A/N: So here it is, the last installment. I hope you like it, and that you've liked the whole story. I think it turned out really well, especially for my first veronica mars fic. I'm so grateful for all the reviews I've got. Once again, xxx means a change in point of view, and I only own jason, the sheriff, robert, johnny and jessy the receptionist. For the last time, enjoy.
She grins widely, and pulls me in for another kiss. I'd forgotten how intoxicating it is to kiss her, and I'm loving being able to do it whenever I want to again. We're lost in a little world of our own, making out, and running our hands all over eachother when someone clears their throat behind us. It's Deputy Leo-alike. Of course. He's standing nervously in the doorway, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Um, Veronica, uh, we kinda need to get back to work, if that's cool…" He trails off uncertainly as we turn to look at him. I guess we give off a slightly hostile 'you're not one of us' vibe, but why should I make this pathetic kid, who is obviously crushing on my Veronica, feel welcome? Oh, oopsy, Ronnie would kill me if she knew I thought of her as mine. I still don't feel like I have to be nice to this guy, though.
"Oh! Of course, Jason, I'd almost forgotten." Ronnie starts smoothing down her rumpled clothes, and fixing her hair, which is practically on end from the number of times I've run my hands through it. "I'll come out right now. Logan, maybe you should get home."
"Yeah, of course. Come by when you finish up, yeah?" I agree, kissing her chastely on the lips. She picks up her bag and walks back out into the main office, sitting back down opposite the Sheriff. Her little policeboy is standing beside his boss now, finally having realised that he has absolutely no hope with her. "Bye, Ronnie."
"See you later, Echolls." She waves to me as I leave. Man I could get used to having Ronnie being openly affectionate towards me. I decide to try one more thing before I go.
"I love you." I call to her.
"Love you too, now go!" She calls back, laughing.
I don't think she realises quite what she's done to me when she said that outloud, in front of a room full of people. Okay, so not many of them were listening, and none of them care, but still, the fact that she'll admit that she cares is a seriously food sign, and a nice thing to hear. Inga calls out to me as I leave the station.
"Is she staying then, Mr Echolls? I do hope you've managed to convince her."
"You're in luck, Inga, she's organising to collect her stuff from New York as soon as the case is over." I grin widely as I say this.
When I get home Mac is waiting for me on the doorstep. I left her an incredibly giddy message after Veronica and I reconciled at the Neptune Grand, and she's obviously come to find out what the hell is wrong with me to make me so happy. Sure enough, as soon as we're inside and both holding mugs of coffee, she starts grilling me.
"So, your message wasn't very specific, Logan. All I really understood was your insane happiness." She starts. "What the hell is going on?"
"Ronnie and I made up." I say, happily.
"Ooh, no wonder you're practically dancing!" She laughs, understanding at once the reason for my joy. "I'm glad you worked everything out, Logan, really I am. You and Veronica were made for eachother, and everyone who knows the pair of you knows it." She stops abruptly, probably remembering that although she and Veronica have hashed out their problems, they haven't actually got the ceremony of becoming friends again out of the way. It's such a girl thing to have to do that whole 'Friends?' 'Friends.' thing, and it's the kind of thing that makes me glad that guys just assume that everything is cool again.
"Hey, Mac, don't worry about that whole making up thing, Ronnie's coming by later so you can talk to her then." I say, sympathetically. I guess we'll have to wait awhile before Ronnie and I can be alone, but she and Mac have to get this over with, and the impending visit will be as good a time as any.
When my doorbell rings, several hours later, I almost run to answer it. Veronica is leaning against the doorframe when I open it, not in a sexy, alluring way, like I would have hoped, but in an 'I'm so exhausted, I could fall asleep on my feet' kind of way. She practically falls into my arms, yawning madly.
"You tired, Ronnie?" I ask, tenderly.
