Author's Note 1: Wow, I got many messages and reviews that saying that they hate that Mac having a crush on Logan (except you Steenbeans, LOL). I mean, Logan is hot. Mac is not blind. Heee…. But I can understand everyone is uncomfortable with the idea. I can definitely say to everyone that this is LoVe (and MaDi) story, so y'all no need to worry. I'm not trying to hook 'em up. Instead sending me private messages telling me that you dislike a certain pair, you can do it in a form of reviews. I love reading reviews. Don't be shy to put your review for this fic. Please, no bashing though. Writers need constructive criticisms or constructive feedbacks in order to make their story better. LoVe and MaDi shippers have nothing to fear. But thank you so much for the messages – they're motivating me to write more. I really appreciate it.

Author's Note 2: Holy crap, this chapter was hard to write. Btw, some of you expressed concern over VerGo – again, this is a LoVe story. Come on; say it with me like a mantra – LoVe, LoVe, LoVe… This chapter is heavy with VerGo, because the plot demands it. But you don't have to worry about them. I'm not trying to make them the ultimate couple, NO. The end game is still LoVe.

Author's Note 3: Domonick Desante is a character from the show played by Joaquin Perez-Campbell. There are also original characters named Gabriel and Dante in this fic. Imagine them being played by Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, respectively. Yes, you're welcome.

City Hall

Keith stood up carefully, looking around him in a daze. His eyes fell upon the mayor, who he'd pushed aside several moments earlier. The mayor, as well as the others in the crowd, were all standing up slowly. Just minutes ago, an unknown assailant had unleashed a hail of fire on them- how were they still alive?

Alphonse Gonzales groaned and held his head; he'd bumped his head after Keith had pushed him away from the… bullets? Keith looked at his uniform. It was wet and red, but there were no bullet holes. He examined the red liquid on his fingers – it was paint.

Someone had shot them using a paintball machine gun.

Neptune Cemetery, One Day Later

Veronica walked along the pathway very slowly. She paused for a moment and closed her eyes, enjoying the breeze. She felt as though she could hear the people who she loved calling out her name. Veronica opened her eyes and continued walking, finally arriving in front of a grave. She sat down on the ground.

"Hey, babe… Surprise. I bet you didn't expect me to visit again, since last week."

Every month for the last three years, Veronica had visited her late husband's grave. It was a ritual for her. Gorya never liked it when she went to the cemetery. They'd always argue, because Gorya thought it was a waste of time to visit a dead spouse. Veronica never backed down from an argument; she would always argue back. Their fights would usually escalate until one of them stormed out of the room.

But Veronica would always go to the cemetery. Gorya could forbid her, but he was more afraid of her leaving him.

She was lying on the soft grass in front of the headstone. She didn't care that her clothes had gotten grass stains. She just wanted to be closer to Lamb. Her hand stroked the grass beneath her. "Dad was shot yesterday…. But don't worry, he's fine," she started. "You won't believe what happened – and if you were still Sheriff, I don't even think that you would investigate. Let's face it, love… you were a lazy sheriff." She chuckled. "But you were a good detective, surprisingly. I loved the times we spent together, solving cases and chasing bail jumpers. Dad always used to joke that we were like Sipowicz and Simone… Dad and his old shows..."

She sighed. "Dad and The Mayor were shot with PAINTBALLS when they were having a press conference. I wasn't there, but I saw everything on the news. When someone shot them using a paintball machine gun, I thought…." She choked a bit. "I thought I'd lost him."

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I can't afford to lose him. I don't know what would happen to me if… I just… I just can't." She sniffled a bit while she looked at the blue sky above her. "Losing you was the hardest thing I've ever experienced… When they put me into that mental institution, I thought I couldn't be normal again… Well, as normal as I can get."

She sat up and faced the headstone. She stared at Don Lamb's name. "Don… I saw Logan the other day… I don't know what I feel right now… Seeing him, it was like seeing a ghost… And somehow I feel guilty, that I think I still have feelings for him… I know it's ridiculous…It's been, what, a decade? I don't think he has any feeling for me. He's a successful movie director. You remember that movie he directed? You were reluctant to go see it with me, but I know you secretly liked it… I mean, I'm sure he's moved on, he's probably had a string of girlfriends and…" Veronica stopped suddenly. She lowered her head and chuckled. "Look at me, babbling about my ex-boyfriend to you."

