I had a couple of FANTASTIC reviews for chapter 27, but the quantity was WAY down. I'm not posting chapter 29 until I get ten reviews for this chapter. That is less than five percent of subscribing readers. I didn't want to have to do that, I didn't want to be one of those authors who beg for reviews or hold out because they didn't get enough, but I really lost my motivation and getting this chapter done and ready to post was a chore, this is the first time I wasn't anxious to get it up so I could hear what everyone thought, if no one tells me what they think what is the point. For my regular reviewers I'm sorry, I hate to do this to you, but even some of you have even been missing lately… (Marte and isdonisgood and snafumama where are you???) If you guys don't tell me what you think, it leads me to believe you don't like it, so why should I keep writing…
So PLEASE review!
Lots of fluff in this chapter, but some subtle clues too!
Also I posted the poll… for shipper names... please pick soon, i will leave it up for while...
If you subscribe be aware that I am going to start reposting the earlier chapters, the typos are driving me crazy, and I am going to name the chapters… it will take some time away from me writing, but until I hear that you all want me to continue… Anyway, if you subscribe you will probably get an email for each chapter I repost… I will not be changing anything in the old chapters just fixing some mistakes but nothing that will change plot…
Chapter 28
Mac gave up on trying to pay attention to the complicated plot of the movie. She had talked to Dick upstairs but he hadn't said anything about the pictures. She spent more time staring at her idle phone waiting for him to find them then she did looking at the large TV.
Despite Logan's comment about her getting action when they weren't she couldn't help but be jealous. Paige was in Charlie's arms, both of them spending as much time looking at each other as Mac was looking at her phone. Veronica and Logan were so close it would take a major explosion to separate them, and even though Logan was intently watching the movie he was very in tune to Veronica's every move.
Mac thought about abandoning the slumber party and going back upstairs where she could wallow in her misery or even just call Dick and tell him to go check his e-mail. The idea popped into her head that maybe he had received the pictures but hadn't been that impressed, but she pushed it away again. She sat in her chair through the entire movie and was crawling into her own air mattress thankful that the night was ending and she could just go to sleep.
"It's only one o'clock, are you guys ready for bed , or do you want to watch something else?" Charlie was extremely comfortable sitting on the couch with Paige curled up in his lap, and didn't want to give up their closeness to get into the separate twin beds he had made for them.
"I'm happy to watch something else but we're not getting up to change DVD's." Logan said for him and Veronica who were curled up pretty tight themselves.
Mac rolled her eyes and pulled her covers up. "Don't look at me, I'm good with going to sleep."
Paige looked up at Charlie, she didn't want to move either. "It's a five disc changer, there's bound to be something else in there. Let's see what we have."
Charlie patiently waited while each disc loaded, "Besides what we just watched we have Emma from last night, Mission Impossible one and two, and The Little Mermaid."
"Okay, those have to be like the worst choices ever." Logan snuggles in closer to Veronica.
"I don't know, Mission Impossible was good, if you can get past Tom Cruise." Veronica likes the idea, she can compare the movie to the real thing she saw yesterday at the compound.
"I vote for sleep." Mac buries her head in her pillow.
"I agree Tom Cruise has gone off the deep end, the whole Katie Holmes thing? But I absolutely love the character he plays."
"Admit it Paige, you have a thing for Tom Cruise."
"I don't, okay so there are some things I like about him. I do seem to have a weakness for green eyes, but his aren't as bright as some that I like better. And he does have dark hair, it's actually exactly the color I love so much. And maybe it would be okay if some guy went nutso and jumped on a couch and declared his love for me. But it isn't really Tom Cruise I have a thing for. It's the guy he plays, Ethan Hunt is hot. Come on, a secret agent, out saving lives when nobody even knows, how much sexier does it get?" Paige said all this looking into Charlie's bright green eyes, and running her fingers through his short dark brown hair.
Charlie debated the consequences of hopping onto the couch right then to make his own such declaration but the look in Paige's own eyes told him he should save it for later. "Mission Impossible it is."
*********************************
"It's getting late Keith, I should probably be getting back." Kate had somehow found her way back onto Keith's lap.
"Probably, you have to get up early tomorrow. What time do I need to pick you up?"
Kate thought about this for a minute, she had Lefty staying with Don tomorrow while she was gone and it would be easier to keep his and Don's precious secret if she didn't have to explain anything to Keith. "We need to leave by eight, but I'll come here. That way we can end the day here, with only back-up as an audience."
"We have to tell them sometime Kate."
"I know, we will. I'll have to tell Paige when I explain why I needed Payton to come over. I think once I let her know you are worried about how Veronica will react she will be okay with waiting to say anything to her. It will be easier for her to keep it quiet if she isn't actually with Veronica."
"Are you worried about how Paige will take the news?"
