In retrospect, Logan probably should have considered what might happen if Maddie returned to the sophomore lounge and found that he and Casey were missing. Perhaps Logan had subconsciously considered it and just hadn't cared. Maybe that was the reason he was only mildly alarmed when Maddie came crashing through the wall and into the former third floor corridor.

Logan had learned about the former third floor corridor from Cameron Morgan's extremely helpful map of the secret passageways. The corridor was for visiting exchange students, but was rarely used. It was generally heavily secured with laser sensors and fingerprint scanners - you know, all the usual stuff - when not in use. Unless, of course, you knew the back way in.

Logan had been sneaking up to "the Treehouse," as he called it, for several weeks. It was the only place he could study, or relax, or just exist, without at least one pair of eyes watching his every move. And Logan hated to be watched.

He had told Casey about the Treehouse after she caught him suspiciously examining a suit of armor, waiting for the hallway to clear. Logan had been loathe to share the Treehouse with anyone, for fear of losing the one place he found some solitude, but Casey had been surprisingly chill about it. While Maddie was in class, Casey would walk Logan to the entrance of the secret passageway, and then let him proceed on alone.

One day, Logan was struggling with an especially difficult Farsi assignment, so he invited Casey along to help him. After that, they'd begun to sneak away for quiet study sessions. They always snuck off while Maddie was engaged in her own classes, and were back in the Sophomore lounge by the time she was finished, and so Maddie had been none the wiser. But Logan should have known she would figure out their secret eventually.

It wasn't that Logan wanted to hide things from Maddie. It was more that Logan knew Maddie's involvement would ruin the one sanctuary he had discovered. Maddie had been watching him like a hawk since he'd almost been snatched in Roseville, and he couldn't really blame her. But he knew what it was like to spend every minute of your life being monitored, even if it was for your own protection, and Logan hated it.

Besides, it was harmless. What were the chances he could get into trouble without leaving the mansion. Maddie had told him to stay inside the walls. Well, he was literally inside the walls.

But Logan hadn't thought this particular situation through carefully enough, and now Maddie was getting to her feet, looking equal parts surprised and murderous. Maddie leaped in front of Logan and squared her shoulders at Casey, and Logan was relieved that the majority of Maddie's anger wasn't focused at him. Yet.

"Stay away from him," Maddie ordered. "Turn around. Put your hands on the wall."

"And what if I don't?" Casey challenged.

"Mad, maybe we ..." Logan started, but Maddie had already taken two steps across the room, grabbed Casey, and twisted her into a pretzel on the floor.

"Get over there," Maddie ordered, gesturing Logan to stand in front of the wall that was most likely to be solid. She dragged Casey closer toward the passageway.

Logan was frozen in place as Maddie interrogated Casey.

"How many more are you working with?" she demanded. "Where are they right now?"

"Like I would tell you," Casey snapped, even as she struggled to catch her breath.

About thirty seconds passed in silence, before Casey looked at Logan and choked out, "Are you going to call her off or what?"

"Maddie," Logan said firmly, the ridiculous reality of the situation suddenly becoming clear. "Let her go. We were just studying."

"Of course that's what you think," Maddie said calmly. She didn't let go of Casey, but she did remove her hands from Casey's throat, so Logan decided that was a step in the right direction.

"Yeah, Mad Dog," Casey taunted, twisting her head around to look at Maddie. "Drop it."

"Casey you are not helping," Logan snapped. "Do. Not. Push. Her." Casey smirked at him and rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut.

Logan turned back to Maddie, and met her eyes. "Mad," he said quietly. "What's going on?"

"Casey's mother has been trying to kidnap you," Maddie said matter-of-fact-ly. "And I think she ought to at least tell us why."

"What the hell, Maddie?" Casey threw a blind punch behind her that collided with Maddie's cheek, and Maddie winced but didn't loosen her hold.

Maddie stared at Logan as she continued. "I went looking for professor Sutton this morning to show her my sketch and get her help running it through the databases. Along the way, I ran into Alice. She inadvertently saw my sketch and identified your would-be kidnapper as Casey's mom."

"I'm sorry, back this truck up," Casey cut in. "You trusted Alice?" Casey laughed. "Alice has never even met my mom, Maddie. No one has. She's been off the grid for fifteen years. I don't even remember her."

"Alice recognized her from a photograph you had when the two of you lived together," Maddie responded.

"A photograph?" Casey mocked. "Are you even listening to yourself right now? You matched Alice's memory of an ancient photograph to your memory of someone you saw in bits and glances around Roseville a week ago? Really, Maddie, I thought you were a legacy."

"Mad," Logan said gently. "I think you need to let go of her now."

"Let go of me, Maddie," Casey taunted.

Logan saw Maddie consider her options, and then slowly release Casey, while placing her body in front of him again.

"You see?" Casey said, gesturing at Maddie. "This is why he doesn't tell you things. This is why he never brought you here. God, you are so up in your head about Alaska that you think everyone is out to get him."

Logan felt Maddie start to quiver beside him. He reached for her hand but she jerked it away.

