This is reaaally short, but I'll upload the next one in a couple of days.

I really apologize because I didn't answer any review for the last 2 or 3 chapters. I'll do it, I promise!

I use this moment for thanking all the people who are not registered and I can't contact personally.

Oh I forgot! I reuploaded all the previous chapters, because the Amazing Jesterlady helped me too. So between her and TracyBrooke now I hope the fanfic is errors-free.

***Chapter 14***

Veronica woke up, but when she tried to move something didn't allow her.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at the guy asleep next to her. She tensed and tried to move away. "Let me go, Logan" she whispered.

"Sleepy" he mumbled.

"Logan, we fell asleep! If my father sees us, we're going to wake up dead!" she whispered with urgency.

"We'll think about that tomorrow," he muttered.

"Logan!" She sounded exasperated.

Eventually he realized she was protesting too much to sleep. He opened his eyes, rising on his elbow with noticeable effort and probably pain.

"Your father said it was okay, I asked him," he explained.

"We can't sleep together; your back, I could hurt you. You need to rest," she tried to persuade him

"I need you to stay with me, just now," he confessed. "Because you let me believe I can do this, that I can be a good person, I can be someone that not everyone thinks it's okay if I'm in pain. You're making me believe I can survive what will come next."

"Logan," she whispered, her voice trembling with the huge impact his words had on her.

"Sleep with me, Veronica," he begged. "And your father already threatened me with the shotgun, so you're safe because I'll be the perfect gentleman."

"We're so doomed," she teased, and he playfully slapped her arm.

"Veronica." His voice was husky for all the emotions that were battling inside him.

"What?" she whispered looking right at his eyes.

"Can we try not to think? For tonight just you and me..." Veronica stayed silent, looking at him, and Logan moved to caress her cheek.

He could see her blush. "Logan?"

"I'm going to be a good guy tonight, Veronica, I promised. I'm not going to make you feel uncomfortable," he reassured her.

His voice made butterflies wake in her stomach; she couldn't find her voice so she simply nodded.

"Tomorrow I'll try, but tonight I promised," he joked, kissing her forehead.

"Logan…" she whispered but she had no words for him.

He looked down at her again. "Have you ever slept with any guy?"

Veronica blushed furiously, probably more than he ever saw before.

"I never… I never, you know... I thought you knew…" she blabbed.

"Slept, Veronica. I was just talking about just sleeping." He smiled kindly at her. "Gentleman, remember?"

"Oh, sorry. I… no… I never slept with any guy." She thought for a moment and amended, "I slept with you, on the couch, the night you slept here." She shifted a little, trying to not seem too embarrassed.

Logan's smile appeared hugely on his face. "So I'm your only just-sleep-buddy."

She laughed. "Yeah."

He thought a moment "How are the nightmares?"

She moved her gaze away. "Better," she lied.

His hand was playing with a lock of her hair. "Didn't they stop?"

She looked again toward him. "Not yet... but almost."

Again he bent to kiss her head. "You won't have any nightmares tonight," he promised.

She flashed him the sweetest smile he could ever remember seeing on her lips. "You're my knight in shining armor against nightmares."

"You can bet on it."

Her head rested again on their pillow, smiling sweetly.

"So, my damsel, can I hold you tighter? So the nightmares won't be able to kidnap you from me?" he asked, absently caressing her face again.

She smiled while he put her head against his body. "Ah, you're my hero… again…"

He liked the sound of that. He liked that they were pretending he was the one who was supposed to help her and not vice versa.

Veronica looked at him for a moment with a slightly embarrassed gaze. "Okay this doesn't sound good even when I think it, but I don't know where to put my hands." She showed him what she meant. "I can't hug your back; you're not healed yet and…"

Logan took her hand and let it rest on his very lower back.

Her eyes opened widely "I'm touching your…I can't!"

He smirked. "Okay, I admit it's not the most polite thing you can do with that little hand of yours, but I promise I won't complain about you touching my butt."

Veronica hid her face against his chest, blushing furiously.