"The news about us, or the news that Payton is psycho and on the road to becoming her own personal stalker?"
"Both?"
"I'm not sure how she will react to either. She's never really had to share me before. I've really only dated a few times and it was always when she was at camp or I was away on vacation."
"I don't understand that at all. You are such an incredible person, so beautiful, so sweet, and you cook. What is wrong with all the men in San Francisco? I'm surprised you don't have to beat them off with a stick. They must all be gay."
"They are not all gay, some of them, but not all of them. I've been asked out on occasion, and to be honest there have been a few marriage proposals. Veronica's friend Logan proposed after he tried my brownies the other day, but those are never really serious."
"How come I haven't tried your brownies yet?"
Because when you proposed I would say yes and then be crushed when it wasn't sincere, "Logan ate them all. I'll make more soon."
"These other guys, the ones that ask you out, are you seeing any of them?"
"No, of course not, the only one I'm seeing is you. Most of the guys who have asked me out are either cops from Derek's SWAT team, or divorced dads of Don and Paige's friends."
"I'm a cop and an almost divorced dad, and I believe my daughter could be considered one of Paige's friends."
"Yes but its different. The kids aren't kids anymore, so it won't be so awkward. I never had anything against cops, just cops in Derek's squad. Honestly I just never met the right guy before. I told you my whole life, or at least the last twenty years has been all about Paige…"
"I'm glad you didn't accept any of those marriage proposals."
"Me too."
****************************
The movie was half over and Mac was half asleep when her phone started buzzing.
From: My Boyfriend (Better, but I really need to think of something good.)
Oh!
Sun June 25 2:17AM
From: My Boyfriend
My!
Sun June 25 2:17AM
From: My Boyfriend
Effing!
Can I say the real thing
or will the FCC come after me?
Sun June 25 2:17AM
From: My Boyfriend
GOD!!!!!
Sun June 25 2:17AM
To: My Boyfriend
So I take it you finally
checked your email
Sun June 2:18AM
From: My Boyfriend
u r so beautiful
Sun June 25 2:18AM
From: My Boyfriend
If u were here right now
I would show u how
beautiful u r
Sun June 25 2:18AM
To: My Boyfriend
How would u show me?
Sun June 25 2:18AM
From: My Boyfriend
R u alone?
Sun June 25 2:19AM
To: My Boyfriend
No, in family room
watching Mission Impossible
with group
Sun June 25 2:19 AM
From: My Boyfriend
Any way u could get alone?
Sun June 25 2:20AM
To: My Boyfriend
Sorry, stuck here!
Sun June 25 2:20AM
From: My Boyfriend
u r killing me! I need to
c u soon.
Sun June 25 2:21AM
To: My Boyfriend
What would u do to me
if I was there right now?
Sun June 25 2:22AM
From: My Boyfriend
Id start by taking everything
but your white bra and panties
off
Sun June 25 2:22AM
From: My Boyfriend
and then id have u stand in
front of a mirror then id make u
Sun June 25 2:23AM
From: My Boyfriend
watch as I touched and kissed
and sucked all ur beautiful places.
Sun June 25 2:23AM
To: My Boyfriend
I will find a way for us to
see each other this week!
tell me more…
Sun June 25 2:24AM
*******************************
Lying in the twin bed, even though it was pushed up close to Paige's, Charlie felt like she was miles away. She was curled up in her little ball, and even though her hand was sticking out, and being held by his, he still felt cheated. Why the hell did he volunteer to let Logan and Veronica have the one big bed? The movies were over, the room was quiet although sometimes soft whispers drifted across the room from Veronica and Logan, and Mac's phone was still flashing the room with light each time she received a new text, at least she had turned the vibrate function off.
"Charlie, you're staring at me aren't you?"
Charlie smiled in the dark room, Paige's whisper was so soft the only way he could have heard it was if he was only inches from her, and knowing that, made her feel not so far away. "Guilty, sort of, I can't really see you, just bits when Mac's phone lights up, but I am listening to you breathing, I could stay awake all night and-"
"And sing me Aerosmith songs?"
"I thought it appropriate. How come you're not sleeping? You have a long drive in the morning, you need to sleep."
"I'm trying, it's just not as easy as it used to be."
"It was easy last night. You said that the only time you slept, was when I was holding you, you could come over here, and we could try that again. I could help keep your demons at bay one more night so you could get some sleep."
"I don't have any more demons. Besides, I didn't stay so I could get sleep, I stayed because you asked me to."
"You could come over here with me for that same reason, or you could come over here just because you want to."
"Charlie…"
"No pressure, I'm not pushing, if you want, I would love to hold you, that's all, nothing else. I want it to be your choice. If you want to stay over there that is okay too."
Paige pushed her covers aside and crawled over to Charlie's bed. "Are you sure this thing can even hold both of us?"
