January 1st, 2016

Logan woke up with the sun. He traveled so much these days that it was just his natural instinct rather than relying on alarms. His head pounded and the rest of him felt empty. He scratched his head as he sat up, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Lilly's room? He hadn't been here in ages...hadn't slept here since high school. He wasn't surprised to see the other side of the bed empty—things weren't like that between them anymore.

But how did I end up...realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Images and memories of the previous evening deluged through his mind in a rush.

Shit, Veronica and Donut. What the hell?

It bothered him that his first inclination was to hit the bottle. Logan knew just where the liquor cabinet was in the Kane house, and since they only drank socially, it was sure to be well-stocked. Drinking was tempting, especially here, in this house with all its ghosts.

No! No matter the circumstances, he refused to fall back on old habits. No alcohol, no women.

But he couldn't stay here. The silence was deafening and the walls were too close. He sat up and threw back the covers, searching wildly around for his phone. It vibrated from the bedside table and he grabbed it. The name on the caller ID made him groan: Veronica. He shuddered at the thought of her calling him from a bed she shared with Duncan. Bile rose up in his throat at the very thought. Not ready to deal with her, he immediately ignored the call and pulled up the Mindbody app. When he found what he was looking for, he smiled. Perfect! He had a little time to kill, so he stripped down to his boxers and crossed Lilly's room to her bathroom.

Lilly woke up with a grumble and pulled the extra pillow on the bed over her eyes, cursing the east-facing guest bedroom she'd chosen. It couldn't be 8:00 a.m. yet, and she'd wanted to sleep in. It was the first time in over a decade that she'd stayed sober on New Year's Eve, but she felt more hungover this morning than she ever had after a night of partying. Not only had she not slept well the previous night, she'd hardly slept at all.

After she'd dragged Logan up to her old room in her parents', thankfully empty, house, she'd sat him down on her bed and pried every last bit of information out of him. After he'd relayed the whole tale to her, coffee shop proposal and all, she'd briefly left him to go and wash the makeup off of her face. When she'd emerged from the bathroom just ten minutes later, she'd found him asleep on her bed, fully clothed.

She was grateful however that one of them could sleep. Because she'd been up most of the night pacing the hallways while piecing together his words. Lilly had assumed that Logan had always had a puppy love crush on Veronica. Even when Lilly and Logan had dated in high school, she'd always known that Veronica held a special place in his heart. But that was years ago, and nothing had ever come of it—or so she had mistakenly thought—so she hadn't given the idea of Logan and Veronica as a couple much thought until last night. Last night when she'd noticed Logan's reaction to how familiar Duncan seemed to be with Veronica. And then he'd leapt to her defense when Lilly had criticized Veronica wardrobe and sneered every time Duncan had touched her.

Last night's announcement had been a shock to her as well. She couldn't wrap her head around any of it: Veronica and Duncan engaged, them being in love, Veronica as a politician's wife...Lilly shook her head, still unable make sense of it all. The effort was fruitless. Duncan and Veronica as a unit was just so...high school.

Lilly groaned again and threw the pillow away from her face and onto the floor. She padded down the hall and peeked into the room where Logan had crashed. He wasn't in bed. A few steps into the room told her that he was using the shower, so she went downstairs and fired up the Keurig. She had a feeling they were both in need of a little caffeine this morning.

She'd just reached the top of the staircase, coffee mugs in hand, when Logan emerged from her bedroom, showered and fully dressed in last night's crumpled suit, his shoes in his hand.

"I gotta run," he said without preamble.

"Well, good morning and Happy New Year to you, too," she chirped with a raised eyebrow, taken aback by his current state. She stepped to block his path and held one mug out to him. "Listen, you don't have to run on my account. Nothing happened last night...at least not between us," she pointed back and forth between them.

"No, it's not that. I've got yoga in twenty minutes, and I still have to stop by the hotel and get my car," Logan said before taking a sip from his mug and smiling at her. She wasn't buying it.

