Chapter 14

Don listened as the whole house rattled with the roar of the Lamborghini's engine. That engine always had always given him goose bumps, but this time they were of a different variety. The car was just one more thing that Paige would be able to use against him. One more thing she would begin prying information out of him about. He heard the garage door slide closed and heard the rev of the engine as Paige (he hoped) drove off.

He leaned back in his bed trying to find a comfortable position. He tossed and turned a bit, each time sending new pains pulsing through his still very sore body. He was vaguely aware of Kate coming home but she left him alone. He could hear her rattling around the kitchen and he began to doze. He awakened when the phone rang, but not completely. At first he couldn't hear what Kate was saying, but as was her norm she got louder the more she got frustrated, it isn't that she yelled, well sometimes she did, but only when someone really deserved it.

"I'm sorry sir, I told you, he is sleeping, and I would be happy to take a message… I don't care what the other nurse promised you, I won't wake him up… No, she isn't here for you to talk to, she was fired… I don't believe she was fired for not getting Don on the phone fast enough for you, but she might have been let go for letting you talk to him at all… You can't threaten me Mr. Kane…I assure you, who you are does not matter to me… You may have a lot of pull, but I am not an employee of Mr. Lamb's or of Balboa County… I don't appreciate your tone Mr. Kane… I don't believe that is anatomically possible… I have had enough of your profanity, I have tried being patient but I am done now. I will pass along your message, do not call again."

Kate's heavy foot warned him of her impending entrance. For the second time that day he considered faking sleep, but knew that Kate wouldn't buy it. She walked in looking apologetic, and annoyed.

"I'm sorry Don. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry about it Kate, you showed the patience of Job just now. Jake Kane is an egotistical ass, thinks he rules the world with his checkbook. He's no match for you though."

"I won't disagree… about the egotistical ass part anyway. I bought more brownie stuff, but if it's all the same with you I thought we would go with Strawberry Shortcake tonight?"

"Lefty's favorite, he will be happy to know you remembered."

"He called earlier too. He had something come up and he had to take some personal time to deal with it, he has to go back into work so he will probably miss dinner, but said he will be here later for dessert. Dinner should be done soon. Did you need anything before that?"

"My cell phone seems to have disappeared again, can you bring me the phone?"

"I think Paige put it on the charger for you. I will get you the house phone but not if you are calling HIM back, he needs to learn some patience of his own."

"Trust me, I am in no mood to deal with Kane right now, but I was expecting his call, I need to let Sheriff Mars know that it finally came."

*************************

Driving back from the airport Keith was both pleased and surprised at how well the conversation with Veronica had gone. Veronica hadn't seemed put off by the idea of Weidman taking over for a while, and though she encouraged Keith to talk to Clarence about using Eli to help out here and there, she hadn't pushed the issue. Keith made a mental note to look into the work that Clarence and Veronica had done together. He wasn't aware of anything except their mutual bugging of each other. At the time he had figured it had something to do with the Lilly Kane investigation, but now he was sure there was much more to it.

His phone buzzed with a new text and not wanting to take his eyes off the road for too long he glances at it quickly. He smiles seeing that Veronica has now met up safely with Paige and Mac, and together with Logan they are all on the road. He had just set the phone back down when it buzzes again this time with a call.

Hey Don, what's up?"

"Hi Keith, I just wanted to let you know Jake Kane just called. I haven't actually talked to him yet, so I thought I would see if you had anything I could tell him. I could just try to make something up off the cuff, but to be honest with you, it has been a hellish day, and my mind is a bit fuzzy."

"Don't worry about it, I was heading back into the office, why don't I call the medical examiner and see if we know anything yet. I am about ten minutes from your house; I could stop by, maybe help you make sure that lasagna doesn't go bad…"

Ten minutes later Keith pulled up and parked in the driveway next to the Mini Cooper, remembering to grab his cell phone he walks up and knocks on the door.

"Ahhh, Sheriff Mars, Don mentioned he was going to call you, I didn't realize that meant you would be here so quickly."