"I think it's worth finding out." Charlie scooted over and Paige slid under the covers with him, stretching out alongside him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, her head on the pillow next to his, their noses almost touching they were so close. "We probably shouldn't move around a lot, I don't think it's going to pop or anything, but we might roll right off."
"I think that might be a trick so you can keep me close, it doesn't feel unstable to me. But you are older and wiser so I will bow to your knowledge and experience."
"You're not going to argue?"
"Nope."
"You're really just going to accept my assessment of the situation?"
"Yep."
"Really?"
"If you say it's safer to stay still, then still I will stay."
"So you are staying still because I said, or is it because you happen to like it right where you are?"
"Hmmmm, maybe some secrets are a good idea. You smell really good, you used my toothpaste."
"No, I used my toothpaste. You must use the same one."
"So do you think if I leaned up a bit, and kissed you, on the cheek of course, we would be okay, or do you think we would fall off?"
"I think it's worth the risk."
Paige reached out to find his cheek in the dark and then leaned in for a lingering and soft kiss.
Charlie used this as an opportunity to roll her over, so now instead of on her side facing him, she is more on her stomach and mostly on top of him.
"There now with all our weight in the middle, we should be much safer."
"If you weren't such a nice guy, we could have had the big bed and we wouldn't have this problem."
"I think this is a fantastic problem to have. I think Logan got the raw end of the deal. Veronica could be miles away from him right now."
"I saw the necklace, somehow I doubt she is any further from him than I am from you."
"Then he is almost as lucky as me."
"Charlie what if I'm not enough for you?"
"What are you talking about? I love you. You are all I've ever wanted."
"What if love isn't enough? What if there is something wrong with me?"
"What the fuck did he do to you? Forget the Fitzpatrick's; I'll kill him myself… Paige, Payton was a bastard, his cheating had nothing to do with you, there was something wrong with him, not with you. Obviously the guy is a few donuts short of a dozen, why anyone could have you in their life and do anything to risk that… Paige I know you don't want to talk right now, but I hate what keeping it inside is doing to you. And I hate that my imagination is going crazy at all the possibilities."
"Charlie, I'll tell you everything. Soon, just not right now. We'll get together soon, somewhere private, where we can talk openly and without having to whisper, and you can ask anything you want, I will answer anything."
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything, no matter how personal, I don't want your imagination to cause you to have to visit the looney bin."
"I'm writing down my questions and I'm holding you to that."
"Good night Charlie."
"Good night Paige, I love you."
"I love you too."
*************************************
Cuddled in the dark Veronica and Logan lie in the large aerobed, barely taking up a third of it. Logan was on his back and Veronica was snuggled in close to him, her head in the crook of his arm, her hand on his stomach, dangerously close to the waistband of sweat pants.
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I love my necklace."
"I love that you love your necklace."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I love that you are here with me right now."
"I love that I'm here with you right now too."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I love when you hold me like this."
"I love holding you like this."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I can't wait until you come up for our date."
"I can't wait either, only twelve days."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"Do you think we will get to make out in the car?"
"The car might have to be parked in the garage, but I'm sure we will be able to work something out."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I love making out with you in the car."
"I love making out with you anywhere."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I love… I love when you touch me."
"I love touching you, and I love being touched by you."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"Why do you put up with me?"
"Because I consider you the most amazing person I've ever met and I consider myself to be the luckiest guy in the world because right now, it's me you're cuddling with, and it's my stomach that your hand is keeping warm."
***
"Logan?"
"Mmmm hmmm."
"I think you are pretty amazing too, and I think I'm the lucky one."
***********************************
Kate didn't want to have to wake Don, but she was running out of time. She had stayed with Keith until almost three o'clock in the morning again and then he had followed her home, giving her a few more kisses before she quietly let herself into the house. She was glad she had set up the air mattress in the office before she left, and just crawled right into it, only taking a few minutes to brush her teeth and put on some of her night cream.
She got up at six and made sure there was plenty for Don and Lefty to eat for the day and then had gotten ready, dressing in a colorful skirt and blouse for her book signing. She wished she could sneak out and just let Lefty take care of Don when he got there at eight, but she didn't think that was fair to make him clean Don's wounds or deal with the questions that she knew he would ask.
Walking quietly into his room she opened the blinds and got all the needed supplies ready.
"Don… baby, I know you're still sleepy but I have to leave. I need to change your bandages and stuff. I brought coffee." Kate sweeps the coffee past Don's nose hoping that will help wake him up. "I've never compared the two of you, but right now I really wish you were as easy to wake up as Paige. DON."
"Hmmmmm, just a few more minutes okay…"
"No, Don I don't have a few more minutes. I'm running late as it is, and I think parking may be a problem."
