The wait was over. He'd returned from overseas unharmed and things were slowly going back to normal. Or at least as normal as they ever were between the two of them. Veronica was working on cases. Logan was booking flight hours and avoiding his required paperwork as much as possible.
When he'd first arrived back, she'd discovered that he owned a condo down in San Diego, just a few blocks from the base. She found out because he'd taken her there after they nearly ripped each other's clothes off in his car. They'd been so preoccupied with each other that Veronica didn't even get a good look at the place till the next morning and then it was more because she was looking for a bathroom and food than anything else.
In fact, other than taking care of those particular necessities, it was a good three days before they really surfaced again and started discussing the necessity of re-engaging with the real world.
Since then they'd settled into more or less of a routine. The nights that he couldn't make it back to Neptune, she'd drive into San Diego and stay at his place. The nights that she had stakeouts or other work-related business to attend to, he would go with her when he could and then stay over at her apartment in Neptune.
They were as close to attached at the hip as possible while still maintaining separate lives. It was, in fact, rare that they were unable to find some way to spend the night together. Yet they hadn't remotely begun to define their relationship and Veronica would never admit that they were essentially living together.
Of course, Logan's wingman - who Veronica only knew as 'Ducky' - reportedly teased him about their relationship constantly. He had apparently seen enough of single Logan's exploits over the years to have provided his call sign: 'Rogue'. However, in spite of having lived through Logan's relationship with Carrie, Ducky was now calling Logan 'whipped' and was saying that they may soon need to re-name him.
Even after hearing one story after another about Rogue and Ducky's adventures, Veronica was still both surprised and apprehensive when Logan told her that he wanted to invite his comrade-in-arms over for dinner. She was even more shocked and amazed when she learned that Ducky wouldn't be coming alone. He'd be bringing his wife and four-year-old son, a boy who - Logan informed her - was the reason for his father's call sign.
Veronica found it very tempting to try to be too busy with a case to become a part of Logan's work life. That felt far too intimate. In the end, though, he'd given her his basset hound eyes and she'd caved. Now, as they waited for their guests to arrive, she had a gut feeling that she'd somehow come to regret that weakness before the end of the evening.
Veronica sighed, bit her lower lip, and looked anxiously at Logan where he was setting the table and prepping his grilling utensils. "Why did I agree to this again?"
Logan grinned at her over his left shoulder and said cheekily, "Because you can't say no to my irresistible charms."
"Mmm, nope. Can't be that," Veronica snarked back with narrowed, twinkling eyes. She rose from her seat on his sofa and came over to wrap her arms around him from behind.
He turned obligingly and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before swiping several loose strands of blonde hair back behind her ear. Then he kissed her temple and murmured reassuringly in her ear, "It'll be fine. You'll see."
She was about to argue with him about that point but the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.
Excitedly, Logan cupped her face in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. "They're here!"
Veronica groaned but followed reluctantly behind him, making herself pretty well invisible while also more or less using him as a human shield.
When the door opened, there was immediately a flurry of activity. Logan was first pulled into what equated to a half-hug and half-headlock by a seriously hot guy with dark hair, dancing eyes, dimples, and just enough scruff to make Veronica's mouth start to water. Then he was being pulled into a warm embrace by an equally attractive woman who was also just cute as a button.
The woman's dark, wavy hair framed her radiant face. Her smile and dimples drew attention to her adorable smattering of freckles. Veronica was about to analyze the apparent perfection of the pairing when she was suddenly faced with a set of inquisitive dark chocolate brown eyes.
"Hi," stated the owner of said eyes, his little head tilting to one side to study her. "I'm Maddox. Tha's my Mommy an' Ducky. Who're you?"
Unable to help herself, Veronica smiled down at the little boy and held out her hand, "I'm Veronica. Your Mommy and Ducky, huh?" She grinned and caught Logan's eye, communicating silently that she now 'got' the joke of his buddy's call sign. Then she looked back at the child and asked seriously, "Well, I'm pretty sure they're not MY Mommy and Ducky so do you have any idea what I'm supposed to call them?"
The preschooler nodded enthusiastically, showing off the dimples he'd inherited from both parents, and said proudly, "Mommy's real name's Gabby an' Ducky's real name's Nick."
Veronica straightened and took a deep breath before she turned with a smile to the owners of those names. Before she could say anything, however, Logan's arm came down around her shoulders and he said, "Nick, Gabby, meet Veronica Mars. Veronica, Nick and Gabby Dalton."
There was a tug at Logan's leg that made him and Veronica both look down. It also caused Logan to reach down and scoop up the little boy before pulling Veronica against his side again. "Right, and you've already met the most important family member, Mr. Maddox Dalton, namer of the Duck-man."
"Tha's me," Maddox added in with his little chest puffed up with pride.
Nick shook Veronica's hand and gave her a friendly grin. "Nice to see that you're actually real. The way the rogue stallion here was going on and on about you, I figured he'd finally gone off the deep end."
Amused, Veronica lifted a brow at Logan as if to say, 'Rogue stallion, huh?' Then she laughed and said, "Oh I'm real all right but that doesn't mean he didn't go off the deep end."
Logan flinched playfully as if she'd injured him and Nick clapped his friend on the shoulder, "Oh, BURN! Yeah, I'm with you, Rogue. This one might just be a keeper."
The three boys went off in the direction of the grill, Logan tossing a wink and an encouraging smile over his shoulder. Then Veronica was left with no choice but to face the other female.
"Hi," she said awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other, "Sooo...I guess you already know that I'm Veronica. And you're...Gabby."
Gabby gave Veronica a compassionate and understanding smile that lit up her whole face. She pulled a stiff and surprised Veronica into a quick hug and said, "Yes, I am. Ignore them. They're boys and they're rude. They get together and all they do is act like big kids. You should see them when they fly."
Veronica's heart did a flip-flop. That was one thing she hadn't done yet. She hadn't seen Logan fly. The idea of it both scared and excited her to no end. "Please tell me that they're careful."
Moving into the room and making herself at home, Gabby chuckled and nodded. "Oh, they're careful all right. They're also cocky as hell. Think they're the best of the best. Always pretending they'll be the next pair selected to go to Top Gun."
The thought made Veronica burst into laughter. She shook her head and said, "Yeah, that definitely sounds like Logan. How in the world is there room in their cockpit for both of them AND their egos?"
"No idea," Gabby giggled in response.
Before Veronica had realized what Gabby was doing, she had put a wine glass filled with a sweet red in Veronica's hand and was reaching for one of her own. She then took a seat on one of the high-backed chairs at Logan's four-person table and motioned for Veronica to join her.
"Sooo," Gabby began as she swirled her wine and then took a sip, "Tell me something about you."
These were typically the types of conversation that Veronica hated. This time, though, she found that there was something in her that wanted to at least try to get to know this woman. She'd obviously been a friend to Logan while Veronica had been away but it was more than that. It was the thought that perhaps the next time Logan had to ship out for a tour of duty, she might just have someone with whom she could commiserate.
"Well...what's there to tell?" Veronica began, self-conscious and embarrassed. She bit her lower lip and found herself asking, "What has Logan already told you?"
Understanding lit the other woman's caramel-colored eyes and she said, "Mostly just that you're the love of his life and that you've been tormenting him in one way or another since he was twelve."
Veronica's blue eyes softened as did her smile. She shrugged and had to ask, "What more do you need to know than that?"
Gabby chuckled and searched Veronica's face. Then she became more serious and added, "He also said that you've helped each other through some pretty tough shit and that we have you to thank that he wasn't convicted of Carrie's murder."
"No thanks necessary," Veronica said, brushing off the gratitude that made her so uncomfortable, "Besides, it's not like I didn't benefit myself from clearing him."