"I'm sorry if I am intruding, I just need to share some information with Don, I will be out of your hair lickety split." Keith couldn't help but notice the contrast between the three women that had met him at this very door over the last few days. First there was Paige, with her long blond hair, her height, her fancy shoes, her pleasant but efficient manner in which she handled taking care of her brother, the kind of body only a twenty year old could maintain. Then the evil Nurse Darton, all three hundred pounds of her, with her wild gray hair that poked out in all directions, her bitter disposition. And then there was this woman, he guessed her to be in her mid thirties, slim, about Veronica's height, she had thick brownish red hair, stylishly cut, maybe it wasn't the latest fashion, but it framed her face perfectly, bringing attention to her wide set brown eyes. She was casually dressed, and wore an apron over her jean shorts and ruffled pink tank top. She was barefoot and her toenails sported bright blue nail polish, and were decorated with small white Mickey Mouses.

"Nonsense Sheriff Mars, you will join us for dinner. I must say I hope you didn't have your heart set too firmly on Paige's lasagna, I hope you are willing to settle for my enchiladas." The woman smiled and although her smile wasn't as big as Paige's it was every bit as bright.

Keith returned the smile. Noting that there wasn't really a question in the invitation, he skipped the acceptance and jumped straight to his gratefulness.

"Thank you, home cooked meals are pretty hard to come by these days. If your enchiladas taste half as good as they smell, I am sure they will be wonderful. And please, call me Keith."

"It is nice to meet you Keith, I am Kate Knight, I have a few things to finish in the kitchen if you want to go in and talk to Don. I will let you know when everything is ready and then if you can help, maybe we can get Don out to the couch so we can all eat together."

Keith agreed and watched as Kate turned and walked from the room. How is it that when surrounded by such wonderful and polite women Don Lamb managed to turn into such an ass? And why is it they let him get away with it?

******************

Dick slid his key card in the slot, and opened the door. Shuffling his feet he walks over and melts into the couch, a smile on his face. He sat there completely lost in his own world until a while later when his phone rang. Checking the caller ID and seeing it was his father, he ignores the call, glancing around the room he becomes more aware of where he is and is surprised he doesn't really remember his drive home or the elevator ride to the suite. He relaxes back onto the couch and goes back to the pleasant thoughts that had been occupying his mind before being so rudely interrupted by his dear old dad. Thoughts of Mac, more specifically, thoughts of Mac's reply to his final question.

"…How do you feel about phone sex?"

"Phone sex? Hmmmm, I am not really sure, we will have to try it a few times and then I will let you know."

****************************

Logan and Veronica watched as Dick stepped back and Mac and Paige drove off in Mac's green beetle. Logan had parked several houses down, and he knew that Dick would never recognize the car but still he was thankful for the dark tinted windows. Logan waited until Dick got in his car and left before following the route he knew Mac and Paige had taken.

Veronica had been fiddling with the phone that Paige had given Logan to give to her. She quickly programmed in the numbers she could remember but she didn't want to send the number out until she heard from Paige. Ever surprised at Paige's efficiency a text popped up before they were even out off Mac's street.

FR: 917*555*4334

---------

We will get u fancy fone later.

fone secure, but give # 2

imp peeps only!

Paige

------

Wed, June 21, 7:49 PM

This text was followed closely by another.

FR: 917*555*4334

---------

Do me favor? Just got off with

tech, want to do some upgrades 2

Logan's fone. Can u turn it off, and

keep it off for 10 min or so.

ESN # would be awesome.

Without telling Logan?

P

------

Wed, June 21, 7:50 PM

Veronica smiles and thinks how cool all the Mission Impossible gadgetry is.

"Can I have your phone? I want to program my new number in it."

"Uh huh, that is what you say you are going to do, but I bet you have a tracker you want to hide in it somewhere. Or at the very least you are going to go through my call history."

"Fine, be like that, guess you will just have to wait for me to call you then. I wonder if any of the cops at Mr. Lamb's station are hot."

