It was a rough night. Sleeping while flying was never easy, but with a boatload of nervous energy packed into her, it made sleep even more difficult for Veronica. She pulled out her laptop and tried studying her law notes, but she couldn't concentrate.

By the time she saw Dick as she emerged from the airport terminal, she was starting to get manic. She couldn't focus and it felt like her whole body was vibrating.

The big blond surfer held out a paper coffee cup and a pastry bag. "Welcome back to Neptune, Ronnie!" He said eagerly.

She dropped her bags and grabbed the coffee. Maybe not what her nerves needed, but god, did it smell good. "Thanks. How are you so energetic at this time of day?"

He laughed and picked up her bags. "Years of waking up early to surf. And I'm not hung over, so it's a good start to the day."

Veronica nodded and sipped her coffee. Dick gestured for her to follow him. As they walked, Dick started talking. "So, Carrie has organized a very public memorial service for Logan. It's going to happen on the beach at sundown tonight. I'm on the list of people going, and I got you on the list as my 'date'." Veronica choked on her coffee a little at this news. "But don't worry. It's not like we have to act like we're together. An ex-girlfriend coming to a memorial is totally legit. I thought you might find out something by being there."

They reached Dick's ugly red Hummer. Veronica stopped and stared off into space. The California sun was coming up, shining bright against the pure blue sky. She had almost forgotten what the sky looked like without buildings obstructing her view.

"Ummm...earth to Ronnie! You okay?" Dick asked as he threw her bags in the trunk.

She gave her head a shake. "Yeah. Just tired. Trying to process the idea of a memorial for Logan."

Dick slammed trunk shut and walked over to Veronica. "I know. It's hard to think that so many people have just written him off. If I didn't say it before, I'm so glad you believe me. He's not dead. Which means he's alive and in trouble. We gotta find him and help."

Veronica looked up at Dick. He had aged. His once tan skin was now starting to become leathery, giving way to lines on his forehand and around his mouth. His blue eyes started to crackle and his long hair was hiding his receding hairline. They weren't kids anymore.

"Dick, I'll do what I can. I haven't done this in a while, so don't expect miracles. Plus I am in dire need of a nap before anything else happens."

Dick opened the passenger door for him. "Jump in then! There are two breakfast sandwiches, on top of that chocolate croissant I handed you, waiting in the car."

Veronica hopped up into the vehicle, being careful not to spill her coffee, and buckled herself in. This was going to be a strange ride.

About 45 minutes later, they pulled up in front of a beach house. Veronica wrinkled her forehead. "Dick. You didn't have to rent me an entire house to stay in."

Dick laughed and threw the car into park. "As if! This is my place. I figured you could stay here. Logan was living with me when he disappeared so all his stuff is here. Thought you might want to go through it for clues...after your nap, that is."

Veronica was stunned for a second. In her mind, everything was trapped in a frieze from nine-years ago; Dick still lived in The Grand; Logan was still partying; she was a big screw-up. All of them growing up and moving on never really crossed her mind.

"Wow. You have a home. It's almost like you're a grown-up." She commented offhand.

Dick shook his head. "Yeah. I have a house. I make my own money with investments. I even have a shrink. I've got this adulting thing down." With that, he hopped out of the car and went around to get her things.

Veronica let herself out and walked to the front door. Dick let her in and she followed him to the back of the house. He pulled back a large curtain with a flourish. "Ta-da! This is where you can stay."

It was a beautiful room. There was a big bed against one wall and the entire room was surrounded by windows. The blinds were pulled down half-way, casting morning shadows around the room. There was a smell of fresh sheets and the bed looked inviting. Veronica wandered over to the bed and ran her hand over the duvet. It felt warm and inviting.

Dick cleared his throat. "This is where Logan was staying. I cleared out most of his stuff and washed the bedding, but I left his clothes in the dressers...for when he comes back. When you close the blinds it's pretty dark in here so you should be able to nap."

He was here.

Without turning, Veronica kept her eyes on the bed. "Thank you, Dick. I'm sure I'll be quite comfortable here."

Dick backed out of the room. "I'm gonna go surfing. Give you some time alone. I'll fill you in more when you wake up." And he closed the thick curtain behind him.

Veronica moved slowly to close the curtains. Running her hand over the dresser, she willed herself to open it. The top drawer was filled with t-shirts. She pressed her hand down on a stack, hoping to feel Logan's chest underneath. On impulse, she made a fist and pulled the shirt out and unfurled it. The words "Go Navy" were written in blue across it. There was so much that she didn't know about THIS Logan. HER Logan wouldn't have dreamed about being a pilot. But THIS Logan was.

She dropped the shirt on the bed and started to remove her clothes. When she had stripped down to her underwear, she slipped the shirt over her head. It dropped down her body and hung halfway down her thighs. He was wearing a slightly larger size of shirt now.

From his photos in the entertainment magazine's "memorium" she realized he wasn't the scrawny teenager from her head. He was now a strapping, muscular Navy man. One of the paparazzi photos was one of him in his wetsuit, coming out of the water from surfing. She thought about the image of THIS Logan as she crawled across the bed, clasping on the pillow. Even with the clean bedding it still smelled like him; HER Logan. She rolled around, gathering the ends of the blanket underneath her and wrapped each end around her like a hug.

A feeling of overwhelming calm came over her. She felt lighter than air. She couldn't remember a time that she felt this way. There was a time...but it was so long ago. She listened as her breathe steadied, and she drifted easily into a comfortable sleep.