"Yoga my ass! Logan Echolls doesn't do yoga. Plus, it's New Year's Day...a national holiday. I doubt there are even classes today, let alone at 9:00 a.m. What are you really doing?"

"Well, you are wrong on all counts. I do do yoga now." She threw him a skeptical glare and he laughed. "I can't surf half the places I travel now, and my board and shit is in LA. When I can't surf, I do yoga. It keeps me centered," he whispered the last part with a conspiratorial wink.

She scoffed, but he ignored it.

"Seriously," he continued. "And there are a ton of classes this morning. New Year's resolutions and all." He gulped down a bit more coffee and grinned at her. The strange thing was, she almost believed him. "Gotta run!" He handed her his mug and made his way past her to the staircase. He was a few steps down when Lilly remembered something.

"But, Logan, your car! Gimme a minute and I'll get dressed...drop you off." She felt bad for not thinking of it right away. She'd just been so thrown by his behavior.

"No need, Uber is coming." His phone buzzed and he held it out for her to see. "See? Perfect timing." He trotted back up the steps to and gave her another brief kiss, on the temple this time. "I'll see you later, Lil. Thanks for the coffee. You're the best," he called out as he disappeared down the stairs.

"We still need to talk about...well, everything," Lilly called down to the foyer, sure that he could still hear her.

"Uh-huh. Later," he yelled back dismissively, not even looking back up at her. "Love ya!" And then Logan Echolls disappeared out the front door.

Not for the first time, Logan was happy that the adult version of himself kept workout clothes in his car. He didn't have much time. He checked in at the counter and purchased an extraordinarily overpriced yoga mat.

The room was quickly filling up, but he found a spot in the back corner.

Rip off! he thought as he unwrapped the cheap mat from its plastic and spread it out. But he'd be damned if he was going to use one of the sweaty loaners. He sat down and began to stretch his muscles, the tension from nerves these past few days combined with the angst of the previous night had left him tight. He closed his eyes and took a few deep belly breaths, letting the air fill his lungs completely before slowly releasing it.

Yes, he thought, this is exactly what I needed. I—

"Logan?"

No, it can't be. Just clear your mind and let—

"Logan! I can see you, you know. Just because your eyes are closed doesn't mean that I can't see you."

Veronica! He hadn't just imagined it? Although at that moment, he'd willingly have given his bottom dollar to have it not be true. You've gotta be fucking kidding me!

He slowly opened just one eye, silently praying to a god that he didn't believe in that he'd progressed to full auditory hallucinations. Even that would be better than… "Hey, Veronica."

She was grinning down at him, and the light almost formed a halo around her blonde hair. For a moment he could almost believe that the previous night hadn't happened. Maybe it had all been a dream. Maybe she wasn't engaged to Donut and she was—

"What are you doing here? I thought you and Lilly had taken off to go party somewhere without the glorious fifty-and-over crowd," Veronica said. She still smiled, but she looked decidedly uncomfortable.

Good, he thought, back in reality. At least it's not only me. "Not so much. Lilly and I—"

Logan was interrupted by the instructor's arrival and announcements. He did his best not to tense up when Veronica stripped down to her capri yoga pants and sports bra and settled herself next to him. So, not so much with the actual centering and calming. He sighed and did his best to block the world out completely. Futilely.

Logan hopped up off of the ground the second class was over and forced himself to calmly walk to the locker room rather than run like he wanted to. It wasn't that he was avoiding her or anything. It was just that he didn't want to see or talk to her right now. But Logan knew he couldn't avoid her forever. The fact that he was currently contemplating buying a ticket to London didn't mean anything. Nope, not at all.