"But, it's the only place on my back that didn't bleed tonight. Of course you can keep it where it was before, but I'm afraid that during the night you would meet some other part of my body I'm pretty sure you're not ready to meet." He gestured to his lower hips.

Logan laughed at her embarrassed sound, and she tried to move away, too humiliated to stay, but he held her.

He kissed her forehead again whispering against her skin "That wasn't very gentleman-like, sorry."

She nodded. What else could she say? Thanks, Logan, for giving me the most X-rated thoughts of my life?

God, he was Logan! He was Lilly's boyfriend.

"You're my first too, my first just sleeping-girl, I mean." He felt Veronica smile against his chest. "It's strange. You feel, I don't know… warm… not in a hot way. I mean, in a hot way too, but since Lily died, I felt cold inside; you... with you, like this, I don't feel cold anymore. Did that make any sense to you?"

She nodded and then she slapped lightly against his arms, in a safe, undamaged spot. "You're making me cry again! I hate you!"

"Yeah… I hate you too" Logan whispered, kissing her head again. Then he held her, pulling her against his body, letting her sleep a little closer to his head. Now her head could rest against his neck. "Tomorrow I'm so going to woo you."

ooOOoo

The following morning, the former sheriff woke up, and went to check his daughter and - he assumed - her injured soon-to-be boyfriend first thing.

"Gentleman, my left foot," he muttered. Keith had to fight his fatherly instinct to not overreact at the way Logan's hand was resting possessively against Veronica's buttock, pulling her against him. One of his legs had found its way between Veronica's, and his face was hiding in her long hair. Veronica's face was buried against Logan's neck, her lips were brushing his naked skin, almost in a kiss. At least Veronica was still wearing her clothes. She hadn't even changed from the night before.

Keith couldn't help but take a picture with Veronica's new camera. With all that happened the night before, it lay completely forgotten on the small table in front of the couch. It seemed right to him that the first picture taken with this camera would be a symbol of how things can change for the better. One month ago, he would never have hoped that his daughter and her best friend would have another go at their friendship. Now he knew they were falling in love. It was obvious from the way Veronica held Logan when he cried on the couch and from the way the young boy held her last night, as if she was his last hope.

He let them slumber a little further, retreating to shower, dress, and start breakfast.

oOo

Smells of fresh coffee and hot bacon tickled Logan's nose. He moved slightly waking Veronica.

"Morning," she muttered against him.

Logan brushed her hair away from her face. "Morning to you, too." He smiled. "Your dad is awake."

"Yeah, I smell breakfast." She stirred, adding wryly, "That or he trained Backup very well. We should get up."

"Five minutes? Please?" His voice was uncertain.

Veronica moved to look at his face.

"Worried?"

He looked her for a long moment "Would you think less of me if I said I was scared?" His voice was doubtful, and so was his gaze.

"I think for a guy to admit to being scared is very brave." She couldn't take her eyes off him. Different from the night before, her finger moved across his skin, almost unconsciously.

Logan eyes shined with a grateful gaze. "I…"

Keith knocked at the open door. "Kids, breakfast is ready."

"We're coming." She tried to rise, but Logan held her tightly.

Veronica looked at him questioningly.

He breathed deeply before speaking. "However this is going to end, thanks." He watched her a moment before adding, "And whatever you do, stay away from my father; I don't think he will take this well, and he can be dangerous."

She shook her head. "He will not touch me."

"Veronica, I'm serious." He was holding her arm.

"I won't, and the next time I come to your place, I'll bring Backup with me."

"You're so not coming to my place," he said seriously.

"Why not?"

"Because while my father is a bastard, he's not stupid. I don't want him to even suspect that you're involved"

She sat on the bed, without looking at her friend, and he had to let her go.

"I don't want you do this alone," she whispered.

"I'm not alone, Veronica, not anymore."

Veronica smiled, looking at him above her shoulder. "In the last two months, I missed you so much that it almost hurt. Lily was more a sister than a friend, but you… I missed you even more than I missed Duncan." She moved her gaze away and almost ran out the door. "Come on, Dad is waiting."

And she vanished into the hall before he could respond.