I'm not sure how necessary this epilogue was, but I wanted to write it. I actually wrote it before I finished the last few chapters. I wrestled with it a lot before deciding on the ending I have. I hope it adds to your enjoyment of the story and doesn't take away. Thanks so much for reading. A special thanks to BewitchingRedhead36 for reading my first draft of this and giving me her feedback!

Epilogue: LoVe and Friendship

*******Seven Years Later*******

As they drove into Neptune, Veronica watched the landmarks that were so familiar and yet not pass by as she looked out of the car window. After her second year at Hearst, Neptune had ceased being her home. Her dad had lost his last election and struggled with running Mars Investigation after his dreams of being sheriff were destroyed for the second time. When she'd made the decision to spend her final three years of college at Stanford, her dad had followed her. He'd gotten a job at the nearby San Jose police department. He'd almost followed her to D.C when she'd made it into the FBI after graduation, but she'd put her foot down. He'd really begun to feel at home in San Jose. He'd even met a very nice widow named Kathy, who had a ten year old son. It had been going slow with her, but Veronica could tell that he really liked her. She wasn't about to let him uproot his life a second time for her. When Veronica had promised her dad that she'd work on getting a transfer back to California as soon as her FBI training was over, he had reluctantly let her go. A year later, he and Kathy were married.

Veronica looked over and smiled at the man driving. Logan Echolls. Her husband. Her best friend. Her soulmate. Unlike her father, Logan had refused to leave her side for long. They had dated the entire senior year of high school without breaking up. Meg's baby had been born healthy and beautiful the January of their senior year. She and Duncan had gotten married in August before classes had started. Meg had deferred college a year, wanting to spend time bonding with Lilly, their new daughter. The Kanes had bought them a great five bedroom house that had a pool house for her sister Liz to have as her own. Grace, of course, had her own room in the main house. Since Mac and Wallace had both gotten scholarships at Hearst, Neptune's very own liberal arts college, Veronica had decided to stay near her friends. Mac had dragged Weevil with her into college. Even Dick's presence had done little to mar the joy of that first year. Everything had been new and fun. Duncan had joined them at Hearst. He, Dick, and Wallace had rushed the same house. Predictably, Duncan was school president by their junior year with Wallace as his second in command. It had all been everything they could've wanted.

Although the first year at Hearst had been almost perfect, things eventually soured somewhat. Mac and Weevil had broken up at the end of their second semester. It wasn't that they'd fallen out of love as much as Mac became so absorbed in her studies that she made less and less time for Weevil. Frustrated, he'd finally walked away. Veronica had been more surprised than anyone when Weevil had enlisted in the Marines a short time later. The memory of that day was so strong.

Flashback

Veronica had promised a crying Mac that she'd talk to Weevil. They'd gotten in a huge fight a week ago and had broken up. Since it wasn't the first time they'd broken up, Mac had assumed that after finals when she had more time to focus on their relationship, they'd get back together. Instead, Weevil had shocked everyone by enlisting in the Marines. Veronica hadn't seen Mac so upset since the night Cassidy had tried to commit suicide. She was determined to get her two friends back together.

Promising to talk to Weevil, she had went to the house he and Logan shared. Logan had finished the rebuild on his home by the time they graduated from high school. Lettie had helped him decorate. She had even encouraged Weevil to join Logan in the home, so that Logan would not have to go back to his solitary state. Logan hadn't been eager to give up his new found family anyway, so he'd been glad to have Weevil move in.

When she located Weevil, he was playing Call of Duty with Logan. "Practicing already?" she asked, a note of derision in her voice.

"Told you," Logan said to Weevil with his patented smirk.

Veronica glared at Logan. "How could you let him do this?" Veronica demanded.

"Let him? I didn't realize I had the power to control Weevil's actions," Logan said dryly, pausing the game.

"He doesn't," Weevil said firmly. He put down the game controller and faced Veronica.

"So you really did it? You enlisted in the Marines?" Veronica asked, still not wanting to believe it.

"As someone preparing for a career working for the government, I'd think you'd be more supportive," Weevil said.

"Becoming an agent is not the same thing and you know it!" Veronica exclaimed. "Mac is so upset. How could you do this?"

Weevil's face for a moment held real pain. Then he quickly covered it up. "I didn't do it to hurt her," he said quietly.

"Veronica, this really isn't any of your business," Logan said, surprising Veronica. It was rare that he so strongly opposed Veronica in anything. They'd managed to stay together for the past two years with only a few bumps.

