Rating: M-NC17

Author's Note: I didn't enjoy writing this chapter. I think it's because I put a slice of my experience in it. I recently met my ex-bf after not seeing him for 10 years. Holy crap… That was an awkward meeting, heheh. But thank you everyone who reviewed, subscribed, and favorited this story. I really appreciate it, and it gave me motivation to write more *happy tears*.

Veronica was wearing a white dress and her hair was very long. She was beautiful and Logan was standing across the room, watching her strutting into Shelley Pomeroy's party. Everyone was whispering and staring at her. How dare she? She was an outcast; she wasn't supposed to be in this party. But she held her head high and tried to ignore everyone's stares.

Logan could see every guy was looking at her with their predatory looks.

Duncan was stealing glances towards her, even when Shelley was all over him. Dick also glanced at her, and Madison was glaring at him. Casey was pretending to not looking at her, but everyone knew that he also gave her a glance. John, Ram, Caz, Tad, Sean, Luke… most of the guys wouldn't admit it, but Veronica Mars was drop dead gorgeous. She was Lilly's shadow, but Lilly was no longer in their lives anymore.

Logan saw Veronica was being circled by the guys, his own friends, as he stood outside the circle. He couldn't move at all; he could only look at her, being frightened. All the girls were laughing at her, and all the guys were moving fast towards her.

His friends were holding her arms, pulling her hair, ripped her clothes off, while she was screaming for help. Logan wanted to help but he couldn't move. He yelled her name and he was trying to reach for her, but she was far away.

And then he saw Cassidy was approaching her.

"No one can help you, Veronica." He said menacingly.

Veronica was crying.

"Logan… where are you? I need you… Help me…"

"VERONICA!" Logan yelled.

Parthenon

Logan woke up with a start. He was sweating and breathing very hard. He realized that he was in his hotel room. He wiped his wet cheek with the back of his hand, and then he punched the pillow in anger. Ever since he got back to Neptune, all the anxieties and stress seemed coming back to him again.

He climbed down from his bed and walked to the bathroom, naked. He always sleeps in the nude most nights. Logan turned the shower on, and let the cold water cascading over his body. His body was full of scars – mostly old scars. Logan had a lean and ripped body; a product of his years of training in the army. He remembered the grueling trainings under the rain and mud, the tour of duty to Middle East and South America; being yelled and insulted by his instructors and commanding officers ("Your movie star daddy fucked your underage girlfriend and then whacked her to the death! Now give me 300 push ups!"), the blood, the tears, the journey – until he managed to control everything; his body, his mind, and his emotion. One of the Independent Agencies of USA government actually paid an interest on him and recruited him for a short time. After 5 years of committing with the government, Logan decided that he wanted to work solo.

But it seemed all of his work and training would go to waste because every fibers of his being were screaming one name: Veronica Mars.

Logan pressed his forehead to the cool bathroom wall and closed his eyes. In his mind, he could see how Veronica shot that old man in New York. He could see Veronica crying in front of Don Lamb's grave. And then an image of Veronica being raped…

Logan turned off the shower and walked out from the bathroom, still naked, while drying his hair with a towel. He walked out to his hotel balcony and enjoyed the breeze. He stayed at Parthenon, a 3 ½ half stars hotel instead at the Neptune Grand. He thought he would avoid The Grand altogether.

Logan curled his lips in disgust.

For years he managed to put a lid on his memories about Neptune. Even when he made a movie about Neptune, he didn't dwell with the memories. But actually being here, in this town…

He looked at the view from the balcony. He could see Neptune Grand from afar. The building was tall, and for a second he imagined how it feels like to fall from the top of the building…

His cell phone suddenly rang. Logan picked up his phone while he was putting his pants on. "Patty, what do you got?"

New York City

"So I went to that place where you had your last mission… Guess what." Patty was sitting inside a café in Manhattan, having brunch. She was sitting in the corner, away from patrons pry eyes.

"What?"

"The old guy that allegedly killed by Veronica…"

"It's not allegedly. It was her." Logan interjected. "I was there, Patty."

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "I asked around, apparently the old man is a Consigliere named Jerry McGarrett, for the Burropasti family."

