Title: Full Speed Ahead

Characters: Logan Echolls, Veronica Mars

Pairing: Logan/Veronica

Rating: Adult

Summary: Sequel to Back on Course. Third in the series. The morning after during Logan and Veronica's Labor Day Weekend in New York.

Author's Notes: Entry for both the July Summer Lovin' Challenge and one of the VMFicRecs July picture prompt: 1a. Hot Air Balloon Ride.

I wrote this before the tragic balloon accident in Texas at the weekend and have been debating whether I should post it or not. My thoughts are with those who lost their lives, and with their families and friends, and I apologise if it's a sensitive subject for anyone.

Early September 2014

Logan smiles lazily, his gaze fixed on Veronica who is curled on her side beside him, fast asleep, her face just inches from his. She looks gorgeous, her hair tousled, a stray flower petal nestled between the tangles, and features relaxed in slumber. One of her hands clutches the sheet to her chest, the other is tucked beneath her cheek on the pillow.

While he can't deny he wasn't hoping for this when he flew out to New York to surprise her Friday night, part of him can't believe last night actually happened. He had sex with Veronica Mars… extremely satisfying, out-of-this-world sex with Veronica Mars. He told her he was going to take his time, and take his time he had, as he explored her body, relearned her likes and dislikes—not that he'd ever really forgotten—and made it a point to satisfy her completely. He brought her to climax over and over with his fingers and mouth until she was gasping and begging and clinging to him, then he sank into her tight, wet heat and made her come twice more.

He never expected to bump into Veronica again after all these years, let alone at Fleet Week in New York, but their chance encounter back in May was the best thing to happen to him in years. It brought him here, to this moment.

Smiling softly, he reaches for the petal, extracting it from her hair, then brushing it along her soft skin. He grins when her nose scrunches and her hand comes up to swat it away. He waits for a moment, content to just drink her in, until she stirs, prying open her eyes.

He smiles. "Morning."

She blinks, looking at him in confusion for a moment, before her lips curl up in a sleepy smile. "Morning."

His eyes don't leave her as she stretches languidly, and she gives a frown when she notices. "Have you been watching me sleep?"

Logan smirks. "No."

"Right," she says, expression clearly disbelieving.

He slips his arm around her waist, flattening his hand over her lower back and tugging her closer. He kisses her softly, his knee sliding between her thighs as her hand comes up to cradle the back of his neck. She shifts even closer, leg coming up to hook around his hip, her nude body pressing deliciously against his.

"God, I missed this," she mumbles against his lips. "Missed you."

He draws back slightly, breaking the kiss and waiting until she opens her eyes before saying, "Me too."

She smiles warmly and presses her lips to his again. When they part, Logan runs his fingers through her hair as he speaks.

"You don't really have to study this weekend, do you?" Before she can reply, he adds, "Because I have plans, and they don't involve you spending the next two days with your nose in some law book."

"What kind of plans?" She looks intrigued.

"That's need to know." He grins when she tuts and shakes her head. "But, you're free, right?"

"Yes, but—"

He cuts her off with another kiss.

"Great." Glancing at the clock on the table behind her, he adds, "So, we have about two hours before the car comes."

"Car?" She blinks, more awake now.

"Yeah." He gives a half-shrug, raising one shoulder. "I hired a rental."

She frowns. "And why do you need a rental?"

"Because we're heading out of the city today."

"We are?" she asks faintly. "Uh, why, exactly?"

"Like I said, need to know. It's a secret."

"Geez, Logan," she grumbles. "You know I hate secrets."

"I know, but you're not getting it out of me. So, suck it up."

"Oh, really?" She smirks, quirking an eyebrow as her hand slides down between their bodies, fingers wrapping around his hard length. Logan sucks in a sharp breath. "You know, I bet I could get it out of you one way or another."

"You could, huh?" His voice comes out a little breathless as she pushes him onto his back and settles over him. "Well, by all means, give it your best shot."

