Drunk Logan
Chapter 34

A/N: You wanted it, you got it!

A/N: It looks like a lot of people have been messed up with the M rating. They are having trouble finding the story. I'm not sure what to do about it, though. I can't put it back to T to remind everyone...so, I don't know. Anyway, for those of you who have been able to find it, hope you enjoy. For everyone else, I may have to hunt them down. What's a girl to do?

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On their way home, Logan stopped and suddenly pulled a U-Turn. Veronica was taken completely off-guard.

"Wh-what are you doing, Logan!" She screeched.

He turned into a parking lot and parked quickly in front of a Mongolian food restaurant.

"Well, I think it's time we stopped ordering in all of the time. We are eating out tonight!" He said in a grand voice. She shook her head and laughed at his dramatic ways.

"Sounds great." They got out of the SUV and walked hand in hand into the restaurant.

Veronica and Logan had eaten at the Mongolian restaurant a few times the first time they were friends. They had gone by themselves because Lilly and Duncan never wanted Mongolian. Veronica never knew if it was because they couldn't get past the fact that they were having to dish up frozen pieces of raw meat from a buffet line or if it was just that they had to serve themselves. Either way, whenever Logan or Veronica had a craving for it, they would call each other, knowing that the Kane siblings would suggest another option.

"Wow, it's been forever since I've been here." She looked up at Logan and smiled. "We had a lot of good times here."

"Yeah, it was the only time we got to spend any real time together. It was so rare that Duncan and Lilly weren't around, but this place was just ours." Logan finished quietly and he had adopted a faraway look in his eyes as the hint of a smile twitched at his mouth.

"What is it? What are you thinking about?" She didn't know what could make him space out like that in the middle of their conversation.

"I was just remembering something."

When he didn't continue, Veronica prodded him. "And..."
He ducked his head a little and said, "I was remembering that there were a couple of times when I suggested coming here because I just wanted some alone time with you, not because I really wanted the food."

"Really?" She couldn't believe what he was saying. He was with Lilly then. The thought that he felt like she could offer him something that he didn't get from Lilly or Duncan, was foreign to her.

"Yeah. You always made me feel special Veronica, like you really cared. I had a great time with Lilly, but it was more wild and fun and always fast-paced. That's all it was, though. We never had any quiet, real moments."

"Of course Duncan's great, he's my best friend. As for caring and tender moments, well let's just say, that's not the kind of relationship we have." She smiled at his humor.

"It was nice to come here with you and be able to talk about anything. You never made fun of me for anything I said and you opened up more with me when we were alone. I felt like we were more real with each other when we were alone. I just needed that...needed you sometimes."

"You probably think that's sappy, huh?" He asked her, shrugging.

"No, actually, I used to do that too, sometimes." It was her turn to look away.

"What? Are you just saying that?" Veronica's life had been practically perfect when she was dating Duncan and best friends with Lilly. 'Why would she want to spend time with just me?'

"No, I'm serious. I used to love spending time with you, but it was so hard with Lilly and Duncan. I mean, the minute that we would start to have a real conversation, one of them would interrupt us. Lilly was bigger than life and would own the conversation whenever she was around. The few times she wasn't taking your attention away, Duncan required mine. I always felt like we were on the verge of great conversations until they would show up. Being here was the only time our conversations were allowed to go deeper than school gossip without any distractions." She mirrored his shrug.

Logan was completely giddy. He had always thought that she just really wanted the Mongolian food and that it had nothing to do with him. After all, the girl could pack the stuff away at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

They finished eating and left the restaurant. It was dark outside and the parking lot was lit by streetlights. Logan stopped walking and suddenly yanked Veronica's arm back, sending her flying into his arms. When she smashed into him, he grabbed her around the waist and began dancing with her.

Veronica squealed and giggled out of surprise, but all of that melted away as soon as she looked up into Logan's chocolate brown eyes. They were like windows into his soul. She knew that he wasn't just goofing around. She saw only deep love and desire.

"Logan.." she whispered.
"You are so beautiful, Veronica. I love you so much. I'm still shocked that you're here with me and I'm hoping that you don't wake up one of these days questioning why you are."

"Not a chance, Logan. Not a chance." She said fervently. "I don't have a choice. I have to be here because it hurts too much when I'm not. I love you." With that she tightened her hold on his shirt and pulled him toward her, there lips crashing with an immediate intensity.

They continued kissing and dancing until a car came by and a bunch of kids started hollering out the window at them. They broke apart and began to walk toward the Xterra, but they were both in a daze. Their arms were wrapped around each other as he opened her door for her.

"So are you pretty tired or do you still have some energy?" Logan asked her as they arrived at the house.

"Oh, I'm okay. What did you have in mind?" She was tired, but she wasn't ready to separate from Logan yet. She wanted to spend as much time with him as he was willing.

"Well, maybe a night swim? You don't even have to go through the trouble of changing into your swimsuit...I mean, considering you're now a pro at skinny dipping." He smirked as he obviously checked out her body.

"Yeah, and when my dad comes home in the middle of our swim?" She gave him a questioning look.

Logan laughed loudly. "With our luck, he'd probably decide to join us before he knew what was happening. Okay, go get your suit on."

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It took less than five minutes of them swimming and playing around in the water before they gravitated toward each other. It amazed Veronica how quickly things could change with them. One minute they could be joking around and talking about nothing, really. The next they would be in the most intense moments, emotionally and physically.

They were holding each other as they leaned against the pool wall, staring into each other's eyes. Logan brushed a strand of golden hair away from her face; and she shuttered at the amazing feeling that such a simple touch could create within her.

"Are you cold?" His eyes showed concern, but the intensity behind them had not lessened.

Veronica couldn't answer him. All of her energy was focused on the sensory overload she was experiencing. She couldn't force herself to speak, only feel. She just shook her head slightly as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Ronnie," Logan said in a low voice as he gently held her cheek and ran his thumb over her lips. He bent down slowly, holding her gaze with his own. He kissed the corner of her mouth and then pulled back slightly. The desire he felt was reflected back in her eyes.
He was stunned. He was still getting used to the fact that they were no longer enemies. So much had happened in three weeks that sometimes he didn't believe that it was all real. Seeing her desire for him was part of that. He was in awe of her, and in awe of her feelings for him.

"How did I manage to end up with you? After everything that has happened...there's no way I will ever deserve you." This was one of the rare times that Logan Echolls was not touting how great he was.

Normally, Logan exuded an unrivaled air of confidence. Only those times when the world was really getting him down or during the most emotionally intimate moments would he admit that he was anything less than great.

Being with Veronica, though, he noticed that it was happening more and more. It wasn't because he was depressed, it was more that he had found someone he could trust with his feelings, all of his feelings. Those feelings that he didn't even talk to Duncan about, that he learned early on not to trust Lilly with; his most personal thoughts were open to Veronica. The oddest part? It didn't scare him at all.

"Are you kidding me, Logan?" She was speaking softly, but strongly. She wanted to make sure that he knew she was confident in what she was saying, that she wasn't saying it out of obligation.

"I have told you that there is no way I would have made it through these last few weeks without you." She was so afraid that he wouldn't believe her, so she decided to try a different route.

"Look, I understand what you're saying. You were a...not very nice person." She gave him a soft smile. "But, you know what, neither was I where you were concerned. Lilly's death hurt both of us and Duncan, and we've all dealt with it differently. I'm not saying it was okay, but do you forgive me for the things I've done to you?"

"Of course. I love you, Veronica." He was adamant and surprised that she would even ask for his forgiveness.

"So why wouldn't I forgive you? I love you, Logan Echolls. I forgive you and I don't want either of us to keep paying for our past sins." She continued as she saw the tears well up in his eyes and she fought back her own. "I just want to move forward. As long as we're together, we'll be fine. No more blame. Please be with me on this, I need you to be with me, okay?" She was pleading with him. She couldn't stand him thinking that he wasn't her equal. She wanted to end all of the push and pull and competition that had been between them in the past.

"Absolutely," Logan breathed out before he pulled her back into him. He was so overwhelmed by her openness with him. It'd been so long since he'd seen her that open with anyone, let alone him.

He kissed her so deeply and so passionately, wanting that one kiss to remove all of the pain and doubt and mistrust that had been between them. He was crushing her to him, but he wished he could be even closer.

They were kissing frantically and holding on with desperation as if they were fighting to stay sane, stay whole.
When they finally did break apart, Logan's work had just begun. He worked his way along her jaw line, to her ear and down her neck.

He heard her gasp and then moan his name. His name. Hearing his name escape her lips in ecstasy was akin to lighting a fire within him.