He didn't want to waste time so he just splashed some water on his face and then threw on an old Hearst hoodie that he'd found in the trunk. He slid his feet haphazardly into his shoes and made his way to the lobby. Thankfully, Veronica was nowhere to be seen. He tried to make a hasty escape but was caught by the receptionist for a moment. She asked him about the class and explained that most of the yoga studios in the area were connected. Logan assumed that she was trying to sell him a membership, but all he took away from the conversation was that it wasn't safe to do yoga at any studio in Neptune without running the risk of bumping into Veronica. He tried not to be rude as he brushed her off and snuck out the front door, happy to be in the clear. Logan felt guilty for avoiding Veronica, but he was hurt and needed time to—

"Hey there, stranger. I think you forgot this." He stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of her voice and then looked up. She was sitting on the hood of his car; obviously she'd been waiting for him. She held out his rolled-up mat. He hadn't even realized he'd left it in the room.

"Hey. Yeah, thanks. It was a good class," he mumbled, willing his itchy hand to not run through his hair. It was his tell, and she'd know that. He had to be cool.

"Look, Logan. I know you're avoiding me—"

"Like you've been avoiding me?" he threw at her. So much for keeping his cool.

"Okay, I deserve that. But you were busy with your...British heiress friend and I didn't want to bug you. I've been busy too, ya know."

He couldn't hold back a scoff. What did Phil have to do with any of this? His hands, as if on auto drive, buried themselves in his hair and mussed. "I think a phone call would have worked. Hell, you didn't even have to dial, you could have just hit 'answer' any of the fifty times I called you," he sneered. "So, when's the big day?"

"Listen, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't know the announcement was happening right then. I tried to call you, and I followed you out. I guess I was avoiding telling you about me and Duncan. It all happened so suddenly."

Logan wasn't ready to have this conversation. "You should probably get back to Duncan at the hotel." He almost gagged on his words. The thought of the two of them in bed made him seethe for the second time that morning.

"It isn't...we have separate suites there. Celeste doesn't think it's appropriate to—"

"I don't need the details," he said hastily.

Veronica gave him a curious look, set his mat down on the windshield, hopped off the hood and took a few steps toward him.

He instinctively stepped back in tandem. He heard her quick intake of breath and he immediately regretted his recoil. She looked hurt and sad. He knew the feeling. Truth be told, he wanted nothing more than to touch her. He knew that he wasn't ready to face her right now, but he didn't want to lose her either. He shook his head and let out a breath before he closed the distance between them, giving her an awkward hug. "Hey, you know what? Bygones. I was just caught off-guard...surprised. I'd thought...well, that doesn't matter anymore. Umm, congratulations!" His words sounded half-hearted at best, even to his own ears.

"Thanks," she replied, her focus darting from one of his eyes to the other rhythmically. After a second, she seemed to get her bearings. She reached out and play-punched the side of his arm, but when she spoke, her voice was strained. "Hey, I know Duncan wants to talk to you too. We should all have lunch. Maybe Lilly could come? We can hang out like old times?" She sounded about as unsure about it as he felt.

Why did she feel like a stranger? He rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable, and spun around in a slow circle as he contemplated how to respond to a request to hang out 'like old times'. When his circle was complete and he still had no good answer, he replied, "Yeah, sounds great. Give Lilly a call and set it all up. She was...um...surprised too." Understatement of the century.

"I will. I'll call her later today. Thanks, Logan. Would you like to grab breakfast? I'm starving, and—"

"Oh, man, would you look at the time?" Logan held up his hand and realized he wasn't wearing a watch. He moved to fish his phone out of his pocket but decided not to bother. "I've gotta...go," he finished lamely.

"Oh, sure. If you've gotta go. Next time!" She sounded hopeful and smiled.

"Absolutely!" He flashed a grin. "Next time." He nodded. Logan patted her on the back awkwardly as he moved around her to grab the yoga mat off of his hood. He unlocked his car, threw the mat and his bag onto the passenger seat and hesitated before turning back to face her. He couldn't quite look her in the eye when he said, "I'm happy for you, Veronica. Really! See you soon." And then he jumped into his car without giving her a chance a reply.