"Not my business? Weevil is my best friend's boyfriend. He's one of my closest friends. He's your brother. Of course, it's my business!" she insisted.

Weevil stood to his feet and gave her a tired glance. "Ex. Veronica. I'm your best friend's ex-boyfriend," he said bitterly.

"Is that what this is about? You're hurt and reacting?" Veronica asked. "You know Mac loves you. She's just got tunnel vision when it comes to her studies. If you leave, you'll break her heart."

"I'm not sure I have the power to do that," Weevil said with a sigh. When Veronica opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand. "I know Mac loves me. I love her just as much. But sometimes love isn't enough, Veronica."

"What do you mean? Of course, it is!" she exclaimed. "If you love each other enough, you do whatever you can to make it work. You stay together. The hero is the one that stays!"

"How do you know that I'm not doing this for her?" Weevil asked with an arch of his eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"Veronica, you know exactly what you want to do with your life. So does Wallace, Duncan, and Mac. Hell, even Dick knows what he wants to do," Weevil pointed out. "I don't."

"That's what college is all about. Figuring it out. Deciding who you are," Veronica replied. "Logan still hasn't figured it out." Logan had changed majors three times already.

"Logan knows what he wants. He wants you. Nothing else matters to him. He doesn't need money, a career, or anything else. You're his road map. I need my own course, Veronica," Weevil said with conviction.

Veronica looked at him and saw something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. He wasn't just reacting to a painful break up. She sat down next to Logan on the couch. He reached for her hand, seeking to comfort her, knowing she needed it.

"But the Marines?" she asked, trying to understand.

"I've been thinking about it since we graduated from high school," he admitted.

"Really?" she asked in surprise. She glanced at Logan, who didn't seem surprised by this. Giving him a disgruntled look, she looked back at Weevil.

Weevil nodded. "I never said anything to Mac because she was so in love with the idea of us going to college together. I loved her so much that I couldn't bear to disappoint her, so I managed to get into Hearst on a probationary plan," Weevil said.

"Don't you like it here? We've had such a great time," she said. Her time at Hearst had been great. The first semester had been a bit rocky until she'd managed to nab the two losers who were raping girls on campus when they'd tried to assault Mac's roommate Parker. After that, things had fell into place. College life had been nearly perfect. She couldn't believe Weevil was going to bail on them.

Logan wasn't surprised by Veronica's reaction. She didn't handle change that well. He tried to stay out of it as he watched Weevil try to make her understand.

Weevil gave her a fond look. He moved to sit on her other side on the couch. "V, I'm not like you and your friends. I never have been," he reminded her.

"We like you the way you are," she said loyally.

He chuckled. "I know that you do, and I appreciate it," he said. "But this isn't about you. It's not really even about Mac. I mean not completely. I love Mac more than anything. But I'm just one of many things that she loves. I'm not Logan. I can't just wait around for her to give me her time."

"Hey! I'm not just waiting around for Veronica!" Logan protested. When Weevil arched an eyebrow at him, he sighed in resignation. "Fine. Maybe a little. But she's worth it!" He put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

"I'd wait forever for Mac, too, if I thought it'd make a difference," Weevil said. "But how can I be with her if I don't like who I am?"

"What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with who you are!" Veronica insisted.

"I'm not this guy, Veronica. I'm not cut out for a 9 to 5 job at some boring, nondescript place. I need something more," Weevil said, showing more passion than Veronica had ever seen from him.

"And you really think the Marines is the something more?" Veronica asked, trying to understand.

Weevil nodded. "I really do. I'd like your support in this, V," Weevil said.

"But what about Mac?" Veronica asked him.

Weevil looked away, his expression dark. "I don't know. I love her. I know she loves me. I guess we'll find a way to work it out," he said. He looked back at her. "I need this. This is the perfect fit for me."

End of Flashback

He'd been right. The Marines had fit Weevil like nothing in his life ever had. Veronica and Logan both knew that the day they saw him at his graduation from basic training. He looked happier and more content than ever. Mac had come, trying to support him. They'd spent the two weeks before he'd shipped out for basic training talking through things. Mac hadn't wanted him to leave, but he'd finally gotten her to understand. They'd try hard to make the long distant thing work, but it had left them both more and more unsatisfied. Veronica couldn't help but wonder if she'd stayed with Mac at Hearst if things would've been different.

