For Thy Sweet Love Remembered

by Catheryne

PAIRING: Veronica/Logan, Veronica/Duncan, LoVe

RATING: PG13-R

WORD COUNT: 2,000

SUMMARY: Veronica needs to uncover clues about her past to figure out her future. Duncan tries to run away from the past and Logan chases after it.

SPOILERS: S1

Part 1

Hong Kong was a world away and so much more of a creative hideaway than Cuba. It was a planet in an island, where people spoke English either too little or too well, and there is no middle ground for anything. It was just the place for Veronica—a refuge so inspired the Duncan Kanes of the world marveled at the ingenuity, a destination so unexpected that the Logan Echolls chuckled self-deprecatingly for not thinking of it first.

Duncan Kane had given up a kingdom to live in Hong Kong, and not once did he regret it. The cold afternoons and even colder nights blocked out memories of Southern California. When he missed home most, all he needed to do was leave the office and enter the elevator. Then he could pick the topmost floor and step into paradise.

"Veronica, I'm home!"

"Duncan, is that you?"

He smiled at the sound of her voice, and called out immediately, "Were you expecting another man?"

The door to the bedroom flew open and she quickly ran to him, throwing her arms around him and kissing him. Duncan's hands caught her around the waist and lifted her up off the floor.

"I missed you!"

Duncan released her and held her at arm's length. "What have you been doing today?"

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Absolutely nothing. Well that's a lie," she admitted to Duncan. He pushed her hair back away from her face. "I watched tv. It's CSI marathon today," she pointed out.

"Did you guess the answer to all of them again?"

Veronica grinned. "Only to six out of the seven episodes I watched," she told him. "The one from Miami was crazy hard. I think they deliberately left out a lot of clues so I'd think they're so smart."

"Wait til I tell the guys at the office that my wife guessed six out of seven CSI cases."

She pulled him into the living room and pushed him gently into the chair. Then, Veronica straddled his lap. "So you tell them about your intelligent wife?" she prodded. "What did they say?"

"They don't believe me," Duncan answered easily.

"You know why, don't you?" she asked, playfully tapping his nose with her finger. Duncan arched his eyebrows, because he did not need to answer. She always answered it for him. "Because you still haven't introduced me to them. I'm beginning to think they don't exist," she decided.

Duncan chuckled. "What?"

"Well you always tell me stories about everyone in your office but there are no office parties, no people calling us at home, no deadlines."

"You think this is a case you can solve like in CSI?" Duncan asked lightly.

She shook her head. "I think you should introduce me to them though. I'm going out of my mind with boredom."

Duncan cupped her face in his hands. "You know I don't bring work home. Some wives will be thankful for that."

"I'm stuck here all day," Veronica pointed out. "Some wives do have lives beyond waiting for their husband to come home."

Duncan wet his lips. He had seen a sign about four blocks down the street advertising all sorts of time-killers—ballroom dancing, painting, sculpting, arts and crafts. "I was going to save it as a surprise," he started, mentally noting to reserve a slot tomorrow, "but I'm going to say it now. I signed us up for ballroom dancing classes."

The smile that broke across her face made the prospect of missing some meetings worth it. "Oh Duncan! You're so thoughtful."

"Anything for you, baby," he told her. Duncan sighed in relief.

"Really?" He nodded. "Okay. Don't get mad. I want to start looking for a job."

"Veronica, did you want to buy anything?" Duncan reached for his phone. "What happened to your platinum cards?"

"They're in the bedroom," she answered. "What's the point, Duncan, if I can't go out shopping by myself? Oh and the Ladies' Market doesn't take cards. It's cash only."

"You only had to ask. I'll go on leave tomorrow. I'll take you." Duncan frowned at her expression. "You don't want me to go with you? I'll ask someone else."

Veronica shook her head. "I want to be able to go places by myself. A lot of other people do, but I wouldn't know for myself, right?"

Duncan closed his eyes. "Veronica, I thought we're over this."

"I know," she said softly. "Only to protect me, right? Duncan, it's stifling me." Veronica clearly remembered waking up one day to find herself sitting in the corner of the room that was now Duncan's home office. Later on he would tell her that she had been awake longer, and that she had spent seven arduous months in a catatonic state. She then met the nurse who took care of her, and from then he was the only person she knew. "This is the only place I remember. You're the only man I know. I need more."

He seemed helpless, and Veronica finally decided it would be unfair to punish him for reasons only he understood were meant for her own good.

"Okay, I understand. Just think about it, Duncan," she said firmly. "I do need you to fix another problem."

"What is it?"

"My favorite cable channel is going exclusive on broadband tv," she said. "I want to switch providers."

That made Duncan smile, and squeeze her hand gratefully because he was aware she made the conscious decision to take the pressure off him. "I'll take care of it," he promised.

Veronica thanked him and kissed his forehead, then stood up and entered the bedroom. She locked the door behind her and sighed in relief at the privacy he would allow her. Veronica threw herself on the bed, then crawled to the edge and peeked underneath. Her days were filled with cases, but CSI spoilers could be downloaded from the internet. Veronica had started dreaming up a life that she had not been aware of.

She pulled out a large sketchpad that she had forbidden Duncan to touch. Veronica loved him for his integrity, because knowing that he had not yet blown up meant that he respected her wish and never touched the sketchpad. She opened the compilation and looked through the clues she had gathered.

It started with an introduction which read, "My name is Veronica, and I will put my story together piece by piece because I've lost a lifetime."

On the following pages were glued bits of trash and litter, were drawn sketches that were captures of her dreams, were rationalizations that she could browse through at any time of the day.

Veronica flipped through receipts, candy wrappers, drawings until she arrived at a blank page. Carefully, she placed the date December 2, 2012. Then Veronica guiltily glanced up at the locked door.

"Duncan will take me to ballroom dancing classes. Knowing the prices in this country even through tv, I know in the salary he receives as a junior programmer, that will be too much of a luxury. The fee for that class is equivalent to two months' worth of food."

Veronica read through some of the entries about money that she had already written. Platinum cards with no limit. No bills coming in the mail. A penthouse oddly enough provided by the company to a junior programmer.

She had seen Duncan work on programs, and he would put a computer lab freshman to shame. He was not that brilliant an employee to deserve this much from a software company.

Veronica frowned at the stark clues in front of her. She was going to have the courage to follow through. She was certain whatever it was that Duncan was hiding, she would easily crack it.

i"It broke my heart so much to see you every day staring into nothing," he said, blinking away his tears. "I was losing you, and I knew it. I swear, Veronica, that you're not going to get hurt like that again. He has to walk over my dead body before he gets that chance again!"/i

Never once did Duncan mention that mysterious "he" again. After that initial burst of emotion when she blinked for the first time in so many months, Duncan had been nothing but staid, devoted and loyal—the most dependable husband a woman could have.

Veronica closed her eyes and prayed that it would all be so easy, and with a miracle, she would remember exactly what Duncan was so afraid of. Whatever the truth was, Veronica knew it would either make her love him so much more or despise him until she could imagine his head burning in hell for an eternity. Nothing came.

She opened her eyes and closed the book. She slid it under the bed once more and looked over at the door again. Veronica turned the knob and looked at Duncan, who stood outside patiently waiting.

Maybe she wasn't ready to hate him, if that was going to be the end of this search.

Veronica extended a hand and his closed around her fingers. She pulled him inside the room. "Sorry it took so long," she whispered.

Duncan stopped in front of her and laid his lips on top of her head. He nodded and closed his eyes.

tbc