She traced his name on the headstone. "Sometimes I don't know how fate works… You were the one who held me and loved me when I was broken… You helped me move on from all the shit that happened… Thank you, babe…" She smiled, feeling as though Don were beside her. "I was talking to Mac a few weeks ago – she asked whether it's time for me to move on from you…"

Veronica rested her forehead on the headstone. She whispered, "I don't know whether I'm ready yet… I still miss you terribly… I love you, Don." She sat up straight. "Gory told me that he loved me the other day, again…I know he's loved me ever since we got married, but… I don't think I could ever love him… But he's my husband, so I'm obligated to love him, right?"

She sighed heavily. "I feel like I'm losing my soul every day, every time I'm with him… I feel like I've lost what's right and what's wrong… But… I do need him. I don't think I could live without him, right now… and it comes with a price – I have to accept that Dad's disowned me, right? And I've lost my friends in the process, too… Nobody wants to have a Russian mob connection…"

She picked up several blades of wild grass and twisted them around. "I don't like what I've become, Don… it frustrates me that I'm dependent on Gory… Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I don't recognize myself… Sometimes when Gory holds me, I actually feel safe, because I know that he protects me… But at the same time, he would never let me go…"

Veronica lowered her head. "And after all these years, I thought I could learn to love him… He made me safe. He was the one who helped me, when you were gone… He never cared about the past. Gory and me… we are both broken people. But…" She looked at Lamb's headstone, like she was looking at him. "I don't know whether I could ever love him like he loves me… And it scares me that he won't take 'no' for an answer."

She didn't say a word for a few minutes. She picked up a bouquet of dried flowers from the ground, crumbled them, and spread them on his grave. She blew the rest of the crumbled flowers from her hand. The wind picked up the flowers, and Veronica watched them as they scattered away. Dear wind… Pick me up and fly me to heaven… "Thanks for listening, Don. I really miss talking to you… I miss you so much… I wish I could talk to you again…" The wind gusted and Veronica closed her eyes. She felt like Don was hugging her from behind. "I love you too…"

Veles Restaurant and Bar

Roman Sorokin walked into his family restaurant with his bodyguards. The hostess saw him walking in and scurried out of his path. He walked confidently to the kitchen, and then to the back office. His wife, Zena, followed him inside with her children; the babysitter wasn't far behind. Zena looked bored, and didn't bother to question her husband when he walked straight to the back. She was used to eating without him while he took care of business. Her children ran around the restaurant; the babysitter tried to control them, to no avail. Zena snapped her fingers and ordered a glass of bourbon. She watched as Lev Sorokin's young wife, Mischka, with her dark eyeliner and overly tanned skin, made her grand entrance into the restaurant. Mischka made a beeline towards her table, avoiding Zena's children, who were now shrieking as they ran around and underneath the tables. Lev's teenage emo son, Dax, walked in sullenly and sat down next to his step-mother.

"Sorry I'm late. I was at the spa. Is Lev here?" She kissed both Zena's cheeks and sat next to her. She snapped her fingers too and ordered a glass of bourbon. Zena rolled her eyes discreetly. Mischka always copied her behavior, trying to be the best mob wife.

"I dunno. I just got here." She checked her Blackberry and tried to tune out Mischka's boring story about her spa day.

"All the brothers are here?" Mischka asked, looking around. "Where's Blondie?"

"Who?"

"Gory's wife – Little Miss Perfect," Mischka scoffed. "I don't see what Gory sees in her."

I don't see what Uncle Lev sees in you, you whore, Zena thought bitterly. "I don't think she's coming. Gory never takes her to any family luncheons, dinners or gatherings, except weddings and funerals."

"He took her to that Chinese restaurant, and we weren't invited," Mischka told her. She smacked Dax's head so he wouldn't slouch. Dax rolled his eyes and ate a piece of breadstick.