The week after Weevil had left for basic training, Veronica had left for her summer internship with the FBI. The summer away from Neptune had forced her to focus on the future and what she wanted to happen. Even though her freshmen year had been great, Hearst no longer seemed the best place for her. If she wanted to attract more attention and get the career she dreamed of, she knew her first school choice was still her best option. Being away from Logan and her friends for the summer had allowed her to make the tough decision to transfer to Stanford. Getting her friends and Logan to forgive her for the decision had taken longer. She'd been so upset when Weevil had made the decision to leave that her abandonment had seemed a bit abrupt. Maybe it had been, but she had known it was what her future career would need. Her father's relief at her decision and plan to follow her had made the transition easier.

Logan had survived a full semester without Weevil and Veronica in Neptune. She'd went to an summer FBI internship after Weevil had left for basic while he'd spent the summer surfing and traveling with Dick and Cassidy. A few weeks into her internship, she'd broken the news to Logan that she was thinking of transferring to Stanford. Although he'd been predictably upset, he'd made plans. He hadn't told her that he'd applied as soon as she'd told him her plans. Before she'd left for Stanford, he'd gotten the letter that he'd been wait-listed. He hadn't shared it with her. Instead, he'd just waited. By her second semester, Stanford had a spot opened for him. He'd transferred in the middle of his sophomore year, packing up his house and leaving Neptune without a single regret.

Now they were back in Neptune. Another tragedy had brought them back home.

Logan arrived at Lettie's home. He turned off the car and faced Veronica, his eyes sad. His pain added to her own. This was not going to be one of those happy reunions they'd had so many times in the past six years. Instead, they'd be saying goodbye to someone they both loved.

******Mac******

Mac stepped out of the shower at the Neptune Grand. Wrapping a towel around her, she stepped out of the bathroom. The bedroom was empty. She sat down a moment on the bed, trying to decide on what to wear. Her eyes filled with tears once again. She wiped them away. The bed dipped as her husband sat on the bed next to her and put his arms around her.

"Are you okay, babe?" he asked.

"How can I be? I'm still trying to understand what happened," she said.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people. You know that," he said with more compassion in his voice than most thought he was capable of.

She leaned against him, remembering another bad day. The day Weevil had told her he had enlisted in the Marines.

Flashback

Mac was in her dorm room trying to finish up a project for her computer science class. Parker had let Weevil in and said goodbye. Mac had given her an absent-minded goodbye. Weevil had come over to kiss her hello. He'd been less than pleased with her disinterested response.

"What are we doing, Mac?" he asked, wariness in his voice.

She looked up, distracted. "I'm almost done with this project. Give me ten minutes," she said.

"I did that last night, and it turned into two hours. Then you were too tired to even have a conversation with me," he said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," she said. She tore her gaze away from the computer to give him an apologetic smile.

"Me, too," he said sadly.

Something in his eyes finally reached her. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked in concern.

"I can't do this anymore," he told her.

"Do what?" she asked in confusion.

"This. Waiting for you to give me your attention. It's not enough anymore," he said quietly. He looked sad and defeated when he'd said it.

He finally had her attention. "Weevil, I'm sorry. You know how I get around testing time. I don't mean to neglect you," she said earnestly.

"I know," he said with resignation. "And I don't mean to be demanding, but I need more from you. I love you too damn much to be content with your crumbs."

Mac had gotten angry at that, and they'd had the first heated argument they'd had in a long time. It went on for an hour. Finally, Weevil walked out after declaring to her that he was done.

A week later, he'd informed her that he'd enlisted in the Marines. That had started their second major fight.

End of Flashback

Mac never could come to terms with Weevil in the Marines. She'd tried. She really had. They'd made up, and she'd plastered a smile on her face when he'd went off to basic, trying to be the supported girlfriend he needed. When she'd went to his graduation ceremony, she'd seen how happy he was, how fulfilled, so she'd tried her best to support him. They'd tried the long distance thing for six months before they'd called it quits. It wasn't working. Things between them were never the same once he'd left Neptune. It'd been too hard to admit until they both realized how unhappy they were. Love hadn't really been enough. Different dreams and ambitions had gotten in the way. Life had happened in spite of their good intentions.

At first, they hadn't told their friends. When he came to visit, they hadn't wanted to upset their friends and spoil their time together. The caring and bond between them was still real, so they hadn't felt too guilty for deceiving their friends. Then he'd met someone. Hearing he'd fallen in love with a woman in San Antonio, where he'd been stationed, had hurt. But not as much as she thought it would.