Even after attempting to get it out of him with a spectacular blow job (if she does say so herself) and some acrobatic shower sex, Veronica is still no closer to finding out Logan's plans for the rest of the long weekend. So now, she's sitting in his cushy rental car—a soft-top Mercedes—overnight bags on the backseat, as he manoeuvres his way through the New York traffic.

"Can you at least tell me a general location, or even just a direction?" she probes as he drives across George Washington Bridge out of Manhattan.

"Fine. We're going upstate." He looks over at her. "But that's all you're getting."

Veronica narrows her eyes, watching him carefully. His expression is almost smug. He's enjoying this way too much.

"Oh, don't give me that look," he says, eyes fixed on the road. "It won't help anything." He nods toward the radio. "Why don't you just sit back, put some music on and enjoy the journey?"

"Fine." She reaches forward, starts searching through the various radio stations, settling on one playing a mix of new and old school music.

They drive in silence for a few minutes, until the end of a particularly melancholy song and the DJ's voice comes through the speakers. "And that was the title track from Bonnie DeVille's 2009 album, Wish I Was There,"

"You know, I bumped into Carrie a couple of months ago," says Logan conversationally. "I was down in Neptune for a surfing weekend with Dick. She was hanging at the 09er with Gia Goodman and Luke Haldeman."

"Really? She's still in Neptune?"

"Yeah." He nods. "We chatted for a while. She seemed good. Has a house in the 09er zip, said she stays there when she's not on tour."

The next song starts up on the radio, effectively ending the conversation, and Veronica turns her attention back to the scenery.

After an hour of driving through the countryside, Logan pulls the car up outside a rustic-looking, lakeside country inn in the Catskills.

"Wow."

"Scenic, right?"

"Yeah… you could say that," breathes Veronica. She's barely even left the city since she moved to the East coast two years ago, let alone made it all the way upstate. The scenery here is breathtaking. "We're staying here tonight?"

"Yep." He shoots her a grin, reaching for his door handle. "Come on."

He retrieves their bags, then takes her hand, and as they approach the large building, Veronica glances toward the lake and murmurs, "You know, I keep expecting Johnny Castle to appear and make me do 'the lift' in the water."

Fifteen minutes later, Logan opens the door to their room and gestures for her to enter.

"Oh my God." Veronica gasps when she sees not a modest-sized, regular hotel room, but a massive loft space, complete with an open fireplace, full living room and two or three other rooms off it.

She turns to Logan, frowning disapprovingly. "Logan, didn't we just agree last night that you weren't going to spend any more money on me?"

He shrugs, closing the door behind him and lowering their bags to the floor. "This is already paid for… so technically, I haven't spent any more money. Besides, you wouldn't want me to waste it, would you?"

She just fixes him with a withering look, then glances around the gorgeous room and sighs in defeat.

"I guess not." She steps over to him, resting her hands on his waist and looking up at him with a smile. "It's lovely. Thank you."

He leans down as she rises up, their lips meeting in the middle.

"So, why are we here?" she asks then, genuinely curious as to why they needed to drive over two hours to stay in a posh B&B when she has a perfectly good apartment in Brooklyn.

Logan's hands link at the base of her spine and he leans back slightly to look down at her with a secretive smirk. "Like I said, it's a secret. But we are here for a reason. You'll find out in a couple of hours."

She pouts, itching to know what he's up to and having to push down the urge to keep prodding. Logan grins, dropping a gentle kiss to her nose.

"Why don't you explore the suite? I'll put the bags in the bedroom."

The room is pretty amazing, Veronica has to admit as she takes in the small kitchen area, luxury bathroom and sun deck, which even has a hot tub. With a wide grin, she makes her way into the bedroom.

"My life is complete: there is a hot tub out on the balcony. And it has amazing views of the lake."

Logan looks up from rummaging in his duffle bag and grins. "I know, right?"

"We have to make use of it later."

"We do, huh?" He touches his tongue to his top lip. "I think that can be arranged."

Veronica slips her arms around him from behind. "So, any hint about what we might be doing later?"

"Well, we'll need to leave here at 16:30 and you should wear comfortable clothes. And bring a jacket."

"Hmm… a jacket, huh? So it's something outdoors?"

"Nope, that's all you're getting."

"Spoilsport." She pouts, running her fingers along his abdomen. "So we have two hours? What will we do with ourselves?"

"Seriously?" Veronica turns to him, eyes lighting up as he pulls up in front of a small hangar at an airport and she realises where he's taking her.

Logan can't keep the grin from his face as he nods. "Yep."

"Oh my God, Logan." Her hand comes to her chest, as her expression turns a mixture of incredulity and gratitude. "I've always wanted to do this."

"I remember," he says. "It was all you could talk about in eighth grade after that field trip."

"We're really going up in one?"

He nods. "Just you, me and the pilot for a whole hour."

"Wow."

Logan lets out a chuckle at the awe in her tone. "Come on, let's go."

They get out of the car and head over to where their pilot—a slim man in his late-40s—is waiting.

"Welcome to Above The Clouds," greets the man. "I'm Scott, I'll be your pilot this evening."

"Good evening, Scott." Logan steps forward, shaking his hand. "I'm Logan. This is Veronica."

The man nods, then shakes Veronica's hand too. "Nice to meet you both."

Before they set off, Scott takes them through a few safety announcements, then releases a weather balloon—which is nothing more than a small, black children's party balloon—to check the wind speed and direction. Then he's instructing them to climb aboard and before too long, they're taking off.

"This is so cool," murmurs Veronica, leaning into Logan's side, her arm sliding around his waist as she peers over the edge of the basket, watching the ground fall away beneath them, the heat and power of the burner above her head pushing the balloon higher into the sky. "You can barely even tell we're moving."

"I know."

Behind them, Scott starts talking to local Air Traffic Control over his radio, informing them of their location and planned altitudes. Logan smiles to himself. This guy has to be a former aircraft pilot, probably military, considering the way he's reeling off the stats.

"You been flying long?" he asks the man when he tucks the radio into his pocket, blasts the burner again, and turns back to them again.

Scott nods. "Been doing this for about 10 years now, but I was Air Force before that. Flew F-16s in the Gulf War."

"Really?" Logan grins, then points to himself. "Navy. Spent the first few months of this year flying F/A-18s over Afghanistan."

"Nice." Scott nods approvingly. "Always good to meet a fellow aviator. Even if you are a Squid. Guess I can't get away with any pilot bullshitting with you on board this evening."

"Guess not, Flyboy." Logan grins.

"Okay, if you two are done with your macho military talk, I'd like to enjoy my balloon ride here."

"Sorry." Logan exchanges a grin with Scott, then turns back to Veronica, shooting her an apologetic smile as he slips his arms around her waist from behind. "You have my full attention."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Scott take a step back in his section of the basket, giving them some space as they fly over the Hudson Valley. Logan has to admit that the scenery below is gorgeous: vast expanses of lush green forest, the meandering Hudson river, the hills and valleys. Despite the three months he spent in Rhode Island for OCS training three summers ago, he hasn't seen a lot of the East Coast. OCS had been extremely intense and he didn't stray far from the base during the little down time he had.

"Having fun?" he asks Veronica, his mouth close to her ear as they watch the passing scenery together.

"Definitely," she replies, her hands covering his across her stomach, their fingers locking. "This is amazing."

"Still mad at me for spending money on you?"

She grins, shaking her head. "Not right now, I'm not. Though it's likely I will rethink that position later."

"I'll be prepared."

"So, what is all this for anyway?" she asks. "Not that this isn't really cool, but an expensive B&B, a hot air balloon ride… those aren't normal weekend activities, especially not for struggling law students."

"Ah…" He straightens, loosening his hold on her a little. She turns in his arms to look up at him. "This was all part of my big elaborate plan to woo you."

"Woo me?" A smirk plays on her lips.

"Yeah." He smiles widely. "You have to know by now that this wasn't just a friendly visit. I came here to win you back. Today was going to be my big elaborate gesture, to convince you to give me… give us a chance again. Of course, I wasn't banking on last night happening first."

"You weren't?" Her expression is one of faux-innocence. "Could've fooled me with your fancy dinner, and hair flowers, and song quotes."

He chuckles lightly. "Okay… can't say I wasn't hoping. But seriously, Veronica." He drops the teasing tone. "Are we on the same page here?"

"I think so." She nods slowly. "Just to get this straight, which page are we talking about exactly?"

He leans in closer, lightly resting his forehead against hers. "The one where we try this thing again, where I can call you my girlfriend—" He lowers his voice to just above a whisper. "—and we can have tons of incredible, mind-blowing sex."

Her lips curl up in a soft smile. "I think I can manage to be on that page with you."

"Perfect." He grins, lowering his head to kiss her.

Veronica feels antsy all the way back to the B&B. The evening has been amazing so far; Logan's pulled out all the stops this weekend, and though she certainly wasn't expecting it, she can't say she's not pleased with this new development in their relationship. It's been coming for a long time, ever since that incredible Sunday three months when Logan came soaring back into her life from the cockpit of a fighter jet.

She's been so focused on keeping her distance, on making sure they just stay friends, that she's been refusing to admit to herself that she feels more for him than just friendship. That she's spent the last few weeks falling in love with him all over again.

Logan Echolls knows her; he gets her. He's aware of all her flaws, has been witness to her biggest mistakes, and yet he still wants to be with her. He knows what makes her happy, what scares her (even if she won't admit it herself), what worries her, what she strives for. Sure, they have a rocky history, but they're older now, wiser—she hopes—they won't make the same mistakes again.

She looks over at Logan, who is concentrating on the road, one hand on his thigh, his brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed together as if in thought.

She lets her eyes trail along his profile, before murmuring softly, "Thank you."

"Did you say something?" Logan glances over at her curiously.

She raises her voice a little. "Thank you. For this evening." Reaching over, she placing her hand over his. "It was amazing."

His features relax and he smiles. "My pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

She gives a soft laugh. "I've only wanted to do that, for, like, ever."

"I know."

"But—" She holds up a finger. "—No more spending. I mean it."

He opens his mouth like he's going to protest, but then seems to think better of it. "Okay."

She frowns, reading him easily. "I know what you're thinking."

He grins. "What am I thinking?"

"You're thinking, 'Sure, I'll tell Veronica I won't spend any more money on her, but I'm still gonna do it anyway.'"

"No, I'm not," he protests, trying to look indignant.

"You so are," she retorts.

"So sue me." He shrugs. "I can spend my money on whatever I choose, you know. I want to do nice things for you."

"And I appreciate that. I really do," she says. "But I'm used to earning my own money and saving for the good things in life, not having them handed to me on a silver platter. Plus, it kinda makes me feel inadequate when you pay for everything, when I can't afford to do the same for you."

"I don't need you to," he counters. "I don't want you to. Just having you in my life is all I could ask for."

Something twinges in her chest and she looks at him sombrely. "Don't you think it's the same for me, too?"

He takes that in silently, brow furrowing for a moment before he sighs.

"Well, shit." He glances over at her. "I'm sorry."

Veronica takes his hand in hers, linking their fingers. "Logan, you have to know; I don't need or want your money, or material things. That's not what's important to me."

His thumb strokes the back of her hand as he nods slowly. "I do know."

"Good." She smiles. "Well, now that's out of the way…"

She grins mischievously, extracting her hand from his. She leans across the console, lightly kissing his cheek as she begins walking her fingers up his denim-clad thigh.

"Shit, Veronica," he hisses.

She moves her mouth to his ear. "I want you, Logan. When we get back to the room, I'm going to show you exactly how much."

They barely even make it inside the door before Veronica has whirled around and is pressing him up against the wall.

"We're going for role reversal tonight?" he teases, watching with hooded eyes as she lowers to her knees and begins unbuttoning his jeans with fierce determination. She doesn't respond, too focused on the task at hand and Logan frowns. He reaches out a hand, curls his fingers around her wrist, stopping her movement. "Hey, Veronica. Stop."

"What?" She looks up in confusion. "Don't you want…?"

"Yes, I do." He nods emphatically. "But not like this. Not like you're just trying to prove a point."

"I—" She opens and closes her mouth for a moment, before her shoulders sag and she stands up. "Sorry."

"Hey…" He hooks a finger under her chin, tilts her head up. "Didn't you say something about a hot tub?"

She smiles, biting her lip. "I did."

He reaches for her hand. "Come on, then."

Ten minutes later, the hot tub is bubbling away and Logan has shucked his clothes and is relaxing in the steamy water, arms stretched out along the sides of the tub, back of his head resting against the edge as he looks up at the stars.

Veronica appears in the doorway of the sun deck, wrapped in a bathrobe, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She has a bowl in one hand and a bottle and two glasses in the other.

"So, I found these in the fridge," she says, walking over to the tub and placing the bowl on the edge. "Chocolate-covered strawberries. And this," she nods to the bottle, as she gently sets the glasses down on the table. "It's just sparkling grape juice, but I figure it can substitute for champagne."

"Sounds perfect." He frowns when, instead of losing the robe and climbing in, Veronica turns and heads back inside. "Wait, where are you going?"

She throws a grin over her shoulder. "Patience. I'll be back in a sec."

Logan resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead sits up, reaching for the bottle, opening it and pouring two glasses. Veronica reappears, carrying a second robe and a couple of towels. She drops them on the table a couple of feet away, then turns to him, a wicked glint in her eye as she unties the robe and makes a show of sliding it off her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of bare skin beneath.

Logan swallows, feeling the blood rushing straight to his groin, his eyes following her every movement. She climbs into the tub and settles down beside him, the water coming up to her shoulders. He hands her one of the glasses.

"Cheers."

"Cheers." She nods, clinking her glass to his.

He takes a sip, then places the glass back down on the side.

"So, what are you doing all the way over there?"

She playfully cocks an eyebrow. "There somewhere else I should be?"

He just shoots her an incredulous look. She grins, then puts her glass down too and rises up on her knees. Logan's gaze fixes on her bare breasts, wet and glistening, as she shifts in the tub, moving to straddle his lap. His hands immediately come around her, palms flat against her lower back and she rests her hands on his shoulders for balance.

"Better?" she asks breezily.

"Much." He nods.

She studies him for a moment, a soft smile on her face, before leaning in and kissing his lips gently, cradling his face in her hands.

"Thank you. Again. This has been an amazing weekend."

"Well, it's not over yet."

He grins, tightening his grip on her and tugging her closer until his hard length is pressed up against her stomach, trapped between them. She sucks in a shaky breath in response to the change in position.

"No, it isn't." She smiles indulgently and kisses him lightly. "I am hungry though."

She leans across to pluck a strawberry from the bowl, and the movement of skin against skin makes him draw in a gasp, his stomach muscles flexing.

"Strawberry?"

She holds it out to him, touches it to his lower lip, and he nods, his eyes fixed on her as he opens his mouth and takes a bite. It's sensual and intimate; his heart is pounding in his chest, his belly on fire with lust for her. She bites her lip at his reaction, then lifts the strawberry to her mouth and takes a slow bite herself, her expression full of heat.

"Shit, Veronica…"

One of his hands slides down to her ass, fingers digging into the soft, supple flesh, the other lifting out of the water and reaching for another piece of fruit. He holds it up to her, a couple of inches away, so she has to duck her head and lean in to get it. Her expression is playful, mixed with dangerous lust, as her lips come around the strawberry and she bites down. Red juices flow over his fingers and Veronica sucks them into her mouth along with the fruit.