"And you say I don't play fair?" Logan pulls the phone out of his pocket and hands it over to Veronica. "Here, but I am watching you."

Veronica quickly programs her number and then seeing that he is watching her she rolls her eyes and hits the power button. "Are you paranoid or what. There, I turned it off, now I won't be tempted. What are you trying to hide from me anyway? Did you meet some hot chick in Europe, or do you not want me to know you talked to Duncan?"

"Other than flight attendants and waitresses who kept trying to entice me with their cleavage, I didn't have any encounters with anyone of the female persuasion while I was across the pond."

"I am not sure if you are trying to make me jealous by the other women coming on to you, or if my jealousy should be because they have cleavage and I don't."

"Definitely about the other women, your cleavage, and trust me it is there, is perfect. But then you knew that, you just wanted to hear me say it."

"Oh wait I get it now, it isn't about jealousy at all, you are trying to distract me from asking about Duncan. It didn't work."

"How did you know I talked to Duncan?" Logan wasn't quite sure how much Veronica knew about his conversations with Duncan, but he knew better then to volunteer information to Veronica Mars. It was better to let her give away the depth of her knowledge by the questions she asked.

"He emailed me, and then I called him at the number he gave me. He asked me to go stay with him and little Lilly for the summer. Actually, he offered for me to stay with him forever, seeing as how he still loved me and evidently you said he could have me."

Logan swallows harshly, knowing that this has little chance of ending well. "I see, I gather that since you are driving to San Francisco with me, and not on a plane to Spain, that you told him no."

"Of course I told him no, just like I did the first time he asked me. That is beside the point. I didn't push the issue with Duncan because I wanted to end the call as quickly as possible, but Logan where the hell do you get off thinking I am some possession that you can own, or loan to your friends as you see fit?"

"That isn't exactly how the conversation went."

"Please, enlighten me."

"I… we, needed his help, when he didn't seem too eager to jump right in, I told him that I would do anything for you, even if it meant backing off. I never said he could have you, I know I don't own you."

"That's it? He made it sound like you offered a bit more than just backing off."

Crap here we go again, the same old argument. "I may have offered to pay for your one way plane ticket, I didn't mean it Veronica, I just needed him to see how serious this is, how worried I really was, how much danger you really were in."

"Logan you may know that you don't own me, but you need to get it in your head that you can't control me either. If you want us to have any sort of relationship, you are going to have to give me some room to be me."

"I'm trying, but you make it so damned difficult." Logan sulked.

"I am going to let that go for now, I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either, at least not until make up sex is a possibility."

************************

"So that is the 'nice normal guy you want to marry and raise your nice normal kids with'?

Mac glanced quickly at Paige before returning her eyes to the road. "What?"

"Back on the ship you said, and I quote, 'I want to find a nice normal guy, find a nice normal house, and raise a few nice normal kids.' So I am asking, is he the one?"

"I don't know, maybe, I mean he is definitely not what I would call normal, but he may be the one."

"I'm not sure what color your kids' hair will be but they will have some seriously intense blue eyes."

"So you and Payton spent lots of time away from each other, any phone sex tips?"

********************************

Taking a good look at Don Lamb as he walked into the room, Keith decided he must have indeed had a hellish day, he looked worse than he did the day before. Maybe making him talk to Jake Kane isn't such a good idea after all.

Keith greeted Don and inquired as to his day, getting the feeling that Don was holding a lot back from him, but even from the few events he did mention, he decided to handle the Jake Kane thing on his own.

"Don, don't worry about calling Jake back, if you end up talking to him just tell him we don't know anything yet, that is mostly true anyway. Paige is right you need to concentrate on getting better."

"What do you mean mostly true?"

"Are you sure you want to know? There is such a thing as plausible deniability, you know."

"Come on Keith let me help if I can, I am going crazy sitting here, feeling so incredibly useless. I won't talk to Kane if you don't want me to, I will just keep letting Kate answer the phone. But at least pick my brain."

"I don't know Don, I think I am more afraid of Paige and Kate than I am of Jake." Seeing the look of disappointment on Don's face Keith concedes. "Paige did mention that some mental stimulation would be good, so okay, but you have to agree not to act on anything I tell you, I am doing this as a professional courtesy, one law man to another. Understand?"

Keith waits for Don to agree and then tells him the little bit of information that he was able to gather form the medical examiner whose dinner he had interrupted when he called her at home.

"So they can't pinpoint her time of death, but they think it was days ago, and not just hours before she was found." Don clarifies.

"No, like Lilly Kane, the medical examiner said the body temperature had been messed with. They are running some other tests, but we may never know for sure."

"So I guess now you are putting a time line together and trying to figure out who was last to see her."

Keith started to answer but saw Kate walk in.

"Enough shop talk, dinner is ready. We can all eat in the living room, but no talk of mayhem or murder, I get enough of that at home."

*********************

An hour and thirty minutes into the drive, Veronica gets a text from Paige saying she is hungry and that they are stopping at the next exit to get food. Veronica relays the message to Logan and they all meet up at a Subway, the first thing they come to when they pull of the freeway. Quickly eating their sandwiches they head back to the cars.

Mac of course walks to her beetle, but so do Veronica and Paige.

"I want to hear about Dick, besides I need a Logan break." Paige sighs and walks over to the other car, to the driver's side where Logan had been standing, watching the girls exchange.

"They kicked me out. I get to drive."

Logan raises his eyebrows, "Are you sure you can handle it?" He gestures to the car.

"Yeah, I think I can."

Logan hands her the key and gets in the other side. He notices that Paige doesn't adjust the seat or mirrors at all, but that she did check them. He laughs when she closes her eyes, savoring the purr of the engine as she fires it up. He admires her expert handling of the car as she manages the clover leaf freeway entrance.

"I'm guessing that this isn't your first time behind the wheel of something with this much power."

"The summer after my junior year in high school I begged my parents to send me to a NASCAR Fantasy camp. I had never been interested in NASCAR, so they found the request a little odd, but they held one at Sears Point, pretty close to our Sonoma house, so they let me go. It was the first time since I was 7 that I didn't go to some sort of away camp for at least part of the summer."

Logan watched the dreamy expression on Paige's face as she remembered her times on the road course in Sonoma.

"I would love to really be able to open this baby up, see what she is really capable of."

"I was tempted too, but it wasn't quite possible following the green booger that was in front of me."

"I know, I hate following people, or being followed for that matter. It's probably for the best though, this thing is a total ticket magnet."

"I thought the same thing when I was driving to Mac's from the airport. It was my one chance to test it out, but I figured the last thing I needed was to get pulled over with V in the car."

"I guess it wasn't something Don ever worried about, he could just flash his badge and be done with it."

"Did you figure out how he could have afforded this?"

I can't think about that right now, I will have to worry about it later. "It probably isn't a big deal, my aunt died a while ago, we all got an inheritance. It was what I bought my car with. Don probably just did the same."

"There is quite a bit of difference between this orange beast and the green roller skate you drive." Paige gives him a look but ignores his comment. Seeing the wide open fast lane, she taps the blinker on and changes gears as she glides past the semi truck that was in her path. Feeling the effortless acceleration makes them both smile in appreciation.

"Any idea what your brother is compensating for with this car?"

**************************************

Two hours later, after a wonderful meal, and the decadent dessert Keith helps Don off the couch and laughs quietly as he listens to the banter between Kate and Don while she follows him into his room.

"I was having fun, how come I can't stay up with you guys?"

"Don, it isn't that I won't let you, you took that pill and you were falling asleep on the couch, I didn't think you would want to drool in front of the Sheriff."

---

"I'm not six anymore, you can't make me brush my teeth."

"I can and I will, you don't get a do-over set this time."

Don let Kate tuck him in and kiss him goodnight, just like she used to do when his mom was out late or stuck at the hospital. This day really sucked, but the last two hours almost made it worth it.

Kate walked back into the room and motioned for Keith to follow her into the kitchen.