Don forced himself to wake up and pulled himself into a sitting position, taking the coffee from Kate. "Do you have any time? I need to tell you about last night."
"I talked to Sheriff Mars so I know some of what happened. We can talk about it later Don. Just… if you talk to Paige, can you not say anything to her? I would like to tell her myself." Kate sat down on the bed next to him and started the unpleasant task of cleaning his wounds.
"Sure, but I'm worried about today. Payton knows where you'll be. He was really insistent he talk to you."
"I know, Sheriff Mars told me, he arranged for some security today, so don't worry about it." Kate kept her eyes on what she was doing and avoiding looking directly at Don.
"Just be careful. I know how you like to drag it out and talk to every single kid there. I saw the ads for you all day yesterday, it's going to be a mad house. Give them a few hours and then get out. Payton won't try anything while there are still a ton of people around but if he gets the chance to talk to you after everyone has gone…"
"I told you I have security. These must be getting better, you barely winced. I brought you a muffin, you can have breakfast when Lefty gets here but I have to go. Stop worrying."
*****************************
"Good morning." Paige woke up lying on her side. The last thing she remembers is being on top of Charlie and being lulled to sleep by the sound of his beating heart. But now they are lying side by side. The covers had been cast aside, he's propping his head up on his hand, resting on his elbow and his other hand is on her hip, his fingers on her ass. One of his legs is between hers and he's poking her again. Paige isn't sure where one of her arms is but one of them is under his shirt and being held in place by his arm that stretches to her hip.
"Yes, it is a very good morning. I'm glad you got some sleep." Carefully Charlie pulls back a little, trying to give her a little more room, without his morning hard on digging into her.
"Hey where are you going? Get back here."
"I know how you feel about me poking you…"
"Are you uncomfortable?"
"No, I am very, very comfortable."
"So am I, so stop trying to move away from me. I'm glad I got some sleep too. You are breaking a rule."
"So are you. I don't believe you're hands are allowed to do any wandering under my shirt." Charlie scoots back closer, tightening his grip on her ass.
"Yes, but I thought it only fair. I woke up earlier and your hand was already on my booty."
"So the punishment for me touching your booty is you get to break a rule too? You might want to rethink that. There will be rebellion in no time."
Paige giggles softly and leans up, kissing him on the cheek.
"Booty is one of those words that make you giggle?"
Paige giggles again. "I can't really break a rule, I can just say I temporarily lifted it."
"I don't think touching your booty is really against the rules."
Paige continues her giggling. "How do you figure that?"
"Well, you said that other than those few minutes on the mat, every other time I touched you was welcome and you would love for all of those kinds of touches to continue. I had both my hands on your booty yesterday morning so I think you liked it."
"It took you long enough." Paige doesn't giggle this time but she does have a mischievous smile on her face.
"So what time are you leaving this morning?"
"I don't want to think about having to leave."
"I don't want to either, but if I knew when it was happening I could make sure we get the most out of our last morning together."
"Our last morning together for now. Why do we have to do anything? Why can't we just stay right here?"
"We could. But I know you, and at some point you will require food."
"Hmmmmm food sounds good. I told my mom we would leave around ten. I told her I would talk to her again before we left so she needed to know when she would have to be home by."
"So we have a couple of hours. You don't want to go running or anything?"
"I don't want to move. I ran enough yesterday for today too. I thought I would get up in a little while and make breakfast. Then after my mom came back we would leave."
"Do you have to leave right at ten?"
"We can be a little flexible. I just want to get home early enough to be able to talk to Kate tonight. What are you thinking?"
"What if we got you all ready to go, and then I took us all out to breakfast. We could come home and you could talk to your mom and then we could go ride the carousel before you left. The carousel always made you smile. I want you to go with a smile on your face."
"You want to take me to ride the carousel?"
"Yep, you can even ride the green horse that is your favorite. It will be the best buck fifty I ever spent, and will get me a smile every bit as big as Veronica's five thousand dollar necklace got Logan."
"Please tell me he had cash for that?"
"Of course, I never would have let him buy it otherwise. I never even let him out of the car. He said Veronica's dad told him not to use his cards for a while. He also said that he is running a little low and that he might have to hit you up to buy lunch on the way home. He underestimated how much you and Veronica would eat at the Ritz."
"Can we go to the Raintree Café for breakfast?"
"We can go anywhere you want."
"Okay, I like your plan for the morning better than mine. Do we still have time for more snuggling?"
"Yes, my plans will always include time for snuggling." Charlie pulls her closer and lets his hand wander, over her ass, down her thigh and then back up again. "I don't know what this fabric is but it is really soft. You feel amazing."
"Don't get used to it. First of all, they belong to my mom. And secondly, after I get my head straightened out, and we are in bed together for real, I won't be wearing pajamas."