Parthenon

"Say that again?"

"You heard it right." Patricia was reading police files. "The city is buzzing right now after the murder. They're afraid of the retaliation."

"We were hired to protect that guy? How could we miss this, Patty? You know I don't accept organized crime job."

"No, Logan. We were hired to get rid of an assassin. Remember?" Patty's voice was strained. "And speaking of being hired, our client was biting my head off through emails. They want their money back and shit like that, and basically threatening us. Thank God for our anonymity."

"Who was our client, by the way? They hired us because they wanted us to protect the mob lawyer by getting rid off the assassin, right?"

"Not exactly." Patricia started to whisper. "The assassin was hired by the member of the Burropasti family itself, I suspect. I was asking around, it seems there's a rumor that a capo is trying to kick McGarrett to the curb. We were hired by the same Burropasti family but different member and mission; there's a power struggle in the family."

"We didn't know that our client was a member of a mafia family?" Logan was angry.

"I'm sorry, Logan. It seems we slipped this time. We had our background check, but they were using false name and background. It was a rookie mistake, but I regret it…"

"What about Veronica?"

"It's the mystery. She doesn't work for the Burropasti family. The family only hired the assassin you killed."

"That doesn't make any sense. If Veronica wasn't hired by the family, why did she kill him?"

"He was a Consigliere for an organized crime, Logan. He had enemies everywhere. She could be hired by anyone… if it was her." Patricia said carefully.

"Patty, I'm not blind." He seethed. "I KNOW IT WAS HER!"

"Okay, okay." Patricia hurriedly said before Logan bellowed again. "And about her…"

"Yeah? What do you have?" Logan was pacing in his room. "Tell me everything."

"You won't like it."

"I already hate it the day I saw her killing a Consigliere!"

Patricia exhaled loudly. "She's married."

"You mean she was married? Yeah, I know that she was married to a sheriff here. What else you got?" Logan almost lost his patience. "Did you get anything about Lamb?"

"No, Logan. She is married." She paused. "And you wouldn't like it to find out her husband is…"

Logan listened intently for what Patricia had to say. He sat on the edge of the bed, and he lowered his head when he heard the information. Oh… Veronica.

Le Verrier Penthouse

A naked blonde woman was writhing under a naked blonde man. She was moaning and moving while the man was holding her waist. She incoherently said, "Oh, God. Harder, harder… fuck me hard… Yes, that's it… Faster…" Her breasts were bouncing wildly. The man on top of her didn't say anything, just trying to keep up the pace. She was wild and asked for a morning quickie. What kind of man he was if he didn't give what she wanted? His cell phone was ringing, and he looked at the bedside table. The clock showed it was 9.30AM. He reached to his phone, when the woman growled, "Don't you dare pick up that phone… Ngghhh… I'm cumming… Wait…"

"This could be important." He said, while grunting and moaning too.

"What the fuck… Ohhh… could be more…. Aahhh… important… than this!" He didn't answer and checked out the ID number. His eyes widened, and he stopped moving. The woman under him screamed in frustration. "WHAT THE FUCK? You can't stop like that, Dick!" She pushed his head angrily and entangled herself from him. "I swear, Dick… I'm gonna…"

Dick raised his hand to stop her from berating him. "Shhh shut up Lizzie. I have to pick this up."

Lizzie Manning was furious. She hit him with a pillow. "This is the fifth time this month! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Dick didn't acknowledge her; infact he seemed oblivious with her anger. He was preoccupied with the phone call. "Hello?"

"Hey, good morning Dick. Did I wake you up?" Mac greeted her best friend.

Dick glanced at Lizzie who was retreating to the bathroom; probably to finish herself off. "Nah, I woke up since 15 minutes ago. Wassup, Mackie?"

"I'm going to have brunch near the boardwalk. Wanna join me?"

"Depends. Does it include eggs and bacons?"

"No, but it does include awesome sweet toast with pancake syrups."

"I am so there." He said, and Mac laughed. Dick loved the sound of her laughter. Damn it, why I'm head over heels with Mac?

"Okay, I'll see you at the boardwalk."