"It's an exclusive establishment; I don't think they'd allow my kids to run around there."

"What? And I'm not exclusive enough?" Zena looked at the younger woman. Mischka was wearing tacky jewelry and leopard prints clothes. Her new breasts were basically up to her neck, and she was checking her teeth for lipstick with a butter knife. Zena gulped her bourbon, and hoped that her husband would be finished with the meeting soon.

Roman walked into the big office behind the kitchen, and saw that Valentin was arguing with Gorya already. Valentin was screaming at Gorya, while Gorya calmly smirked. Uncle Lev sat behind a big heavy desk, not saying anything while he watched his nephews argue. Valentin made a movement like he was going to punch his brother. But Gorya didn't even flinch, just staring at him coldly.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Roman grabbed Valentin's fist. "What the hell are you guys doing?"

"This Svoloch' thinks he's the king!" Valentin spat.

"I am the king, you little twit." Gorya crossed his arms in front of his chest and sneered.

Valentin was about to strike, when Uncle Lev told them with a heavy voice, "That's enough." Gorya looked at his uncle and raised his eyebrow. This was the first time his uncle had actually said anything to separate the boys. Valentin huffed and released himself from Roman. "Please take your seats. There is something I want to say to you boys." Roman, Gorya, and Valentin sat in front of Uncle Lev. Valentin kicked Gorya's leg discreetly, which made Gorya want to punch his little brother. But he restrained himself.

"What's wrong, Uncle?" Roman asked.

"You may have read the news about the deaths of Consiglieres in many Italian families on the East and West Coasts, over the past few months." The three men watched their uncle intently. "We never stick our noses in their business, and they never stick theirs in ours. If someone is whacking these Italians, we don't care." Uncle Lev lit his pipe and then leaned back in his chair. "There is news from our family in Brighton Beach, that it seems they are now targeting us – there are many reports that the elders are being targeted. And not just our family; other Bratvas on the East Coast are also being targeted. There was an attempt on Samuel Yakovlevich a few weeks ago, our cousin from the East. We think this might be connected with the Italians, but we're not taking any chances."

"Any chance this might be random?" Gorya asked.

"We don't know. As you know, last month I attended a gathering of many Bratvas in Vegas - including our rivals. And they voiced the same concern: someone is probably trying to get rid of us. I don't know whether it's the government, feds, or even other Bratvas."

Valentin was fidgeting in his chair. As much he liked being a part of the powerful Sorokin family, deep down inside he was actually afraid of everything. Roman and Gorya were the ruthless ones; his big brothers were much calmer handling any situation. Gorya was much colder than his two brothers – Roman was a hot head, but could still control himself. "Um, are we safe?"

"I don't know. In the mean time, you need to take care of your own families. Protect your wives, children, and your friends at any cost." Uncle Lev smoked his pipe and exhaled it. "There is a possibility they are targeting the commandant." He looked to his three nephews. "When your father died, I took over the business and everything in this family. If there's an attempt on my life…"

"Uncle…" Roman began.

"If there's an attempt on my life, the family needs an automatic leadership. This is why I called you boys, because one of you will be my replacement." The three brothers went silent. Roman and Valentin glanced at Gorya, who was sitting in the middle. Uncle Lev had always favored Gorya in handling business, as he was the most meticulous and calculated. That was why it was so surprising when Uncle Lev pointed to their oldest brother, Roman. "Your father probably would want this, as this is tradition. Roman, you will be my next in line."

Roman smiled, and Valentin grinned. Gorya did NOT look happy.

"Thank you, Uncle. I will not let you down," Roman said.

"You're welcome, Roman. We've always known that you would take over the family business someday. Your father and I were inseparable. We were like Romulus and Remus… your father loved ancient Roman history, which was why he named you Roman. We thought that because you are his first born, you should take over. And your brothers will help – that's how family works."

"When will this be official?" Valentin asked.

"Soon. We're going to have a family gathering with the Bratvas, here in Neptune; that is when we will announce it officially." Uncle Lev stood up, and the men stood up also. