A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this one updated but have had some major technical issues and a few writing issues butit seems to beback on track now. I hope you think it was worth the wait!

Chapter 7: Comfort & Lies

"They want you to what?" Veronica squeaked. He had to be joking. "Are they nuts?"

"They think I need to confront him. I have questions I want, no need, to have answered and he's the only one who can give me resolution." Logan's voice seemed a little weak and unsteady to her. She could understand the need for answers but the thought of him having to spend even two minutes with his Dad made her sick. At the mention of Aaron she couldn't control the chills that ran down her spine.

He wrapped his left arm behind her back; fingers entwined, and brushed wisps of hair fighting to escape her ponytail back from her face with his right. She loved when he pushed his hands through her hair. He did it in a delicate, reverent way that made her feel cherished.

She knew it was pure, unadulterated fear that possessed her when she suggested that he write a letter to Aaron instead. The look he'd given her told her that she was being irrational. Of course he had to respond snarkily by acting like he was reciting a letter from his father, "Dear Son, You worthless little bastard. I always knew you were nothing but trouble and would be the ruination of me. It's entirely your fault that a worthless slut forced me to kill her. Love, Dad." Sadly she could see Aaron blaming Logan. She was sure he would never acknowledge responsibility for Lilly's murder.

Since she knew he gave a statement to the district attorney after Aaron's arrest, she couldn't understand why he needed to give another. For a split second she was afraid he was going to tell her he'd hidden something about Lilly and Aaron and she knew he sensed that second of doubt. Rationally she knew he wasn't hiding anything else about the murder but her old defenses and trust issues kicked in before she thought. He explained the D.A. wanted more details about what a bastard Aaron was so the jury would believe he was capable of murder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't trying to accuse you. I know you don't know anything more about Lilly and Aaron. But what else do you have to tell the D.A.? You already gave them a statement. I remember hearing parts of it at the arraignment."

He gazed up at the stars and puffed out his cheeks before releasing a breath. "I gave them a very brief statement. It was…not very detailed. I glossed over a lot of the finer points I didn't want them to know." If what she'd heard in court over the summer had been the glossed over version, she didn't think she could bear to hear the graphic details.

She found it hard to believe that after all these years he suddenly wanted to get chatty with the D.A. He assured her that he didn't want to but needed to ensure Aaron stayed in prison. She could understand that feeling but she still worried about how he would react to seeing Aaron or vise versa. If, God forbid, he were found not guilty he would surely go after Logan for turning his back.

Logan pulled her closer and kissed her forehead. It was so nice to stand there, with him holding her tight, listening to the sounds of nature in the background. It would be a perfect evening if it weren't for the subject matter at hand.

"When do you go?" She didn't want to go see the District Attorney or Aaron but she couldn't stand the thought of him going alone. She was sure that this Logan could deal with the situations himself but she was worried that the old Logan would resurface and that he would fall apart afterwards.

"Next Friday." To her, his voice had a strange note to it like he was hiding something, but decided she was just being paranoid.

She tried to convince him to let her go with him but he was being stubborn and insisting that she would be bored and miserable. In an attempt to sooth some of the tension she could feel in his shoulders, she ran one hand gently up and down the back of his neck causing him to shiver. Deciding to change tactics she offered to pick him up at the end of the day and cook him dinner.

"I don't know. We'll talk about it next week." She knew he was trying to stall, hoping she would let the subject drop. She wanted to argue more but decided to let it go for the moment; she'd bring it up again next week. She was not going to let him go through this alone.

Logan begged her to stop discussing it. In an obvious attempt to change the subject, he told her that he had a present for her in his room. At the mention of a gift, she bit her lip and tried not to look too eager. "A present huh? Girls always like presents." She couldn't help but wonder what he possible could have bought her. 'I'm such a girl sometimes. I can't believe that the mere mention of a present and my insides melt like jar of hot fudge sauce.'

"It's nothing special," he advised her as he led her inside, gripping her hand. He sat her on the edge of his bed while he retrieved the present from the closet. She was a little suspicious why it was hidden. 'Did he think I was going to come search his room? Considering I didn't even know he had a present for me, why would I do that?'

He handed her a beautifully wrapped box before sitting next to her. For a present that supposedly wasn't much, he was nervously wiping his hands on his pants. It was gift-wrapped in a delicate pink and lavender paper with a pink ribbon tied around the box. As she tilted the box to examine it, she wondered if the store or Mrs. Navarro were responsible for the beautiful wrapping job.