He lifted her legs to wrap around him as he leaned his upper back against the pool wall for support and she could feel his erection pressing against her. They felt so close, with only the thin material of their bathing suits between them. He continued to kiss and nibble and suck on her smooth skin.

As one hand cupped her ass, the other moved up her side slowly before it came to rest with his thumb just under her breast and his fingers beside it. She was acutely aware of his hands, his mouth, his every touch.

She was scared. She didn't want to make love to him yet. She wasn't ready for that, but she did want more than he was giving her at that moment. She tightened her legs around him so that she was pressed further to him and dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulder and back.

Veronica arched into him, wanting him to touch her, but not wanting to verbalize those desires. As if he understood what she was silently asking of him, he softly ran his thumb over her highly sensitized nipple.

He heard the whimpers coming from her and knew that she was as lost in the feeling as he was. When she started to tentatively rub herself against his erection, his mind began to white out. He was enjoying her body and the experience more than any other and they weren't even having sex.

He groaned. "Oh, Ronnie. Ronnie...Ronnie...Ronnie." He didn't know if he was chanting her name out loud or not, but her movements became more steady and sure. He was losing control and he wanted more of her.

Logan quickly spun them around so that Veronica's back was against the wall and he could rub against her harder. They were both panting and her head fell back against the pool wall as she squeezed her eyes shut.

She was so beautiful and Logan knew that he was going to climax, but wanted to please her, too. He began to quickly run his thumb over her nipple so lightly that it was almost a tickle. It seemed to work, though, as he felt her entire body tense and her head come up and press into his shoulder.

She sounded like she was laughing and crying at the same time and Logan couldn't control himself any longer. His grip tightened on her and he whispered his love into her ear. He brought them down slowly and they continued to cling to each other, bodies still buzzing; and neither wanting the moment to end.

When Logan finally pulled back to look at her, Veronica ducked his gaze.

"What's wrong, Veronica?" He was speaking softly, so concerned for her.
"It's just, I've never done anything like that before. You know, to that extent." She had turned extremely shy.

"Are you okay? Did you not want that?" Logan was worried he had pushed her too far. With her history, he definitely didn't want to do anything with her that she would regret.

"No." His eyes widened, but she continued. "No, I didn't mean that. I did want that. I just don't know if...I didn't know how to...I just," she let out a frustrated breath while trying to find the right words to convey what she wanted to say.

She may have been rambling, but Logan understood everything that she was unsuccessfully trying communicate to him. She was feeling inadequate sexually. He was light years ahead of her in experience and he'd used that experience to give her an immense amount of pleasure. She had never had an orgasm before, at least, not that she had remembered. She was so nervous that she had gotten so much pleasure from him, but hadn't given him enough.

She was second guessing everything. Maybe she should have done something different with her hands to help stimulate him, maybe she should have been kissing him back. She just didn't know.

"Hey, look at me." He gently pushed her chin up so that he could look into her eyes.

"You know that expression, 'better than sex'?"

"Yeah?" Worry furrowed her face.

"Well, what just happened between us...was better than sex." When she looked at him like he was crazy, he continued. "What we just did felt better to me than any sex I've ever had. Eventually, when we do have sex, I may have to call a time out for pleasure overload!" He smiled softly at her. He was still talking gently to her, trying to calm her fears.

She rolled her eyes and let out a small chuckle.

'The things he'll say to make me feel better,' she thought as she shook her head.

"I'm serious, Veronica. If you want to know what I was thinking, that was it. When you started rubbing against me, that is exactly what I was thinking. That your body and what we were doing felt better than any body I've ever touched and any sexual experience I've ever had, and we weren't even having sex." He continued to look straight into her eyes so that she would know how serious he was.

"Really?" She asked hesitantly.

"Really."

"Logan," she took a deep breath and then let it out. "I know this is bad timing, but I need to tell you something."
"Okay. Go ahead, it's okay." He was trying to make her comfortable and make her understand that she could tell him anything. He wanted her to tell him everything she was thinking.

He had never met anyone who's every thought that went through their head, he wanted to know. Half of the time, he didn't even want to know his own thoughts. With Veronica, though, he wanted to share in everything that was her. He wanted to know what made her tick in every situation and at every moment.

