Disclaimer: All of this was the genuinely the incedible and immense talent of Rob Thomas and such...I remain in grateful awe.

A/N: It's over. It's done and I am glad and honestly, sad. I started this story when I moved here---where I am and the fact this story came here with me and it's over...well, I am a little misty ya'll. I love the characters and finding their story has been a challenge and joy and it's done. Thank-you, in all the true sappiness, I have within me for reading, reviewing, liking and disliking, and just following this with me. I'm honored. Now, with all that said, enjoy the end.

Special A/N: Yes, I "covered" a line. But in my mind, the line is the most quotable spectacular line in TV history and well, it's been written since I started the story. Yes I knew I was always going to end with this line.

Enjoy and thanks again,

Ella

EPILOGUE

I did it partly because it was worth it, but mostly because I shall never have to do it again. Mark Twain

"Are those My Little Ponies?"

"What? We missed a few years…"

"Logan, you don't think you might be taking this a little too far…"

"No."

"Where's Veronica?"

"She had one last gift to pick up. Mac took her and is bringing her here."

"One last gift?!?"

"Yeah."

"You already got her a sailboat."

"I like to sail. She lives near the ocean. I had a sailboat at her age. You had a sailboat at her age."

"I mean, isn't this a bit…much? You got her a sailboat, a diamond tiara with a matching necklace, and a credit card. This does not include the presents Veronica has for her, either. You don't think you'll overwhelm her? You're not moving a little fast, are you?"

"Fast is my middle name. Well, not really but you know me."

"Yeah." Fast had been Logan's mantra since he returned to Neptune. He was fast to assume January was his daughter. Fast to forgive Veronica for EVERYTHING. Fast to marry Veronica after they had only been dating for three months. Fast to move into January's life. Logan wasn't wasting his time and Duncan, as his best friend, could only hope things weren't moving too fast and he would crash.

"Don't worry "Doughnut," it'll be alright. So what did you get her?"

Duncan gave a slight smile as he pulled out his beautifully bagged gift- compliments of Nichole's expert gifting skills. "A scrapbook. We did the same thing for Hannah. This book is full of pictures of you and Veronica, Lilly, me, and everything from high school and college I could get together. Hannah calls her book, "A Frightening Look Into Mom and Dad's Past." This is January's. Nichole has been working all week on it."

"You suck."

"What? Why?"

"That gift is not only frightening, as you say, but like completely sentimental and perfect. How much do you want for it?"

"Are you serious?!?"

"Yes. How much?"

"No way, Logan. Nichole would kill me."

"Don't care. How much?"

"Logan, stop worrying. She'll love all your gifts and this party." Duncan stood and placed a friendly jab in Logan's shoulder. "She loves you. She loves Veronica. You're a good dad. Enjoy today, okay?"

Logan gave Duncan worried smile. How do you buy back sixteen years? How do you buy back everything you missed and all the times you weren't there? How are you ever enough to the people who raised your own kid? All the old worries had surfaced. Maybe today wasn't a good idea but Ronnie had so badly wanted this… this party. She wanted one birthday, one day to share with their daughter that was their own. Logan had come up with celebrating her actual birthday. She loved it. Once they got January's "other" parents to agree to it; they had approached Jan. She was a little hesitant at first but had eventually agreed.

Here they were on October 19th, having a birthday party for their daughter at the Kane household. Invitations were sent to the Casablacas, the Fennells, the Navarros, and the Grants. Judge Grant and his wife had declined. They had been understanding to a fault of Logan and Veronica being involved in January's life but they were not anxious to participate in it, either.

"A little help here…" Veronica Mars replied as she entered the Kane house; arms full of party favors, balloons, and one very large wrapped gift.

Logan stood-up to help his wife. He took the gift and placed it among the growing stack.

Veronica sighed as she rid herself of the other items. "Whose idea was this again?"

"Yours, all yours." Logan said smugly, as he kissed her hello.

"Thanks…darling."

"You're welcome."

"Hey Duncan." Veronica said, finally greeting the other presence in the room.

"Hello Veronica. Where's Mac?"

"She went home to meet Dick and the kids. She'll be here soon. Something about a new system she planned on uploading to January's computer…" Veronica laughed, as she shook her head. Mac had taken the duty of reinstated B.F.F. and doting "aunt" very seriously and a little zealously too. It was classic Mac and classic cute.

Duncan looked at the new largely wrapped gift added to the pile. "Oh please tell me you didn't buy her a house or castle…"

"No, I bought her a Barbie Dream House. I mean, it's all about the Dream House…right?" Veronica mused. "Chill down, Duncan. It's a photograph. One to replace the one you bought from her…" She reminded him, with a raised eyebrow.

Duncan Kane in an extraordinary move bought Shot of Three from January for a cool million. January had not wanted to sell the photograph but her parents "strongly" suggested she take the deal. Perhaps there was the threatening of her life or an expensive boarding school in Sweden but she took the deal and the money went into her trust fund. Duncan took the photograph and burned it after he and Logan had used his car to run over it, very ceremoniously. Now, there was a very large whole on her wall, January constantly lamented to Veronica. Veronica may have only been a "mother" for a short while but she knew what her daughter was hinting.

"Take a look, if you need to…Doughnut." Veronica motioned Duncan to the large wrapped gift.