"See ya'." Dick hung up the phone and smiled to himself. Lizzie walked out from the bathroom; already put her clothes on and looking for her shoes. "Oh, hey. Babe, I'm sorry about that. It was an important work call from the office…"

"Save it, asshole. You're not my boyfriend or anything, so you don't have the luxury to lie to me."

"Babe, don't be like that."

Lizzie shot him a dirty look. "You were such a jerk back in high school, and you still haven't change." She huffed and put her shoes on. "I don't know why I hooked up with you. Your brother killed my sister." She stood up and walked out from the penthouse, slamming the door.

Dick exhaled heavily. Sure, throw that every time I screw up.

Dick realized that many people were still raw about the Casablancas family, even after 10 years. Richard Casablancas, Sr. was a cold hearted fraudulent, his trophy wife Kendall was a gold digger who managed to get herself killed after she took off with 8 million Dollars of Cassidy's money, Cassidy was a mass murderer, and Dick himself…

He knew that he was horrible boy when he was in high school; bum fights, gambling, public intoxications, and many more. He was a mess and worse during college. He remembered during freshman, he hated Veronica and Mac. He blamed them for Cassidy's death.

Flashback

Logan was gone, not even bothered to say goodbye to him. His father was gone, because he was running away from the law. His mother was with her new family in Europe. His friends he used to hangout with were avoiding him or gone to colleges in different towns. The only guy he hung out with was Troy, who enrolled to Hearst. But Troy wasn't Logan. And it was obvious that he still wanted to hook up with Veronica.

Dick was alone.

When his mother enrolled him to Hearst, he didn't want to go. His stint in rehab was a bust, and he didn't feel of going to college. He joined Pi Sig because he wanted to party and get drunk. He even befriended a Junior student named Mercer Hayes, who owned an illegal gambling ring in campus. He didn't know at the time that he was a serial rapist.

It was his first week in college, and he was a mess. He met a girl named Parker and he wanted to hook up with her, so he went to her dorm room. He was so surprised when it was Mac who opened the door. Suddenly, he was feeling hurt and he needed to transfer that energy to someone else.

"My little brother never cared about you. You were just his beard."

Mac looked at him with sadness in her eyes. At the time, he just wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt everyone around him.

He got into fights with everyone. He just wanted to feel pain. He wanted to feel something. He got into a brawl in a cafeteria in campus because he was hitting on someone else's girlfriend. Her boyfriend and his buddies were kicking and punching him, when suddenly out of nowhere Veronica helped him by tasing the guys one by one with her stun gun. Troy, Wallace, and that kid Piz were also helping him, by carrying him outside. Of course he didn't thank them; he lashed out to them instead. He just couldn't take that Veronica helped him. "You think we're even? No, Beaver is still dead because of you!"

And he walked away from them.

It was a middle of the night when he woke up in the park. His wallet was missing, he had a big shiner on his forehead, his lip was bleeding, his clothes were torn, and he smelled like a gallon of alcohol. He didn't remember how he got to her place from the park. He just remembered that his feet took him there.

He knocked on the door and prayed.

When Veronica opened the door, and she saw him with her eyes wide open, Dick wanted to cry.

"I don't have anywhere else to go…" He choked.

Veronica just looked at him.

He didn't expect her to reply back, "You can stay here, Dick…" She stepped back and opened the door wider. Her dog was trotting to the door and looked up to Dick. He didn't bark, but very attentive. Dick looked at Backup, and he suddenly remembered that he used to have a dog named Sally… Remember Sally? His little brother drowned her. He said that it was an accident, but somehow he suspected that it wasn't.

Dick was sobbing in front of her. He looked down to the floor; he couldn't look at her eyes. He was ashamed, embarrassed, guilty, hurt…

Veronica was looking at him but didn't say anything. Dick didn't realize that her father was standing next to her, wearing a bathrobe, and he reached out to him. He patted his shoulder and pulled him to their small apartment. "Come on in, Richard."

But Dick didn't come in. He wiped his tears and sobbed hard. "I've messed up bad."