"Is that true?" Maddie asked quietly. And Logan didn't know what to say. Was it better to tell Maddie the truth, or let her think that he'd been sneaking around with Casey for other reasons? Logan wasn't sure, so he stayed silent. "That you feel like I've been . . ."

"Smothering him," Casey interrupted.

"I can speak for myself," Logan heard himself say. "And Casey, I think you should give us the room."

Casey rolled her eyes and reached for the passageway. "Gladly," she shrugged, absent-mindedly rubbing her neck. "Maddie, you need to work on that PTSD. It's really getting out of hand."

Maddie looked stunned and defeated and angry all at the same time, and Logan hated himself for making her look like that. Logan tried to reach for her, but she stepped further away, and her eyes were burning when they met his.

"You lied to me," Maddie accused.

"I did," Logan admitted. "I'm really sorry, Mad."

"What if I'd been right?" Maddie asked. "Did you think about that? What if Casey had tried to hurt you, or kidnap you? Haven't you learned anything? You can't trust anyone." Maddie shook her head in irritation. "I am trying to keep you safe but there's only so much I can do if you don't want to stay that way."

Logan nodded. "I'm sorry."

"God, wasn't Alaska enough for you, Logan?" Maddie continued. "I almost died. You almost died. My father almost died. Two secret service agents almost died. What has to happen for you to take this seriously? Does someone have to actually die? Because I guarantee Logan, if you keep this up, that's exactly what is going to happen."

"I know, Mad, I . . ." Logan started, but Maddie cut him off.

"Sorry just isn't good enough anymore," she snapped. "The stakes are higher now, Logan, and I need more than your empty promises from here on out. I cannot protect you if you don't want to be protected."

But what if I don't want to be protected anymore? Logan thought, though he knew better than to say the words out loud. What if I'm tired of watching everyone put their lives on the line for me? What if I'm tired of living like an animal in a cage? But Logan bit back all of those words. He knew enough to know that nothing good could come from them.

Silence fell between them, as Maddie struggled to regain her composure. Her hands were still quivering, but she folded them into her armpits and took a deep breath. Her eyes softened, and for a moment Logan could see the hurt that lingered there. For a moment, Logan could see the girl and not the spy.

"I have to ask you one more thing" Maddie asked quietly. "And you have to promise to be honest with me."

Logan nodded, his eyes locked with hers. God, how he wanted to hold her.

"Do you like her?" Maddie said cautiously, and Logan thought, not for the first time, how different Maddie was when she let down her defenses.

"No, Mad," Logan said as firmly as possible. "She's just my friend. And it kills me that you even have to ask me that. I didn't mean for it to be like this. I just wanted a place that I could be alone, and one day she caught me sneaking up here. I never meant to keep it from you. It just sort of happened."

Logan took a careful step toward her, and when she didn't move away, he took another. He reached for her hands, and she let him take them. He kissed her forehead and she didn't move away.

It killed Logan that he couldn't reach her. That she'd been trapped, alone, in her mind for the last six months. That the indefatigable Maddie he'd once known had been transformed into the girl before him, a shadow of the girl she had been, before life had gotten far too real far too quickly. This was the reason Logan had stopped himself from writing her in the first place. He'd always thought Maddie would have been better off without him.

And yet, he wanted her to himself so badly. He always had, from the first moment they'd met on the campaign trail. It was different then, of course, when they were young. Maddie had been his confidant, his partner in crime, his most trusted friend. But as they'd grown, Logan's feelings for her had changed. Logan could still remember the night he'd planned to tell her. The night that changed everything.

And then Maddie was gone, to Alaska, and Logan told himself it was for the best. The further she was away from him, the less likely she was to get hurt. And he hadn't changed his mind. He just wasn't a noble enough man to care anymore.

Logan's hands came to rest on Maddie's shoulders, and ever so gently, he pulled her into his arms, and rested his head on top of hers.

"You're the only girl I'm interested in, Mad," he said gently. "I fell in love with you a long time ago, and I don't think I'm capable of stopping."

Maddie was silent for a moment, considering. And Logan realized, not for the first time, that the real Maddie wasn't the bubbly, outgoing charmer. The real Maddie was careful, calculating, and more easily wounded than she liked to let on.

"You can't lie to me," Maddie said quietly. "If this . . . If we are going to be together, you can't lie to me."

"I know," Logan nodded. "And I'm so sorry I did that." He hesitated. "But Mad? Do you think you could back off the surveillance just the tiniest bit? At least when we're in the mansion? Maybe you don't need to watch me like a hawk every time I go to the waffle bar."

Maddie nodded silently. "I guess I have been a bit intense," she admitted. "I will try to tone it down."

"Thank you," Logan smiled, but Maddie pushed him away to arm's length.

"I want something in return," she said. "You have to start behaving like a Gallagher Girl. Notice everything. Everyone. Don't be too trusting. Always have a contingency plan. If I'm not allowed to watch you as much, then you have to help me keep you safe."

Logan nodded. "Ok," he said. "That seems fair."

"Good," Maddie nodded. "We have to keep you safe. And not just because it's a matter of national security. Also because I think I might be falling in love with you too."