A/N – The characters you know and love aren't mine – but you knew that. All the crazy OCs that you could do without (but I couldn't), those are mine

Chapter 44

She is right, sometimes we don't have to talk.

Logan woke Saturday morning to the warm pressure of Veronica snuggled into his side, and the sounds of her soft snoring. He smiled, a man could get use to this. He realized with a sudden clarity that he didn't really want to go back to carrier life. To give this up, voluntarily for six to nine months a year…or longer? I don't think I could do that. He rolled gently out of bed, making sure to tuck the covers around Veronica to keep her warm.

In the bathroom he studied his reflection in the mirror. I don't look as angry as I use too. But do I still look military? Is this the same Logan in the mirror as last month? I love the Navy, it saved my life. But now is it time for me to do something else with that life? Why does being James Bond sound fun? The man hand no serious healthy relationships outside the bottom of a martini glass. Cloak and dagger while wearing a tuxedo- it actually sounds like a narcissistic school boy fantasy for socio-path that wanted to play at being a hero. Seriously, what was Fleming's damage? I could write a better hero. Fleming was Navy too. His books did eventually get better. Really though, what do I want to do with my life? He sighed and decided to shower, what he wanted to do was go surf, or climb into his jet, but those options weren't available, and Veronica was still asleep, so seeking refuge from his thoughts in her soft embrace wasn't going to happen either.

Veronica woke up to the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. Blinking her eyes she registered the soft light filtering in through the edges of the curtains. Still early then. She rolled out of bed and stretched. Shaking out her limbs, she tried to assume the warrior pose and then a sun salutation. Veronica sighed in disgust at herself. Mac is much better at this yoga thing. Ugh, who has time for meditating when there is so much action to be taken? She gave up quickly on the stretching and instead dropped to the floor for some old school calisthenics. No time for a run today, might as well work on the core strength, she thought as she started doing sit-ups. The things I do for my country. Five. I mean, seriously, constantly having to work out so I can run down perps? Eleven. Okay, maybe it is so I can still get the jumbo bowl at Amy's. Thirteen. Fuck getting older and a slowing metabolism. Nineteen. But what do I do for my country? Is it worth it? Logan never liked when I put myself in danger as a PI. Twenty-three. He has to realize I put myself in even greater danger these days. Not intentionally….at least not since that thing with the Sorkins. But you can't be actively chasing terrorists and most wanted criminals and not keep your life insurance policy active. Thirty-one. I don't need the adrenaline rush….anymore that is. My revenge factor has gone way down, and after leaving Neptune, the drama creating such needs has mostly disappeared. She tried not to think about Sandy at that. Forty-one. There have to be other ways to promote justice. Sweat was starting to roll down her skin and her breathing was slightly more ragged. She had been pushing the sit-ups faster than normal as she thought. Fifty-three. She let herself drop fully for a moment of relaxation on the floor of the hotel. Huh, no dust bunnies under the bed. Dick will be getting a good house-keeping staff.

She rolled over and pushed herself up into a solid plank and then lowered her body almost to the floor again. Then repeated the motion, setting a solid tempo. Logan walked out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel around his waist, a toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He watched in appreciation as Veronica's perfect form completed push up after push up. The only sounds in the room, her soft exhalations of breaths on the up, and an almost whispered count, two-three-five-seven-eleven-thirteen-seventeen…

Logan resisted the urge to laugh, with the toothpaste he would make a mess. That's my girl….always a little different, only counting on the primes. He went back into the bathroom to finish cleaning up. Veronica appeared in the mirror behind him as he was shaving. There was a small pout on her face. He raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"Well I would hug you, but you are all clean and smelling delicious, whereas I am all sweaty and decidedly less then fresh."

Logan laughed. "We can fix both those things." He set the razor down and turned to face her, but Veronica took a step back.

"Nope, this is a no-fly zone Mister. I need use of this room without you, and if we are going to meet Jay and Ethan for breakfast before they head off to the airport then we don't have time for shenanigans."

"Shenanigans? Is that what we are calling it now?" Logan wiggled his eyebrows at her. "And why are Jay and Ethan heading for the airport? It is Saturday morning, are they not spending the rest of the weekend in D.C.?"

Veronica smiled at him, even as she made shooing motions towards the door. "I knew you were still too agitated last night to be paying attention. Ethan has to go to a party his publisher is hosting tonight in Los Angeles. There will be some Hollywood types there that they want him to talk to about optioning his latest novel before it goes on sale next month. He has let me read a few of the proof chapters, it is better than good, he is going to be getting a lot of attention soon."

~~~In NYC~~~

Mercer looked down in satisfaction at the blonde beneath him. The bruises that would surely form on her porcelain skin were still a livid red from where he had placed them. But the smile on her face was adoring, as she looked at him with complete love. He rolled off her and headed to the bathroom wordlessly to wash away her stink.

She followed him into the shower, still silent, still in his thrall. He smiled at her, and reached out a hand to stroke her hair back from her face. "Don't you think your hair would look better shorter princess? Maybe with some highlights? Change it up from the winter?" Holding a fistful of hair, he lifted it away from her neck, and kissed the sensitive skin at the base of her spine gently. He felt her shiver. He smiled against her skin, he knew how much she valued her hair. How she felt special that let her keep it.

Mercer let her hair fall against her back and stepped away from her, going from loving to cold in an instant. He turned on the shower. "Of course, you don't like change. I don't know what I was thinking."

"No," she spoke for the first time that morning, "I don't mind changing for you. You are right, it is spring, and it is time for something new. Maybe I will go shopping and see if I can get an appointment at the salon today." She sounded almost pleading.

Mercer smiled fully at her, and reached out an arm to pull her into the shower with him. He grabbed her long hair by a tight fist again and jerked her head back, then kissed her passionately. Pulling away she gasped, nipples hard, and he imagined that she was wet again. He turned her around and pushed her against the wall of the shower and entered her swiftly. She was wet. "Good princess. I actually have a surprise for you. I have a full day booked for you today. Personal shopper awaiting you at Barneys, then the spa for a new style, mani/pedi, waxing and a massage. Then we are going to paint the town tonight."

She moaned in delight, whether from the pounding he was giving her, or the thought of the money he was spending on her today, he wasn't sure, and he didn't care. He came deep inside of her, and whispered in her ear, "You know I love you princess."

