Disclaimer: Only borrowing these wonderful characters from Rob Thomas. I sadly own nothing, but wish I did.

Chapter 14 – Under the Stars

After Veronica changed from their shower, she returned to join Logan in the kitchen.

He looked up and smiled warmly at her as she came in from the hall. She walked over behind him as he was getting things ready for dinner, and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle squeeze, poking her heard around to see what he was working on. He awkwardly shifted so he could give her a quick kiss on top of her head, but kept working on the food prep. "Hey, would you like a glass of wine? You can enjoy it out on the deck while I grill our steaks. The sun should be setting soon, and you can enjoy that while I finish getting dinner ready."

She nodded and he grabbed a wine glass for her and opened a bottle of wine. As he handed her the glass she noticed that he wasn't having one himself, "I haven't seen you drink at all since I've been back. Do you never drink anymore?"

He shrugged as he grabbed a plate with two marinated steaks and gestured for her to follow him out to the deck. "I'll have a drink or two on occasion, just not all that often. I'll probably have a glass of wine with you when we eat dinner."

She took a spot on a lounge chair that was close to the BBQ Grill. He noticed she was still looking at him quizzically as if waiting for more explanation.

Once he got the steaks started, he went over and sat down on the lounge chair with her. He scooted her forward, so he could sit behind her, with her sitting between his legs, and she rested her back against his chest.

"Did something happen that made you stop?" She finally asked.

She could feel him shrug behind her, "Nothing specific really." She wasn't sure if he was hesitant to continue or if there really wasn't any more to it. He was leaning forward with his arms wrapped around her waist, and she set her glass down on a side table and entwined her hands with his, gently rubbing the backs of his hands with her thumbs. He leaned his head forward so he could rest it on her shoulder and placed a few kisses there and on her neck.

Veronica debated about pushing him more on it. There seemed to be more to the story than he was giving her. He'd been so open with her earlier, that she wasn't sure how much to just accept now versus insisting on more information. He was the one who had said he was willing to answer any of her questions, although a part of her felt guilty because deep down she wasn't yet sure if she could give him that same level of honesty. Complete and total honesty was still something she hadn't become much better at during the last 8 years.

She could easily imagine several scenarios that would lead to him avoiding alcohol, none of which were very pleasant. And of course there was his mother's problem with alcohol abuse. She certainly always worried about that with her and Lianne. "I promise I won't judge you for whatever it was," she finally said trying to be understanding, but still wanting to hear what may have happened.

He sighed deeply and then finally spoke, his voice was lower than before and a bit melancholy, "When you left and didn't come back to Hearst, I took a hard look at myself and realized how many of the horrible mistakes I'd made all happened when I was drunk. I just didn't want to be that guy anymore if you ever did come back. So I gave up drinking, at least in situations that could lead to me getting carried away. Eventually it just sort of became second nature I guess. When I became Mayor, I started to occasionally have glasses of wine at dinner functions and things like that." He paused for a minute, "No big skeleton in the closet, just self-imposed restitution."

Veronica turned her head so she could place a tender kiss on his lips. She nuzzled her nose against his and gave him a gentle smile before turning back to watch the sunset again.

A short while later Logan had their dinner all ready and they sat at the table inside to eat. Veronica was impressed with the meal, given the extent she'd mostly seen him preparing food before was taking the covers off the room service food at the Grand.

"So earlier…," she asked thinking of how to phrase her question, "You really haven't had many serious relationships since Alexis?"

He affectionately smiled and shook his head, "I'm glad you're getting in the spirit of asking questions. I may have to play catch up though as it's beginning to feel a bit one sided."

She gave him a guilty look. "I'm just kidding Veronica, it's fine." He looked thoughtful for a minute, "There were a few women that I guess were a little serious. I had a few relationships that lasted a couple months before they ended." All of a sudden, he looked like he felt a little uneasy. Considering everything else they'd already discussed, she really wasn't sure why he might feel uncomfortable now.

"Come on, this can't be more awkward than discussing my potentially compromised health status," she said to try to lighten him up.

He smiled at her then shook his head. "I guess since no one has bothered to ask, I hadn't really thought much about it and I guess it's just embarrassing how obvious it probably is."

She gave him a look of confusion, "Sorry, I'm not following you."

He let out a deep sigh, "Most of the women that I'd gotten somewhat serious about all seemed to leave the picture shortly after they'd meet Alexis and spent some extended time around her."

