Why Don't You Stay?
"So, what was that about?" Veronica asked as her dad hung up the phone.
"Don't play coy, Veronica. You know very well what that was about. Some case that's gonna pay pretty well. Wonder where that came from?"
"Don't look at me like I sold my soul to the devil."
"Oh, not the Devil, honey. The Kanes are much worse than that."
"Dad…"
"I'm just joking, Veronica. As long as they don't expect me to snuff anyone out and as long as the cases keep rolling in – who's complaining?"
Keith laughed and turned to grab his coat from the rack.
"I'll be gone about two or three days, so you…behave."
"Who, me?" Veronica smiled.
"Yes, you."
"I can't make any promises…"
Veronica stopped mid-sentence when she saw who walked in the door. Keith turned to look.
"Watch out for her while I'm gone, will you?"
"I don't think anyone is up for that job, Mr Mars," Logan chuckled.
Keith looked at Veronica and nearly laughed because he could see the flood of emotions in her eyes – most of them tense and nervous.
"Remember what I said, kiddo. Everything I said."
"Yes, sir."
Veronica gave a mock salute as Keith headed for the door. He paused in front of Logan and nodded.
"You look good, Logan. Everything going ok for you these days?"
"As well as can be expected," Logan smiled. "Thank you for asking."
"Seriously – keep her out of trouble for a few days, will you?"
Logan threw his hands up and smiled.
Keith smiled back and nodded in affirmative.
Veronica took it all in with shock. She had to sit down to keep from fainting.
"Umm…hi," Veronica finally managed.
"Hi."
"So, did you get moved in?"
"Yeah. Would you like to come see the place?"
"Um, sure."
"What time do you get off?"
"Oh, I can leave whenever. Dad's off on a case, and I'm pretty free."
"Well, I thought we could go check out the house and take in the beach? Maybe work our way up to dinner?"
Logan's smiled pierced Veronica and gave her hope that they might actually be able to repair their fragile relationship. Maybe she could fix at least one of the messes in her life.
"Sounds great. Just let me forward the calls to my cell and grab my things."
Logan waited while Veronica finished up and then led her outside.
"Want to drop your car off at home or what?"
"Um, it's ok. I can get it later."
"Great, then let's go."
…
They pulled up to Logan's new beach house.
"Nice, huh?"
"Yeah," Veronica said, still in a daze. "It's really nice. Especially for a partying bachelor. It won't stay nice for long."
"No, you've got me confused with Dick. My party days are over. I'm interested in a little peace and quiet."
"Really?" Veronica asked, looking at Logan a little shocked.
"Yeah," Logan said, leading her up to the front door. "I mean, I can't be Logan the goof-off forever, can I? Gotta grow-up sometime."
Veronica couldn't have been more shocked if Logan had just dropped a bomb on the front lawn. Then a huge wave of guilt hit her like a hurricane would have hit this house. She felt shattered to pieces as Logan Echolls stood before her declaring his adulthood while she was trying to make up for behaving like a spoiled two-year-old. What the hell had happened in their lives.
This is ten kinds of messed up!, she thought to herself.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come in."
Logan held the door open as Veronica walked in, still too stunned to make a coherent thought. She looked around at the cozy bungalow. It was so uncharacteristically Logan. It wasn't tiny, but it was smaller than she'd have imagined for Logan. She guessed he must have realized that smaller was better when the maid service didn't attend things every day. It didn't exactly look like he had hired an interior decorator - but it certainly didn't look like the frat boy bachelor pad Veronica had imagined.
"Did it come furnished?" Veronica asked.
"Ha Ha," Logan chuckled out loud. "You doubt my decorating skills?"
"It's not that...it's just...you...not really..."
"Yes, Veronica. It did come furnished. I'm just renting for now. Not that I'm not capable of arranging a few pieces of furniture or anything..."
"I didn't mean you weren't...I just..." Veronica fumbled, embarrassed that she had suggested Logan couldn't handle moving in on his own.
"It's okay, Ronnie, I'm just kidding. I realize I've never come across as the domestic type. Stick around. You might just be surprised," Logan grinned. Veronica saw a familiar mischief in his eyes that gave her a little more hope.
After the tour of the house they walked out the backdoor and onto the sand. They were only a few yards from the beach. Veronica thought this was perfect for Logan.
"This is kind of your paradise, huh?"
"Yeah. The beach is where I turn to clear my head. Everything makes sense here. Maybe I can figure myself out if I stay here long enough."
"Really? Then maybe you should go ahead and buy the place. You'll probably be here a while," Veronica joked.
"Hey, short-stuff. Who are you judging? You're a fine one to talk. You have more issues than Sports Illustrated."
"Yeah," Veronica grinned. "I kinda do."
"Lucky for you - I'm good with issues," Logan said, turning to face Veronica with a much more serious tone in her voice. He grabbed Veronica's waist and pulled her closer. She felt her heart skip a few beats and breathing was much harder than it had been minutes earlier.
"I need to know if you want to make this work? Make us work? We've been through more shit in the last few years than most people will go through in a lifetime, and it's really messed us up, but I think that somehow, someway - we can get through whatever life throws at us if we're together. I know it won't be easy, and I know that it won't always be pretty - but Veronica..."
"Wow, Logan. You sound like a grown up."
Logan grinned that famous jackass grin of his.
"I'm trying to."
"I can't promise you that I won't do something incredibly stupid and make you regret ever standing here saying all this to me. But I will promise to try really hard not to."
"I can't imagine you NOT doing something incredibly stupid."
Veronica couldn't help but laugh.
"In fact," Logan continued. "I'm counting on it. Because being with me is the stupidest thing you could ever do."
Before Veronica could retort, Logan stopped her mouth with his. His lips pressed hard against hers, but it felt wonderful. She couldn't remember it every feeling better.
In that moment all the mess of the past year seemed to fade away. That moment was just about them and a fresh start. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke away, breathless.
"So, you mentioned food..."
"I swear I don't know where you put it all," Logan laughed.
"So - I should probably be getting home. It's getting dark."
"Why don't you just stay here? I mean, your dad's out of town and all. He did ask me to watch out for you..."
"I'm thinking this isn't what he had in mind..."
"Seriously, Veronica. I'd feel better if I knew you were safe here...with me...and not at that apartment alone."
"What do I have to be afraid of alone in my apartment?"
"You've been in the middle of the Kanes and all their drama - you never know who might try to come after you."
"First of all, it wasn't Kane drama, it was kind of OUR drama, and why would..."
"What? What's the matter"
"You're awful, Logan. You're just trying to make up a reason for me to stay. You haven't changed that much, after all," Veronica laughed.
"Well, the truth is - I really am worried about you and all that extracurricular Mexican activity you've been doing, but...yeah, I'm grasping at whatever straws I can here," Logan grinned, reaching for Veronica. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Seriously," he said in a voice that sounded part desperate, part horny, but all serious. "Stay."
Like I could refuse that sexy voice, Veronica thought.
"Well, maybe...but I don't have any clothes..."
"That won't be a problem," Logan grinned.