"Logan?"

Veronica's voice froze Logan mid-stoop as he bent to pick Carver up and swing him off the low retaining wall where his nephew had been balancing. She'd refused to look at him while they were both in the restaurant and he couldn't really blame her for that. He'd turned around and left a restaurant about a week earlier when he'd seen that she was already sitting inside. He'd never expected that today she'd follow him out. He straightened back up slowly before turning to face her. Her expression startled him. He'd expected anger, not an expression that looked more like confusion, and maybe regret.

"Uncle Logan!"

He turned back toward Carver, grinning in spite of himself at the little boy with his arms raised and his lower lip jutting out.

"Swing me!" he said in his insistent little voice.

Logan heard a giggle behind him and peeked back over his shoulder at Veronica who was now fighting a smile as she watched his nephew.

"Better get to swinging, Uncle Logan," she said in an amused voice.

He raised his eyebrows at her, then turned back to Carver. "What do you say?"

"Please swing me," Carver answered obligingly and Logan stooped again, grabbed him under the arms and swung him up so his legs flew up above his head. He actually tossed the boy, just a little, for flare, but enough to get a loud squeal out of Carver and a gasp out of Veronica.

"Again, again!" Carver cried but Logan shook his head and set him carefully on the ground.

"Not this time, buddy." He squatted next to the boy. "Do you see your mom and your sisters?"

"Uh huh." Carver nodded toward an SUV a little further down the sidewalk where Camille was buckling Corinne into her car seat.

"Can you walk down there by yourself like a big boy? I need to talk to this lady for just a minute and then I'll be there too."

Carver looked at Veronica with a smile. "She's pretty. Like Mommy."

Logan looked up at her, letting himself really drink in the sight of her, her cheeks pink as she dimpled at Carver. "Yeah, she is." He pulled his eyes away, before he did something stupid, and turned the boy toward the rest of the family, giving him a quick pat on the rump. "Straight to your mom and stay on the sidewalk." He straightened up and watched him scoot away. "Walk, don't run."

Logan felt Veronica move up beside him and he glanced down at her. She was also watching Carver make his way to the rest of the family. "So, what did you need, Veronica?"

She kept her eyes on Carver. "Umm, well..."

"They're waiting for me," he pointed out, suddenly concerned that he no longer had a pre-schooler-sized buffer between them. "I'm in kind of a hurry."

"Yeah, umm, yeah. Sorry." She shuffled her feet for a moment, then looked up at him. "So... I just wanted to apologize. I'm sure you realize that when I was harassing you about having someone at your house, I was really talking about your sister-in-law. I didn't know and I was wrong to accuse you."

An apology was not what he'd been expecting. More accusations, yes; apologies, no. It took him a moment before he could gather enough of his wits to respond. "Oh, that, yeah. I actually didn't realize it at first. I just thought you were..." He paused. Saying he thought she'd gone crazy didn't seem like a winning argument. "Eh, whatever. It wasn't until later that the pieces finally came together. Camille's actually the one who made me see it. She was a little miffed that you said she looked skanky."

"That's not...well, that is kinda what I said, but I didn't mean..." She sighed and shook her head. "Geez, as if she didn't already hate me enough because of you..."

"What?"

"Doesn't matter. I just wanted to say I was sorry. I was out of line. I thought..." She shook her head again. "I know I was wrong, I know I overreacted, I...I just wanted to let you know." She took a step back, then stopped again. "Maybe you can tell Camille I'm sorry too. Mac told me she's the one who got Charlie to finally reach out to you. That's great. I'm so glad you've got them." She glanced over at the car. "You look like you're an awfully good uncle."

"Yeah, well, they make it easy." He ran his hand over the top of his head, before gripping the back of his neck. "I need to get back to them."

"Okay, I'll let you go." She stood stiff and still, watching him.

"All right then. I'll see you later." He took a single, shuffling step away before being brought up short again by her voice.

"Will you? See me later? Or are you going to keep dodging me forever?"

He couldn't turn around; he didn't want to have to look at her. He knew what would happen if he did. Begging, groveling, capitulating.

"What does it matter, Veronica? We have different goals. I think we need to accept that and get on with our lives. Ya know?"

"Goals? I don't understand. What do our goals have to do with anything?"