"Uhuh. We worked solidly, and I haven't slept since I left New York, the only food I've had all day was from your breakfast run, and before that I hadn't eaten since the day I arrived." She moans, as we stumble into the kitchen. "Oh, uh, hey, Mac, I didn't see you there." Dammit, they're at the awkward stage of their refriending. I just hope one of them has the guts to ask to be friends quickly, because it's obvious that Ronnie's in need of some TLC from her new boyfriend.
"Hey, listen, about before." Mac starts, and I secretly applaud her. "I just wanted to make sure that we're cool, because you're still my BFF too, and not even Logan can take your place." She says, quickly.
"Oh, Mac, of course we're cool. I'll tell you a secret, though; I thought I could find someone to replace you, and I even made friends with Robert because he's a cynical computer whizz, but no one is the same as you. And no one is as amazing." They share an incredibly long hug, as I sit on my countertop, feeling awkward.
"Listen, I gotta go, I've kinda got a date tonight, so I want to get ready." Mac looks embarassed at telling us about her date, but we both just give her a hug and send her on her way, instead of hassling her for details. Knowing Ronnie, however, as soon as she is more awake she'll be on Mac's case like bees to pollen. As soon as the door slams behind our techie friend, Veronica is up and looking for a bed to sleep in.
"Dammit Logan, where can I sleep?" She snaps, as she comes out of my bathroom. "I can't keep working on overdrive."
"Come here," I take her by the hand, and lead her to the one room that she hasn't looked in yet. "Where the magic happens." I announce.
I can see her practised eye sweeping the room and appraising it. She takes in my flat screen tv, and my Nintendo, as well as the bed, which I'll admit I had specially made to be bigger than a kingsize. She briefly looks over the wardrobe and dresser containing all my clothes, but her eyes stop on my little collection of photos. The first one is of her, me, Duncan and Lilly, the night of homecoming, a picture I've always loved, even if Ronnie and I are completely separate. The second is us during our first relationship, that semester in junior year. I'm giving Ronnie a piggy-back and she's pressing a kiss ontop of my head. It's probably my favourite picture of us, taken before anything happened to drive us apart. The final picture is of Lilly and Veronica in their soccer uniforms, both smiling coyly, Veronica's face mudstreaked, while Lilly looks as though she never even went on the field.
"Cute," She remarks. "I've never seen that one of me and Lilly before."
"That's because it's from my private collection." I tell her, coming up behind and slipping my arms around her waist. "I took it a couple months after we met, and I didn't show you guys because Lilly hated pictures of her in her uniform." She nods, slowly, picking up the frame and scrutinising it.
"It's a good photo. I don't think I could have taken a better one, and you always hated taking pictures." She laughs, yawning widely as she does so.
"Okay, lets get you into bed, Ronnie. You need to catch up on your beauty sleep." I lift her up, and place her on the bed, tucking the covers around her before lying down myself.
"Hm. Finally I get to sleep. If I was a psychologist I'd say that my not sleeping was linked to my guilty conscience, and now that I've atoned and been forgiven I can sleep again." I chuckle as she says this; only Veronica could be that profound and honest with herself when half asleep.
"Ssshh. Go to sleep, I'll wake you if the Sheriff's department calls." Even as I say it her lids are snapping shut and she's sleeping deeply.
Xxxx
When I wake up, the space that Logan took up before I fell asleep is empty. It's dark outside, but that doesn't help me work out the time, as although I only fell asleep at about four in the afternoon, it could be any time of night or early morning. I can hear the strains of the radio coming from the kitchen, and follow them.
Logan is standing at the gas rings, frying eggs and bacon. He's dressed only in a pair of pyjama pants, and frankly, I haven't been this turned on since I left Neptune. New York maybe one of the largest cities in the United States, but there is a distinct shortage of sexy guys there.
"I forget, do you still like your eggs sunny-side-up?" He asks me, as I advance through the doorway.
"Of course, Logan. I've proved myself completely predictable to you thus far, why should you suppose that anything as simple as how I take my eggs has changed?" I joke. Sleep has refreshed me, and I am back to my regular rapier-like wit. Not that that was a joke. Maybe I need some more sleep.
"Okay, okay, just checking. You look much more awake." He comments, coming over and kissing me. "Mm, I love being able to do that whenever I want."
I laugh, and hit him playfully. "Who says it's your decisions when you get to kiss me or not? Surely you forget how whipped you were last time we were together." There's that wit. Good, I don't have time to sleep for another twelve hours, as the clock has informed me I did. "Listen, speaking of being whipped, if you really want me to come back to this hell hole of a town then we're gonna have to take a trip up to New York for a few days."
To my surprise, he smiles widely at the suggestion. "Great, I can meet all of the people you tried to replace me and Mac with." He says, evilly.
"If you think I'm letting you near any of my friends then you need to get your head examined." I say, deadly serious, as I start eating my breakfast. "You are restricted to helping me pack up my apartment. Absolutely no socialising."
"Aaw, come on Ronnie. You know what I did, and who I befriended, while you were gone, why don't I get to see what you did?" He whines. "I'm especially interested in meeting this Robert dude. You seem to be very close to him – after all, you don't bake for just anyone."
He's got a point there. All the more reason for him to never meet Robert. I did some stuff with that guy that I would prefer Logan not to hear about – sexual kind of stuff. Logan doesn't need to hear about what I did with the only boyfriend I've had in the four years since I left Neptune.
By eight o clock in the morning, Logan and I are on the road in the Yellow Beast, otherwise known as Logan's Xterra. I mention my new nickname for it, and he laughs loudly.
"That reminds me, what happened to that old rust bucket; the LeBaron?" He asks, curiously.
"Finally broke beyond repair." I feel as sad as I did the day the LeBaron actually died. "I was so heartbroken, that car was practically my only ally after Lilly died." I admit. It feels good being able to tell Logan this kind of thing. Last time we were together we both hid so much, but this time we've agreed to be completely honest with eachother, like we were in Dick's hotel room. "But I sucked it up and bought the pick-up truck, and now that's my greatest ally. A lot more reliable, too."
"It's very badass. Would have suited your high school image very nicely." I decide to take that as a compliment. "Ah! Check the time. I want to know how long it's taken me to drive to New York within the speed limit!"
"It's about five o clock!" I laugh, thinking back to the argument we had earlier, when he was driving way too fast. At the risk of sounding like one of those disgustingly loved-up chicks that everyone secretly hates, I think it's safe to say that even arguing with Logan makes me love him more. "Turn off here, and I can quit my job! I talked to my dad when you were getting gas, and I'm becoming an official partner in Mars Investigations."
We turn down the road, and park outside my office, in the heart of Brooklyn. I can see the look of distaste on Logan's face, and sense his disapproval. However much he denies it, if he lived in New York it would be on the Upper East Side, with all the millionaires and celebrities. I, however, live in the equivalent of Neptune's 02 zip code, in the artsy, dirty Brooklyn.
"Wait here, I'll only be a few minutes." I order him, hopping out of the Xterra and entering the Independent Investigations office. I wave to my friends, and go to find my boss. The conversation regarding my resignation is brief, although he stresses the fact that I would have been chief of investigations within the month had I decided to stay. It's weird, but I realise that even that high up, well payed, position hasn't the least pull on me, being with Logan even beats out my dream job as the most important aim in my life.
I'm deep in a farewell conversation with Johnny, when I hear a familiar voice in the lobby.
"So, you're the regular receptionist, right?" That's Logan's voice. What the hell is he doing?
"Yeah, I am." Jessy, the receptionist giggles. Man, that girl will flirt with anyone! "Do you need me to do a specific job for you?"
Logan obviously doesn't miss the double entendre, and when he next speaks it is slightly more formally. "I just wanted to thank you. My name is Logan Echolls, I rang you a few days ago with regards to the whereabouts of Veronica Mars."