*******************************
Keith was dressed in his uniform and ready to go when Kate knocked on his door a few minutes after eight. She greeted him with a kiss and a thermos full of coffee.
"You look gorgeous this morning, not quite as sexy as you did last night wearing my apron and covered in flour, but this is probably much more appropriate for a bookstore full of children." Keith offered up his own good morning kiss, wondering how she looked so refreshed when she could only have gotten a few hours of sleep.
"Thank you. You on the other hand look incredibly too sexy for a room full kids, but I'll let it go as long as you stay away from all the single moms."
"I promise I will only have eyes for you. If you see me scanning the room it will only be to assess your safety." Keith took the coffee from her and led her out to his car, helping her in and waiting while she buckled up before handing the coffee back to her and got in the car himself. "Everything go okay this morning?"
"Yes I talked to Don a little. I asked him not to say anything to Paige until I talk to her myself. She is kind of mad at him so I don't think it is really an issue. He expressed concern over today. He thinks Payton might show up too, but I told him you had arranged for security."
"Good thinking." Keith took her hand and kissed it, placing it gently back on her leg when he was done and leaving his hand with it to keep it company.
They chatted comfortably for most of the ride and Keith was quick to steal kisses at the traffic lights that he worked hard to hit when they were red. Keith turns onto Vine Street from Hollywood Boulevard, and sees tons of families lined up down the street. They are still two blocks from the Borders where Kate has her signing.
"Uhh Kate, 'kinda a big deal?' There must be a thousand kids here."
"I thought parking might be an issue, but I had no idea. I told you I don't usually do big stores like this. I like to be able to spend time with everybody like I did yesterday. Is this going to make everything harder?"
"I'll work it out. Just make sure you stay with me, or at least where I can see you. I don't really have any authority here, but I can probably get away with parking in the police zone up front. This is incredible Kate, I had no idea you were so popular. No checking out the single dads okay?"
*********************************
Logan woke up to whispering and giggling on the other side of the room. Looking over he saw Paige was gone and Mac and Charlie were letting the air out of their beds. He looked down at Veronica and grinned. His Ronnie was very predictable in her choice of sleeping positions. He raised his knees, hiding his also very predictable morning woody and wondered if anyone had noticed it. Logan reached out and brushed some hair out of Veronica's face.
"Hey beautiful, I need you to wake up."
Veronica opened her eyes and smiled at the very handsome face she was greeted with. "Hi… I really need to stretch. Is my hand down your pants again?"
"It is, and if you stretch, you will be confronted with the same high flying flag as yesterday."
Veronica carefully withdrew her hand and made sure all her stretching took place in plain sight. "Thank you for the warning. You have the most beautiful eyes Logan, they are always beautiful, but in the morning they are especially nice. They are like peanut butter and maple syrup all mixed together."
"You are comparing my eyes to peanut butter and maple syrup?"
"Hmmmm it's wonderful. One time I ordered pancakes at the diner and some of the syrup spilled but I put peanut butter on anyway, it was soooo good."
"I love it when you talk about food. You get the dreamiest expressions on your face."
"When Kate gets here I'm going to see if she will teach me to cook. I want to know how to make something other than snickerdoodles and boxed goods."
"I look forward to sampling all your attempts."
"You don't think I can do it."
"I think you can do anything you want. But I'm warning you now. If you make brownies as good as hers, I'm proposing and this time I won't take no for an answer."
**********************************
Veronica, Logan, Paige, Charlie, and Mac all sat squished together around a four person table at the packed Raintree Café on West Portal. The tiny restaurant was filled with the usual Sunday breakfast crowd but when Paige and Charlie walked in the owner smiled at Charlie, knowing that his favorite customer was finally getting the chance with his other favorite customer that he had been waiting years for. He had seen Payton pitch that game a week ago and knew it was only a matter of time before these two showed up for his famous stuffed French toast. He gave Charlie and his group of friends the next available table and sent over his new best waitress.
The group did a lot of smiling but the mood was somber. Mac understood how everyone felt. She wished she had had a morning like this to say good bye to Dick.
The girls placed their order and the whole table laughed as the waitress walked away before Logan and Charlie placed theirs. Veronica and Paige had both ordered two breakfasts and the waitress had assumed the girls had ordered for the guys. The owner, knowing this had happened to Paige no matter who she showed up with came over and took the boys orders himself, teasing Paige that it looked like she finally met her match in the eating department.
Charlie moved aside his place settings and stuck out his hand to Paige, who without being asked handed him a pen from her purse. Everyone watched as he started sketching a portrait on his white paper placemat. As the picture came together, Logan's smile was brighter than everyone elses because this drawing was of Veronica.
"Please tell me I get that?"
Paige interrupted before Charlie could reply. "You might want to wait until he's done. He likes to make these amazing headshots and then he ruins them with horns."