Her name was Kali. She was a nurse. They had met when he'd torn a muscle playing basketball with some of his Marine friends. So Mac broke the news of their break up to their friends while Weevil began dating this girl. In six months, they were married. Six months later, the twins were born. It had been hard at first to see Weevil so happy with another woman. However, Kali was too easy to like. And Mac soon became busy falling in love herself.

"We'll get through this," her husband said.

"How do we say goodbye, Dick?" she wondered.

"Goodbyes are never easy," Dick said solemnly. He and Cassidy had been forced to say goodbye to their own father three years earlier. After killing his son's abuser, he'd fled the country for several years. Four years later, the police had finally caught up to him when he'd come home to see his sons. Dick was graduating from college, and his father had insisted that was one milestone he wasn't going to miss. The three of them had had one perfect day together before the cops had surrounded him going back to his hotel. Foolishly, Dick Sr. had been armed. A cop had shot him. He had wanted to see Dick receive his degree, and it led to his death. Dick had felt really guilty for that, but Mac had help get him through it.

After she and Weevil had broken up and Veronica had left, she'd spent more time with Wallace and Dick. When Wallace had gotten a new girlfriend, that had left Dick and Mac spending more and more time together. Parker and her boyfriend Piz had tricked them into a double date eight months after Mac and Weevil broke up. The scenario had been repeated four other times before either would admit they were more than friends.

Dick had gotten so used to ignoring the feelings he'd always had for Mac that it had taken Wallace point blank asking him what was going on with them before he'd realized things had truly changed. Mac was no longer off limits. Neither Veronica nor Logan were there to disapprove. Weevil was completely out of the picture. He wouldn't be stealing her from anyone. The timing was finally right. For the first time, she was actually looking at him. When he'd realized this, he'd not pulled any punches. He'd taken her on every date he'd already planned out in his head the past two and a half years. By the time his father had been killed, he was head over heels in love with her. It had been her love and support that had gotten him through it. The night he'd buried his father was the night he'd told her he'd loved her for the first time. It'd taken her a few months to say the words back to him, but eventually she had. They'd been together ever since.

A few months after they'd graduated from college, they began living together. Last year, they had finally gotten married in Vegas. Everyone but Logan and Cassidy had been surprised they'd eloped. Of course, Logan and Veronica had flown in to stand with them. Cassidy had been his best man, but Logan had been there to celebrate. It had been a happy day, a great day.

Dick had finally figured out how to be a good brother to Cassidy, who had managed to overcome his own demons. Now he wanted to be the best husband he could be. He'd spent the year doing exactly that. Now, however, he didn't know what to do. His wife was in pain. Everyone was. Words didn't help much at times like this.

"Do you want to go surfing? There's time," he said. Surfing was always Dick's first option when dealing with emotional pain. Mac had learned to appreciate it somewhat, but she would never love it the way he did. Dick didn't quite get that what she loved about surfing was the way it made him come alive. She lived to see that particular carefree joy on his face that mostly only appeared when he was on the water.

Mac turned to him, flashing him a dimpled smile that didn't quite hide the pain in her eyes. "Well, I don't think I have the energy for that, but a walk on the beach would be lovely," she said, reaching up to kiss him for his sweetness.

"Good. Get dressed. Then we'll take a walk before having breakfast," Dick suggested. He was relieved to have something to do. At times likes this, he was at a complete loss. Mac always helped navigate the tough things in life, but this was the first time he'd had to be the one to help her. He was determined to not let her down.

Mac gave him a fond look before standing up and going to the closet. She would get through this day.

Somehow.

******Logan******

Logan was trying hard to hold it together. Veronica needed him to be strong. Glancing at her filled him with the familiar warmth. He reached out to put his hand on her stomach. Grinning, he felt his son kick him.

"I still can't believe you're knocked up!" he said with glee.

"I still can't believe you knocked me up!" she said accusingly. "This wasn't in the five year plan."

"Plans are meant to be broken," he said unrepentantly.

"That's rules. Rules are meant to be broken," she corrected automatically.

"Glad to hear you finally say so," he said with satisfaction as she fell for his trap.

She gave him a look of outrage. "Help me out of the car!" she ordered.

