Chapter Six

Late February 2019

"Hey." Veronica's smile lights up Logan's computer screen. From what he can tell, she's in the bedroom, propped up against the pillows with the laptop perched on her knees. "Sorry I'm late. I was over at Mac's for dinner and when I got home, Pony wouldn't stop whining until I took her out."

"That's okay," he says with a smile. "You're here now."

"I am… and we have the rest of the evening to ourselves."

He grins now, eyes drinking in the sight of her. "I like the sound of that."

She bites her lip and raises a suggestive eyebrow, which makes him chuckle. God, she's amazing. Even after all this time, she still gets my heart racing.

Before he can make a suitable innuendo-filled quip, she drops the playfulness, studying him seriously. "How are you doing, though?"

He sobers at the concern in her eyes. "I'm okay. I've been talking to Dr. Ramirez on the phone. She's been great. It's helping, I think."

"That's great," she says. "And the nightmares?"

He hesitates for a moment, before repeating, "It's helping."

"Logan…" Veronica's brow furrows and he knows she's not going to accept such a vague answer.

"I'm okay, Veronica," he assures her. "I promise. The nightmares haven't gone away completely, but they're not as bad, and I'm not getting them as much now."

Her lips curl up in a small, approving smile. "That's good. And the training?"

"Honestly? At this point, I'm just trying to stick it out to the end," he admits.

"You're not enjoying it at all?" Her face falls, eyes filled with concern.

"No, I am," he says quickly, then amends, "I mean, I'm trying to. I know it'll be worth it in the end… it's frigging Top Gun, after all… I'll just be glad when the stress is over."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She gives a knowing nod. "Kinda reminds me of law school. That first year, especially—so much work. It was not the most fun I've had."

"I can imagine."

"Anyway, you've only got a week and a half left," she says, brightening up. "That's no time at all."

"I know," he replies. "You still coming up for graduation next week?"

"Definitely." She grins. "I've booked a flight out after work Friday. I get into Reno about eight p.m."

"Great. I'll meet you there."

"You sure?" She seems surprised. "It's pretty far from the base… I can get a car."

"It's fine," he dismisses quickly with a slight shake of his head. Of course he's going to meet her at the airport, how can she think he won't? "I should be able to get a car from the base. Can't wait to see you."

"Me either." She smiles then, her demeanour relaxing. "Just think: in a couple weeks, the long distance will be over and we'll have more than two-and-a-half years together."

He grins widely, his heart giving a small flip at the prospect. "I know."

"Listen, I heard back from the movers today," she says then, her tone all-business as she reaches for some papers and a pen. "They're coming Tuesday 12th to load the truck, so we need to be ready by then. Can you let me know if there's anything else you want to take with us so I can box it up?"

"Sure," he agrees, smiling affectionately as she goes into full organization mode. "I'll send you an email."

They've decided to keep the house in Neptune and Mac is going to house-sit for a while, since the lease on her apartment is up soon, which means they don't have to worry about shipping all their furniture clear across the country too.

"Great. I have Pony booked in the hold for our flight out on the 15th," she continues, flipping through the papers. "Is the paperwork for the house in Virginia Beach sorted?"

She looks up at him expectantly, but he's too caught up in following her every movement to answer, marvelling at how she always seems to look flawless, no matter how tired or busy she is.

"Logan?"

He blinks, bringing his attention back to her words. "What?"

Veronica tuts at him, narrowing her eyes. "You're not even listening."

"I am," he protests, counting off on his fingers as he speaks, "Movers, Pony, paperwork."

"Yes, and…?"

"And, what?" he teases, knowing full-well what she asked him, but enjoying getting a rise out of her all the same.

She sighs exasperatedly. "Is the paperwork for the house sorted?"

"Yes, it's done," he tells her finally. "I got the orders yesterday."

"Thank you." She tries to hide the roll of her eyes in response, but he catches it anyway.

She marks off something with the pen and Logan can't help grinning. "I love it when you get all domestic."

"Well, someone's gotta do it," she mutters, eyes on the papers in front of her. When he doesn't respond, she looks up, her expression softening when she sees his expression. "What?"

"I know the whole Virginia thing sucks," he says. "But it's gonna be you and me together—"

"And Pony," she interrupts.

"You, me and Pony," he acknowledges with a nod. "For more than two years. You know, it'll be the longest we've ever spent together in one go."

"Oh, shit." Her eyes widen with faux-trepidation, one hand coming to her heart. "You think we'll make it? I mean, what if I get fed up of you after like, a year?"

"That's not gonna happen," he responds confidently, before gesturing to himself. "Fed up of all this? I don't think so."

She snorts a laugh. "Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, hotshot."

"Speaking of hot…" He lets his gaze roam over her image on the screen. "You're looking exceptionally delectable tonight. You know, I think we should make the most of this webcam thing."

She raises an eyebrow, though a smirk tugs at her lips. "Oh, it's like that, is it?"

"Well, for once, I'm not in a public computer room with a time limit," he says, lowering his voice. "We're alone, in private and we have all night."

"You're right, we are…" she murmurs softly. "And we do..."

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips and his stomach clenches in response, his body already reacting to her suggestive tone.

"Maybe I should get more comfortable," she adds, stretching seductively.

Logan swallows. "I think that's a good idea."

Picking up his laptop, he carries it into his bedroom and settles on the bed, mirroring her position against the pillows. His eyes follow her hungrily as she pulls her top over her head, then makes him reciprocate. And, yeah, okay, it's not the same as actually being with her, but it's pretty damn close.

Early March 2019

It's a bright, warm Saturday morning and Logan stands on the stage with his fellow officers, his shoulders squared, back straight and hands at his sides. He looks straight ahead, the brim of his cover just obscuring his view as he focuses his gaze above the heads of the audience. He knows Veronica is sitting out there—she caught his eye briefly earlier, smiling proudly as she took her seat—but as much as he wants to seek her out again, to smile back, they're in the middle of the graduation ceremony and he has to remain standing at attention. He can't get distracted.

As the CO makes his way along the line, saluting and shaking the hand of each of his fellow pilots, a combination of excitement and relief flows through Logan. He made it. He got through the STFI training and successfully came out the other side. In just a few moments, he'll be a qualified Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor. He'll be able to legitimately say he is a Top Gun pilot.

Beside him, the CO congratulates Bug—an F-35 pilot from South Carolina—shaking his hand, and then it's Logan's turn. He nods in the right places and holds his hand out to shake, but to be honest, it kind of goes by in a quick blur. When the Commander moves on to Moose, on his other side, Logan chances a glance toward Veronica. She's grinning widely, her face shining with happiness and pride. As her eyes lock with his, she gives a wink and a discreet thumbs-up, which has him pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

When the graduation ceremony is over and everyone starts to mingle, he weaves his way through the crowd towards her. Moving away from the rows of chairs, she meets him partway, rising up and pressing her hands on his shoulders for leverage as she kisses him.

"Congratulations," she says, pulling back, her eyes shining. "You did it."

"Yeah." He flashes a smile. "I did. Thank you for being here."

She flew into Reno last night and he met her at the airport, but with the hour-long drive back to the base, then the mind-blowing sex afterwards, he'd let her sleep in this morning while he got ready for the ceremony. He had to leave early for the preparations, so he didn't get a chance to see her again until now.

She presses her lips together for a moment, as if she's composing herself, then says, "I'm so proud of you."

His smile widens, warmth spreading through his chest in response. "Thank you."

She kisses him again, then lowers her heels back to the floor. "So, what happens next at this shindig?"

"Mingling, mostly," he admits, then gestures towards the tables of food and drink off to the side. "But there's sustenance to help us through it."

"Great." She grins, sliding her hand in his. "What are we waiting for?"

They grab a couple of glasses and fill two plates with finger food, then spend a suitable amount of time making small-talk, until they can escape the formalities and have some time to themselves. As they walk across the base to his small apartment, Logan looks down at Veronica with a smile. She's wearing modest heels and a dark green, knee-length, fitted dress that manages to hug her in all the right places without being inappropriate. Her hair falls around her shoulders in soft curls, one side pinned back behind her ear.

"You know, you look amazing today," he says appreciatively. "Not often you get all dolled up like this."

She looks down at herself, then shrugs. "It's a special occasion. I wanted to look my best."

Logan presses his lips together, suppressing a grin. "You mean you didn't want to stand out in your butch boots and leather jacket."

"No," she counters quickly, but then amends, "Well, not entirely. I did want to look nice for your big day."

She stops, turning to face him as she takes his hand, a soft smile on her face.

"You did it, Logan," she says, excitedly. "You got through the training and you graduated. From Top Gun."

"Yeah." He lets a smile cross his lips. It's over… and he can finally relax, for the first time in two-and-a-half months. "Yeah. I did. And you know what I feel the need for right now?"

"The need for speed?" she quips, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No." He grins, shaking his head. "Though it's a good thing you didn't say that back there. You'd have been fined for it."

"Fined? Why?" She looks puzzled.

"Any references or quotes from Top Gun during SFTI training are punishable by fine," he tells her.

It's true—it was one of the first rules they were taught when they arrived on base back in January.

"Really?" She grins. "Good thing I held my tongue then."

"Very good thing," he agrees, slinging an arm around her shoulders as they start walking again.

"So what do you feel the need for, then?" she asks a moment later.

"Well, first off: an actual meal. I'm starving. You wanna get some lunch at the on-base bar and grill?" He pauses, waiting for her reaction and she doesn't disappoint, nodding eagerly. "And after that, we might even have time for some private celebrating before we fly back to Neptune."

"Sounds like a plan," she agrees easily. "Food and sex: two of my favourite things."

He chuckles, tugging her closer and kissing the top of her head. "Great minds think alike, huh?"

Mid-March 2019

Just over a week later, on Monday afternoon, Veronica sits back on her heels and surveys the carnage that is their new living room in Virginia Beach. There are boxes everywhere, and Pony is having the time of her life playing with the bubble wrap.

Where the hell did all this stuff come from? Her eyes roam the room with bewilderment. I could have sworn we didn't bring this much with us.

They arrived here Friday night, after a rather emotional going-away party at her father's on Thursday evening, and thankfully their new, assigned house is fully furnished, because the movers got delayed somewhere in the mid-west and only arrived this morning with their belongings. Of course, Veronica had to get started on the unpacking alone because Logan was required to report to the base at nine a.m. for his first day at work.

"Come here, Pone," she says good-naturedly when the dog tries to scramble past. She reaches for Pony's collar and tugs her in for a cuddle, scratching the top of her head as she exhales heavily. "Whose brilliant idea was this, huh? Moving clear across the country with a house-load of stuff… what a crazy, stupid thing to do."

Pony gives a soft whine and looks up at Veronica with sad eyes. She's been skittish and timid since they arrived, still recovering from the ordeal of the long flight on Friday, and having to adjust to her new, unfamiliar surroundings.

"I know, sweetheart," she murmurs, stroking Pony's soft, silky fur. "It's all new and scary, huh? For me, too. But we'll get used to it."

Her gaze flits around the room again, and with a sigh, she looks down at the dog in her lap.

"What do you say to getting out of here for a bit, get some fresh air? You wanna go for a walk?" At that, Pony gives a bark and jumps up, her tail wagging enthusiastically. "Okay, then, let's go."

Veronica fastens Pony's leash to her collar, then grabs her bag and a warm jacket—she'd forgotten how much colder it was on the East Coast than in Neptune this time of year—and heads out of the door.

They've gotten pretty lucky with their accommodations here—the Navy was able to provide them with a two-bed, two-bath house in a quiet street just a couple of blocks from the beach and less than five miles from the base. From what Veronica's seen of the area so far, it seems nice, but they haven't had much chance to explore yet, having spent most of the weekend making frantic phone calls, trying to find out what had happened to the moving truck.

She takes Pony down to the beach and throws a Frisbee around for as long as she can stand in the cold wind. Deciding she needs something to warm her up, they walk up the coast until she comes across a quaint, old-fashioned-looking bakery call May's Parlor, which smells amazing. Leaving Pony securely tied up outside, Veronica pulls open the door and is immediately assaulted by the delicious aroma of coffee and pastries wafting through the air. It makes her mouth water.

Stepping up to the counter, she orders an Americano and a slice of Apple Caramel Spice cake, then adds a Pain Au Chocolat to-go for Logan. Of course it's just typical that when she reaches into her bag for her wallet, it's not there.

"Crap," she mutters, rummaging through the bag. Where the hell is it? Oh, that's right; it's still on the kitchen counter from when we ordered take-out last night. She looks up at the cashier apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I'm going to have to leave it. I don't have any money with me."

"It's not a problem," comes a male voice from behind her, and an arm stretches out to hand the cashier a $20. "Here. It's on me."

"Oh… no, you don't have to do that." Veronica shakes her head as she turns to face the guy. He's tall and slim, with sandy-blond hair and blue eyes. "Seriously."

The man gives a shrug and a smile. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Uh, okay… thanks." Veronica nods gratefully. "But you have to let me repay you."

"That's really not necessary," he insists, "but maybe you could keep me company while we eat?" When she hesitates, he flashes a friendly smile. "I don't bite, I promise. I just don't fancy doing the whole awkward 'yes, I'm eating alone again' thing today."

"Sure, why not?" she finds herself agreeing. The guy seems nice enough, after all. "I'm Veronica, by the way."

"Nick," he replies, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Veronica."

He puts in his order and then suggests they sit at the table by the window, where Pony is sitting right outside, next to another dog—a yellow lab.

"I like to keep an eye on her while I'm inside," explains Nick, gesturing to the Labrador as they take a seat. "I hate to leave her out there on her own. Poor girl."

"I know what you mean," says Veronica. "The black one's mine. Her name's Pony."

"That's Marley right there."

"Marley? Seriously?" Her tone is sceptical.

Nick grins. "You can blame my wife for that one. She's obsessed with the book and the movie, so when we decided to get a dog, there was no talking her out of either the breed or the name."

"Okay." Veronica can't help but chuckle softly.

"Hey, like it's any better than Pony?" retorts Nick. "I mean, what kind of a name is that?"

"It's, uh…" Veronica smirks. "Kind of an inside joke."

"Well, don't leave me hanging." Nick gestures for her to continue. "Go on."

"Growing up, I always wanted a pony, even though I knew it was never gonna happen," she says. "When we got a dog, we couldn't decide on a name for her, so I just started calling her 'my pony'. It kinda stuck."

"Cute story." Nick flashes her a smile as the waitress appears and places their orders down on the table.

"So, Nick, what brings you here at three o'clock on a Monday afternoon?" Veronica asks as she picks up a fork and digs into the enormous slice of cake in front of her. "You don't work?"

"Well, I did, but I had to give up the job when we moved," he explains. "The joys of being a military spouse."

"Ah, I know them well." Veronica nods in agreement. "My husband and I just got here a couple days ago."

"Ah, so, you're familiar then."

"I am, though this is our first move together, so I'm still getting used to having to do it," she explains. "How long have you been here?"

"We actually lived here in Virginia Beach for a couple years about four years ago," he says. "Then we ended up out in California for a year between my wife's deployments, and now we're back at Oceana again."

Veronica lets out a low whistle. "Wow, a lot of moving."

"Yeah, but you kinda get used to it after a while." Nick shrugs. "At least this posting is longer than the last one, so I can get a long-term job again. Though, it's been four months already and I haven't found anything yet."

"Sorry to hear that," says Veronica sympathetically. "What kind of work are you in?"

"My background is Computer Engineering, but I was in Web Design before we left Virginia last time," he tells her. "Don't know if I wanna get back into that or not though. Right now, I'm just looking for anything I can… which isn't much around these parts, so I'm basically a house-husband these days. What about you?"

"Well, since we only just moved here, I have no idea what I'm going to do yet," says Veronica, taking a sip of her Americano. "Back home, my father and I run a PI business, but I have a law degree as well."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive."

"I guess. I haven't used the degree so far," she admits. "I had a bit of a change of heart after law school; ended up moving back home and working with my dad again. I took the California bar back in 2016, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually practise law."

"Still, it's an option," he says. "If you wanted to."

"Yeah, it is."

She nods in agreement, though the idea doesn't sound that appealing right now. After all, it's the PI work she's missing, not law. Not to mention, she'd have to take the Virginia bar in order to practice here, and that would take months.

"Ah," Nick says then, his gaze going to the window. "Looks like our dogs are getting restless without us out there."

Veronica turns to see Pony wagging her tail and looking up at her pleadingly through the glass.

"Seems they are," she agrees. "I think we've spent too much time chatting and eating cake for their liking. We should go rescue them."

They finish up their food and drinks, and Veronica grabs Logan's to-go bag as they leave the small café. It turns out Nick is heading the same way along the beach as she is, so they walk back together.

"Looks like Pony's made a new friend," Veronica remarks with a smile as the two dogs play in the surf.

"It would seem so." Nick nods. "Marley loves having company of the canine persuasion."

"Pony hasn't really been around other dogs much," she says. "We don't really have any dog-owner friends back in California."

"That's too bad," says Nick. "You know, maybe we could set up, like, a regular playdate for them? We come out to the beach a lot anyway… and I can never resist going into the bakery either. It'd be nice to have some company."

"You know what? I like that idea." Veronica smiles. "It'll be good for Pony to have a friend around, and those cakes are amazing."

"Okay." Nick stops, pulling out his phone. "Well, let me give you my number and you can just shoot me a text or something if you fancy meeting up."

"Thanks. Will do." Veronica adds his number to her contacts, though she neglects to give him hers—never can be too careful. "Besides, I still owe you for the cake and coffee back there."

"Seriously, you don't need to worry about it," he dismisses with a wave of his hand.

"No, I will pay you back," she vows. "I insist. I always pay my debts."

"Like a Lannister, huh?" he jokes.