"For your information, I wrapped it myself. I'm perfectly capable of wrapping a present," he told her quite indignantly. She gave him her 'yeah right' look. "Seriously! The store didn't have gift-wrapping services and Mrs. Navarro wouldn't do it...believe me I tried to talk her into it. And no just ripping the paper to shreds, it took me 7 tries, with Mrs. N. laughing over my shoulder, to get it right." Now that she could believe. She always liked Mrs. N. and knew the older lady didn't let Logan get away with much. She treated him much the way she treated her own grandkids. She speculated that was why Logan kept her around when there didn't seem to be any other staff.

Her lips were twitching as he finished his rant. "You did a very nice job, honey. You're learning so much you'll even be able to do your own laundry soon," she teased. She nearly went into hysterics at the look on his face. The absolute horror at the suggestion he do his own laundry turned him white and he was looking quite irritated with her. He didn't snap at her just requested she open her present already.

She gently removed the paper to reveal a plain cardboard box. Glancing at him curiously, she lifted the lid and gasped in surprise. "You pig!" She smacked him on the arm. "Is this what you bought at the adult bookstore last week?"

He hopped off the bed and out of her reach before she could hit him again. Tears filled his eyes as he stared at her, laughing so hard he could hardly speak. "I-I thought you-you deserved…some kind of p-p-present for having to f-follow me…"

She lost that glow of schmaltziness the idea of a gift had caused. When she pulled out the handcuffs and asked him what he was thinking, he tried to claim he thought they'd be useful in her job. "PINK FURRY HANDCUFFS? Am I going to laugh them into surrendering?" She did not find his comment about the different types he had considered nearly as funny as he did.

Her face flamed red with each additional item she pulled out of the box. 'I can't believe he seriously bought me a pink Love Mask, chocolate body paint, strawberry whipped cream, a gummy whip, and massage oil. If he thinks I'll actually use any of this, he needs more therapy than I thought.' She fixed him with a glare as he explained that he just couldn't resist teasing her when he saw her following him. She could see the humor and conceded internally that in some small way she may even deserve this but it was still embarrassing.

"Yeah, well the next time you get the urge…control it. You're an obnoxious ass. You know that?"

"I do," he smirked. "But that's why you love me."

He grabbed her hands and before she realized his intent, she was straddling his lap and he had untied her ponytail. He pulled her in for a kiss and she promptly darted her tongue out seeking entrance to his mouth. His hands slipped under her t-shirt until they were at the edge of her bra. She could almost feel the heat of his hands enveloping her breasts though he had yet to touch them. She slipped her own hand beneath his t-shirt and moaned his name when he lips moved to her neck.

His hands shifted to squeeze her breasts gently. He quickly unfastened her bra and pushed it aside so his hands and fingers could tease her bare skin. It was not the first time someone touched her breasts but with Logan it seemed different, more passionate. "Oh God Veronica. You're so soft," he moaned in her ear. His lips came back to hers for another long kiss more intense than any they'd shared previously.

Her hands were busy traveling over his body when she pulled back to look at him. She hesitated briefly, during which she realized she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone, even Duncan. She pulled her t-shirt and bra off and flung them across the room. Taking the initiative, she took his t-shirt off so it could join hers on the floor. His body was just amazing since he'd started lifting weights. His chest and abs made Connor Larkin's look like yesterdays news. "I love your body," she gasped. "It's amazing since you've started lifting weights."

With the same reverence with which he pushed her hair from her face he traced her body. He stared at her breasts for a few moments before finally meeting her eyes. She didn't know what it was about men and breasts but she was glad he didn't seem disappointed in hers. "Yours isn't bad either. You are so damn beautiful."

Leaning forward, his mouth replaced one of his hands on her breast, gently sucking the nipple, batting it with his tongue. She couldn't keep herself from crying out and arching her torso closer to him. The tugging sensation of his mouth on her breasts was unlike anything she had ever experienced. His mouth moved to her other breast to repeat the same actions on it. A similar tugging lower down her body echoed the sensation in her breasts.

She could feel herself getting wet as she rocked her lower half against him. She relished the sensations flowing through her as he responded by grinding his hips against hers. She felt as if her spine were composed of liquid gold as she bent back in pleasure and his lips traveled down her torso.

She could feel herself being tugged and kissed roughly as he turned their bodies so they were lying on the bed. His hand seemed to leave a trail of fire down her torso as it moved to the button her jeans where it hesitated. She lifted her hips toward his hand to let him know she wanted this.

His hand slid underneath her panties, down to where he could feel how wet she was. He used her own moisture to wet his fingers before moving his hand to torment the nub at her opening. She could not keep her eyes from closing and her breath was nothing but ragged gasps when he bent his mouth over to cover her breast. Her head rolled from side to side and her body lifted closer to his. The twin sensations caused by his mouth and his fingers left her unable to think. She wasn't sure which of the overwhelming sensations to concentrate on first.