Veronica laughed and shook her head. "Yeah, I can't say I'm surprised about that. I think it's fair to say she still has some serious possessiveness issues regarding you."

"Come on, she's not that bad?" He said, more as a question than a statement.

"Really?" Veronica said with a bit of disbelief. "Well all I'll say is IF this thing between us becomes really serious again, I think we'd need to lay down a few ground rules in regards to her," adding emphasis to the word if.

Logan grinned earnestly at her, "IF", repeating her emphasis, "that happens, I'd be more than happy to discuss your rules of engagement."

She smiled shyly at him and shook her head. Was she crazy to actually want to try this thing with him again? She still needed to figure out what she wanted to do with her career given the uncertainty of what may happen in Massachusetts. She told him earlier that she wasn't ready to make any promises yet. She couldn't help but think about how things were always great with him when they would first start out, and then something always seemed to happen to tear them apart. She wanted to believe that they had grown up enough that they could make it work this time, but there was still a small part of her that had doubts. She hoped that maybe more time of getting to really know the man he had become would help her feel more sure of her decision.

He gave her a curious look and asked, "So how about you, I didn't hear of any other really serious relationships from Mac or Wallace besides Dillon."

She shrugged and shook her head. "There wasn't anyone else serious, really. I'm sure with all your special informants you probably know I decided to transfer to school in Virginia after my FBI internship, although I never really shared much about why with anyone. The official story would have been that I wanted to continue doing more work with the FBI while I worked on a Criminology Degree near by, but the real truth was that I felt like I'd messed up so many things back here that staying out there seemed like the easiest solution at the time. I'd basically lost the election for my dad with the evidence tampering incident, and then Piz and I had split up by the time that I went off to Virginia. I also felt guilty about how badly I had used Wallace to try to find out information on the Castle and I thought stepping away from it all was just the best thing to do. I decided I would make a fresh start out there, but my way of dealing with it was to throw my self into my school work versus actually trying to build a new life."

"I dated a few men while I was working on my undergrad degree, but there wasn't any one really special that came along. I probably used the fact that I was too busy with school as an excuse to prevent me from taking the time to invest in a relationship. Then I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to go to Harvard and moved to Massachusetts. Once I started law school, there really wasn't any time for romance. After I graduated I got my job at the DAs office and moved to Cape Cod and really focused all my energy into my job to make a good impression so I could move up in the department. There were several cases that I worked on that involved the local police department, and that's how I met Dillon. It took him a while to convince me to go on a date with him, but I finally relented and we actually did hit it off. Of course you know how that ended up."

Logan sat and intently listened to her. He had known the logistics of where she had ended up, but had never heard the why before. While she didn't mention him in the list of reasons for not coming back, he couldn't help but assume he played a part in it too, but he certainly didn't want to dwell on that now if she didn't either. Like he had told her earlier, he'd rather focus on the present rather than dwelling on things they couldn't go back and change. When she got to the end with her fallout with Dillon he gave her a sympathetic smile and reached across the table to give her hand a comforting squeeze.

After they finished easting, she helped him clear the table and clean up in the kitchen. As he was finishing up, she wandered around the main room a bit more. "Hey, I just noticed you don't have a TV here."

"Your super sleuthing skills are almost as sharp as they use to be," he teased her.

She gave him a look of faux annoyance.

He laughed slightly and looked amused at her reaction. "Since it's usually just me here, I didn't put a big TV in the living room. I generally just end up reading out on the deck when I'm here, but after a couple months of no TV at all, I did decide to at least put one in the bedroom. It's in the big armoire that's in there."

He moved over to sit on the large couch and gestured for her to join him.

"So speaking of sleuthing, what are your latest thoughts on the case?"

She joined him on the couch and then looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "I suppose at the simplest level, it could just be a case of Troy getting her mixed up with drugs, since I know he had connections to that before, and then when they split up she really did just handle it badly and jumped from the bridge, but something in my gut is telling me there's more to it than that. I trust Casey's instincts on it too since he knew Debbie for all those years."

"So you're next move is to wait and see what Mac digs up?"

"Yeah," she hesitated and looked nervously at her hands in her lap.

"No secrets Veronica, I thought you were going to let me be your backup until your dad gets back."

She sighed and looked at him again, "I just want to do a little surveillance once we know where he's living. Get a better idea of what he's up to before I talk to him about Debbie."