He chuckled and opened his car door and went around to the passenger side. He'd convince her to marry him after they'd graduated from college. He'd been frantic to tie her to him. Her reassurance hadn't been enough to keep his fear of losing her at bay. Before they'd moved to D.C. for her F.B.I. training, they'd gotten married in San Jose. It'd been a simple but lovely ceremony with all their friends there. Trina had even shown up without any paparazzi. Weevil had been his best man. Duncan and Dick his groomsmen. Wallace had been Veronica's Man of Honor while Meg and Mac had been her bridesmaids. Veronica had agreed to marriage as long as they waited five years to start a family.

She had been nearly five months pregnant before she'd even admit it out loud to anyone. Logan still didn't know if she was really that stubborn or if she wasn't ready to face the thought of motherhood. The sneaky wench had even went to her early doctor's appointments without him. Logan kept trying to get her to admit she was pregnant, and she'd just look at him and deny it. Instead of getting angry at her obvious lies, he'd been thrilled. His impending fatherhood had eclipsed everything else. He had allowed her to come to grips with her pregnancy on her own time table. He had laughed and laughed the night she'd finally told him when their son was going to be born. Only recently had she finally forgiven him for both the unplanned pregnancy and his laughter at the news. He refrained from pointing out that it'd hadn't been fair to keep him way from her first ultrasound. Pregnancy made her more emotional than normal, so he decided to save that particular fight for another day. Now it seemed so unimportant.

"So we're off by two years. It's not a big deal. You can handle it. You've already gotten the transfer approved to be back in San Francisco. Your dad is over the moon," Logan said as he helped her out.

Keith had gotten remarried a year after Veronica moved to D.C. A year later, he and his wife Kathy had surprised Veronica with news that she was going to have a little sister. Veronica had been thrilled.

"It's going to be great to be so close to Michelle," Veronica agreed. She still couldn't believe after all these years she finally had the baby sister she'd always wanted. One that would only be two years older than her own child. Life was funny.

Sometimes, though, it broke your heart.

They stood outside Lettie's house. Veronica leaned against Logan, both seeking support. He took a deep breath and reached for her hand. Kali greeted them with a wan smile. Veronica hugged her and started crying. Pregnancy had made her prone to tears.

Logan immediately reached down to pick up his namesake: Logan Jose Navarro. It had touched him to no end when Weevil had named his son after him. His twin sister had been named after Lettie. They were so adorable. They'd both inherited Kali's wild curls, but Weevil's coloring. They were four and were the light of their parents' life.

"Hola, Uncle Logan!" little Logan said, excited to see him.

"Hola, Logan," Logan said, giving him a kiss. "Where's your sister?"

"She's with Tio Jordan," Logan 2.0 said.

"Are you feeling okay?" Kali asked Veronica. "Traveling this far along in your pregnancy isn't a good idea."

"It was necessary," Veronica said with a shrug. "I'm okay. Little Eli here keeps kicking me, though. We had to stop for the bathroom every hour."

"Eli? You're really naming him after Eli?" Kali asked, a real smile on her face.

"Didn't he tell you? Logan told him he'd name a kid of his after him after Logan and Lettie was born," Veronica said.

"I'm not sure he knew Logan was serious. You know they joke so much," Kali said, giving Logan a fond smile.

Veronica gave her a bittersweet smile. So many memories.

"You should rest for a bit," Logan told his wife.

"I'll take you to Grandma Lettie's room. It's empty right now," Kali said.

"I want to see your daughter first," Veronica insisted.

"She'll be back in a bit. Jordan took her with him to give me some peace. She and Logan won't stop fighting today. It's all I can do to hold it together," Kali admitted.

Veronica squeezed her hand. "We'll get through this," she said even though she wasn't sure how. Looking at Eli's son made her happy and sad at the same time. She put her hand on her stomach, picturing her own baby that would be here soon. It was the only thing that kept her from breaking down.

******The Next Day*****

Logan and Veronica walked to the spot in the cemetery with Keith and Kathy. Keith had driven up early that morning for the funeral. Mac and Dick were already there. She greeted their other friends, Duncan and Meg. Wallace hadn't been able to come. His wife was sick, and he lived in Phoenix. They had one daughter that was a year old. Veronica didn't enjoy seeing her friends so sad, so she wasn't upset that Wallace couldn't make it. Sharing sorrow could be comforting. Other times, it just made the burden greater.

She put her arm around Mac, who leaned against her. "How can he be gone?" Mac whispered.