She knew her hands were roaming over any part of him they could contact. When he kissed her again she took the opportunity to unfasten his belt and pants, dipping her hand down the front to cup him. He stood up abruptly and made quick work of removing the rest of her clothes. He pushed his own pants down and was reaching for his boxers but stopped with a sudden flinch.

"Logan is something wrong?" she hoped he hadn't changed his mind or worse was somehow disappointed in her.

"No baby I was just admiring how beautiful you are." He crawled back up beside her and kissed her lips before traveling down her neck to suck on the spot that drove her insane.

"What about your boxers?" she whispered.

"They need to stay on right now. I'll take them off soon." She wondered why he couldn't take them off yet but was soon lost in the sensation of his hands sliding across her body.

Her own hands were all over his body, cupping him through his boxers, squeezing his butt, tracing the scars on his back. She heard him moan and wondered if the sensations he experienced were similar to hers. Before this went much farther and she still was able to form a few coherent thoughts she tried to ask him if he had any condoms, as she wasn't taking birth control. She was totally stunned and confused by his response.

"It's alright. We aren't going to do anything that requires any of that."

"We aren't? But…"

"Do you trust me?" She nodded somewhat nervously and he kissed her again. "I'm going to take care of you; I just need you to trust me for a few minutes." Again she nodded. Soon his hand was back between her legs and she could feel the moisture and heat swelling. She wasn't sure what he was up to as his mouth kissed his way down her body and kneeled next to the bed. Nervously she watched as he parted her legs and drew her almost off the bed. Kissing the inside of both of her thighs he placed them over his shoulders and slid his hands under her, drawing her closer.

"Logan. What are you…?"

The grin he shot her could only be described as deliciously wicked before he whispered, "Shhh, baby. Trust me." He moved and suddenly his mouth was on a place no man's had ever been. Her body jumped from the new touch but the pleasure overtook her nerves. She was being drowned by sensations as he touched her with his hands his mouth…doing things she'd only heard of and dreamed about. Lilly had told her once that Logan was amazing at giving head. At the time Veronica had still been innocent, and rather prudish, so she had blushed and told Lilly that she shouldn't say those kinds of things. She had been outwardly scandalized but secretly curious about what it would be like. Now she knew there were no adequate words to describe it.

She would admit later to being frightened by the multitude of feelings as she clutched frantically at the comforter, his hair, anything she could reach. Veronica knew she had lost all control as wave after wave hit her until she heard her voice screaming his name. Her body continued to shake as he soothed her and came back to lie next to her. He kissed her and pulled her tightly to him, his hands moving gently up and down her back.

When she was finally able to open her eyes, he was smiling at her and simply said hi. Overcome with shyness she buried her face in his neck. She wasn't sure who was more surprised when she started talking about what it had been like, how it had scared her. He started to apologize for scaring her but she assured him it wasn't him, just the overwhelming feelings her body had just experienced.

She tried to offer to do the same thing for him but he gently refused saying he wasn't sure he would be able to keep from making love to her if she were to touch him.

She wondered about his comment, but settled for saying "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me a really great memory."

"My pleasure," he said as he kissed the top of her hair.

They lie there in silence for some time sliding their fingers over each other. After a while, she propped herself on her hand to stare down at him. "Not that I'm complaining, because I'm not, but why didn't we…?" She wasn't sure why she was unable to complete a sentence but she was overcome with shyness at this new area of their relationship. She had thought physical intimacy would make it easier to say things to him but she was finding it harder. Maybe it would get better with time.

"Make love?" he finished for her. "I really, really want to make love to you, but neither of us is ready for that. In all ways that matter, you are still a virgin. You deserve more than a rushed first time on my bed when your dad is probably home waiting for you. Believe me, when I finally make love to you, once is not going to be enough…I want to be able to hold you all night and wake up next to you so we can make love again."

She was bewildered and touched that he came up with something so sweet and insightful. "You think you're pretty smart. Did you think of this all by yourself?"

He laughed heartily before letting her know that Billy had helped him understand. He let her know if it weren't for Billy he would have probably ripped her clothes off and had sex with her as soon as they came upstairs. Veronica was a little discomfited to know he talked about them with his therapist but joined him in laughter. Self-conscious that she was totally nude she started to look for her shirt but he put his on her instead.

"That shirt looks a whole lot better on you than it does on me, maybe you should keep it. You could wear it at night so you'll dream about me. It'll be just like I'm there holding you," he said seriously.