She grins. "Well, there's a little less bloodshed involved."

"I'm glad for that."

Veronica glances around then, noting that they've reached the section of beach that leads back to the new house.

"Anyway, I'm up this way." She gestures toward the blocks of houses behind them. "I should be heading home. Lots of unpacking still to do."

She calls to Pony, who comes bounding across the sand and promptly shakes a combination of sand and salt water all over her as she tries to attach her leash. Task accomplished, she straightens up and holds out her hand to Nick.

"Nice to meet you, Nick," she says as he shakes it. "Thanks for the company—and the coffee and cake."

He smiles. "You too, Veronica."

Veronica's sitting on the couch, poring over take-out menus when Logan gets home a couple of hours later. His eyes widen at the chaos that is the living room; there are boxes everywhere, some open and half unpacked and some still sealed, and there's trampled bubble-wrap strewn across the carpet.

"Wow, looks like a bomb went off in here," he says by way of greeting.

"Hey." Veronica looks up from the menu in her hands, giving him a smile. "You're home."

Logan leans down for a kiss, then sinks down next to her on the couch.

"What happened?" He gestures to their surroundings.

"Oh… well, I started unpacking, but then Pony decided the bubble-wrap was her favourite new toy and that's when it got messy," she explains. "I needed a break and Pone had energy to burn, so we went for a walk along the beach."

"Sounds like a busy day," he comments, eyeing the boxes.

"Yeah." She nods. "I found this gorgeous little café-bakery place along the beach earlier—it has these amazing cakes and pastries. I brought one back for you actually."

"Thanks." He smiles, his mouth watering at the thought of pastries. "So, you had a good day?"

"It depends on your definition of good, I guess." She gives a small smile. "Moving is exhausting. On the plus side, Pony made a new friend at the beach."

"Yeah?" Logan glances around the room. "Where is she, by the way?"

"Asleep in the kitchen," Veronica says. "She's still getting used to the move and everything."

"Poor girl," he says. "So, a new friend, huh?"

"Yeah, a yellow Lab named Marley."

He laughs. "Marley, seriously?"

"That was exactly my reaction." She grins. "Her owner helped me out in the bakery and we got to chatting. We're gonna try to arrange some doggie playdates on the beach."

"Sounds fun."

"Yeah." She smiles. "But enough about my day, how was yours?"

"Long and boring." He rolls his shoulders to relieve some of the tension from having been sitting down all day. "The first few days on a new base are filled with nothing but paperwork, training videos and PowerPoint presentations."

"Yuck." Veronica's nose scrunches up in response.

"Yep. And I gotta do it all again tomorrow." He fakes a cheerful smile. "Fun times."

"I bet," she says. "I don't know which is worse: having to unpack all our crap, or being stuck in presentations all day."

"Honestly, I'd rather the unpacking," he admits. "I can help you with some of it tonight… but after we've eaten. I'm starving."

"Sounds like a plan." She shoots him a grin, then holds up a couple of take-out menus. "So, what'll it be: Chinese or Indian?"

"Indian," he says decisively.

Her eyes light up. "Good choice."

While she puts in the food order, Logan heads to their bedroom to change out of his uniform and into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. When he returns to the living room, he finds Veronica still in the same position on the sofa and he joins her again, lifting his arm so she can curl up beside him. As she rests her head on his chest, he lets his fingers drift along her upper arm.

"So… this is Virginia, huh?" he says.

"Yeah." She nods against his t-shirt. "It is."

"How're you finding it so far?"

"I think the jury's still out on that one right now," she says softly. "It's not Neptune, that's for sure."

"Got that right." He nods in agreement.

"How do you do it, Logan?" she asks then. "Move around so much, I mean. Having to get to know new places all the time."

He shrugs. "I don't know—you just have to suck it up and do it, 'cause you don't have a choice."

"I suppose."

"It helps that a Navy base is a Navy base is a Navy base," he adds. "The physical locations might change, but all the bases look pretty much the same, and the job is the same everywhere too. When I'm working, I don't really notice it."

"Yeah…" her voice is softer now, like she's unsure of herself.

"You okay?" He glances down at her.

"I kinda feel like I'm in limbo right now," she admits. "We've left Neptune, but we haven't settled in here yet… I don't really know which way is up."

"It's always hard at first, but give it some time," he says gently. "We'll get settled."

She lifts her head, shifting so she can face him as she gives a small smile. "I hope so."

"We will." He lifts his fingers, smoothing her hair behind her ear, then letting them trail down her neck. "And we'll do it together."

"Yeah." She smiles more fully now. "We will."