"I am going to have a glass of wine, I know you can't drink in your uniform, would you like some coffee, or hot chocolate, or something?"

"Hot chocolate would be great, thanks."

Keith watched as Kate efficiently went about the kitchen, gathering items, opening the wine, getting her a glass, and him a large mug. Other than him offering to help her get the wine glass down from the top shelf neither said anything until she sat down, setting the large steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of him.

"When you offered to make hot chocolate, I thought you meant heating some water and dumping in some powder. You really didn't have to go to all this trouble."

"Heating some real milk and stirring in some real chocolate, and some real sugar, isn't really that much more trouble."

Keith takes a sip, and just like he did after eating the lasagna the day before, the enchiladas at dinner and the strawberry shortcake, he moans in appreciation. "This honestly is the best I have ever had. Do you guys always eat like this? Between Paige's lasagna, and your dinner, how is that you don't all weigh three hundred pounds."

******************************

It was after eleven when Lefty finally was able to leave work and make his way over to his friend's house. He knew that Don would be long asleep, but he didn't doubt that Kate would be up and waiting, with a plate of strawberry shortcake. His all time favorite. He couldn't believe how much it meant to him that she remembered. But as he pulled up in front of the house he saw Sheriff Mars' car.

He waited a bit to see if the Sheriff would leave. He quickly discarded the idea that something was wrong or that the Sheriff was there on official business. The lights weren't flashing on the car. Hopping out of his truck, Lefty checked the engine on the crown vic, feeling that it was cold, he climbed back in his vehicle and drove home. Hoping that Kate would remember to keep his and Don's secret and praying that when he stopped by tomorrow, she will have saved him some dessert.

********************************************

"So, spill!" Veronica said as soon as Mac sat down and closed her car door.

"Hmmmm whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I have been dying for the last hour to know what happened with you and Dick. Don't leave anything out. Between that steamy kiss on the porch, and whatever you said to cause that dreamy look on Dick's face as you drove away, it must be good. I want to know everything."

Mac turned to look at Veronica and raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe not everything, but tell me what is going on."

"V, I don't know where to begin. It was wonderful, and horrible, and wonderful. I called him and asked him to come over so we could talk. He agreed and came right over. But then he attacked me as soon as I closed the door."

"Okay? Was that the wonderful or the horrible part?"

"Wonderful, definitely wonderful. He wasn't how I imagined he would be as a lover, he was so-"

"So you have been imagining him as a lover! I knew it!"

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Mac turns back to Veronica and watches as she clamps her mouth shut and pretends to zip her lip, rolling down her window she tosses the key out. "He was so giving, and then poor guy, it happened again." Mac sighs and leans her head back against the car seat's headrest.

Veronica stared at her a few seconds waiting for more. When Mac stayed silent she started fidgeting in her seat, but true to her word she kept her mouth shut. She tried to get Mac's attention with gestures but Mac never looked over. Veronica finally ready to break her code of silence, decides to ask her to go on, but before the words are out of her mouth Mac, keeping her eyes on the road asks her own question.

"V, can I ask you something? I didn't want to say anything but I just don't know what to think." Mac at last, takes her eyes off the road to look at Veronica, who nods. "You can talk Veronica, it was a pretend key, I am not going back to get it."

"Thank god, do you know how hard that was for me. So you guys got interrupted again? Who walked in on you this time?"

"No, it wasn't that exactly. Everything was progressing nicely." Mac blushes and drops her head. "We spent a lot of time on the stairs, Dick was incredible, he made it all about me, I mean, I am sure he enjoyed it too, but…"

"Okay, I get the picture."

"So then he wanted to go into my room, and when I hesitated, he even offered to stop-"

"Are we talking about the same Dick Casablancas? Do you think he has been abducted by aliens or something?"