"Yeah, sleeping in your clothes wouldn't make my dad suspicious at all!" Actually, sleeping in his shirt sounded pretty damn sexy and comforting to her.

"What time do you have to be home?"

"Since I think my dad is staying at our place tonight instead of Alicia's, sometime around midnight."

Craning his neck to see the clock, "its 10:43 now. We have a little time before we have to go."

She was a little miffed that he thought she needed an escort but he said he was going because he needed to get his SUV. Also, he explained, he wanted to see her home safely so he could kiss the woman he loved goodnight.

She was astonished as he referred to her yet again as the woman he loved and tried to analyze her feelings. 'I feel like I should say it back to him. I'm fairly sure I love him, but I just can't seem to get the words out. The only other guy I have shared those words with was Duncan and that didn't end well. Even knowing his reason now for dumping me doesn't make the experience any less painful. Logan doesn't seem upset that I haven't said it yet. I don't want to be another woman to tell him she loves him and then leaves like Lilly and Lynn did. Surely he knows that I have no intention of leaving him.

He told her he'd give her a real kiss before they went upstairs for fear her father would shoot him if he witnessed Logan passionately kissing his baby. "Like I said, you think you're smart…but in this case you're probably right. Oh no, what about my 'gift?' I can guarantee if I take that home and my dad finds it, it won't be pretty."

"Then I guess you'll have to leave it here and come over when you want to use any of it." He gave her a wicked grin when she smacked him again. This led to another round of making out but it was cut short, as she needed to go home.

When they got dressed to leave, she refused to give back his shirt. "You promised me a gift earlier and since I can't take the 'present' you bought me home, I'm taking this. Besides, you said it looked better on me." He had given her a big grin and agreed she was right. Putting her shirt in her bag, she zipped up her hoodie so her dad wouldn't notice she was wearing Logan's shirt. Why she was wearing her boyfriend's shirt as opposed to her own was one of those things a girl just didn't need to discuss with her father. As promised, he gave her a steamy kiss next to her Escape and a properly chaste kiss at the door.

Veronica was ecstatic when Logan called her at the office early Saturday to ask her out on their first real date. She spent so much time mooning about the office her father finally kicked her out at 3 in the afternoon saying he was sick of watching her daydream. Of course he said this while trying to hide a smile so she knew he wasn't really upset.

She went home and spent the rest of the day primping as if she were preparing for the prom. She wished that she had the time and money to go buy a new outfit but that just wasn't an option. Veronica knew Logan could care less about the age of her clothes but she still wanted to look nice. She knew, as always, he'd be dressed in something expensive and designer. Though she couldn't go shopping she was able to paint her nails, fix her hair and make-up…all the girl things she tended to ignore.

Despite the fact she wasn't able to wear a new, expensive outfit she was sure Logan would appreciate her attire all the same. She chose her shortest, black skirt with a low cut, pink, silk button-up shirt and a cardigan sweater. The sweater was practical as it was a little chilly but also served the dual purpose of hiding the bruises on her arm. They were fading and she was sure he hadn't caught a glimpse of them last night but she wanted to make sure nothing spoiled their evening.

When he arrived, he presented her with a beautiful bouquet of purple asters and white daisies saying that he didn't think roses fit her. She did a report for school once on flowers so she asked him if he knew what the flowers meant. He blushed and claimed he didn't but she was almost certain he must. Asters were the symbol of love and daintiness and daisies meant innocence and purity.

They ate at her favorite Italian restaurant. She didn't wonder at the time how he knew this, assuming that Lilly had mentioned it. She was very surprised to find out later that he had called Keith for advice. After dinner they took a walk on the beach. They strolled along holding hands, her shoes dangling in his free hand. After awhile they stopped and he laid out a blanket he'd taken from his SUV. They sat with Veronica between his legs, leaning against his chest. They were totally at ease with each other, there in the moonlight, listening to the waves crash and talking about everything and nothing.

He explained about the accounts found in his name and how the lawyer convinced the judge that someone should stay at the house. He thought about finding a new place to live but decided he wouldn't give the Kanes or Aaron the satisfaction of seeing him displaced. The home also reminded him of his mother and he wasn't ready to leave those memories behind. She shared about kicking her mother out and the theft of the reward check. She talked about her dad and Alicia dating. While she had been upset at first, she had come to love Alicia and already thought of Wallace and his little brother as her family.

Walking back to his SUV, he pushed her up against the door for a long, steamy kiss. Before too long they were stretched out on his back seat, her shirt unbuttoned with one of his hands under her bra and the other moving stealthily under her skirt. She slipped his shirt off and ground herself against the increasing hardness in his pants. Things were getting out of hand until she hit her ankle on the door. Her resultant cry of pain cut through the mood. Around midnight, he dropped her off at her door with a chaste kiss.