Duncan slowly and skillfully removed the wrapping. What was before him took the breath out of him and Veronica and Logan moved from the embrace to Duncan's sides as he looked upon the classic V. Mars photograph. It was done in her usual style but it wasn't her who took the photograph. It couldn't have been because she was in it. It was at the cemetery. It was a misty morning and Logan and Veronica had gone with January to Lynn's memorial. The three of them stood in almost perfectly mimicked poses of what the original had been. But this one, this one was different because the three of them looked…peaceful.

"Who took this Veronica?" Duncan asked, more curious than ever.

"Your daughter."

"What?!?"

"She was there visiting her mom's grave with Alex and Lizzie. She had her digital camera with her and she snagged the shot."

"You're kidding?"

"No. She's got talent."

"Yes, she does. Excuse me…" Duncan spoke quietly before excusing himself to obviously call his daughter. Hannah had been adamant and had gone east for school. Now at Duke, million of miles away, Duncan missed his little girl.

Alone at last, Veronica and Logan fell onto the couch and into each other's arms. What had Logan called their love story---epic? It was epic and it was fast and it was a ride but one that both agreed it was time for them to ride.

When Veronica had informed her dad she and Logan were going to marry he had put a hole in the wall with his fist. Fortunately, Inga had a good contractor who was very good at patching holes in walls. Oh those holes could be only used for so much…

Her dad's reaction was pretty much par on course for everyone else's reaction. Eli had threatened to shoot them both and make the end much quicker and happier because as he saw it this was only gonna lead to dead bodies. Very optimistic, Veronica had quipped. Wallace stopped speaking to her for an entire week. He was a stone wall and didn't back down from thinking Veronica was jumping into disaster- head first. Mac hired a lawyer and began drawing up a thousand different pre-nups. Dick had laughed for two hours. Duncan punched Logan and then told Veronica to leave before he broke his promise to never hit a girl.

Then there was January. Her reaction to the both of them was baffling and well, par on course for January. She went out that day they sat down and told her and bought them a blender. She had called and insisted they meet her at Cups of Stone and she presented them with their gift. A white generic $35 blender probably purchased at the local superstore. She looked at them very seriously and said, "This is as supportive as I get. I figure the blender says it all. It's not personal. It's not intimidating. It's not necessarily optimistic but then I only bought one. So, if you guys split, then you have to decide who gets Blendie, and we all know how custody battles go around here. Okay, that's it."

In hindsight, it was the most positive response they received…from anyone. The blender or Blendie as the "family" had named him remained on their counter unused but with a special place of honor. Veronica and Logan had been almost afraid to use the gift from their daughter as if it might jinx something. Blendie was a reminder to them that they had to make this work- for the blender and for her. It wasn't as if loving each other was hard. They had that down- they had that since high school. It was the staying part when both of them were pre-genetically predetermined to split when things were frightening or just wrong. Yet here they were, months later, not far from a year and still there or beside one another.

Logan pulled Veronica tighter as they sat there and waited for the inevitable. This week had been a stressful one in the Mars-Echoll household. This day and having it go off without a hitch had been taxing but now, it would be worth it. It had to be. She had given them so much and all they wanted was a chance to give something back to her. For instance, this past fall, January had shocked everyone on the first day of school by announcing she had gone and legally changed her name to Mars-Grant. Jaws had dropped and Wallace fell out of his V.P. chair in his office; almost knocking himself out on the edge of his desk. She offered no explanation or reason; she had just done it as if it had been the most logical move in the world.

She really was their daughter.

Without looking up, but resting her head on Logan's shoulder, Veronica spoke. "I love you Logan." It wasn't the declaration of a lifetime but then maybe it was.

"I love you too, Veronica." He replied, without fault or waver.

"And this is the right thing?" She asked.

"Veronica since when has anything we have ever done been the right thing?" He replied, his voice light and laughing.

Veronica laughed a little too but became silent. He squeezed her tighter and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Veronica it may never be right but it's who we are and that's what works…what's always worked."

"I know. I know." And she finally rest in his arms till their daughter arrived.

OUTSIDE the Kane House- A few hours and five, no ten, no fifteen minutes later…

"Do I have to go in?"

"Yes."

"Do I really have to go in?"

"Yes."

"Five more minutes."

"You said that five minutes ago."

"I know. Just another five."

"January…"

"Alexander…"

"This is your party."

"And I'll hide if I want to."

"Hide from what? It's been a year. You've spent time with them. You've gotten to know them. You love them and they love you. What's with the fear?"

"It's been a year Alex. It's been one year of ups and downs and twists and turns…and do you know how many times they've been to jail?"

"January, you work for Keith. You baby-sit for Wallace. You even hang out with Scott, Michael and Meredith- which still frightens both Isa and I. They're a part of your life as much as you are a part of theirs. They want one day to celebrate with you. Just one day…"

"One day that took almost seventeen years… I'm just scared that this is it. And you and Isa could come and eat with us anytime…"

"I love you."

"Ditto."

"Alright out of the car and inside Mars-Grant…"

"I'm going."

I knew I had to and that I had no reason to be scared or worried. I am a strong, a little less-independent, slightly wiser, totally-love-stricken, sarcastic, crime-fighting-ace-reporting girl. I am the daughter to the fairest of judges and kindest of mothers. I am the daughter to a couple who have an epic love story beyond even me. I am January Mars.

And you know what they say about January Mars…

She's a Marshmellow.