"Fuck…" Logan's whole body is trembling, with need, with desire, with almost painful arousal. He wants her. He needs her. Now.

He slides the remains of the strawberry into his mouth, returning his hand under the water, gripping her bottom as he closes his mouth over hers. She tastes sweet, chocolately, and it's such a turn-on. His hands slide up to her hips, his thumbs resting along the top of her thighs, barely an inch from her centre, his fingers grasping her warm flesh.

Veronica slides her arms around his neck, resting her forearms on his shoulders as she rises up on her knees again, her chin in line with the top of his head, looking down at him. Her chest is at eye level, and he can't help it, his tongue darts out to taste her left nipple, curling around it until it hardens. He moves to the right and does the same.

He's pressing against her entrance, lightly teasing her clit as she gently rocks her hips back and forth, and it sends tendrils of arousal through him. Above his head, she gasps, her chest hitching with the movement, and he grins against her skin. Then she shifts her hips and he slips inside, only slightly, but the sensation of her surrounding him is enough to make his eyes roll back in his head.

"God…" He grinds out breathily.

"Nope, only me." Her voice is teasing, though he detects a hint of tension in there too.

He wants nothing more than to grip her hips and buck up into her, but as she slowly rises up, then sinks back down again, only taking the tip of him in, it feels so good that he doesn't care; he's happy to let her take the lead. He lifts his head to find her gazing down at him, her expression a combination of unbridled lust and something more serious, and he can't look away.

She keeps rocking her hips, moving slowly as fuck, taking a little more of him each time, until he's fully sheathed inside of her. His breathing is coming faster now, the air leaving his lungs in small pants, his groin tight and nerves on fire. She doesn't look away, even as she's biting her lip, hips moving faster, her own breathing becoming shaky. She kisses him, and that's the only moment he allows his eyes to close, then rests her forehead against his, their eyes locking as she moves above him.

His hand shifts on her hip, thumb skimming across her skin until he finds her clit. He traces small circles around it, not quite touching the sensitive flesh, just the way she likes it as he rediscovered last night, and a small moan of pleasure escapes her lips. With a grin, he keeps going, getting closer and closer to her clit until, when he finally brushes over it, her hips buck and her inner muscles clench around him. She comes with a soft gasp and a whispered, "Fuck."

Logan waits for her to come down from the high, before whispering, "Can I try something?"

She nods faintly, expression open and trusting. "Yeah, okay."

He lifts her up off his lap and slides off the bench, turning her to face the side of the tub and kneeling behind her. He gently slides into her, hands gripping her hips, and then shifts them so that she's positioned in front of one of the jets, the rush of water stimulating her clit with every pulse.

'Oh my God, Logan." The words are muttered, ending on a soft moan as she clings to the edge of the tub. "That feels…"

Her voice drifts off, turning into a breathy moan as her legs slide open wider, taking him in even deeper. He's not going to lie and say this is the first time he's had sex in a hot tub, but this is by far the best sex he's ever had in a hot tub. And it's all because of her.

He's getting close, feeling the pressure building in his groin, and he slides his hands around her waist, pulling her up so her back is flush against his chest and she's sitting in his lap. One of her hands comes up behind his head, fingers snaking around the back of his neck, holding herself upright, as the other sinks beneath the water to touch herself.

Her breath hitches, her hips rocking, lifting slightly, aiding his movements, and he buries his face in her neck. She comes again, inner muscles fluttering around his cock, and that's all it takes to send him over the edge too.

Veronica relaxes back against him, head resting against his shoulder as she tries to catch her breath.

"Wow."

"Yeah," he agrees.

She chuckles self-consciously. "Never done that before."

"Yeah," he says again.

Very articulate, Echolls.

"So, how is this going to work?" Veronica asks, taking a sip from her glass.

They're sitting on the large couch in the living area now, clad in the fluffy bathrobes, the TV on and the remainder of the strawberries and bottle of grape juice on the coffee table in front of them.

