Thanks for the great reviews, everyone! In this chapter you'll find out why Logan doesn't want to get too close to Veronica. And I swear I wrote this before Logan broke up with her in last week's episode.

Chapter 4

Veronica took a step closer. She could feel the heat of his body against hers. "Let me show you how I feel about you instead." She wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing fingers through his hair.

Logan's eyes darkened. "We're supposed to be talking."

"You weren't listening to words. I'm trying another form of communication." Before he could protest she was on tiptoe, kissing him.

His lips were stiff at first. Was he was going to push her away? Then he gave a throaty growl and he was kissing her back. His arms wrapped around her and held her so tight her breath caught. He lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around him, clinging to him as tightly as he was clinging to her. She wanted to be closer to him. Needed to be closer. In between kisses she breathed out the words that were screaming inside her. "Logan…make love…to me."

Logan's lips froze on hers and his arms loosened their grip.

"Logan," she groaned. "Don't think. Don't stop. Just kiss me." But her legs reluctantly slid back to the floor.

He stepped away from her and ran his fingers through his hair, eyes flicking around the room, looking everywhere but at her. "I can't."

"Why not?" Her voice cracked. She'd asked him to make love to her and he'd turned her down. It hurt. "You do it with every tramp that looks sideways at you. Why not me?"

"God, Veronica." Logan paced the room. "For someone so smart, you can be pretty stupid sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Logan stopped pacing. "You aren't just some tramp and we wouldn't be just 'doing it.'"

"That should be a good thing." Veronica glared at him.

"Well it isn't!" Logan shouted. "I sleep with those women, walk out the next morning and never look back. But if it was you I was making love to," Logan closed his eyes. "To know your touch. To have those memories, and then lose you." He shook his head, opening his eyes. "Last time you left me it just about killed me. I couldn't survive this."

Veronica searched for words. When had he become so vulnerable? So afraid of getting hurt that he wasn't willing to risk living life? She grasped at anything. "Um, we've never made love before. For all you know, I could be lousy."

Logan gave a sharp laugh. "You and I could never be lousy together," he said, his voice husky.

Veronica thought back to last year, and their make-out sessions on various couches, desks, and broom closet floors around Neptune. "You're right, we'd be amazing," she breathed, looking up at him, a knowing smile on her face.

He stared back and shook his finger at her. "Stop thinking like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're mentally removing my clothing."

Veronica smiled. "Why not?"

"For one thing, it's supposed to be guys that think that way. For another thing, you get me thinking things I shouldn't be thinking of."

"Good."

Logan flung up his hands. "Oh, so you are trying to torture me."

"It wouldn't be torture," Veronica said softly.

"You're right," he replied, with a sad smile. "The torture would come later when you left me."

"I don't have a crystal ball." Veronica gave a sigh of exasperation. "I can't promise you that we'll make it to our golden wedding anniversary." She took a step closer to him. "But I can guarantee that I will never leave you for Duncan."

Logan cocked his head. "You're just saying that because you know he's never coming back."

"I'm saying that because if he was standing in this room with us I'd take your hand in mine," she intertwined her fingers with his. "And I'd say, 'Good to have you back, Duncan. Where's that cute baby of yours? Logan and I can't wait to see her.'"

Logan shook his head, but he didn't let go of her hand. Progress. "Nice story."

"It's not just a story. It's the truth."

"Veronica, tonight has convinced me that you believe it's true – that you don't believe you're just settling for me. But come on, do the math. Duncan vs. me. The choice is obvious."

Veronica gave another sigh. It was going to be so difficult to convince Logan when all the sincerity in the world was just seen as self-delusion on her part. She chose her words carefully. "Choices of the heart are never obvious. And they don't have a whole lot to do with logic either. Yes, Duncan was my first love. And you're right. We never, ever, ever had a fight. Does that mean we were perfect together?"

Logan shrugged.

"Or does that just mean there was no passion?"

Logan shook his head. "My parents fought all the time, and theirs was the relationship from Hell. Don't try to BS me with some crap about our fights giving our relationship meaning."

Now it was Veronica's turn to shrug. "Hey, the crap comes from you. You don't remember this but on the night of the alterna-prom, you told me that ours was an epic romance, with lives ruined and bloodshed."

Logan looked horrified. "I didn't say that."

Veronica grinned. "You did and it was beautiful. And when I asked you if you really thought that relationships had to be that hard you told me—"

"No one writes songs about the ones that come easy," he whispered.

Veronica's eyes widened. "You remember?"

Logan looked sheepish. "Pieces are coming back."

"I'm glad." Veronica smiled. "I'd hate to be the only one to remember such a significant moment in our relationship." Then she got serious. "Listen, when you asked me if Duncan and I would still be together, I hesitated. It's taken me a few minutes to figure out why."

"And the result of your self-analysis is?"

"I hesitated because you're right. Duncan and I might have still been together today."