Veronica looked over at the giant framed photo of Weevil sitting next to his casket. He had died in Afghanistan saving the life of some Afghani children. They had been about to enter a restricted building when Weevil had pulled them back. One of them had insisted their dog was inside. Weevil made them stay across the street and went into rescue the dog. A bomb had been planted in the building. It went off. It had been his second tour since he'd joined. He had three months left before he was done with his time there. However, fate had intervened. There hadn't even been enough pieces of him to really bury. Only his dog tags had been found in the rumble.

"He was a hero," she said to Mac, her voice breaking.

The priest began the service after Kali and Grandma Lettie took a seat in front of the casket. The twins weren't there. Kali knew it'd be too much for her and had left them with a family friend.

"Sergeant Eli Navarro served this country with honor and distinction, making his family and friends proud as he gave the ultimate sacrifice. According to John 15:13, 'There's no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend.' Eli gave his life for children in another land. I know his family is proud of his actions even as they mourn his passing," the priest said.

Mac couldn't hear anymore of the priest's words as he went on to pay homage to the first man who'd ever loved her. She remembered their first kiss, their first date, their first time. Everything between them had always been so sweet, so wonderful. Her mind filled with so many images. Weevil's slow wide smile in every one of them. He'd made high school magical for her. He'd taken a girl that no one saw and nurtured her. He had loved her so fiercely, so completely. He'd been a passionate man. When she'd been unable to return his level of passion, things between them had begun to crumble.

Mac looked over at Dick, who held onto her hand. He was her lifeline. She loved Dick more than she'd ever loved anyone. He had wormed his way into her heart in spite of her best intentions to resist his boyish charm. However, just as Weevil had once first seen her, so had she seen Dick. The real Dick that he'd rarely showed anyone. If Weevil hadn't loved her so freely, she didn't know if she would've been able to trust Dick Casablancas with her heart. Weevil had shown her how great true love could be. It had hurt her deeply when things hadn't worked out with Weevil; she thought they'd be together forever.

She looked over at Weevil's wife Kali, who was standing between Jordan and Tony. Fate had had other plans, however. Kali had made Weevil incredibly happy. She had fit him in a way that Mac never could. Mac didn't know if it was because she spoke Spanish or if it was just one of those things. Yet she had never resented the woman who had so quickly replaced Mac in Weevil's life. They'd remained good friends even after their break up. It had been Mac Weevil had first told about Kali. It had been Mac he had told when Kali had accepted his proposal. She had been the second person Weevil had told when Kali had gotten pregnant. Logan had been told first. The pregnancy had rushed the wedding date. But they'd been so sure, so excited about the baby. Finding out they were having twins had not scared them. It had only made them happier. That made this day even harder. His son and daughter would never really know him. They were too young. She watched Logan put his hand around Kali's shoulder. Her eyes filled with tears.

Logan couldn't believe this was happening. They were burying his once hated enemy who had become his friend, then his brother. He glared at the empty casket. Bury wasn't exactly accurate. There hadn't even been enough left of him to bury. Logan felt like a part of him had died. Weevil had too much to live for. His life ended too soon. Logan clenched his fist in anger. He glared at the priest. What did this man know about Weevil? How could God take another person from him?

When the marines presented Kali with the flag, Logan's anger left him. Weevil had loved being a soldier. From the moment he signed up, he'd never looked back. He'd never regretted a single thing. He hated being called away from his wife, especially after she had the twins. However, he was never resentful and just told Logan it was the best way to move up the ranks and get paid more. When Logan had offered to pay him to not re-enlist, Weevil had laughed.

"Keep your money. V's going to get pregnant one day. You'll need the extra money to feed her," he'd joked.

Weevil had been stoked to find out that Logan and Veronica were expecting. "Finally, you can suffer like the rest of us!" he'd teased.

"Like you've been suffering!" Logan had snickered. Married life and having a family had suited Weevil as much as the Marines had.

He had Skyped with Weevil the week before he'd been killed in action. Weevil was happy they were moving back to the West Coast. Veronica's transfer had been approved. Weevil was trying to convince him to spend the last month of the year in his house in Neptune. Logan had never sold it, but used it on the rare occasions he was in Neptune. Weevil had planned on being home then, his tour over. He wanted plenty of time to spend with Logan and Veronica's first baby. Knowing that Weevil would never know his namesake made this day hurt even more.

Before Logan realized it, the service was over. Kali and Lettie stood up. Logan faced Lettie, the woman who had shown him such compassion. She had taught him what it meant to be a family. Now the grandson she'd been so proud of was gone.

"I'm so sorry, Grandma Lettie," Logan said, kissing her cheek.

She put her hand on face. "Don't be too heartbroken, my boy. My Eli lives on in his son and daughter. He lives on his our hearts," Lettie said sagely.

"He was too young. This shouldn't have happened," Logan said bitterly.

"None of that!" Lettie scolded. "My boy loved you as much as he ever loved Jordan or Tony. You were his best friend, the brother of his heart. He's up in heaven watching us now. He'll be watching us take care of Kali and his kids. We'll see him again."

Logan wish he had a fraction of her faith, but he hugged her tightly.

Suddenly, Veronica cried out. Logan turned in concern. "What's wrong?" he asked, moving to her side. Keith was on her other side.

"I-I think my water just broke," she said on a gasp.

"It's a good thing we're outside!" Dick said as he peered down at the grass at her feet.

Logan looked dismayed. "Are you sure? It's not time for the baby to be born. You got two weeks," Logan said.

Veronica doubled over as a wave of pain hit her. "Well, I guess your son takes after you. He doesn't listen!" she complained.

"That would be taking after you!" Logan said with a grin. He looked at Keith who chuckled and nodded.

Everyone rushed to their cars, happy to have something else to focus on. Lettie followed Kali at a much slower pace. She looked back at the photo of her beloved grandson. He had made her so proud. She was going to miss him fiercely. Then she looked up at the sky with a smile.

"Ah, mi nieto, your namesake is anxious to meet his family!" she exclaimed. Chuckling, she followed her family to the hospital.

Three hours later, Eli Wallace Echolls was born.

*****Three Months Later*****

Logan had his son on a blanket in front of the Christmas tree, a fire was in the fireplace. It wasn't needed, but Logan was paranoid that his son would take a chill so low on the ground. Veronica thought he was ridiculous, but she'd held Eli while he got the fire going.

"He's going to roll over any day now! I can feel it!" Logan boasted as he watched his son wiggle on the floor, trying to move.

"Maybe," Veronica said as she organized the decorations. "I can't wait until next Christmas when he's actually old enough to open gifts!"

Logan glanced at the tree and smirked. "Guess you and I are going to be doing a lot of opening this year!" The tree wasn't even decorated yet, and Veronica had already put out a dozen wrapped gifts. "I didn't think you'd be the one in this relationship to get carried away with the shopping. Christmas is still a few weeks away!"

Veronica blushed. "I know. I'm not sure what came over me. I guess there's something to be said for retail therapy. Kali and I went shopping. We were both crying and talking about Weevil. Then suddenly we started focusing on all the Black Friday sales. It made the grief a little less intense," she shared.

Logan sat up. He picked up his son and moved him until he was sitting up in the vee of his legs. "I get that," he said quietly. His own grief was too strong for him to talk much about Weevil. It was hard to believe he was gone.

The doorbell rang. Veronica got up to answer it. It was Kali. She had a radiant smile on her face.

"Kali! Come in. We're decorating the tree. Well, I am. Logan's playing with the baby," she said.

"Veronica, I have some amazing news!" Kali said. She saw Logan on the floor with the baby. "I didn't think a phone call would work." She stepped inside.

"What's going on?" Veronica asked.

"I still can't believe it. I had Jordan drive me here because I wasn't sure I could manage without wrecking," she said. She sat down on the sofa. "I got a call from Eli's CO. He's alive!"

"What?" Veronica asked in disbelief.

"Eli is alive! He's coming home to us!" Kali said.

Logan and Veronica exchanged looks of dismay. "How is that possible?" Logan asked, afraid to believe.

"He was pulled out by some Taliban from the building right before it exploded. They've kept him prisoner. He managed to escape two days ago," she said, tears running down her cheeks.

"What about his dog tags? They were found," Veronica said skeptical.

"They must have fell off when they captured him. I'm sure he put up a fight," Kali said.

"Is he okay?" Veronica asked. Logan was having trouble processing it.

"He was okay enough to escape. I haven't talk to him yet. They said he'd call me as soon as he could. I have been taking my cell with me to the bathroom the past few hours waiting on his call. I finally decided to come over here to share the good news," she said with barely repressed excitement.

Veronica went over to her and embraced her. Both the women cried tears of joy.

Trying to process the news, Logan got up and put his son into his crib. When he returned to the room, Kali was on the phone, her face beaming.

"It's Weevil! He really is alive!" Veronica said excitedly. She got up and hugged Logan. Logan felt like he was in a waking dream.