"Oh, yeah, I remember, the friend who hadn't seen her in a while."
"Yeah, well, because of you I've got the love of my life back, and she's moving in with me, where she belongs. So thank you. Without your penchant for gossip and flirting, I never would have got all that information out of you." He holds something out for her, but I can see what it is from this angle. "Just a token of my gratitude. Now, I've gotta run; I promised Ronnie I'd wait for her in the car." I hear him make the typical 'whipped' noise, and exit the office. When I finish saying goodbye to Johnny – I will actually miss him, unlike most of the other people that work here – Jessy still looks as stunned as she obviously did by the end of Logan's speech. Well, at least it's shut her up for now, I swear to God that girl could talk for America.
When I get back out to the car, Logan is sitting, good as gold, listening to the radio.
"Nice try, Echolls. Jessy still hasn't gotten over your little token of gratitude." I quip as I sit in the passenger's seat.
"Dammit, Mars, I should have known you'd bugged me." He laughs. "What happened to the trust?"
"I could ask you the same question. After all, all I did was hear you talking loudly at the front desk. You were gonna keep your little escapade a secret from me." I scold him, as we drive off towards my apartment.
When we get there, he looks around my place curiously. I've furnished the place the way I always described on those rare occasions when Logan and I talked about the future, instead of the past. It's done in sort of soft greys and teals, very mellow, and there are books, cds, vinyls, posters and photos everywhere. One corner of my main room is a little homage to the days before Lilly died, with photos of the Fantastic Four scattered everywhere, and the shotglass that Lilly gave me for my fifteenth birthday sitting on a shelf and holding down a pile of my work. The rest of the pictures aren't so categorised, and the wall is littered with posed and candit shots of me, Logan, Wallace, Mac, Duncan, even Dick, and some nice ones of my dad.
"Wow. It's like looking inside your head, Ronnie. Wait, who's that." Crap, he's seen the one photo I didn't want him to see. It's a close up of me and…Robert. He's kissing my cheek, and my hand is tangled in his hair, we're definitely more than friends in the picture, and Logan can tell. His voice has gone all gruff, like it does when he's jealous.
"That's, uh, Robert." I admit. We did agree to be truthful, after all. "Taken when we went out, a couple of years ago."
"You're not still together are you?" His eyes are full of insecurities, even though his voice is disinterested.
"God, no. We're just good friends now, I was still a bit hung up on you, and he of course didn't want to be dating a girl who was pretty much still in love with her ex." I explain. All would have been cool, I'm sure, if my front door hadn't slammed shut at that moment.
"Veronica, are you back yet?" Damn everything to hell, it's Robert, making use of my spare key.
"Yeah, in here, Rob." I call, nervously, watching Logan to gauge his reaction. His face has gone sort of hard, and I can't read the expression in his eyes. I can tell he's mad, though, because his fists are clenched tightly at his sides. "Um, Logan, this is Robert, the guy you were so curious to meet."
As I say this, Rob rounds the corner into my living room, and starts scrutinising Logan intently. Great, I can feel a manly power struggle in the works. I wish guys wouldn't act like I was a possession to be fought over, but there isn't much I can do about it. Logan is glaring at Rob and I feel his arms snake protectively round my waist.
"So you're the Robert who keeps calling my girlfriend." I sigh, noticing the hostility in Logan's voice. I really wish that these two, two of the people who understand me the best, could get along, but I realise that it's wishful thinking. Between the two of them, they've got the hostile alpha male part down to a tee.
"That's right, I'm the Robert that looked after your girlfriend for four years after you broke her heart." Rob is just as hostile, and the two of them have started circling eachother, with me in the middle. God, I don't know why I thought it was possible to keep my pre-New York and my post-Neptune lives separate, but I did. And I'd been doing so well, too. Even Wallace and my dad have never met any of my New York friends, and Robert is the only person who knows any details about my past. And now, dammit, the only reason these two lives have collided is because I'm returning to my past one. Oh crap, they've started shoving eachother. I ought to intervene. And so I do.
"Oh my God, guys! This is ridiculous. I'm not some prize to be fought over, and you both know it! I so wanted you two to be friends!" I yell, coming between them. "Logan, you should be grateful to Rob for keeping me sane and sort of happy after we broke up, and Rob you should be grateful to Logan for making me completely happy again after all this time!" They both hang their heads, finally realising how stupid they're being.
"I'm sorry, Ronnie. You're right, as always." Logan admits.
"See, I told you you were whipped!" I laugh, pecking him on the lips to show he's forgiven.
"I guess I was being a bit of a jerk, huh, Veronica?" Rob says, shrugging slightly.
"Yes you were. Now the pair of you, shake hands." They do so, grudgingly. "And now, you can help me pack. I want to be back in Neptune as soon as possible."
Four months laterWhen I woke up this morning I knew things would be different. I guess the first thing that alerted me to that was the fact that it was a Monday and yet the clock by my bed read 11:00 am. This was something very out of the ordinary, as normally I would be at my desk working on cases, or meeting with clients, by now. But instead I'm in my incredibly large bed, listening to the muffled sounds of my boyfriend's dreadful singing coming from the kitchen. When said boyfriend comes into the bedroom a minute later with a tray of breakfast, I am sure something is up. He sets down the tray on the bed, before climbing back into the vast expanse of covers and sheets. I've got to admit, at first the thought of sleeping (and doing other things) in the larger-than-kingsize-custom-made-monster of a bed was quite daunting, but after a couple of days I started loving it, and Logan knows it, hence the luxury of breakfast in bed.
"What the hell, Logan, my alarm was supposed to go off hours ago. My dad is gonna be so pissed!" As one of the senior partners in Mars Investigations, I'm supposed to get in everyday at 8:30 on the dot to open up the office and let my dad sleep in. he's old, so he's allowed. Logan smirks at me, and I can't help but feel like I've forgotten something important.
"Your dad won't be pissed, Ronnie, he's coming round later, remember." I look blank, and Logan suddenly bursts out laughing. "What kind of nutjob forgets their own birthday, Ronnie?!" He giggles.
Oh. So that's what I forgot. Dammit, I am a nutjob. I forgot that today is my twentyfifth birthday! I wonder if Dante still has that Veronica Circle waiting for me in hell, it would be useful to hide in right about now.
Logan kisses me gently, still shaking with laughter as he hands me a cup of coffee and a gift bag.
"You are so lucky that no one else forgot, otherwise today would be completely devoid of presents." He remarks, as I open the bag eagerly. "Just in case you didn't get it, your dad, Wallace, Mac, Dick and Jason are coming round later for a birthday lunch." He talks to me like he would an infant or an idiot, but I guess I had it coming.
His present, however, is far from patronising. It's perfect. At the top of the bag is the latest Robert Harris thriller, and underneath is a new memory card for my camera. Perfect, and exactly what i wanted.
"Logan this is fantastic! Thank you so much!" I kiss him passionately and we fall backwards onto the pillows beneath us. "I love you." I love being able to say it, too.
"I love you too, but that's not all of your present. Dig deeper." He commands, and I comply.
My hand hits a jewellery box. I pull it out, and open it. I feel a slight anticlimactic disappointment as I see that it isn't an engagement ring inside. The feeling lasts only seconds before I register the actual gift before me and realise just how perfect it is. It's a gold locket, antique I expect, and in the shape of a heart. I open it gently, and inside is a picture of me and Logan, taken that first summer, and a single word engraved into the back. Forever. I look up at him and smile, hoping that all of my love and gratitude shows at that moment, because I'm far too emotional to speak.
"I'm glad you like it." He says, kissing my neck as he puts it on me. His voice drops low, as if his next words might be overheard. "There was a perfect ring in the jewellers, but I thought that four months was a little hasty. Maybe Christmas though."
The meaning of his words sends tingles down my spine.