A/N Just a short chapter here. We're headed into the finish line and this is just a little set up for the last part of the story. I really appreciate the support and reviews you've all given me along the way. Enjoy this chapter and please review. Thanks.

Chapter 25 - Celebrating Christmas

Logan

By the time I finish my statement to the police, Hannah's taken into custody with no chance of bail (Guess I'll have to send Celeste Kane a thank you note), and Leo and Veronica have been treated at the hospital, it's beyond late. There is no way to salvage our Christmas Eve, especially since it's now early Christmas morning. Veronica is exhausted, the effects of the drug taking its sweet time to work its way out of her system. Leo was kept at the hospital since he lives alone and its too dangerous to let him wander around without supervision while in the grips of this drug.

As it is I have to be very careful of what I say to Veronica, not wanting to take away her free will any more than it has been. For the most part she's eerily silent while I put her to bed in our room. While she responds to my voice, there's still that doll like quality to her face. It looks like Veronica, sounds like Veronica, but no one is really home.

After she's asleep, I join Keith in the living room where our friends have been anxiously waiting to hear the whole story. Keith is just finishing telling them what he knows when I take a seat on the couch and run my hands over my face. I'm so tired, but I want this over with so maybe we can salvage something of the holiday.

"So Hannah has been crushing on Logan for the past five years and went homicidally crazy to get him?" Dick sums up the entire story in a way only he can.

"That's about the gist of it." I answer.

"I've done research on the drug Hannah and Duncan were using. Everything I've found says that people under the influence cannot countermand any orders given." Mac says, looking at me closely. I shrug cause she would know better than me. "So what I don't get is how you got her to not point the gun at you."

"I just...I asked her to give it to me." I don't really understand it either. It's not really something that I can put into words, this connection between us. Veronica is the other half of my being, without her I'm not whole. It's like she said, we're soulmates. We recognize each other and what we mean to one another on a cellular level.

Mac gives me one of her penetrating stares, but doesn't pursue the topic. That woman is too smart for her own good.

"Well this was definitely one of our more eventful Christmas eves. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm wiped. I think I'm going to just head back to my apartment and get a few hours of sleep before we have to be at Mac's parents house." Wallace says. "Maybe we could do our Christmas Eve after that?"

"I think that's a good idea. Why doesn't everyone get some sleep and we can come back here after Mac's parents' house and do our celebration." Keith says.

In a few short minutes, Dick, Mac, and Wallace are gone, leaving Keith and I alone in the living room. He gives me a hug before heading off to bed himself. I'm still worried about accidentally saying something or doing something with Veronica that she's not in control of. So instead of joining her in what I already consider our room, I go to the guest room I've slept in for the past few years. It feels strange to be laying here with Veronica a few feet away, after everything we've shared the past few days, and not being able to hold her. I toss and turn despite my exhaustion, my body craving her warmth curled up into me, but knowing I can't trust myself.

We were supposed to be taking things slowly, but that ship has definitely sailed. I'm ready to be with her, I want to be with her. I just don't want her to be with me because yet again something crazy has happened and we're the only ones who can understand it. My mind is in turmoil, wanting her so much but also scared. We only bloom in adversity, how can we survive the day to day?

Finally, I make a decision. Today, I will just enjoy being with her, finally having the opportunity to spend a holiday with her, to see the look on her face when she opens gifts; hear her stupid joke about everything being a pony. I will savor it, even if it can't last.

But tomorrow, tomorrow we'll have it out, I tell myself. We're going to discuss the hard stuff and decide where we go from there. I'm not going to let myself think that just because we've been more open or that we've had amazing sex that everything is perfect between us. I'm not even going to cling to the fact that even drugged Veronica called me her soulmate. I know in my heart that it's true, but that was true four years ago as well and it didn't save us from ourselves. We're not the same people, but will we like the people we are now?

As much as it pains me, I'm going to have to keep my hands off her until we can make those decisions.

My mind made up, a path in front of me, hopefully to our happy ending, I slip into sleep dreaming of Veronica dressed in a naughty elf costume. Yum.

Veronica

Logan seems off. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but it's like he is trying to stay right by me but avoid me at the same time. When I woke up, thankfully fully in complete control of myself again, but with minimal memories after Hannah blew that awful shit in my face, I felt such peace. The parts I do remember were Logan, being there. I remember the word soulmates and I'm pretty sure that it came out of my mouth. I want to ask him about it, but we haven't had any time alone and it seems like he's making sure that we don't have any either. I just don't get it. I thought we were past this emotionally evasive shit. Yet here we are and Logan seems off.

I try not to let it bother me. I know from my dad that I pointed a gun at Logan's head, that Hannah told me to shoot him, but I didn't. I would never harm Logan. I have to believe that he believes that.

Instead of dwelling, I focus on our holiday celebration. I feel a little weird going to Mac's parents house for a late lunch, the conversation kind of going over my head since it's filled with private jokes and references to holidays past. Still, I have a good time. Even though he's being strange, Logan was still right there when I needed him, giving me that smile that he always reserves for me, the one that makes me believe that we have a chance.

When we get back to my dad's house, everyone goes into hyperdrive, setting things up for the night we should have had yesterday. A Christmas Story is playing on the tv while we sip hot cocoa after having eaten ourselves silly for the second time that day. Gifts have been exchanged and I feel ashamed that I didn't get Logan anything, especially when he bought me the most perfect gift. The bracelet is silver with a simple key charm. As we sit watching the movie, I stare at my wrist, remembering the love in his eyes when he put it on me.

That's when it hits me, putting the bracelet on was the one and only time Logan has touched me today. Even watching the movie, he's sitting stiffly keeping his body away from mine. I have unconsciously been mirroring his body language and there's been a slight space between us all night.

This isn't what I wanted. I wanted us to move closer towards each other, not be pulled apart yet again. I have tried not to dwell on it, but now my mind is racing. What's going on with him? Why is he pulling away from me? Did I say something when I was drugged? He has to know that anything I said was because of the drug. Echoes of the word soulmate keep running through my head. Well if I did say that, then it wasn't the drug cause that was all me. I'm finally ready to admit to myself and to him that we are bound together. Our past means nothing to me now, not if it's going to hamper our future.

When Mac, Wallace, and Dick get up to leave, Logan looks at me for a long minute before saying "I'm going to head out too. Give you and your dad some time to yourselves."

I can't think what to say. I don't want him to leave, but how can I stop him. I tell myself to calm down, I might be reading too much into this. Logan hasn't been home in days. He probably just wants to sleep in his own bed, get some clean clothes.

"Okay. You probably have some stuff you need to do." I try not to sound like I'm on the verge of crying, but I don't know if I succeed.

Logan fies me with one of his intense stares, trying to read my thoughts. Finally he sighs.

"I need to think through some stuff. Can we talk tomorrow, just the two of us?" He asks.

"Sure, I don't have any plans and I'm not expecting to be kidnapped for at least another week or so." I quip, trying to lighten the mood. Logan smiles sadly. "Too soon?"

"Always."

"Tomorrow is good. Why don't you text me in the morning and we can figure out some plans." I smile to let him know I trust him.

He nods and seems to debate something within himself before leaning and kissing me lightly on the lips. Before I can try to deepen the kiss, he's pulled back and is backing away from me. I notice that his breathing seems harsh and his hands are balled into fists. I don't know why he's being distant, but it definitely isn't because he's not still interested in me.

"Tomorrow, Veronica. Get some sleep." He says as he walks to the door. He opens it and turns to look at me one more time before leaving. "Oh, and bring your list."

Well shit.