He frowned at her, definitely uncomfortable with that.

"It will be fine," she tried to reassure him. "I've got a great camera with a really high powered zoom, so he won't even know I'm there."

"Can I ask you a favor if you're going to do that? I know it won't really do me any good to try to convince you not to do it."

"Sure, you can definitely ask," she said a bit teasingly and emphasizing the word ask.

"Just please let me know when you're headed out to do it, and give me updates while you're out so I know your safe. Maybe let Mac put a tracer on your phone or something, that way if something happens we'll be able to get to you quickly. You've been gone for 8 years Veronica, and you don't know the town like you used to."

She looked at him thoughtfully then nodded.

"The Fitzpatrick's are still dangerous Veronica. Leo and I are trying to do as much as we can to take them down, but their influence runs really deep and it's been a struggle. He's been able to arrest a few of the group, but they've been pretty minor players in the bigger scheme of things. We haven't been able to get the leverage we need to completely put them out of business or take down anyone higher up in the family. Then with Molly working really hard to make her side of the business look legitimate at least, it's been even harder for Leo to get a good case built against them. Troy may not have any connections to them, other than talking to Molly at the club, but if he was supplying Debbie with drugs, I'd be willing to bet that they came from the Fitzpatrick's."

"Alright, I promise to let Mac track my phone and I'll keep you updated if it will make you feel better."

"Thank you," he said as he gently kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a tighter squeeze.

"Let's see, I guess I'd better check the time so I don't get in trouble for keeping you past your obligated time with me." He paused a moment, "Unless I can convince you to stay the night. I promise to make pancakes and bacon in the morning."

"Mmmm, bacon," she cooed at him and smiled slyly. "Now that's a very tempting offer."

She leaned closer and gave him a passionate kiss.

"So is that a yes?" he asked as their lips finally broke apart.

She nodded and grinned at him, "you know I can never pass up bacon."

"I actually had a backup plan," he said with a smirk on his face.

"Oh really, tell me what your grand Plan B was."

"I was only going to offer you dessert if you agreed to stay the night."

She laughed at him and kissed him again. "You are quite the devious mastermind aren't you?"

"Only when it comes to you," he sweetly replied and kissed the tip of her nose.

Logan asked if she'd heard from Keith and Alicia and how they were enjoying their cruise. That reminded her about what he'd said back at the Masquerade Ball. "Seems like you and my dad have also gotten closer while I was gone since you know where he's been without asking me and knew about his big milestone birthday coming up?"

Logan chuckled. "Don't forget I did steal away Wallace and made him one of my allies, so maybe he put in a good word for me with your dad and feeds me all the Keith Mars intel." He gave her an amused smile. "I've actually asked your dad to help me on a few things too over the years, especially when I became the Mayor. I think he might finally see me as a good influence now and not that reckless teenage delinquent I used to be."

He gave her a loving smile and added, "You know he was so proud of you when you graduated from Law School and got the job at the DA's office?"

She nodded and smiled, "Yeah he mentioned that one or twice." She grew a bit more serious and added, "I'm glad you were able to build a better relationship with him without me here to mess it up."

"Not that I was ever glad that you were gone, but I am thankful that he and I were able to move past all our bad history and get to what we have now. Especially when that meant I got to enjoy Alicia's delicious home cooked meals." He shot her a loving look, "I still would have taken you being here over her fried chicken and apple pie though."

"Mmmm pie… so speaking of dessert, watcha got?" He couldn't help but laugh at her quick change of topic at the mention of food.

He headed to the kitchen with her trailing right behind him like an excited little puppy. He started pulling everything out and in no time he had warmed up two large brownies, covered them with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce and they took the bowls out to the deck to enjoy. They took a seat on one of the large lounge chairs where they could look up and see the stars while they listened to the waves crashing on the beach below them. There was still a very full moon, and it helped light up the deck. He had turned off most of the lights inside so they would have a better view of the night sky above them. Once they finished their desserts, he took their bowls and set them on the table beside him.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to his chest. He sighed contently and whispered in her ear, "You have no idea how many times I've sat out here watching the stars wondering how you were and wishing you were here with me."

She swallowed a slight lump she felt in her throat and stroked her hand along his face. She moved so she could straddle his lap and started placing soft kisses on his lips and gently ran her hand through his hair. He ran his hand up under her shirt and then up and down her back while he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer. Their kisses became more passionate as each second passed.