"It's just...I'm not really ready yet to go to that next step. I do love you, I'm just not ready for that yet." She was nervous about the disappointment she was sure he would feel. Instead, she immediately saw understanding in his eyes and the reassuring smile he sent back to her.

"Oh, Ronnie. Don't worry about that, okay? Hey, who says that I'm ready to have sex with you?" They both chuckled at the absurdity of his comment.

"Okay, okay. Yeah, I can't wait to make love to you, but I will. I plan on being with you for a very long time. I know that I will have plenty of time when we are both ready."

"I want everything to be right and that means that you need to be comfortable every step of the way. Promise me that you'll tell me the minute that you aren't, okay?" He waited for her to answer.

"Okay, Logan."

"Good. It's not just for you, you know. If we do something that one of us doesn't like, it won't be as enjoyable for either one of us. You know me...I'm all about maximizing the pleasure." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her.

Veronica laughed less at his antics and more at the shift in mood. Once again, they had covered the spectrum. This time, it was from serious and heated to goofy and playful.

She decided that Logan had a gift. Whether he knew it or not, he could really read people and what they needed. When she needed light, he gave her light. When she needed reassurance, he provided. When she showed him desire, he gave it back in spades. It was a true gift.

"You ready to get ready for bed, Sweetie?" When she gave him an odd look, he responded.

"What?

"You've never called me 'Sweetie' before." She hadn't asked a question, but still waited for his response.

"Yeah, well, I thought I'd try it out. All I've got is Ronnie, and that name has been through good and bad times. Your dad calls you 'honey' a lot and that ass Troy took 'Baby'. I've just decided that I need to find something for just me." He shrugged. "I'll be trying out some names, so if any strike you as particularly wonderful, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Oh, okay. Sounds like a plan, Stan!"
"Hey, I'm Logan." He feigned appalled.

"Well, it was such a good idea, I thought I'd try out nicknames for you, too."

"Haha...funny," Logan said dryly and then picked her up to carry her out of the pool.

They dried off and walked into the house. When they reached Veronica's bedroom door, they stopped and just held each other for a few minutes. They dreaded being apart, neither understanding how they could spend as much time as they had together recently, and still want more. It was natural to get a little irritated with someone after spending so much time with them. It didn't matter who it was. Veronica and Logan never seemed to get to that point, though.

Finally, Logan looked at Veronica and said, "We'd better get to bed, big day tomorrow."

She sighed heavily. "I know, I know. Just one more minute?"

"How could I resist that request?" Logan said as he lowered his head to rest against hers, which was laying on his chest. He slowly rubbed patterns on her back.

They finally parted and he watched her disappear behind her bedroom door. He stood there for a moment, hands in his pocket, just staring at the door.

"Logan?" He jumped as he heard Keith's quiet voice.

"Oh, hey, Mr. Mars." He was embarrassed at being caught and had hoped that Keith hadn't noticed.

"Why are you standing there? Are you hoping that Veronica will know you're there just by your stare? 'Cause I've gotta tell you, the whole knocking thing works much better." He smiled knowingly at the boy.

"No, we just said goodnight. I wasn't quite ready to walk away." He didn't know why he was opening up to Keith, especially about Veronica.

"I understand. I felt the same way about Lianne when we were younger. Good night, Logan. I'm exhausted and I'm just going to hit the hay."

"Alright, me too. Good night, Mr. Mars." Logan turned to leave, but then stopped. "Uh, I actually need to talk to you about something really quickly."

"Shoot." Keith resembled the walking dead at that point, but he knew it had to be important. Logan wasn't one to just shoot the bull for no good reason, at least not with him.

"Well, it's just that I have the ring that Troy gave to Veronica. I wanted to get rid of it, but I knew it wasn't my place. I didn't really want to talk to her about it just yet; she hasn't seen it since I took it off of her finger on our way back from Mexico. I thought I'd ask you what I should do."

"Actually, in an odd way, it is her ring, but it's also evidence. Proves intent, etc, etc. So, why don't you give it to me, I'll turn it into the FBI tomorrow and then hopefully, after all of this is done, she can sell it for college money or something. She can turn something bad into something beneficial for her." He followed Logan as the young man walked toward his room and then waited at the door for him to retrieve the ring.

"Here you go." Keith could see the disgust in Logan's face at just looking at the ring.

"It will only help us solidify the case against him. That's a good thing, son. Remember that, okay?" He knew that Logan wanted them to have nothing more to do with anything that reminded her of Troy.