He watched her eyes follow him as he turned the engine over, backed out of the spot, and made his way through the parking lot. She was still standing there, staring after him as he pulled onto the road and sped away. When she was finally out of sight, he let out a long breath and pulled his phone out of his pocket. Lilly was the only person he knew of who cared about Veronica as much as he did. They'd have to lean on each other through this.

When his call connected, he didn't wait for the recipient to speak. "Lil. You were right. We need to talk. When can we meet?"

Veronica's heart constricted for a split second as he drove away. She watched Logan's car until it was out of sight and then walked on unsteady legs to her own car. Veronica opened her door and sat down in the seat, leaning her head on the steering wheel. She was so full of mixed emotions that she felt tears threatening. She hadn't slept well and was tired. And that conversation had been terrible; it hadn't at all gone how Veronica had imagined, but at least it was over.

She'd almost thought she'd lost her mind when she'd walked into the studio and seen Logan in her regular spot in the back corner. She always tried to hide in yoga class because she wasn't very coordinated. It also helped her to avoid interacting with other regulars such as Madison Sinclair and Shelly Pomroy. She'd been frustrated when her usual spot was taken and then that frustration had been replaced with unease at the sight of who was in her spot. Her instinct had been to run for the door, but she'd assumed that he'd already seen her. It wasn't until she'd called out to him that she realized his eyes were closed. When he'd raced out of the studio after class, she'd been determined to catch up to him. She had avoided Logan Echolls long enough. And now that the cat was out of the bag, she needed to pull herself together. They'd likely see a great deal of each other in the coming weeks if Duncan had anything to do with it.

Now that their first encounter after the big announcement was behind her, she wished she'd waited for lunch with the foursome as Duncan had suggested. She needed her friends with her; she'd needed backup. Veronica lifted her head off of the steering wheel and rubbed her tired eyes. She was genuinely shocked by Logan's reaction. She'd expected him to be surprised by the news of her engagement, of course. Especially considering the way he'd found out. She would have liked to tell him herself rather than have the announcement thrust upon them all, but it hadn't worked out that way.

The blow-up that was Logan's usual reaction to being blindsided hadn't ever come. She'd been prepared for it...even welcomed it. When Logan lashed out, he got over things more quickly. But what had surprised her the most was that not only did he not seem mad, he didn't seem relieved either. After the initial shock had worn off, she'd assumed he would be happy that they'd both found someone before the coffee house proposal deadline. After all, he was practically engaged to the UK's Princess Perfect, so why did he seem so...withdrawn. Withdrawn was unexpected, and when it came to Logan Echolls, unexpected was not a good thing. The image of Logan's face the night before came into her mind. He looked sucker punched and confused, but there had been something more there too—something she couldn't quite place. Veronica shook off the fresh tears building behind her eyes. The situation wasn't ideal, but she couldn't go back in time. She had to move forward.

Veronica started the car and pulled on her seatbelt. At least he'd agreed to go to lunch with her. It could have gone worse. She had a feeling it was already pretty bad. She had to fix this; she couldn't lose him. He was Duncan's best friend too. Between the two of them, and with Lilly's help, surely they could get Logan to come around. She smiled, determined. She'd go back to the hotel, shower and change, and then call Lilly. They'd be back to being the Fab Four in no time. And if Logan's new friend made them the Fab Five, then so be it. Change happened. Veronica would force herself to get used to the idea, maybe even eventually like it.

Thanks for reading and to Lisa for reminding me to post!

As always, I am super excited to hear from you guys and read what you think. I enjoy all ConCrit. I won't, however, be posting comments that are meanspirited, which I think is fair. If you really don't like this story or my characterization, I kindly want to let you know that things are just going to be more of the same throughout the remaining chapters. It is designed to be a fun story that is very AU. DOn't say I didn't warn you :)

This is a short chapter, but it's setting up the next one, which I had a lot of fun with...so you have that to look forward to. Thanks for kmd0107 and brit for being fab betas!