"I promise not to ruin this one, and yes Logan you can have it."
"Thanks, and I'd be cool with horns, horns would be hot."
Charlie finished and after signing it 'Charlie D. he handed his placemat to Logan and asked for his so he can do another one. He immediately starts a new sketch this one of Mac.
Logan looks it over, a huge grin on his face. "I had no idea you were so good Charlie. You could do this professionially. Charlie D.? I don't think we ever heard your last name."
Charlie smiles and continues his sketching, "Thanks Logan. If you want it colored you have to talk to Paige, I don't have the patience, but she will spend hours coloring my pictures."
Paige rolls her eyes at Charlie's modesty and avoidance tacticts. "Charlie does do this professionally, he is the illustrator for most of Kate's books."
"Most of Kate's books? Why not all of Kate's books?"
Charlie smiles and glances up from his dead-on sketch of Mac, "Because not all of Kate's books are illustrated." He finishes up the sketch and tells Mac she can have it, but only if she promises to send it to Dick. He started to make another of Logan for Veronica but the food came and he promised her he would do one later from memory.
Paige finished her two breakfasts before Charlie finished his and she grabbed his hand as he picked up his last piece of bacon. Pulling his hand towards her mouth she wrestled him for the last bite, winning she ate the bacon from his fingers and then nibbled at his fingers making sure she got every last crumb.
"Hey watch it. I was hoping you would still be a biter."
"Still? I was never a biter."
"Try telling that to the three preschools you got kicked out of."
"I don't remember being the one who often got suspended from school, Darling!" Paige knew calling him by his last name would get to him, especially since he had avoided the topic earlier.
"Hey-"
"Darling? Paige I'm hurt. I thought darling was your special name for me." Logan grins at the two of them.
"You called him darling?"
Paige looks at Charlie and then turns to Logan. "I don't remember that. I remember calling you muffin, and pumpkin. You must have called me darling." Paige knows she's full of crap but maybe Logan won't remember.
"Umm no, you called me muffin and darling, I called you pumpkin."
"Wait! Why are you calling my girl pumpkin? Don't you have your own girl you can call pumpkin?" Charlie turns to Veronica who is laughing at the whole conversation. "And you are okay with this?"
"Supposedly I started it, and now there is no stopping it."
"Is somebody going to tell me what's going on? Mac?"
"I don't think you have anything to worry about Charlie, they got together, I believe Paige said Logan was insatiable, but she picked food over going to a hotel with him, then he bought her cake and then she dumped him… or maybe he dumped her, I don't remember, but they broke up. But you better watch out for her, because evidently the whole time she and Logan were together she was technically still with her old boyfriend."
Charlie sighs as the rest of the table laughs.
"Nice work Mac, I take it that is payback for me asking Logan's version of him walking in on you and Dick doing the nas-"
"Paige, I told you, it's not nasty. And if you think it is then your miserable excuse for and ex wasn't doing it right."
*****************************************
Keith saw Payton walk in just a few minutes into Kate's first book. He pointed him out to the security detail the store had hired to handle the crowd and then followed him to the back room where he was being led.
Thanking the rent-a-cops and requesting that they keep an eye on Kate, Keith dismisses them and takes a seat across the table from Payton.
"I told you to stay away from her."
"No, you said to stay away from Neptune. I'm not in Neptune, and you have no jurisdiction here."
"Payton, do you really think this is the best way to get to Paige. I think it's time you let it go."
"I'm not just letting her go. I put six years into this relationship, she's mine."
"Paige is her own person, she doesn't belong to anyone. You can't just own another person."
"Look you can't arrest me, and you can't keep me from talking to Kate. She is the only person Paige listens to, so I am going to talk to her."
"No Payton, you're not. Kate made a formal request to the store that if you show up and loiter they are to physically remove you from the premises. We also talked about filing a restraining order if necessary. Kate doesn't want to do that, but if you force the issue she will, and Paige will to. That will make it illegal for Paige to be able to talk to you even if she wanted to."
"I can't just give up. I'm not a quitter."
"Payton, Don and Kate both told me that Paige agreed to talk to you after the season ends. Has she ever lied to you?"
"No, Paige would never lie to me. You don't get it Paige is perfect, that is why I don't want to wait. She wants to date other people and someone else will figure out how perfect she is."
"You're going to have to give her the time she asked for, by pushing, you are only pushing her further away. I'm giving you another chance here, against my better judgment. The store has a written request from Kate asking you to be removed if you show up. One word from me and the store will formally ask you to leave, if you don't they will have you arrested for trespassing. You will be arrested outside in front of the hundreds of kids lined up for a chance to meet their favorite author, there are news vans outside covering this, your arrest will make the news and the front page of tomorrow's paper. You will be sitting in a jail cell while you wait to be processed and even if your lawyer is good and gets you out quickly, you will still sit there for several hours. Kate and Don both told me how your best friend is starting his first game today. Do you really want to miss that just to prove a point to Paige that will only drive her farther away?"