This time he couldn't stop himself from turning to face her. "You just want something casual between us and I've finally figured out that I can't go along with that anymore. I won't leave a restaurant to get away from you again, I'm sorry about that, but I can't just hang around you and pretend it's enough. Maybe after a while, I'll be able to deal with you like that, but right now, I need to have some space to work this out in my head and finally accept that we don't want the same things. Can you give me that? Just a little space?"

Her face was showing confusion again. "Logan, I'm sorry, I don't understand. What do you want?"

He threw his hands up and spun away, then back to face her again. "Seriously? I've been telling you since you came back that I still love you, that I've never stopped. And what I want is what Charlie and Camille have: marriage and kids and forever. Honestly, I've wanted that with you since we were seventeen, but I've always known that wasn't ever going to be your thing. But I can't pretend anymore that the booty calls and the casual encounters are enough. I want everything with you, but you...you don't want that. I used to think that I could survive on the crumbs you're willing to toss my direction, but I just can't. It hurts too much now that I've seen how much more there is out there, how much more we could have. How much more we could be."

He stopped then, finally cinching down the stream of words that had run out of him unchecked. For God's sake, how much more pathetic can you be? Her face was white and still and he could see her trembling. He hated that he'd spilled his guts, and made her feel sorry for him, but he had to make her understand what this was doing to him so he could get the distance he needed. He didn't think that she would deliberately hurt him, if she understood. "You know, Veronica, I'm so glad you've gotten to come home and make your life around your dad and your friends, but honestly, it's still hard for me to be around you. It was easier when you were gone and I understood that I wasn't going to get to have you. When you came back, I let myself hope, but I get it now. That it's not going to happen."

"Logan—"

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to say you should leave again. I just need some space between us to work this out. Until then, can we maybe...just...keep our dist—"

She huffed loudly and he paused, not sure what her sigh meant. Her face was unreadable and, as he watched, she squared her shoulders like she was ready to do battle. His heart sank. He'd hoped they could at least learn to be civil.

"Veronica, look—"

"Logan? I get why you're done trying with me. I'm not sure I'm worth the trouble either. But maybe, could you give me just a little more time?"

He frowned, uncertain what she was trying to say. "Time for what?"

She sighed again, and tipped her head back, looking up at the sky instead of at him. "Time to get my own life a little more in order. Time to really believe that those things you say you want are even possibilities for me." She looked at him again and her eyes were shiny. "I think about those things too, with you, but I've never really...believed they could be real."

He couldn't do anything but gape at her. "What?" he managed to choke out.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, her face contorting almost like she was in pain. Actually, considering she seemed to be confessing feelings, he wouldn't have been surprised if she was in actual pain. Discussion of her feelings had never been a preferred topic. "Do you really want to be with me?" she asked in a low voice. "Like, forever?"

"Of course I do." He laced his fingers together against his stomach, trying to keep from reaching out for her before she was ready. "Forever and ever."

"Why?" Her eyes popped open at that question, and he fought the completely inappropriate chuckle that threatened. Naturally, Veronica Mars would need a clear view while she's trying to pull information out of a mark. He didn't mind though. He could feel the tendrils of hope working their way through him again, that maybe he was getting one more chance, and he would do whatever was necessary to get past her defenses.

"You make my life better. When something good happens to me, I always want to share that with you. Even when you weren't here. And if something bad happens, being with you helps make it bearable. It's your opinion I want to hear when I see something new, or crazy, or beautiful. First thought through my head: 'what would Veronica think of that?'. It's true that my life's pretty full these days, a lot more than it was before you left, but there's still a Veronica-shaped hole that nothing else ever fills."

"You can't know that. I'm incredibly difficult, and judgmental, and I've let you down before. There's no way to know that you won't get fed up with me."

This time he did chuckle, then laughed outright at her frown. "You ran away and didn't even say good-bye before going radio-silent for six years, and at no point did I ever stop thinking of you as the love of my life. Can you think of anything you could possibly do that would make me finally say I'm done?"

She tilted her head and one side of her mouth drew up into a half smile. "I could kill someone."

"I'm sure I know a lawyer." He smirked at her. "Oh...wait."

"I could piss off your sister-in-law."

"You will. And I cannot wait to see what happens then."

"I could say something cutting and judgmental."

He laughed again and stepped closer to her. "Baby, I live for your sickle wit."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I guess that's something we have in common."

He closed the remaining space between them, cradling her cheek in his hand as he smiled down at her. "So, you asked for time."