"I know. I still wish I could throw it out or have some sort of ceremonial burning, or something." Keith smiled at the boy's comments.

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09nerLoVer: Almost missed your review before I posted this. Anyway, school reaction is coming in the next chapter. Hope you like it.

Adja:Watch out, Amy! Ah, Logan and V will have their problems...Duncan won't be one of them.

AJzkitten69: ROTFL! You are too funny! Yes, vehicles are never safe when Duncan is around.

beatlechicksteph: Glad you're liking the lull. Things do heat up again...in a different way than they did this chapter. But, I do like them getting a chance to enjoy each other for a little bit.

Elektra Bauer: I'm glad you like the story and the chapter. Hope you heal quickly.

HannaBanana: I'm glad you liked it. Stay tuned to find out where they finally end up.

hulahula551: Thank you. Yes, see I blame a lot of the unruly behavior that Logan displays in canon on his father and the abuse. This is my way of making up for that a little.

lagurlroks: Well, see, I can grant one of those wishes. Another chapter you say? Absolutely!

Lorelei Candice Black: Thank you. Still waiting to see what happens with Wedding Bells.

LoVeElle: Thank you. Next chapter we will get to the school stuff. Hope you enjoy it. (As for apartment hunting being fun...In the words of Logan Echolls, "...not doing it right.") heehee

RBDFAN: Hey, I'm just thinking of you! Um, but a little angst is good, too. Just remember that, k?

RedBrick: Don't worry, the action will pick up again...actually it did in this chapter, just a little different kind of action. When I was writing this, I found that all of the action we just got through with Troy and stuff was a lot for my heart to take...even though I knew what was ultimately going to happen. I needed to write the fluff just so that I could breathe easier for a little while. You know, foreshadowing is such a cool thing, don't you think? I learned about it when I was in Mrs. Thomas' 9th Grade Honors English class. Wow, she was a Nazi! She was breeding us for greatness...or at least that's what she saw as her position. Anyway, Aaron does make another appearance in one or two chapters. It isn't a very lengthy role, but we will see him again!

ShmexyShmexyHinny Did you expect me to do ALL of the work? I don't think so. But, I'm not all that clever...I'm sure you could break the code.

sofy2409: Ok, well, where to start? Yes, a lot of people have forgotten about the M rating issue. You aren't the only one. Also, there isn't going to be much more about Troy. This fic won't cover trial or anything like that. The trial goes out of the time line for the fic. And, two weeks you say? Well, you are going to have a lot of catching up to do and the story should be totally posted at that point. DON'T skip ahead. I know you'll want to, but no:-)

VMarsfan73: Thank you, thank you, thank you! And, yes, they told Wallace the day before Duncan when he walked into the dining room where LoVe were on the ground in a tickling match.

Vmfan387: You're right. They both care deeply for him. They'd never hurt him intentionally.

VMLoVeR87: Thank you. Yes, Keith may love Logan, but no matter what...V will always be his sweet little girl.

XoSethCohenxO: Well, there are still a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up. Duncan finding out about the hickey? I can tell you that. He doesn't find out. At least not in this fic. If anything that would come out during the trial, but my fic won't cover that. She will just let everyone think that Logan gave it to her because she doesn't want everyone speculating even more about the details of what Troy did to her. For all anyone knows, they just drove until they got picked up. Knowing that Troy gave her the hickey shows that he got close enough to do other things, too.

xosummerxo: Ok, so I never really thought of doing a sequel to DL, but maybe. I've got to finish the last chapter for DL and get through the other fic that is trying to take over my brain. Then, I'll see how things look at that point. I think a lot of people are having trouble finding it now because it's rated M now.

XXspuffster101XX: Yes, "Princess Bride", one of Hollywood's all time best. And, Carey Elwes, just plain fabulous! Ok, so here's the deal! Don't be horribly upset, but the Troy situation won't be fully resolved by the end of my fic. There is a bit more about him, but in reality, he'll just be sitting in jail when the fic ends. I'm not going to have him escape and the trial that would decide his fate is too far outside my time line. Now, several people have inquired about a sequel. I have not put much consideration into it because I have to finish DL and then write the fic that won't get out of my head. Once those are done, we'll see. If I were to do a sequel, I'm sure I'd deal with Troy then. SORRY!! (Winces in anticipation of being berated.)