He didn't expect Veronica to hug him tight. She whispered, "Come here…"

"I'm alone, Ronnie …" He cried on her shoulder and whispered to her ear, "Alone…"

Veronica cried too. She kissed his head, "It's gonna be okay." She didn't forgive him that instant, but it was a progress for both of them. They both were crying in front of the apartment.

Keith then gently touched his shoulder and he sniffled. Veronica was holding his hand, and she was sniffling too. "Come on in, son."

For the first time in his life, he was home.

Present,

Siren Café

"I think my prayer came true." Mac said while biting into her toast. She and Dick were having brunch in a café near the beach. It was their spot to hangout most of the time when they were having a day off from work like today. "They cancelled the reunion party." She nodded. "Prayer really works."

Dick just smirked while drinking his pink guava juice. He never liked vegetarian food or even fruits, but whenever he was with Mac, he would eat or drink anything she likes. "Oh, Mackie-babe. You and your anti-social behavior." He teased her, which earned him a playful smack from her.

"Yesterday Ollie told me about the vandalism and how the reunion is cancelled. He was devastated." She giggled. "The news was spreading all over Neptune Connection."

"Yeah, I heard it too. I think those Pan kids are responsible with the whole thing."

"I don't think so. It seems too… complicated. How the hell they got into school?

"Hey, it never stopped us." Dick grinned. "I remember when we were in high school, me and the guys TP'ed their school cafeteria at night."

"Charming." Mac deadpanned. "I'm glad you have overcome your dumbass period." She mussed his hair with affection. Dick didn't say anything; he was enjoying her little loving gesture. They had been friends since college, so they used to tease each other.

But Dick somewhere along the way was falling in love with Mac.

"Don't forget tonight, we're going to have dinner at that Chinese restaurant with Logan." Dick poured some pancake syrup to his scrambled eggs and toast. Mac didn't answer; she was drinking her juice. She was blushing and was looking around except to Dick. He frowned to see her behavior. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"When a chick says nothing, it means something."

"Shut up. That's not true."

"I'm a chick expert. Of course it's true. It's Opposite Day all the time for you girls." Dick saw her cheeks turned red, and he thought that she had fever or something. "Why are you blushing like that?"

Mac sighed and reclined to her seat. "I'm not sure I wanna have dinner with Logan."

"Huh? Why? We haven't seen him for ten years, Mackie. Don't you wanna see him?"

"He's your friend, not mine. I mean…" She trailed off.

"What?"

"I mean, we never talked when we were in high school. And the last time we saw each other was that… night." She shrugged. Dick nodded in understanding, but still didn't get why she refused to come to dinner with him and Logan.

"Well, it's not like you're going on a date with him. You got me, and the three of us will eat Chinese food. Well, Logan and I will eat; you on the other hand will be eating like a rabbit with all those… vegetables." Dick raised his brows to see Mac was really red in the face. "Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? You never flustered like this except I remember when you were in college and that douche bag Max asked you on a date to a Sci-Fi Convention."

Mac puffed her cheeks, and Dick had to restraint himself not to pinch her adorable cheeks if he still valued his life. "Okay, remember five years ago when we saw Logan's movie?"

"Yeah, Neptune Noir." Dick nodded. "That plot twist in the end was really…"

"Anyway, I was so obsessed with that movie. And it was the first time we actually heard about him again, right?"

"Sure, sure."

She gulped a little. "Don't freak out; I know he's your friend and all. And he was Veronica's ex boyfriend…"

"Yeah?"

Mac grimaced uncomfortably. "I sorta have… sex dreams about him, like most of the time."

Dick's look was priceless. His eyes were widened and he looked at her in disbelief. "W…What do you mean; YOU HAVE SEX DREAMS ABOUT HIM?"

Mac hissed when Dick was practically yelled and most patrons were looking at them. "Quiet, you! Look, I'm embarrassed already – okay? It's just…I have no one to talk to about this. Who am I suppose to tell – Veronica? That would be sweet conversation!" She said in sarcasm, and failed to see a hurt and disbelief look from Dick. "Oliver? Not a chance."

"WHY oh why you're telling me this?" Dick mumbled and leaned back to his chair.