"And you asked for space," she retorted. "Not sure that word means what you think it means."

He laughed down at her, the tightness that he'd felt in his chest for the last few weeks unfurling as she smiled back at him. "I work with words for a living, Veronica. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about." She harrumphed at him. "And if you asking for time means that you're considering the things we're was talking about, then I only need the space that makes you comfortable to really give us a fair shot. Because I'm not kidding, Veronica. I can't get back on the merry-go-round with you. I want us more than anything, but I can't do the on and off thing anymore. I just can't."

She nodded, her face serious. "I get the stakes."

"I hope so." Logan leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Take your time, Veronica. Figure out what you need to. Because I want all of you. Not just bits and pieces. Please trust me on that."

She nodded but was silent, and he saw her swallow hard. He kissed her forehead again, then the top of her head, stroking her cheek once more with his thumb before releasing her and backing away a step. "I'm going to go. The kids are probably driving Camille nuts, strapped in their car seats. Do what you need to do, Veronica, but remember, when you're ready, I'll be waiting. Okay?"

She nodded again and he took another step back, but before he could turn away, she reached for his hand. "Logan?" Her voice was tiny and seemed hesitant.

"Yeah?"

She moved closer, standing right in front of him, the toes of their shoes bumped up together. "I do think some time is a good idea, just to let some of this stuff really sink in. I've held...certain opinions for a lot of years. Believing in what you're talking about...it might be kinda hard at first."

Logan sighed, but he understood what she was saying. "I know. That's why I said, take your time. Just please, try to let yourself believe."

"I will. I do. Believe. Right now, at least. I just need to stop letting my old fears make me doubt." Her face seemed hopeful and it made him feel that way too.

"Good. You can do it. When have you ever failed?" She snorted and waved her free hand in the space between them, but he shook his head. "Uh uh. We're still here, right? You haven't failed yet."

"That's true, good point," she said, sounding more confident. "So, it occurs to me, that maybe, the time I need doesn't have to be spent completely away from you."

He laughed and squinted at her. "Already breaking your own rules."

"No, it's not that. I just mean, like dates. Maybe dinner after work tomorrow? Tell each other about our days?" She smiled playfully at him. "Make sure we don't bore each other when we're not fighting or naked."

"Yeah, cuz that's a risk." He chuckled. "Shall I pick you up at the DA's office? Or do you want to meet somewhere?"

"Work is fine. 5:30 PM?"

"I can do that." He extracted his hand from hers and stepped back toward Camille's SUV. "Just so you know...I do not put out on the first date."

She burst into laughter. "Yeah, sure you don't."

"That was the old Logan. I'm turning over a new leaf."

Before he could even react, she was back in front of him, clasping the sides of his neck with both her hands and pulling him down into a kiss. Despite anything they'd just said about time and space, all he could do was kiss her back. All too soon, she was pulling away again, but she kept her hands against his shoulders as she smiled up at him.

"Just remember that I've been in love with the old Logan for a very long time, so don't turn that leaf over too far, okay."

He grinned down at her like the stupid, lovestruck sap that he was. "I'll try to keep that in mind." She released him then, giving him a gentle push.

"Go. Before the C's start to riot."

He laughed as he walked backwards down the sidewalk, not wanting to lose sight of her yet. "Good call. That can get ugly." He glanced to his left as his peripheral vision picked up the SUV. Camille was watching him with her eyebrows raised and he knew he was going to get a stern lecture about protecting himself. He looked back at Veronica, who was still watching him with a smile on her face. For the first time, he noticed Mac, sitting on a bench near the front door of the restaurant. She was grinning, so he knew someone was going to be on their side, even if it wasn't Camille right away. He raised his hand to her and she waved back. Veronica's head swiveled that direction and when she looked back at Logan, her eyes were still rolled back as she shook her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow at 5:30 PM," he called to her, pointing at her as he said 'you'. She nodded and he stepped off the sidewalk to get into the SUV.

As he settled in, he could feel Camille's hard gaze on him. When he looked up from buckling his seatbelt, he met her eyes.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing," she said, before she backed out of the parking space and headed out of the parking lot.

He looked out the window to where Veronica still stood, watching them drive away. She looked happy, really genuinely happy, and he blew her a kiss as they passed by, which she returned. As they turned onto the street, he twisted back to face Camille.

"Don't worry, I do."