Veronica sits curled up on the couch, absently stroking Pony's fur as the large dog makes herself comfortable beside her, her head resting in her lap. Her chest tightens anxiously as her thoughts return to last night… when she found it.

The ring.

Her lips press together in a tight line as she remembers how Logan had gently kissed her shoulder, before taking the ring and moving to stand before her as he prepared to lay his heart on the line.

If she hadn't been completely panicking at the time, she might have shuddered with pleasure at the tenderness of his caress; might have burst into uncharacteristic tears at the sight of him sliding down onto one knee, all delectably bare-chested and vulnerable; might have acknowledged how utterly romantic and so totally her his proposal would have been… and she might not have run right out of the apartment without looking back.

But she didn't do any of that. Instead, she shut it down before he could even say the words, because he couldn't be proposing.

He couldn't.

He was never supposed to propose. They'd agreed on that. They were both on the same page about marriage. Right? So, what the fuck was he thinking? He knew her answer would be no. She'd made that perfectly clear every single time the subject of marriage had ever come up between them (which, granted, wasn't that often).

Wait a minute….

She frowns as something occurs to her: he's barely even reacted to her rejection of his proposal. Not even when she returned home after the NUTT meeting last night, spoiling for a fight. In fact, he just shrugged it off like it was no big deal and went to bed. Even this morning, when, feeling slightly guilty, she woke him up with crazy-hot morning sex before apologising for taking off, he just kissed her, told her it was okay, and went to take a shower.

I mean, what the fuck?

She expected him to call her out on her adamant refusal, to try to talk her round, maybe even yell at her for running out on him like that. But he hasn't done that at all. He just seems to have accepted her answer and moved on, almost like he doesn't even care that she just flat-out refused to marry him. Almost like she was just turning down an offer of coffee or something.

God, when did everything get so screwy between them?

Before last night, things were good, right? They were happy, stable, committed. Everything was great… well, maybe apart from the fact that she never knew when he would be home. Then again, the reunion sex is always so incredible that even when she fully intends to get mad about his unpredictable schedule, she winds up so blissed-out she can't even remember what she was mad about in the first place. But now… now things are weird, and she doesn't know how to fix it.

A soft knock on the door pulls her from her thoughts, and she frowns, glancing across the apartment. Who would be showing up at her door at this time of night? It's not her father's knock, or Wallace's either. Mac is off on her trip of a lifetime in Istanbul, and Logan's out with his Navy buddies tonight.

The knock comes again, harder and louder this time, and it spurs Veronica into action. She pushes Pony's head from her lap and stands up, straightening her top as she makes her way to the door. Pulling it open, her eyes widen in shock, and she inhales sharply as she tries to make sense of what she's seeing.

"Oh my God…" The words come out in a rush of air.

The person on the other side smiles widely, says in a soft teasing voice, "Why, Veronica Mars, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Veronica can't stop staring, her heart pounding so hard it hurts. This can't be happening… no, she has to be dreaming… right? There's no way this is real.

There is no way in hell that Lilly Kane is standing on her doorstep, more than seventeen years after she died.

"I, uh…" Veronica swallows, hand gripping the edge of the door, knuckles turning white with the force. She blinks. "Lilly?"

Her best friend—her dead best friend—grins, holding up her hands. "In the flesh."

"But, you're… you're dead," she manages faintly.

Lilly shimmies her shoulders playfully, just like she used to as a teenager, her eyes widening with excitement. "Surprise."

"Oh God." Veronica feels bile rising in her throat and she claps a hand over her mouth as nausea rolls through her.

Turning quickly from the door, she makes it across the kitchen to the sink just in time to empty her stomach.

"Shit, Veronica…" Lilly's shocked voice penetrates her nauseous haze. "Fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… Shit."

Turning on the tap, Veronica brings a handful of water to her lips, rinsing and spitting, before reaching for a hand-towel and wiping her mouth as she gingerly straightens up. She turns around slowly, afraid of what she might see. She blinks once, then twice, then swallows again.

Lilly Kane really is standing before her, one hand resting against the kitchen counter, a duffle bag on the floor at her feet, as she watches Veronica with concern. She looks the same, but… not. Her hair is short, just skimming her shoulders, and it's a dark brown now, and her face has lost its youthful baby fat. She's slimmer, more angular. She's older.

"You're really here…?" she breathes out eventually, the realisation finally sinking in.

Lilly nods. "I'm really here."

"But… I don't… I don't understand." Veronica struggles to make sense of what she's seeing, and hearing. "You died. I went to your funeral. I grieved for you, Lilly. You're dead."

"Yeah…" Lilly bites her lip as she glances towards the ceiling before shrugging sheepishly. "Um, not so much."

"But… how?"

"It's a long story," she says. "But short version: I got caught up in something I shouldn't have; saw something I wasn't supposed to. The government faked my death, put me in Witness Protection, so no one would come looking for me."

"W-what?" Veronica can barely even process what she's hearing. Witness Protection? Seriously? "What could you have possibly seen at sixteen that got you put in Witness Protection? And why come back now?"

"I'll tell you everything, I promise," says Lilly earnestly. "Just… not right now."

"Lilly!" Veronica exclaims, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Are you crazy? You can't just show up at my door seventeen years after you died and expect me to accept it, no questions asked!"

"I know," Lilly returns quickly, her hands lifted in surrender. "I know that. It's just… it's hard to explain, and I'm too exhausted to do it right now. I've been travelling for hours."

"Wait, so you literally just got back into town, and instead of, I dunno, getting a hotel room for the night, you decided to scare the shit out of me by showing up at my door unannounced?" Veronica shakes her head in disbelief. "What's this really about, Lilly? Why are you here, at my apartment?"

Lilly winces. "I, um, I need somewhere to crash, and I kind of have to lay low for a bit. I can't have anyone else knowing I'm alive yet."

"I can't put you up, Lils." Veronica sighs, moving to lean against the fridge. "I only have one bed."

"So? We've shared a bed before." Lilly shrugs, like it's no big deal.

Like she and Veronica are still best friends. Like she isn't a stranger now. Like she hasn't been 'dead' for seventeen fucking years.

"That's not really the issue, Lilly," Veronica hedges. "I already share the bed with someone else."

"Oh." Lilly frowns, then glances around the living room, obviously noting the masculine touches. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Hmm, no ring…" Lilly muses, glancing down at her bare left hand, and Veronica winces as the memory of Logan's failed proposal flits through her mind. Lilly gasps then, her eyes widening into a faux scandalised expression. "Veronica Mars, are you living in sin with a man?"

Veronica groans, shaking her head. "Lilly…"

"Ooh, what's he like?" Her eyes light up, glancing around the room again, before falling on Logan's Navy uniform jacket slung over the edge of the couch. "He's military? Ooh, Veronica, don't tell me you finally bagged your very own fleet week sailor? I bet he's totally gorgeous in his uniform, right? With a body to die for?"

"Well…" Veronica's cheeks heat up as she recalls the incredibly steamy reunion sex they'd had right there on the couch yesterday afternoon.

"I knew it!"

At that moment, the apartment door clicks open and Pony jumps off the couch, running to the door to greet Logan as he steps inside.

"Hey, girl." He crouches down to greet the dog, ruffling her fur and letting her lick his face excitedly, seemingly oblivious to the additional person standing in their kitchen. "I know you missed me, but you don't have to jump on me every time I come through the door. I'm not going anywhere for a while."

Veronica stands frozen, her gaze flitting between Logan and Lilly, who is turning towards him with curiosity in her eyes.

"Oh." Logan starts in surprise when he stands up and realises Veronica's not alone. "Sorry… didn't know anyone else was—"

He stops short, jaw dropping and colour draining from his face when he sees Lilly.

"Ho-ly fuck."

Lilly's mouth falls open in surprise, glancing back to Veronica again, before refocusing on Logan, her voice faint as she murmurs a shocked, "Logan?"

"W-what the…?" Logan shoots Veronica a look that asks, Am I seeing things right now? Veronica can only respond with a helpless shrug. "L-Lilly?"

"Surprise." It's Veronica who says it this time. "Guess who's not dead after all."

"Hey, Logan," Lilly speaks up now, fiddling nervously the handbag slung over her shoulder. "It's good to see you."

"How… I mean… why…?"

It's not often that Logan is rendered speechless, but it seems his high-school ex-girlfriend coming back from the dead will do it. He gives Veronica a bewildered look before lifting one hand in a twisting flourish.

"What the fuck, Lilly?" he bursts out suddenly, the words uncharacteristically harsh and angry for the 'calm and collected Logan' he's been projecting of late. "We thought you were dead! You fucking died! We loved you and we mourned you… and you were alive and well all along? And now you just expect us to welcome you back into our lives as if nothing happened?!"

Lilly takes a step forward, lifting a hand out to him. "Logan, I can explain…"

Logan bats it away, looking hurt. "Where the fuck have you been for the last seventeen fucking years, huh?"

Lilly's mouth falls open again, her expression pained, and Veronica's eyes widen when she realises she's actually holding back tears.

"Hey," she says quickly, moving to stand between the two of them, hands held up like a protective barrier. "Let's just calm down, okay? Talk about this without throwing any punches, verbal or otherwise."

Logan's jaw clenches, hands balling into fists as his piercing gaze focuses completely on Lilly, but he eventually nods, taking a couple of deep breaths as he forces his body to relax. Lilly, nods as well, pressing her lips together and composing herself.

"This is a massive shock, I know," Veronica addresses Logan, "but getting mad isn't going to help anything."

"I wanna know how she thinks she can just waltz back into our lives as if nothing happened," mutters Logan tightly.

Glancing quickly at Lilly, who seems frozen to the spot, Veronica turns to face Logan.

"She's been in Witness Protection," she explains gently. "She couldn't contact anyone."

"You've been what?" Logan looks up at Lilly again, eyes narrowing, expression hard. "Is this a fucking joke? You were sixteen, Lils. What the hell did you get yourself into?"

"Like I told Veronica, short version is: I got caught up in something I wasn't supposed to and they had to pull me out for my own safety," Lilly says quickly. "It took seventeen years, but it's over now. It's finally safe for me to come home."

Logan shakes his head in incredulity, lifting a hand and rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't believe this…"

"Believe me, I know how ridiculous this all sounds," says Lilly, "but I'll explain everything, I promise. After I've gotten some sleep. I'm beat."

"Lilly needs somewhere to crash tonight," Veronica informs him.

Logan's gaze snaps back to hers, looking confused. "Well, we don't have room."

Veronica shrugs. "There's the couch?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Veronica, the couch is not even big enough for you to sleep on."

"Wait a sec…" Lilly interrupts their discussion, stepping forward. "We? As in, you guys live here together?"

Veronica locks eyes with Logan for a moment, before slowly turning back to face Lilly. "Yeah… we do."

Lilly frowns. "But I thought you were dating a hot sailor?"

Logan smirks, lifting an eyebrow at Veronica, before shooting off a quick salute. "Lieutenant Echolls at your service, ma'am. Fighter pilot turned intelligence officer."

Lilly's mouth drops open, her eyes wide. "No shit!"

"Yeah, shit," says Veronica in reply.

"Fuck, I feel like I'm in a parallel universe …" mutters Lilly faintly.

"You feel?" retorts Logan, his hand coming to rest on Veronica's waist. "Spare a thought for us. You just came back from the fucking dead."

Lilly tilts her head in contemplation, before shrugging. "Fair point."

Logan's thumb slips beneath the hem of Veronica's shirt, gently stroking her skin, and Veronica lets a small smile play on her lips as she turns her attention back to Lilly, still not quite believing that her teenage best friend is standing before her, alive and well.

"Look, Lilly," she says, "you're welcome to stay, but we really can only offer the couch."

"Thank you, Veronica." Lilly breaks into a wide smile then, her eyes sparkling, just like they used to all those years ago. Just like they had at the car wash the day she…apparently didn't die. "You're the best."

She reaches out as if to hug her, as if they're still best friends, and Veronica takes a step back, stumbling into Logan, who steadies her.

"Sorry." Lilly pulls back with a wince. "Too soon."

"Listen," Logan speaks up, attempting to ease the tension, "it's late, and we're all tired. Let's get some sleep, and we can talk in the morning."

"I'll grab you a pillow and some blankets," says Veronica quickly, before heading down the small hallway to the bedroom.

She grabs a couple of blankets from the closet, before pulling one of the spare pillows off the bed. With a disbelieving shake of her head, she enters the living room again, brushing past Lilly and Logan, who are still standing awkwardly in the same positions, and placing the pillow and blankets down on the cushions. Lifting Logan's jacket from the back of the couch, she hands it to him as she comes to stand beside him.

"Okay, so the bathroom is just on the right." She points to the open door a few feet away. "And feel free to help yourself to anything from the kitchen."

"Thank you," says Lilly sincerely. "And I'm sorry. I know me showing like this must be, like, the biggest shock ever, but there wasn't anyone else I could trust."

Beside Veronica, Logan looks a little uncomfortable, but he nods anyway. "Well, uh, sleep well, I guess."

"See you in the morning," Veronica adds.

There's an awkward beat, as the three of them just stare at each other, before Logan's hand comes to rest on Veronica's back, and he urges her in the direction of their bedroom.

"Goodnight, Lilly."

"Night, Veronica," Lilly replies softly. "Logan."

Veronica only manages to keep her cool until she's inside the bedroom and Logan has shut the door behind him.

She turns to him, flinging her hands up. "Okay, what the fuck just happened?"

Logan shakes his head, still looking a little shell-shocked as he drops his jacket on the bed. "I have no fucking idea."

"This is… I can't even…" She shakes her head, bewildered, as she starts to pace across the small space at the end of the bed. "That's Lilly out there."

"I know."

Veronica stops, reality suddenly sinking in. Her chest tightens uncomfortably and her voice comes out shaky as she repeats, "It's Lilly, Logan. She's alive. She's here, in our apartment. I don't—"

Her voice cracks and she brings her hand to her mouth as tears well up in her eyes, and Logan's immediately in front of her, wrapping his arms around her.

"I know," he says again. "I can't believe it either."

Veronica snakes her arms around his back, hugging him tight as she buries her face in his chest, and Logan's large hand comes up to cradle the back of her head. She stands like that, finding comfort in his warm, solid embrace, for several long moments, until Logan lets out a soft chuckle.

"What?" she mumbles into his shirt.

"I think you just lost that cussing bet with your father."