Ignoring Veronica's lack of acceptance of her thanks, Gabby explained, "Nick and I were in Michigan for his grandfather's funeral during that whole ordeal. Not that I think we would have been able to help at all but I can imagine how alone Rogue felt before you got here."
Veronica couldn't meet Gabby's eyes. She cleared her throat and squirmed in her seat before asking, "How about those Padres?"
Laughing, Gabby shook her head, "I was told not to bother trying to thank you. Guess Rogue knows you pretty well, huh?"
Her blue eyes softening, Veronica couldn't help the smile that curled her lips up, "Only better than anyone."
"Should we go see what the boys are up to, then?" Gabby asked, finishing her wine and pouring some more.
"Sure," Veronica agreed with a grin, "Logan and a grill? I'm betting we'll see some comedy gold."
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"So, buddy," Nick said with a smirk once he and Logan were outside with Maddox, hanging around the covered picnic area near one of the gas grills, "Didn't you say she was the one who got away? Oh yeah, and made your life a living hell?"
"Got away, yes," Logan replied as he alternated between watching little Maddox and watching the steaks on the grill, "Made my life a living hell...welllll, that's open for interpretation."
"Right, 'cause only the love of your life could ever make you as truly miserable as that woman has made you," Nick scoffed, a mocking grin on his smug face.
"That's right," Logan grinned in response, waving his grilling tongs at his friend, "I told you. We're epic."
"Of course you are," Nick chuckled and shook his head. He eyed his son who had found a neighbor's dog to pet and then turned back to his friend, this time speaking more seriously, "Really, man. The last thing I need is for you to decide to put us into a tailspin or a nosedive over a girl. Especially if things between you have always been as volatile as you've said."
"Dude," Logan said, his eyes piercing sharply into Nick's, "Trust me. Having Veronica back in my life is a good thing. I won't be purposely making any stupid moves anytime soon."
"All right, then," Nick said, shaking his head, "If you say so."
"I do," Logan replied insistently, leaving no room for doubt.
The four-year-old Maddox had finished up with petting the neighbor's dog and was at a loss for what to do next. He moved to Logan's side and tugged at his pant leg. "Unca Rogue? You pway wiff me?"
Grinning down at the boy, Logan handed Nick the grilling utensils and said with a wink, "Here, take these. I've got a more important job to do here." Then, looking down at Maddox seriously, he asked, "You ready to go flying, kid?"
"YEAH!" Maddox whooped in delight.
Logan reached down, picked the boy up and flew him around the picnic area. He made as many fighter jet noises as he could muster and toppled himself and the giggling child into the grass after yelling, "Oh no! Crash and BURNNNN!" He then proceeded to tickle the boy mercilessly for the next several minutes.
When Veronica and Gabby exited the condo, this was the very first sight that they both encountered. Gabby immediately grinned indulgently and went to stand with Nick, wrapping her arms around him from behind. Veronica stopped short of the picnic area, mesmerized, and just watched with a faint smile on her lips.
Gabby must have seen the look on Veronica's face because she called out to her from near the grill, "What, you've never seen him acting like a kid before?"
"Not when he was WITH a kid," Veronica replied, her eyes glued to the vision of Logan flying little Maddox around.
She moved forward and caught Logan's twinkling gaze. He set Maddox on the ground and pulled Veronica into his arms, dancing her in a circle and murmuring in her ear, "You saw me with Heather once. And I told you about our video game Fridays."
"Yeah," she whispered back, "But you telling me about it and me actually seeing it are two very different things," she noted and then couldn't help but add, "I think I should probably find it alarming how much of a turn on watching you play with a kid is to me."
Logan smirked and kissed Veronica's cheek before saying softly against her ear, "I will definitely have to remember that. Does that mean we should plan for a kid of our own? Just to make sure you always stay as turned on as possible, of course."
Veronica shoved him away and laughed, "Ummm, NO. That is NOT a good reason to have a kid. Besides, what happens later when you have to explain their reason for being? I mean, seriously, 'Sorry, honey, but we had you 'cause I just couldn't resist your dad when he was acting like a kid with a friend's kid and he wanted to make sure I could never resist him.' Don't think that would go over very well."
