Two Years

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, please don't sue... yada yada yada, you know the drill...

Summary: Post VM Season 3. Logan goes missing and it seems like the Castle is making good on Gory's threat. Veronica tries to hunt him down with a little help from her friends.

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Veronica gritted her teeth and pushed open the door. Nothing. Then she saw it. Fading into view like a lens coming into focus. Logan tied to a chair, bloodied and beaten. Clarence Weidman standing over him with a pair of pliers, rattling off questions like a machine gun. Jake Kane sat off to the side, half hidden in shadow, twiddling his fingers and mumbling maniacally about his master plans.Longan's mouth was frozen in a scream of her name, half in pain, half in relief.

That's when she woke up. That's when she always woke up.

Sweat soaked her body and her heart was racing and she was clutching the sheets. She loosened her grip and got out of bed to pad down to the bathroom. Splashing water on her face, she looked up into the mirror to study her reflection. She had dark smudges under her eyes – too many late nights, too many nightmares.

Logan had been missing for two years. Two years since beating up Gory and laughing about it. Feeling responsible, she'd given up the FBI internship to try to track him down. And she was still trying to track him down.

She felt a stab of something in her stomach.

Regret? For giving up the last two years of her life for Logan?

Guilt? For telling her father bare minimum details... and leaving said details on his answering machine because she was afraid to face him, let alone talk to him? She knew he wouldn't worry (if he'd even forgiven her enough to listen to her message) – he could track her down easily and they both knew he'd be the one she'd call if she ran into trouble.

So, that was it. That was what she was doing in a seedy motel in Guatamala – tracking down the only lead she had. Some business associates of Jake Kane's – also members of the Castle with some questionable business transactions. And a rumour that they held a wealthy kidnapped American. Mac was coming and going – helping when she could.

She sighed. Sleep no longer an option, she went back to the living room, to the mess of papers and clicked on the lamp to try and sort through some of it.

The phone rang, startling her. She picked it up, looking at the display. Mac. "Hello?"

"I've got some good news, Veronica. I knew you'd be awake," Mac chattered excitedly.

"What time is it in Neptune?" Veronica replied, glancing around for a clock. The red on the stove glowed 3:00.

"Four in the morning... Listen, I got an address!"

Suddenly, she was wide awake. "What?"

"I finally got an address. I hacked into Kane software and looked over some e-mails. One was from him to a couple higher-ups from the Castle, well, as far as we know... They're meeting at a villa out at the edge of the city, owned by... get ready for it... Jake Kane! Dick and I will fly out in the morn-"

"No, Mac. That's okay. I'll take it from here. Do some reconnaissance. I won't do anything stupid, don't worry. I'll call you if I need any help... Just e-mail me the address." She hung up before Mac could protest. She stared at her hands. She could find him. This might be it. Finally. A chilling thought seeping into her mind even as she tried to block it out.

If he's still alive...

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She nearly tumbled in the window and put her hand out at the last minute to steady herself and avoid a crash. It came down on something that scarily resembled a body. 'Please don't let this be Weidman's closet where the skeletons weren't skeletons yet...' she prayed.

But the body moved and suddenly she was lying on what the floor with someone's hand closing around her throat. They fumbled around above with the other as she tried, unsuccessfully, to free herself. She reached out, trying to find her bag, her taser, hell, even a pen would help.

Suddenly the bright light of a high-beam flashlight shone into her eyes and she immediately squeezed her eyes shut.

"Veronica?" A very familiar voice exploded in a whisper and suddenly she wasn't on the floor anymore but wrapped in the strong arms of Duncan Kane. "Oh my god, Veronica. What are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to be here!"

She was too shocked to even hug him back. "D-Duncan?" Her voice cracked embarrassingly and she groped for words as she tried not to cry.

He leaned over and clicked on the bedside light, still holding her arm tightly as if she were a dream that would be chased away with the shadows.

She blinked at the sudden light and couldn't help but notice the difference two years had made in him. He seemed longer, leaner, with day old stubble on his face. He'd lost his innocence – his boyishness. He seemed more serious, if it were possible. But at the moment his eyes shone with unconcealed love, just like the last time he'd seen her.

"Duncan, what are you doing here? Where's Lily?"

He blinked hard and caressed her face. "God, Veronica, you are real. I dream of you every night but tonight's the first night you've stayed after the light goes on... Lily's fine. She's safe. I came to see my father to see how the case was going. How did you find me?"

That brought her back to reality with a thump. "Actually I didn't know you'd be here... Logan's missing."

He frowned. "Missing? And you think my dad has something to do with it?"

"Sort of. Logan beat up a guy who had some very influential friends. Ever heard of the Castle?"

He frowned. "Bits and pieces. Secret society. Hush hush and all that?"

"Your dad's a member. Or was a member when he was at Stanford. I think they took Logan. My leads brought me here."

"I haven't seen Logan."

She frowned."Well, I doubt your dad and Weidman would be stupid enough to parade him in front of you..."

He squeezed her arm. "Veronica, this sounds really dangerous, even for you... Maybe-"

She cut him off and shrugged off his arm. "I don't need you to direct me, Duncan. I know how dangerous it is. But the only reason Logan's in trouble is because of me. Because he beat up some guy while trying to defend me. I have to help him and no one else will. They gave up the case two months after they started. I'm the only one left." She thought of her father again but shook it off and started to get up off the bed.

"Oh." He sounded deflated. "So you and Logan are still...?"

"No," she said quickly. She cringed. "Sorry, reflex... We ended it after he slept with Madison while we were on a break." She smiled sadly at his confused expression. "It's complicated. It's always complicated."

"Yeah, I remember." He watched her move towards the door and stood up. "Wait, where are you going? What do you think you're doing?"

"I have to find Logan."

He started towards her. "Let me go with you." His fingers closed around her arm. "I hate to sound clichéd but I missed you."

She closed her eyes, reminiscing in his touch. "I missed you too Duncan. But I really have to go..."

He leaned in. "I still love you."

She opened them and looked up at him. "Don't Duncan... I can't take that right now. I don't have time for this."

"Veronica please." His lips were inches from her own. Then he kissed her. It was different from the kisses she was used to getting from Duncan. He was soft and gentle, usually cradling her face and giving her quick, innocent kisses.

His tongue plunged into her open surprised mouth. His hands were pulling her jacket off, one hand on her ass, pulling her body flush against him, the other in her hair. He twisted them around and walked to the bed. Lifting her into his arms, he all but threw her onto the bed, following right after.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her skin.

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