"It's not like I planned it or anything!" She whispered tensely. "And I'm telling you because you're my best friend. A little awkward, yes – but if I don't tell someone about it, I'm going to burst." She shrugged. "I dunno, maybe it's my hero complex, but I think I'm in love with Logan." She cleared her throat. "Or just a simple crush. I dunno yet, I haven't decided." She looked at Dick's pale face and frowned. "That's why I'm kinda… You know…"

Dick leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Fuck me sideways, Mac has a crush with fucking Logan. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck a duck…

"Well, Mackie…" Dick began.

"Oh, please don't judge me. I mean, I'm feeling guilty already. I feel like I'm betraying Veronica. Who in their right mind falling in love with your own friend's ex?"

Or your own late brother's girlfriend… Dick thought bitterly. "Dude, it's not my place to judge." He was looking dejected. "It's your dream."

"Exactly, they're only dreams right? It's not like they have meanings or anything." Mac tried to rationalize.

Of course not. This means my sex dreams about Mac are basically means nothing… Dick's head was spinning and he lost his appetite. "So, what about tonight?"

Mac shook her head. "I dunno." Dick didn't know either. He just knew that he wanted to shoot himself in the head.

Neptune High

It was around 5PM, and Darrell was at the parking lot of Neptune High. It was deserted as the school was closed for renovation. He was waiting for someone, and he was sitting on his motorcycle. Darrell preferred to ride his motorcycle; even when Keith already offered him his old car. But there was something about riding a motorcycle in high speed – it felt like freedom. His mom hated the motorcycle, but he promised that he would keep good grades as long she would let him drive it. She had no choice but to agree.

He heard a loud rap Latin music, and a classic colored chlorophyll Charger was bouncing up and down to the parking lot. Darrell was amused to see the loud car. The car stopped in front of him, and the driver turned off the ignition. The music stopped suddenly, and Darrell's ears were ringing.

A Hispanic bald man with tattoos all over his body and neck walked out from the car.

"Darrell Mars?" He greeted.

"Yeah, you're Eli Navarro?" Darrell offered his hand, but Eli didn't take it. He was looking up at him with amusement.

"Damn, boy. You're so tall. Sheriff Mars is feeding you right." He chuckled.

Darrell grimaced and pulled back his hand. "Thanks for meeting me here. Veronica said you can help."

Eli's eyes softened. "Anything for her."

There was something in his tone that made Darrell raised his eyebrows. He heard it before from other men in her life. Everyone was a little bit in love with Veronica…

"So… we're gonna check out the school?" Darrell asked.

Eli didn't answer at first. He looked at the school building and the quad near the parking lot. For a minute he didn't say anything. He was just staring at his old high school. Of course, he remembered everything… Felix, Chardo, Thumper, Arturo, Hector...

Lilly…

Eli closed his eyes as he was overwhelmed with memories. Darrell just looked at him oddly. "Right, so Clemmons is hiring you to find out who is doing these pranks?" Eli asked suddenly. Both of them were walking to the main entrance.

"Uh, yeah. The whole Mars sleuthing thing apparently is a mantra for this school. I heard Veronica used to solve cases. I guess Clemmons is expecting me to do the same thing." He answered bitterly. Eli just smirked remembering Veronica and her detective skills.

"Did your sister ever tell you that I taped your brother to the flagpole?" Eli smiled.

Darrell stopped walking and stared to the shorter man. "Say what?"

Eli just laughed. "I'll tell you the story sometimes." He patted Darrell's back hard. "By the way, I remember you at your dad's wedding. You were this high." He showed Darrell his height back then using his hand. "How old were you at the time? Eight?"

"I was twelve…"

"Boy, you grew up fast." Eli chuckled again. "And you have a nice ride." He pointed his thumb towards Darrell's motorcycle. "I used to drive my big hog when I was your age."

They walked into the building and both of them were shock to see the view.

It wasn't because everything was green; it was because they saw a huge poster of Cassidy Casablancas smack dab in the middle of hallway floor. And the walls were covered with graffiti, red paint or maybe blood, and writings that said: DIE PIRATES!

The whole thing looked surreal, like from a horror movie.

"Holy shit." Eli commented.