Ignoring Veronica Mac goes on, "I told him that stopping wasn't what I wanted but before I could explain he hauled me off to my room. Where my bed was covered in my luggage and with my entire wardrobe. He was devastated V, and I don't think just because we got cut short again. He seemed really hurt that I was leaving. The look on his face was heartbreaking. I tried to get him to continue, so he could at least… you know. But he pulled away, he said we would talk, but that he needed a bathroom. I went to follow him but he closed the door."

"Mac you can't hold that against him. Guys aren't like us, they can't just turn it off like we can, they seem to be able to turn it on easier than us, but off just isn't a switch they have. He probably just thought it would be better to… god this is awkward… take matters in his own hands. It doesn't mean-"

"That is what I thought too, and it didn't really bother me. I don't know I was a little hurt, I was totally willing to help, but he pushed me away. I went and got his clothes, they were a little scattered and I took them back to the bathroom. I was going to leave them outside the door, but I heard the shower, I have that dark shower curtain so I figured it would be safe to put the clothes inside. This is where I am confused. The bathroom was ice cold. My bathroom has no windows, and the vent is broken, you so much as turn the hot water on in the sink and the whole room steams up. He was taking a cold shower, isn't that how they turn it off? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know Mac, maybe he just didn't want to take care of it himself. You guys looked like you left everything on good terms, did you get to talk?"

"Yes, again he was completely surprising. He really opened up. Actually we both did. We are going to give 'us' a try. I told him we could wait until I got back if he wanted but he insisted that we try the long distance thing."

"Wow! Dick really has changed."

"Maybe not as much as we thought. His parting comment to me was him inquiring, in front of Paige, how I felt about phone sex."

"Now that sounds like Dick." They were both quiet for a minute, Mac thinking dreamily about Dick. Veronica trying to decide how she felt about the possibility of a Dick and Mac relationship, thinking that she needed more time to contemplate the repercussions of such a match she goes back to Mac's question.

"Mac if the thing with him and the cold shower is really something you want to know about, maybe you should just ask him."

"I don't know V, I was surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. It was like he knew what I was going to say before I even said it. But I think his activities in my bathroom, or lack thereof, is more than I could handle right now."

****************************

Logan was going through the music on Paige's iPod that he had plugged into Don's car.

It was after midnight and Paige was driving at precisely seventy five miles an hour, the speed limit on the stretch of I-5 that they were on, when she noticed that the car Mac and Veronica were in was further back then it had been, slowing down she turns to Logan.

"I think we should switch up the cars again. How do you feel about driving? One of us should drive Mac's car, I think she is too tired."

Logan turns to look out the rear window and motions to the next exit. Pulling out his phone, which he noticed was still off, he powers it up and sends Veronica a text telling them they are going to pull off at the next exit.

"Paige, when was the last time you slept?"

"Ummmm last night I guess, it isn't really that late. I think Mac didn't get much sleep because of the whole Dick thing. She was supposed to go home and take a nap, and although I think she may have gone to bed, I am certain she didn't get any sleeping done." Paige turns and winks at Logan. "If you know what I mean."

Logan snickers at this but continues seriously. "And Veronica didn't get any sleep because some psycho was going to try and kidnap her if she got off the ship, and you spent all night thinking about Payton, and helping plan your guys' getaway. So how long since you slept?"

"Okay, so it has been a while, but I am fine. Really!"

"No way, we are getting hotel rooms."

"Paige takes her eyes off the road briefly to look at Logan, even with the very little light that is coming in from the street lights, and the moon, she can see the stubborn look on his face. He isn't going to relent, and as much as she hates to admit it he is probably right.

"Fine. We will get a hotel room. But we all are sharing."

"You and M-"

"We are ALL sharing. Logan it will be safer this way. We all stay together. Look Logan, you gave me some great advice as a guy earlier, let me give you some as a girl. Don't push it with Veronica, she does really love you, but if you push her too far, too fast she is just going to run away again. Let her set the pace this time."

"You seem to know an awful lot about our relationship. What has V told you?"

Paige pauses and thinks about the song Veronica sang at Karaoke just two nights ago. Remembering her promise she doesn't mention it. "I am just really good at reading people, and like you said, she has trust issues. A few hours ago she was dating someone else. Us girls, we don't change gears that fast."

