, "utterly incapable of protecting Mr. Echolls from the less honorable members of the Fourth Estate.”
Logan had wedged himself into a corner and was holding onto his pounding head. He was whispering "Oh my God," over and over again.
Shapiro took off his glasses. "Let me just veer from the text here," he said. "I will argue, in court, that Logan Echolls was actually placed in life-threatening danger by what took place this morning. Danger, by the way, which could have been better managed by the highly trained, private security that Mr. Echolls has always provided for his family. This family," he emphasized, "has been through hell in the last few months, and Aaron Echolls' number one priority has been to ensure that his children are safe. Trina," he gestured behind him, "has left the house every day and traveled to and from the hospital without incident. Without incident!" He bellowed. "Why did this happen today?" He paused dramatically. "Because Logan was not allowed to use the security forces that his father has always provided for him. Make no mistake: he was not allowed -- and it is just dumb luck that Aaron Echolls still has a son this afternoon."
Mrs. Navarro had stopped cleaning up and was staring at the TV with her mouth agape.
"That motherfucker!" Logan yelled, clutching at his head. "Son of a bitch! He's gonna fucking use me for good press! Me!"
Trina was crying quietly in the background of the shot, as Logan watched dumbfounded. "Now, as a father, I never want to go through the kind of agony that I just saw Aaron Echolls go through. You can not imagine what he suffered as he watched his son, his only connection to his late wife, be driven in that police car at high speeds until it finally crashed, not knowing if he was ever going to see his son again." Trina had covered her face with her hand, and appeared to be sobbing, shoulders shaking.
"When that patrol car was boxed in and hit?" Shapiro stopped and gripped the podium. "Well. Aaron's heart monitor was going so fast that I thought he was going to have a heart attack. You cannot imagine how upset he is at the police," he said and pointing at the assembled press corps, "and at you. And I am telling you right now, as a father, he is saying to you, 'Leave my boy alone'. Hasn't he been through enough? Shame on you," he continued scolding the press, "and shame on the Neptune Police Department for its complete ineptitude today in handling something as simple as taking a boy to school."
He gathered his notes and seemed about to stop speaking when he shook his head and said. "And let me just say something directly to the Chief of Police, or Sheriff, or whatever his title is," Shapiro paused and dropped his head, then raised it and looked right at the cameras, "Officer Lamb, if this is the way you conduct police business, I cannot wait to see you in court." Shapiro paused again, "I cannot wait!"
He paused and then added, “No questions.” Shapiro turned away from the clamor and put his arms around Trina tenderly, soothing her with 'I know, I know' head movements.
The phone began ringing immediately, but Logan backed out of the room and away from Mrs. Navarro.
"No," he said, "No!"
He turned and fled upstairs.
~*~
Part 5
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:21 am (UTC)Oh, and this is probably supposed to be "Cliff":
Clint looked at Logan, who shook his head.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 03:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 01:51 pm (UTC)And thank you for the pick up.
:: scratches head ::
I still have no idea how that happened.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:34 am (UTC)Take Care
Mara
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 01:52 pm (UTC)Thanks!
XoXoX,
C.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 03:35 am (UTC)Can't wait for more.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 01:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 03:57 am (UTC)There was a long pause.
"Cliff?!" Logan yelled, afraid they'd been cut off.
“Wow,” Cliff said, “he’s really going the long way.”
That cracked me up. Very Cliff.
I'm enjoying this series.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 12:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 01:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 04:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:01 pm (UTC)Thanks for the comments!
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 04:49 am (UTC)Oh, and btw, Cliff rocks my socks.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 08:07 am (UTC)That hurts....*points to heart* HERE!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:05 pm (UTC):: hands you virtual chocolate ::
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 08:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 12:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:08 pm (UTC)I know, I know. They have meds for that now.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 01:51 pm (UTC)Poor, poor Logan. There's no way he's not going to have a total nervous breakdown at this rate! The terror really came through.