~~~Back in Virginia~~~

"Tell me again why we can't blow this off and spend the day on the True Love?" Logan half whined as they walked to the Watergate to pick up Veronica's car.

"Because you haven't fully decided to tell them to fuck off yet, so you are keeping your options open?" She answered his question with a question, peaking at him from the corner of her eyes. He shook his head. "Fine, because I am terribly curious and want to see these people in person. Besides, even if they are manipulative self-serving assholes, they did arrange for you to end up in Vegas for a while. So that is worth a bit of a thank you."

She saw Logan smile, and he worked his hand into hers. "But the cookout isn't until later in the day, so we can go out to the True Love for most of the day if you like, or we can go play tourist?"

They had arrived at the building and her silver Mercedes was already out front. Veronica handed the valet a tip as he held the door for her. Logan was pleased it wasn't the same kid from the other day, and this one didn't appear to ogle. He slid into the passenger seat. "Let's go to the True Love. I could use some quiet time, and I think I would like to spend some time doing research."

Veronica smiled at him, "To the boat it is. I wouldn't mind some quality research time myself today."

The morning passed quietly. There was a slight chill in the spring air, so Veronica had brought a heavy quilt on deck and they snuggled together under it. Each was absorbed in tapping away on their tablets. Rarely speaking, they would occasionally reach over and run a hand across the other, just a reminder that they were together.

Joe the cop interrupted their research and quiet brooding mid-day with an offer of lobster-rolls and company for lunch. They accepted and accompanied him to the small restaurant next to the marina. Logan found himself in stitches at stories of how Bobbie as a new boat owner had almost sunk the True Love and half the marina the first week she owned the little boat in various misadventures in boating.

Veronica protested weakly at some of the stories, but ended up laughing along. "Well, whenever we were out on boats when we younger, someone else always untied them from the dock. How was I supposed to know that the ropes didn't just do that automatically?"

Joe grinned, "She and that boat were like the Little Engine that Could….one of the lines hadn't been tied to begin with so she managed to get the prow pointing out in the river, and she just kept pushing the throttle forward trying to get away from the dock. This plume of water rising up behind her swamping the dock and her cursing as she couldn't figure out why the boat was stuck."

"Yes, well, there was no serious property damage or loss of life, so no harm no foul, right?" Veronica-Bobbi laughed.

"True girl, true." Joe grinned fondly at her. "Well, I could go on all day with Bobbi stories, but I have to get going, a buddy and I have March madness tickets for the Georgetown game tonight and I need to get into town to meet him."

The three walked back to the boats together and Joe gave Logan's hand a firm shake and hugged Veronica fondly. "Will you be back soon? I don't see you often enough girl." He asked gruffly.

Veronica smiled at him. "I don't know. It's a solid maybe right now. Logan and I have some decisions to make, but I think there are some changes in our future."

Logan helped Veronica onto the boat, holding her tight and not letting her feet touch the deck. He spun her around, covering her face in kisses. Veronica laughed happily. "Logan, what are you doing, put me down."

"Nope," he popped the "p", "not until we are in bed at least." He hefted her onto his shoulder and fumbled at the cabin door.

She laughed, and thumped his back. "I have the key!"

"In that case," he turned around and pointed her at the door. "Be useful and open it up." Now that his second hand was free, he ran it up her backside, causing Veronica to tremble. She wiggled in his grasp, as he struggled to keep them balanced and worked the key from her pocket and into the lock. Logan spun around again, and carried her caveman style through the cabin into the master birth. But he lowered her surprisingly gently to the bed, before standing above her smiling.

"What?" Veronica smiled up at him.

"I am happy." Logan proclaimed. He pulled his cell phone out and quickly typed a text message, before tossing it aside. "And I am not going to mar that happiness by spending the evening with a bunch of Neanderthal assholes." He lowered himself onto the bed, covering her body with his, before kissing the side of her neck where it meet her collar blade. She moaned softly underneath him and he smiled before continuing. "I am not going to the cook-out, and I am not accepting their offer." He continued kissing her neck, her jaw, her cheekbones, her forehead, carefully avoiding her lips. "I don't know what I am going to do next, we will make that decision together. But I do know, that I don't want to work with puppet-masters who are always going to be controlling my strings. The only one that gets to tie me up is you." He pulled slightly away from her face, and smiled wolfishly, "That is, if you let me do the same."

Veronica beamed at him. "I am sure that could be arranged." Then she pulled him down fully onto her as she claimed his lips and tongue with her own.

a/n I have to go back to New York to tie up that story line for the time being, but I decided to leave us on LoVe, because I can…and they make me happy