Darrell was aghast. "Well. Clemmons is definitely gonna fire me..."

Vermillion Bird Chinese Restaurant

Logan walked into a very fancy lobby of a Chinese restaurant named Vermillion Bird. It was a new restaurant and it was very prestige; the hottest new place in town. All Logan needed was to mention his name to get the best seats. A beautiful hostess wearing a red sparkly Cheongsam welcomed him to the restaurant.

"I'm early, so I'm gonna wait for my friends at the bar." Logan told the hostess as he looked at his watch. He felt like he needed a drink before meeting Dick and Mac.

"Of course, Mr. Echolls. Let us know when you're ready." She smiled and let him alone.

Logan ordered a glass of Scotch to the bartender, and he sat at the counter. He was drinking and thinking about this morning when Patricia delivered shocking news. He didn't know whether he could take more news about Veronica Mars.

He was nursing his drink and looked around conspicuously. The restaurant was divided between the bar and the dining area with a waterfall glass crystal. The water was flowing like rain rivulets on the glass crystal and pooling into a small pond. There were no fishes, but there were many small turtles. From across the bar, he could see the dining area. It wasn't pack like most Chinese restaurant; after all this was a very exclusive place. Logan saw chandeliers hanging on the ceiling, waitresses that looked like models, and Chinese traditional music was heard softly in the background. The patrons definitely looked wealthy; he saw groups of men with suits and women with cocktail dresses were eating, drinking, and talking. He was wearing a crisp brown suit and black shirt and pants himself.

That was why he narrowed his eyes when he saw unusual pair of men sitting in the corner at the dining area, not talking at all, but very subtle were watching their surroundings while they seemed enjoying their meals. Being a professional hit man, he immediately knew that those men weren't exactly patrons of the restaurant. They were wearing cheap suits, and it showed especially in this establishment.

Government spooks, Logan thought. He couldn't see who they were watching, and he thought it was none of his business. Nobody knew Logan was an assassin; they knew him as a movie director – a celebrity. But he needed to be careful anyway.

Logan returned to his drink and waited for his friends to arrive.

A woman was walking by behind him towards the exit. He didn't pay any attention, until he recognized the scent of her perfume.

Logan read sometimes a scent could trigger a memory, even when one was trying to suppress that memory. So when he smelled that woman's perfume, he stood up and hurriedly walked after her.

The woman was walking outside and approached the parking valet. She gave her ticket to a valet attendant and waited. She was wearing a simple blue cocktail dress, matching high heels shoes, and a silver purse. She shivered a little bit from a chilly wind, and it made her petite body seemed smaller. Logan inhaled her scent and called her name.

"Veronica."

The blonde woman startled a bit. She turned around slowly and saw Logan, standing at the doorway to the restaurant. Her eyes widened and she was shocked to see him.

"Logan…" She whispered.

She was a vision of beauty, no doubt about that. Logan almost didn't remember that few days ago he saw her wearing a red wig and shot a man, and she was crying at the cemetery. Seeing her up close and personal seemed to erase all of that images.

Logan stepped closer to her and smiled. A genuine smile that was very rare; he was really happy to see her. "Hello, Veronica." He breathed her name.

His smile faltered when he saw her took a step back, like she was afraid of him and her eyes were glimmering. But then she shook it off and put a smile on her face, "Hi, Logan. Long time no see…"

Both of them didn't know what to do, so they were just staring at each other. And then Veronica made a move. She gave him a greeting hug, and he reciprocated. Logan buried his face to her hair and for a moment he was in heaven. He didn't see Veronica's torture look as she hugged him tightly. After a while, they released each other. Logan wanted to hug her longer, but Veronica already let him go. Logan looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world, which made her blushed.

"You look beautiful." He blurted.

Veronica smiled, "Thanks. You look great too, Logan." Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I have dinner plan. Just waiting around in the bar… waiting for D…friends." He didn't say he was meeting Dick and Mac because he didn't know whether Veronica still have contacts with them, and he didn't want to make it awkward that he didn't contact her at all. "How about you? Are you by yourself?"

"No, I was actually with my husband."

There. Like ripping a band-aid, she said it quickly.