After they pulled into the Holiday Inn parking lot, Paige went in to rent their room. Coming back with just one room key, she has the other girls follow her over and they park in front of their room, located on the far side of the motel. Logan helps Mac get one of her smaller suitcases out of the back of her car, and pulls Veronica's big bag, along with his duffel into their room. Inside Mac opens her baggage, Veronica giggles when she sees how Mac had literally just crammed everything in it, nothing was folded. She stops when Mac glares at her, interested in the exchange Logan glances over.

"I know I don't know you very well, but I always took you for the OCD type packer. Everything all neat, separated by outfits." Logan sees all the girls staring at him with raised eyebrows. "Or whatever you guys call it, I certainly never expected you to just throw everything in all jumbled, like you didn't have time organize it."

Unable to bear it anymore the three girls laugh. Seeing that Logan isn't going to just let this go, not when everyone was in on the joke but him, Mac explains. Sort of.

"Let's just say I ran out of time." When Logan still wouldn't let it go she adds, "I found something else that was more important to do with my time."

Remembering Paige's comment in the car Logan can't resist. "Oh right, Paige mentioned how you were supposed to go home and go to bed."

Blushing, Mac grabs some wrinkled pajamas out of her bag and heads for the bathroom. "Too bad we never made it." She mumbles.

Logan opens his bag and tosses a pair of boxers and a t-shirt to Paige. "I haven't quite figured out why you seem to own no clothes but the ones you have on, but here you can borrow these."

Veronica laughs, "Actually the shorts aren't hers, they are mine."

"And the shirt is Kate's. The flip flops are mine and mine alone. As is the bathing suit I have on underneath!" Paige flops down in one of the chairs in the room. "I am hungry, does anyone else want anything? I am going to run out and get something."

"Do you think that is such a good idea? What happened to us all sticking together?" Logan questions.

"A girl has to eat. One of you can come with me if you want, I will just go through a drive thru."

"I could eat!" Veronica adds excitedly.

"Shocking. Take Mac." Logan rolls his eyes.

"Take Mac where?" Mac asks as she opens the bathroom door.

"Veronica and I are hungry. I am going to hit a drive thru. I would just go by myself but Captain Killjoy over here won't let me. I think he wants some alooonnnneeee time with Ver-on-i-ca." Paige teases.

Paige herds Mac out the door amongst her pleas to not have to go, she's tired, she's already in her pajamas. Logan stands back looking amused and Veronica hollers out her order.

______________

"So Mac and Dick? Who woulda thought?"

"I actually want to talk to you about that, but not right now. But soon, definitely soon. Do you want to change first or should I?"

"You go ahead, I can change out here, I will brush my teeth and stuff after I eat."

"You didn't order anything, and I am not sharing."

_____________

An hour later they were all comfortably in their night clothes, full from all the food, and tucked into their beds. Paige and Veronica had both texted their dads to let them know they decided to stay in a hotel and would arrive later than originally thought the next afternoon.

Logan and Veronica were in one bed, and true to his word he stayed on his side just like he promised her when she agreed to share with him. They were both lying on their backs, stiff as boards.

Mac and Paige were in the other bed. Paige was curled up in a ball, only her face poking out of the covers the same as she had the one night she actually slept on the cruise. Mac however was fiddling with her phone, finally deciding that she too had someone she wanted to tell about the change of plans.

To: Dickhead (Hmmmm maybe I should change that.)

------

Sorry to wake you.

Just want you to know we

stopped at hotel for night. Too

tired to keep driving. I will let

know when we leave in morning.

Today was great!

Mac

--------

Thu, June 22 1:25AM

Mac turns off the lone light that was still on and settles into the bed. She smiles brightly in the dark when her phone vibrates with a new message.

From: Dickhead (I definitely gotta change that)

---------

Thanks for letting me know, now

I won't worry for a while. So are

you in bed now? What are you

wearing?