Gabby caught parts of their conversation and smiled secretively before pulling Nick's arm so that his head lowered to where she could speak directly into his ear. "He's right. She's perfect for him. I've never seen him like this with anyone else." She watched a moment more before adding thoughtfully, "And he seems to bring something out in her as well."
"You think it'll last?" Nick asked as he watched Logan pick Maddox back up again only this time he had Veronica standing on his feet and attached at his waist saying he was a cargo plane.
"Oh yeah," Gabby said thoughtfully, her eyes still glued to the other couple, "I don't see him letting her get away again."
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Later that night, after Nick and Gabby had taken Maddox home, Logan and Veronica were snuggled in bed, reflecting on their evening with Logan's friends.
"You know, I almost chickened out of meeting them," Veronica admitted thoughtfully, her head resting on Logan's chest.
"Because you're you and it was going to mess up your neat little compartments for people?" Logan asked affectionately, kissing the top of her hair and ruffling her waves just a bit.
"Partly," Veronica acknowledged but then said thoughtfully, "Mostly I've just never seen a reason for it before, but since you've been hanging out with me, Mac, and Wallace more...I don't know…"
Understanding curled Logan's lips upward in a soft smile, "Whether you want to admit it or not, you want to be a part of my life as much as you've finally decided you want me to be a part of yours."
"Yeah, I guess that's it," Veronica agreed, lifting up to smile down at him and kiss his cheek, "It's just that, I was nervous. I wanted to run, find a case to work on or something. I mean, I'm kinda a lot better at making enemies than friends, you know?"
There were so many different directions that Logan could have gone with what she'd said but he chose to cup her face and kiss her thoroughly on the lips. "I know. It's actually one of the things I love most about you." He paused, searching her eyes before he asked, "You were afraid they wouldn't like you?"
She nodded, a bit of rare vulnerability showing in her deep blue eyes.
He kissed the tip of her nose, her forehead, and each eyelid before answering in full deadpan, "I can see the concern. I mean, if they're friends with ME, they MUST be all high class with impeccable morals and zero taste in beautiful women."
Laughing, Veronica gave him a shove, "Stop! You know what I mean."
"I do," Logan assured her, giving her another kiss, this time at the nape of her neck. "They just want me to be happy, V. They've seen me party, they've seen me play the field, they've seen me be a total jackass and somehow they still tolerate me. If they can handle all that, I'm sure they'll get used to you."
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Veronica and she faced him with a worried expression, "Do they know about our history?"
He kissed her nose again and confirmed with a nod, "They do. And while Nick may be a little wary, I got the feeling we have Gabby's full approval."
"We do?" Veronica asked in surprise. She'd felt so awkward with the woman all night that should could never quite figure out how to read her.
"Yes," Logan said with a satisfied smile, "We do."
"How could you tell?" Veronica insisted, not willing to accept his statement without a little proof.
Laughing, Logan bopped Veronica on the nose with his index finger. "Because, she was watching us all night. The look on her face was barely restrained glee which means I'm pretty sure she ships us," he explained wryly.
"She ships us?" Veronica asked with brows raised, "We're into TV terminology now? What happened to your love affair with the big screen?"
"We came to a mutual agreement that I could see other media outlets as well," Logan returned, dead serious.
Veronica chuckled and shook her head, tracing his jaw with her fingers lightly. "You're so full of it," she said fondly.
"I'm definitely full of something," Logan agreed before waggling his eyes and grinning, "Personally, I thought it was love for you."
"Charmer," Veronica accused with a laugh and a grin of her own.
"I've been called worse," Logan responded with a sly smile as he rested his head against the headboard, looking lazy and relaxed.
"Of course you have," Veronica retorted as she scrambled to straddle him and obtain the dominant position, "By me," she pointed out. Then she poked him in the chest with her index finger and added, "Jackass," before lowering her mouth to his and kissing him into submission.