*********************************
Paige sat in the library facing her mom and dad. She sat straight with her hands in her lap, her eyes danced around the room occasionally settling on her mom but completely avoiding her dad. She waited for them to say something while she tried to keep the tears tucked down tight that she knew would escape the second her dad opened his mouth.
Penny reached over and took her husband's hand for support. "Paige? I told your dad everything-"
"Daddy, I'm so sorry…" Paige starts sobbing as she gets up and goes to her dad, he pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly.
"Little bit, baby, its okay, you didn't do anything wrong. You don't have anything to be sorry about, no one is mad at you. Shhhhh, baby…"
Penny turns to them and mouths to her husband she's sorry too.
"Paige we didn't want to talk to you this morning because you are in any trouble. Your mom wanted to apologize again and we just wanted to see how you are dealing with everything."
"Daddy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that day on the waterfall. I know you must be disappointed-"
"Paige, I'm not disappointed. I know you lied, there is no way in hell you asked Charlie to touch you. But I understand why you did it, you were protecting him, and your mom was protecting you... You dug up a lot yesterday, what's going through your head? Are you mad at mom?"
"I don't think so, not about reading my file, I was never mad about that. I know she thinks she messed up by thinking I lied to her about when Payton and I got together and that if she wouldn't have thought that we could have figured out a lot sooner what an ass he was, but I'm not mad about that either, he had us all fooled." Paige pulls away from her dad and faces her mom. "Mom, Charlie said something yesterday, and he's right. We never would have made it if we got together back then. He said one of us would have ended up resenting the other one… or daddy would have killed him. I don't blame you for keeping us apart, now we have a real chance at something wonderful. Something like what you and daddy have. But when I think about you firing Kate, then yes I get mad."
"Really that is all that you're mad about?" Derek asks as Penny gives her daughter a hug.
"Nothing else matters, you guys don't know how important Kate was to me while all this was going on."
"I wish your mom would have fired her."
"What?"
"Paige I would have never let that happen. If your mom would have tried, this all would have come out sooner, and we wouldn't be sitting her discussing six years after the fact what my daughter did with the boy next door when she was fourteen. This is why we don't lie, and this is why we don't keep secrets in this family. Now unless there is more, we need to get you cleaned up and on the road. I will leave it up to you Paige what you want to tell Charlie. I for one am going to let his actions go."
***********************************
Logan helped Veronica up onto the black cat with the purple bow she chose to ride and then climbed onto the pig next to her.
"This is it V, a few more minutes and then I won't see you for twelve days."
"You'll call me right Logan, a lot? And you'll be careful? And you'll keep an eye on Dick, and make sure he doesn't do anything that would hurt Mac?"
"Yes to all of those. You'll be careful too? I'm not so worried about Charlie, but there are bound to be other guys lurking around, wondering why you are here all by yourself."
"There aren't any other guys, not for me. What are you going to do? You're going to be so bored. Surfing probably isn't a good idea, not in Neptune."
"I think I'm going to see if it's too late to get into that film class with Tom Blakely. He said it was full, but he made it sound like he would find me a spot if I wanted it. And I'm going to work on my ideas for the Dani Knightley movie. And I'm going to think about you. What are you going to do? You won't be working at SWAT all the time."
Veronica grips Logan's hand tighter as her cat goes around and around and up and down. "I'm going to miss you too. There were some flyers at the spa the other day for some self defense classes. I talked to Paige about it. I think taking one or two might be a good idea, I can't always rely on my trusty taser." Paige had suggested to Veronica that planting this idea in Logan's head might help explain some of the bruises that she is sure to get during training.
"I think that's a good idea, but be careful. And if you need help paying for them, I heard a rumor that your boyfriend is loaded."
"I heard that too, but I don't usually like it when he spends his money on me. But if you talk to him, you could tell him that if there is a bracelet that goes to my necklace, I would love that too."
***************************************
"Mac, did Paige leave yet."
"No, she's leaving in a few minutes. We are at this carousel in Golden Gate Park. Charlie says Paige loves it, so we are here so that she will leave happy. They are a few rows over being all disgusting and mushy, and Paige's other friends are a few rows behind them being even more kissy and slobbery, and I'm here all alone, thinking this would be much more fun if you were here so I could be all giddy too."
"I wish I was there to slobber all over you too. Maybe when I come up, we could find a way to sneak down there and we could ride it together. I haven't ridden a carousel forever, and I've never ridden one with my girlfriend."
"You sure have a lot you want to pack into the few hours you said you would be here."