---------

Thu, June 22 1:26AM

Mac smiles and quickly replies.

To: Richard (That doesn't look quite right either)

------

Not yet big guy.

I am not alone.

There was only 1 room.

A single. We had to share.

Mac

--------

Thu, June 22 1:27AM

Mac, thinking that will be the end of it, rolls over and places her phone back on the night stand, closing her eyes, so she can see his face in her mind one last time before she gets some much needed sleep. Mac is startled when a few seconds later the phone vibrates again.

From: Dick (Not liking this either, I need to come up with something good.)

--------

So you are in bed with

Paige. Go on…

----------

Thu, June 22 1:28 AM

Mac can't help it she laughs out loud.

Veronica sighs, "Are you and Dick sex texting again?"

"Again?" Logan inquires.

"You just told him you were in bed with me didn't you?" Paige asks.

"You guys suck!"

Mac sends off one more quick text and then tries to go to sleep.

To: R. Casablancas (Maybe V or Paige can help me come up with something more creative.)

----------

Goodnight Dick.

Have sweet dreams, cuz I will

and they will be about you.

Mac

--------

Thu, June 22 1:31 AM

Logan thought getting a hotel room was a great idea, even if he and Veronica didn't do anything, he could be content to just lie next to her, breathing the same air. The reality was much harder than his quick fantasy. He was trying to be so still, so careful not to disturb her. It was torture, to have her so close and not be able to reach out and touch her. It had been hard in the car but at least then he could look at her, here in the dark he couldn't see anything, he could just barely make out bits of her blond hair when the light from Mac's phone had hit it just right.

Knowing he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, he let his mind wander back to the brief conversation he had had with Veronica about Mac and Dick. He had noticed some changes in Dick when his dad showed up. He knew he was having feelings of guilt about his treatment of Beaver. That day on the beach, with Veronica and Mac and Piz, he had thought there was some remorse over his treatment of Mac too, but he had been so preoccupied with the girl in front of him who was sitting with her boyfriend he hadn't noticed what went down when Dick took off after Mac. Then a few days later he had walked in on the two of them in a rather compromising situation. He didn't really see much, Dick's butt was in the way, but Logan had an active sex life and a healthy imagination so he knew what was going on. He wasn't sure what it meant though. He knew Dick was out of sorts the next few days, barely making it to class, snippy with anyone and everyone who attempted to push him out of his funk. Logan had been in his own world trying to figure out what Veronica meant when she said Gory was connected; once he put the pieces together it became all about keeping her safe and both of them alive. He hadn't really been paying attention to Dick, hadn't really noticed his obsession. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Dick was indeed becoming obsessed. One look at their hotel room after she brought all his flowers back was proof enough.

When he heard Paige on the phone with Mac, and figured out that they were together, he was happy for his friend. When he saw their kiss on the porch, he was thrilled for both of them. It wasn't until Veronica said something that it hit him that she might not be okay with the relationship. Dick had after all played a part in his brothers… attack of Veronica at Shelley Pomroy's party. Disgusted with himself that he can't even think the word 'rape' when he remembers the events of that night, he shudders trying to push the image out of his mind.

Veronica is so tired, but knowing Logan is so close, so close she can hear him breath she can't sleep. She was on her back, her hands, fingers intertwined, resting on her stomach. She was trying hard not to move, afraid that if she did so, she would be on top of Logan in an instant. She had pretended to fight him when he suggested that they share a bed. She had pretended to question his self control when he promised to keep his hands to himself. But there is no way she would have made Mac share a bed with him, and there was no way in hell she was going to let him and Paige sleep together.

She started to think about Mac and Dick, but again decided that she would rather keep her mind on more pleasant subjects, like the incredibly sexy man lying next to her. She concentrates on his breathing, in then out, in then out. The pattern is disrupted when he suddenly shudders. Without thinking Veronica rolls to her side, facing him. She unclasps her hands and reaching out, silently takes hold of one of his. She smiles when Logan's fingers tighten around hers. Finally content she is able to fall asleep.

*********************

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