She brought her face close to the side of his head and whispered in his ear, "I want you to make love to me out here under the stars."

He grinned lovingly at her and gently brushed some loose strands of hair back off her face. He sighed contently and said "don't move I'll be right back." She chuckled as he popped up and dashed through the house back to his bedroom.

"I'm sorry," he said when he returned. "I obviously need to be more prepared around a sex vixen like yourself. Now where were we?"

He sat back down on the lounge chair and she climbed back on his lap. She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment then said, "Sorry the moment's passed." She could only keep her serious face for a few seconds though when she saw the look of utter disappointment flash across his face. "I'm just kidding," she whispered in his ear as she ran her tongue along the edge of his ear and then nipped slightly on his earlobe.

He groaned as she sucked on his neck right below his ear, then she reached down and pulled his shirt over his head. She looked hungrily at him, taking time to run her hands across his abs and up his chest, before she reached down and took her own shirt off for him. His gaze became heated as he ran his fingers along the lace of her bra. His mouth quickly moved to follow the pattern that his fingers had just traveled. He grinned as he caught sight of the fading mark he'd left on her the prior Saturday.

"Maybe you need a refresher on the other side," he said has he moved his head above her left breast. She arched her back into him as he left another mark on the opposite side. He ran his hands up her thighs under the skirt she had put on before dinner as she started to move steadily against him. He found the zipper to her skirt and unzipped it, which made it so he could easily lift it up over her petite frame. He took another moment to just admire her.

"You are so beautiful Veronica," He said as he ran his hands down her sides, along her outer thighs to her knees and then back on the inside of her thighs up to her core. She trembled softly as he moved his hands over her body.

She moved her hands from his shoulders down to undoing the jeans that he had put on before dinner.

He gently grabbed her wrists and shook his head, "not yet Bobcat," and he lifted her up off his lap, laying her back down on the lounge chair holding her hands gently above her head with one hand as he took his other hand and stroked it along her body. Then he went back to exploring every inch of her body with his mouth, tongue and fingers, enjoying every little sound he elicited from her. Paying extra attention to the places that had a stronger effect on her.

There was something almost electric about making love to her out on the deck where they could hear the waves crashing below them. There was nothing but the full moon and a slight glow from the house illuminating her body on the lounge and it made the moment even more beautiful. He slowly removed her bra and matching lace bikini, spending extra time kissing her skin when the material was removed from her body. After all the years of longing to be with her again, it was such a surreal experience each time it had happened since she returned. The sounds of the waves and being out under the stars seemed to have an effect on Veronica too, and he could tell her body was reacting more sensitively to his touch than before. After making sure she was satisfied several times, he finally removed his jeans and felt a warm sensation throughout his entire body as he filled her completely and heard the small gasps that she made.

Eventually he carried her back inside and they fell into his bed, wrapped together in each others arms. One of the bedroom windows was opened slightly, and the steady sound of the waves crashing along the shore drifted up into the room as they silently laid there in the dark. Logan nuzzled his face into her hair and ran his fingers in random patterns along her bare skin. Veronica's hand gently rubbed over his chest, lightly tracing the patterns of his toned muscles, slowly from one side and then to the other. She had her right leg wrapped over his, and she was gently caressing the inside of his calf with her toes. She couldn't remember feeling this content and happy in a very long time. It was possible that she hadn't felt like this since the last time they were together all those years ago. She couldn't help but notice that he felt different now as she was resting against him. There had always been a nervous energy about him, anxiety maybe, even when they would be dozing off to sleep. She had always wondered if it was a subconscious fear of losing her, like he'd lost Lilly and then his Mom, or if there was something else that had kept him from completely being at peace back then. But now that seemed to be gone and his body felt as content and at ease as she felt. Listening to the waves and the steady rhythm of his breathing, she felt her body slowly begin to give in to sleep.

Logan continued gently rubbing the small patterns over her back and shoulders as he laid there enjoying the feeling of her next to him. After a short while, he could tell she had drifted off to sleep when the little motions that she had been making with her fingers and her foot stopped. After a while, she made little noises that he remembered her making in her sleep all those years ago. Having her there with him filled a hole within him that he had tried for so long to pretend didn't exist. He realized he hadn't ever really felt this complete since he lost her, not even with Alexis. He gently kissed her forehead and softly whispered, "I love you Veronica," before he fell asleep as well.