The plot is unfolding wonderfully.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:13 pm (UTC)You know, I think that Logan's been living in a low-level state of terror for most of his life. I mean, can you imagine having that psycho for a dad? I really do think that Aaron would do anything to turn this situation around to his advantage.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:22 pm (UTC)“Cliff!” he yelled, when the line connected. “Cliff! This is Logan Echolls! Are you my lawyer?”
“Do you need a lawyer?” Cliff said smoothly, and then paused. “Where are you, Logan?”
Logan pinballed across the backseat and couldn’t help the grunt that he let out when his shoulder connected with the doorframe again. “Are you watching TV?” he asked.
“Yes,” Cliff said, “and you’ll be happy to know that your father’s case isn’t the top of the news right now. There’s some sort of massive high-speed chase going on. I think someone stole a patrol car.”
“That’s me!” Logan yelled above the siren.
“You stole a patrol car?” Cliff asked in disbelief. “That’s new.”
“No,” Logan said, “the sheriff is driving me to school.”
There was a long pause.
"Cliff?!" Logan yelled, afraid they'd been cut off.
“Wow,” Cliff said, “he’s really going the long way.”
HAHAHAHA... going the long way.... hehehehehehehehe
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 02:36 pm (UTC)Be careful on that rolly chair!
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 03:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 06:14 pm (UTC)Poor Logan. I'm worried he might go postal soon.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 08:18 pm (UTC)Oh, you so rock. Lovely to see you writing again, and it's marvelous that you're taking your time with this. Good stuff.
Aaron is so heinous. Bleargh.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-05 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-06 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-06 02:59 pm (UTC)That's a very silly Dom icon.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-06 06:08 pm (UTC)Thanks for more! I got back from a pretty hellish vacation and it was nice to have this to escape into. Not that I would turn down a nice L/V interaction scene in the next one or anything. :)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-08 03:01 pm (UTC)As for Logan, I have to believe that Aaron has been able to maintain control over him out of fear, at least up until this point in Logan's life. It always struck me that in most scenes between the two characters, that Jason Dohring chose to hunch Logan's shoulders down, in an almost turtle-like response of curling inward. He was portraying Logan's physical fear towards his father, or maybe how Logan still saw himself as small around his father.
It's only after his mother's death that JD has Logan stand with his shoulders back in confrontations with Aaron, but not all of them. It then becomes noticeable that Logan is, in fact, much bigger than Aaron now. And, after all of the years of abusive treatment, I would think that Logan would revert to fear as a default response to Aaron.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-08 07:10 pm (UTC)::dies laughing:: This first scene had me dying. I had tears in my eyes. I had to take a break.
Needless tosay, I completely adored it. The ability to blend high drama with high comedy without diminishing the import of it is really something special. And it's my favorite kind of story. ::loves::
before formally charging him and going to the Grand Jury to get an indictment
Just curious, is there a reason you chose this over a preliminary hearing? I only ask because, from what I've experienced here, grand juries aren't very often used to get indictments.
And I still adore the media angle. Like, really. Especially the brawl at the school and Logan watching the replay of the car chase and--and...I love it.
I am so heartily enjoying this story. You're intertwining lots of complicated issues and doing it so well.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-08 08:35 pm (UTC)Thanks for your comments. I tried to cut some of the tension with humor, so I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it enough that you had to take a break. That's high praise, indeed.
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
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From:no subject
Date: 2005-09-04 10:10 pm (UTC)Oh, FYI, the press is referred to as the Fourth Estate, not the Fifth Estate. It's a reference to the three branches of government - executive, judicial and legislative - with the media serving as the informal fourth branch, or "estate." The Fifth Estate is the name of a fringe politcal publication created in response to what its founders perceived as an inability or unwillingness on the part of the mainstream press in performing its task in a democratic society. Sorry, I was a journalist for years, and I find this stuff fascinating.
Off to read the next chapter!
no subject
Date: 2005-09-06 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-11-11 04:39 pm (UTC)Cliff! ::loves::
no subject
Date: 2005-11-14 03:17 pm (UTC)I literally squealed when he showed up last week.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-08 11:48 pm (UTC)Such good fic!
no subject
Date: 2009-06-12 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-08 11:52 pm (UTC)LOL!
Date: 2009-06-12 12:48 am (UTC)