"I said I would settle for a few hours, but I will stay as long as you let me. So what color is your horse?"
"I'm not on a horse. I'm on a lion. It doesn't go up and down, but it looked big and strong, and it had blue eyes."
"And you wanted to ride something that was big and strong and had blue eyes?"
"Yes, but in the future if I ride something that is big and strong and has blue eyes I would prefer it go up and down."
"I think I can arrange that. I think I'm a bad influence on you Mac."
"Really? I think you are a wonderful influence."
*********************************
"Do you know I remember the first time we you rode this horse. Kate had to hold you, I don't think you were even one yet."
"We came here every Friday, until I was like ten, and even then we still did it a lot, we just stopped telling people. I always rode this horse and one other thing, Kate always let me ride twice."
"I remember."
"Charlie, thank you for this, this is the perfect ending to this weekend. These past couple days… I'm really glad you were with me, I never would have made it through without you."
"There was a lot you wouldn't have had to make it through if it weren't for me."
"No, I'm glad we talked about everything."
"Paige, I want to ask you something."
"Charlie, I can't stay another day."
"I know, this is something different. Logan talked to your dad about him and Veronica and your dad had some good advice, I think it would work for us too."
"Logan talked to my dad?"
"Yeah, they seem to really be getting along."
"Good. I think Logan needs someone, and my dad is pure awesomeness. So what was his great advice?"
"You said you wanted to date-"
"Charlie-"
"Just hear me out, you said you wanted to date, and I asked you not to. But what if you dated me? I know you don't want to jump right into a relationship, and I get that. But what if we totally started fresh, and dated. I could pick you up at your parent's house and pretend to be all polite and gentlemanly, and then I could steal kisses while they peek out the window. Except on the first date, I know you are a good girl and probably don't kiss on the first date."
"Hmmmm, Kate always told me that you shouldn't kiss until after the third date."
"I think we should see if she still believes that and if it is something she practices herself. But if that is what you want, I'm willing to work with it, as long as I still have access to everything the other rules allow."
"I suppose if you wanted to take me on a date, and you asked nicely, I would probably say yes."
"Paige, will you go on a date with me?"
"Abso-posi-lutely!"
*******************************
The ride ended and the five of them made their way to the parking lot where the SWAT truck was parked next to the Lamborghini. Logan stood outside the car hugging Veronica while Charlie helped Paige into the driver's seat and belted her in. Mac not wanting to intrude on the goodbyes said hers before they got to the car and then climbed into the truck.
"It's just twelve days Veronica, we've been apart longer than that lots of times."
"But it was never this difficult."
"I'm going to miss you too Sugarpuss. But you are going to be busy and having fun, so try and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to tasting whatever Kate teaches you how to make." Logan glanced over and saw that Charlie and Paige were still talking. Pulling Veronica closer, he initiates a long and deep kiss, totally oblivious to the fact that they are standing in the lot of a public park filled with children.
***
Charlie kneels down, resting on the balls of his feet and kisses Paige on the cheek, a slow and lingering kiss. Seeing her glistening eyes he kisses her again. "Hey, what happened to no more tears?"
"I'm not crying over him, or anything that happened, I just don't want to go. The other day Mac called me Kick-ass Barbie, but somehow I've turned into a big baby."
"I don't want you to go either, but we both have a job to do. I have something for you Paige. There are actually a lot more where these came from but this is all I'm going to give you now. Don't look at them until you get home okay." Charlie pulls a small package from his back pocket and hands it to Paige. It isn't very big, four inches by six inches and maybe a couple inches thick, it's wrapped in a handkerchief and then tied with string. "I wrote you too, in Italy, every single day, sometimes more than once. Not all of them are nice, sometimes I expressed my frustration. But these are all postcards, suitable for public consumption, some are from Italy and some are from later, anytime I went anywhere over the last three years I wrote one to you, and I made sure none of these will make you cry, or if they do, they will just be happy tears."
"Charlie… I made you something too, it's downstairs in Kate's fridge. It has your name on it, but you should get it soon."
Charlie nods and leans in for another kiss, this one dangerously close to her lips. Pulling away he closes her door. Reaching into the open window he runs his fingers through her hair. "I love you Paige."
"I love you too."
***
Logan hears the car door close so he pulls away and opens his door. Logan pushes Veronica toward the SWAT truck and helps her into the front seat, not wanting her standing there while he drives away. He kisses the tears on her eyes and wipes the ones on her cheeks away. "It's just twelve days Ronnie, I'll call you later." He leans in and gives her one last kiss. "I love you Veronica Anne Mars." Not waiting for a reply Logan walks away, afraid she still won't say it back, and even more afraid that she will and he won't be able to leave at all. Not looking back he climbs into the Lamborghini and closes his eyes as Paige drives off.
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