"When are you coming home?" Kali asked. "I won't believe this isn't a dream until I can touch you."

"I'm at Logan and Veronica's," she said after a moment. She turned and held out the phone. "He wants to talk to you, Logan."

Logan was almost afraid to reach for the phone. "Hello?" he said.

"It's me, brother," Weevil said, his voice harsh and full of emotion.

Logan felt his throat lock up, full of unshed tears. "It's really you?" Logan gasped.

"You didn't think you were going to get rid of me so easily, did you?" Weevil asked with a chuckle.

"You bastard!" Logan chocked out. "You can't do that to us!"

"Believe me, I didn't plan on it!" Weevil said.

"When will you be home?" Logan asked.

"In a week or so. There's a lot of debriefing I have to sit through," he said.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked quietly, turning his back to the women.

"I am. The guys that held me weren't very experienced at torture or even capture. They got lucky. The blast knocked me out, so they managed to take me out of the area before I could put up a fight," Weevil explained. "My guys are never going to let me live it down."

Logan would never understand Marines, but he was glad Weevil was okay. "Come home so you can tell me all about it. I will," Weevil promised. "Soon."

"I miss your ugly face," Logan said.

"I know that you do," Weevil said with a snicker. "How's the baby?"

"Little Eli is fine. He can't wait to meet his uncle Weevil, though," Logan told him. He reached over and pulled Veronica against him.

There was silence a moment. Then Weevil cleared his throat. "You really named your son after me?" he asked.

"You and Wallace. I told you we were going to. We named him Eli Wallace Echolls," Logan said.

For the first time, Weevil said the words he'd never been able to voice, "I love you, Logan. You're the best friend I've ever had. Sometimes I want to go back and thank Thumper for setting fire to your house that day. I'm not sure if we would've became the friends we are if I hadn't been there to pull you from the fire. Almost dying has made me realize how important the people in my life really are to me. The three months I've been gone all I could think about was getting back to Kali and the twins. And I kept thinking how I didn't want to be another person you lost."

At his words, Logan finally lost the battle with his emotions. The tears began to roll down his cheek unchecked. He looked over at Veronica, seeking her strength. She reached out and took the phone from him, anxious to hear Weevil's voice. "Weevil?" she asked.

Logan stepped away trying to compose himself. Kali went to him and gave him a hug. "He's coming back to us, Logan. He's coming back to us," she cried.

Nine days later, he really did. Weevil got off the plane, impatient with all the people slowing down his descent to the check point where he knew his family was waiting. When he walked through the final gate, he saw them all standing there. It seemed like an ocean of people. All his cousins and uncles and aunts. Jordan and Tony were on each side of Lettie, whose tears were flowing unchecked. His eyes spotted his friends. Mac stood, clinging to Dick's side, her eyes bright with happy tears. Duncan and Meg stood with Lilly. Wallace was there with his wife. Veronica held her son while Logan held her. Standing next to Logan were his reasons for living. His beautiful wife stood there, a twin on either side. He stood there a moment, frozen, drinking them in.

When they spotted him, they moved in, surrounding him. His wife fell against his chest crying. The twins each grabbed a leg and held on. Logan's hand was on his shoulder. Their eyes connected, words not necessary between them. Weevil grinned at him. When he made it to his grandmother, however, his emotions overflowed. She put her hand to his cheek and gazed lovingly at him. He leaned against her ample bosom and cried. She was home to him. She always had been. Finally, he was home.

******The End*****

I'm not sure what possessed me to write such an epilogue. I almost killed Weevil off. I really did. Then I debated on changing the death to someone else. When years pass, people die. However, I did love the bromance I created in this story between Logan and Weevil. I think it's the one truly unique thing I've written in these two stories. Killing him off would've been a betrayal that, I decided. I hope your tears were cathartic, and you forgive me for putting you through this torture. For those who loved Weevil and Mac together, I'm sorry if you feel let down. Although I really loved them myself, I just wasn't sure they'd make it through college. In this story, I saw a different future for Weevil. Thanks for going with me on this journey. It's been great! When I think of the fact that I started the first story "Ricochet" on a whim as a break from on other VM stories, I laugh. You all have loved this story probably more than me at times. I hope you enjoyed my epilogue. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope the New Year brings us all great fortune and happiness!

I am about to start writing my final sequel to my Veronica Mars post season 3 series, so if you're following me, you should get an alert when I start to post it. I hope by the new year. I'm on Twitter lateVMlover if you want to follow me.