Logan nodded. "I see. Congratulations." He looked at her finger and he saw the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "Where is he?" Not like he wanted to meet him, but he just curious why Veronica was outside the restaurant waiting for her car on her own.

"He's still having dinner meeting with his business associates. I was tagging alone, but I have things to do tomorrow morning so I have to go home early." She explained hurriedly.

"How long have you been married?"

"Three years." She nodded and pursed her lips, like she didn't like talking about her marriage. "So, how long you've been here in Neptune?"

"Few days, give or take. I'm here for the reunion. Did you get your invitation?" He knew of course she got it based on her confession in the cemetery, but he just wanted to have a conversation with her, especially she looked like she wanted to run away from him.

"The reunion has been cancelled. Someone vandalized the school, haven't you heard?"

Logan shook his head, "No, I didn't know that. Oh, wow. What a shame."

"Yeah…"

Both of them didn't say anything for a minute as they were staring at each other. Logan seemed lost as memories were swirling around his head… "So… I heard someone is a great legendary photographer now." He teased her. Veronica was smiling, and it was a genuine smile.

"Oh, you heard? It's no big deal." Veronica shrugged. "I heard that someone is a big shot in Hollywood. What's his nickname?" She tilted her head to the side, and Logan almost lost it. He always thought that her head tilting was her way to make men weak on their knees. "The next Quentin Tarantino. Impressive."

Logan ran his hand to his hair; he was so nervous like a teenager. He was a professional hit man who deals with many unthinkable situations. But standing in front of Veronica, the love of his life, who happens to be married to the most notorious man in Neptune, made him awkward.

He wanted to say something significant, but someone stepped out from the restaurant and approached them.

It was the hostess from the restaurant, and she was holding a coat. She handed the coat to Veronica and apologized, "I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Sorokin. But you forgot your coat. Your husband asked me to give it to you because it's windy and he doesn't want you to catch a cold."

"Thank you, May. Tell him I got it."

The hostess went back to the restaurant, and Veronica was going to put the coat on, when Logan took the coat and held it for her. "Here, lemme help you…" Veronica was blushing when Logan helped her put on her coat but she didn't say anything. Logan's hands stayed for a while on her shoulders and he reluctantly let her go.

He wanted to hug and kiss her so bad.

Both of them heard a car screech and stopped in front of them. Veronica's car was silver Porsche and she tipped the valet generously. Before she climbed into her car, she turned around to look at Logan. "Listen, Logan. I have a gallery in downtown. It's called Aphrodite. Come by sometimes, and we can catch up." She offered.

"I'd love that." He nodded in agreement.

"It's so nice to see you, Logan…" She hugged him again. This time, the hug lasted longer as Logan closed his eyes. Veronica was on a verge of tears, but she held it together.

"You too, Veronica…" He whispered to her ear. His nose brushed over her cheek as they separated, and his hands lingered on her waist. The separation made his heart ache and he wanted to pull her to his body and never let go. Veronica was breathing hard and tried to compose herself. She bit her lower lip and forced herself not to cry.

He watched her climbed into her expensive car, and settled in the driver's seat. She gave him a tight smile and said, "Bye, Logan." Her voice was breaking and Logan couldn't bring himself to answer so he just nodded as she sped out the parking lot, and he thought that she was in a hurry so he wouldn't see her crying.

He remembered her body was trembling when they were hugging, and her hands were gripping his suit so tight.

Logan closed his eyes and saw the memories he buried a long time ago. Veronica was crying, Veronica was kissing him, Veronica was hugging him, Veronica was…

When he opened his eyes, he felt heavy in his heart. It was until someone snapped him back to reality, and he turned around as he heard Dick greeted him. Mac was standing beside him, as it was evident they just arrived and they were standing in front of the restaurant.

"Dude, don't leave me hanging here."

Logan didn't know whether Dick and Mac saw Veronica or not, but he smiled and walked towards them.

He hugged both of them tightly. Dick and Mac hugged him back. Mac even wanted to cry. "Long time no see, guys. I miss you both." He mumbled between their shoulders. Mac kissed his head, and Dick mussed with Logan's hair as he tried not to cry to see his best friend again.