"How is what going to work?"

"This. Us," she clarifies, tucking her feet up underneath her on the sofa. "I mean, you live in California, I'm here in New York. That's not exactly conducive to a relationship."

"Maybe not, but we've been managing fine the last couple of months. That doesn't have to change."

"No, but you're gonna be so far away."

"So, we'll see each other as often as we can. Thanksgiving, Christmas, whenever."

"Yeah…"

He says it like it's so simple, but Veronica's not convinced. Sure, she hasn't dated for a while, but getting back with Logan and then not being able to be with him physically for months at a time is going to be tricky.

Logan's studying her thoughtfully. "You don't seem too enthusiastic."

"Sorry." She shakes her head. "I want to do this, I do. I'm just wondering how I'm going to survive for that long without sex."

"Oh." His eyes almost bug out of his head, obviously not expecting to hear her say that. The right side of his mouth curls up in a smirk. "Well, there are workarounds for that." He starts counting off on his fingers. "Phone sex, sexting, webcams, naughty emails…"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Veronica laughs lightly and swats at his arm. "We have options."

Turning on the couch, she settles back against him, her back nestled against his chest and in the crook of his arm. She props her feet up on the coffee table, the bathrobe falling to the side, revealing her bare leg. She glances around the room, then lets out a small laugh.

"What?" Logan sounds amused.

"Nothing," she says. "Just, if you'd told me six months ago that I would be spending Labor Day weekend in the Catskills with Logan Echolls, I never would have believed it."

"Me either." He gives a short chuckle. "I thought I'd be flying displays at Lemoore."

"Ah ha, so you were supposed to be flying this weekend," she responds, whipping her head round and holding up an accusing finger. "I knew it!"

He shrugs, the movement jolting her slightly. "Yeah, okay, that was the original plan, but when you said you couldn't come out, I persuaded Ace to take my spot instead."

"Really?" she muses. "Interesting."

His arms tighten around her waist. "You know, I'd love to show you the base, the jets. You really should come out to visit sometime."

Veronica only hesitates for a second, the subject of cost flitting through her mind briefly, before she nods. "Yeah, I would like that."

"Well, Thanksgiving's not too far away… maybe then?"

"Maybe."

"Geez, a little more enthusiasm, please?"

"Sorry. It's not you." She sighs. "I kinda promised my dad I would come home for Thanksgiving this year."

"Oh. Okay. Well, we'll work something out." He sounds optimistic. "I mean, you get four days off, right? Maybe you could spend Thanksgiving Day with your dad and come up to Fresno for the weekend?"

She turns to look at him. "You're not going back to Neptune for the holiday?"

He shrugs, looking up toward the ceiling. "Not like I have much there anymore. I usually just stay on base, or go to Mexico with Dick."

"Oh. Right. Yeah." She hadn't thought about that. What would be the point in spending the holiday alone in Neptune… a town with so many bad memories for him?

There's a moment of contemplative silence, before Veronica turns to face him.

"Okay, enough of that. I want to know how long I have left to enjoy this amazing loft suite."

"Well, check-out is noon tomorrow," he says, "but my flight back to California isn't until twenty-one hundred hours. We can take our time driving back if you like. Take in the scenery."

"Yeah." She nods. "I'd like that."

"But for right now…" He grins suggestively. "Wanna see how many times, and in how many different places, we can do it in the next 12 hours?"

"Bring it on." Veronica's eyes light up, her stomach clenching in anticipation. She slides off the couch and stands before him cocking an eyebrow. "Though, are you sure you're up for it?"

His eyes narrow dangerously. "Oh, I'm up for it, all right. Be prepared to be thoroughly satisfied, Ms. Mars."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it, Lieutenant."

He lunges for her and Veronica darts out of the way with a breathless giggle. She saunters across the room, away from him, then looks back over her shoulder and slowly, deliberately bats her eyelashes at him.

"What are you waiting for, JG?"

End