Wednesday Veronica again brought up joining Logan on his visits. He refused, saying Cliff was going so he didn't need anyone else along. They ended up screaming in the parking lot after school until he'd stormed off. Since he had given her the gate code she let herself in his house and found him in the gym a few hours later. She didn't want to fight with him anymore so she agreed to drop it if he would call her on his way home so she could come over. As she was leaving he told her he wouldn't be at school in the morning as he had appointments but he'd see her later. Again she found herself wondering if he was hiding something, but she wanted to trust him so she let it go.

She spent all morning Thursday waiting for him to show up and worrying about Friday. Though she knew it would upset him she planned to be waiting there when he got to the D.A.'s office. He needed someone there to hold him and help him combat his fear. Aaron was pure evil and he would try to infect Logan with his poison.

As strong as he was, she was worried about his reaction. Her own experiences with her mother taught her that nothing could get to a child more than the need for parental love. She was lucky enough to have Keith who she knew without a doubt loved her unconditionally. Logan had no one and she thought he probably never had. She was sure Lynn loved him but she couldn't help but wonder how a mother could have stood by and allowed the abuse to continue. Also, knowing about Aaron's abuse she would never understand how Lynn could have taken her own life, selfishly abandoning Logan to the mercies of his psychotic father.

By lunchtime she was worried when he had not arrived or left her a message. She tried to call him but it went straight to his voicemail. She listened to his inspirational message of the day, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing, which you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt." It seemed like a greeting more appropriate for Friday. 'Where does he come up with these things?' Rolling her eyes she left him a message asking him to call her immediately. She tried calling Cliff to get details about Friday but his secretary was at lunch and he also wasn't answering his cell.

When school let out still with no word she was near panic. He had left her a voicemail while she was in class saying he was ill but his voice was so shaky she knew something was very wrong. She again tried to call Cliff but his secretary told her he was out of the office all day. As soon as she heard Cliff had been out the entire day she knew instinctively Logan had lied. She called Logan and Cliff's cell phones leaving them messages insisting they call her immediately. She drove to Mars' Investigations to do some work and wait for one of them to call.

She was finally able to touch base with Cliff at about 4:30. "Cliff what's going on? Were you with Logan today?"

"V. Lovely to hear from you. You know I can't tell you anything about my clients."

"I know you were there and he has mysteriously disappeared."

He was silent for a minute as if debating what to tell her. "Please Cliff. I'm worried about him. He won't answer my calls. I know whatever happened today was bad and he shouldn't be alone."

Again Cliff was silent but finally he sighed. "I don't know where he is right now. He had an ugly day today, beyond ugly."

Veronica could feel the tears trickle down her cheeks. "What did he say to the D.A.? What happened at the prison?"

"Even if I had been where you thought, not saying that I was, you know I couldn't tell you anything. Hypothetically, if Logan had gone to see Aaron, I would guess that he would try to act the part of the loving father. If Logan called him on it he might say some malicious things…" he trailed off.

"Hypothetically speaking, what kind of things would he say?"

"From what I've heard about Aaron, I would guess he'd say some things about the person Logan cares for the most."

Bile rose at the thought of the things Aaron might have said about her. "How…how would Logan likely react?"

"He would probably totally lose it when Aaron started talking about that person. Before any of us would be able to stop him, he might leap across the table and start choking Aaron. It may possibly take three of us to drag him off and haul him out of the room. I would imagine that he would tell Aaron that one way or another he'd watch him die."

"Would they arrest him?"

"No, they'd let him calm down and leave. If they arrested him, they would have to admit that an eighteen-year-old kid got past their guards and they would prefer to keep that quiet. I would also speculate that the D.A. might let the visit leak to the press and said press would be swarming outside. Of course this is all theoretical so I wouldn't know for sure."

She thanked Cliff for his help and drove to Logan's house, the press were already camped outside the gate. His X-Terra was not in the driveway so she drove around to some of the places he might go, including the beach. She gave up and drove back to his house after an hour, nearly wiping out a few reporters trying to get in the gate. He still wasn't home so she let herself in. She dozed off on the couch while she waited. A little after 9, she was awakened by a crashing noise in the study.

Running into the room she found Logan using a baseball bat on Aaron's belongings. He had shattered the framed Hair Trigger poster on the wall and various other mementos on the shelf. She screamed his name multiple times before he noticed her. He stumbled a little when he turned around and grinned. "Hey Ronnie. I didn't know you were here. Wanna join the fun?"

'Shit. He's drunker than hell.'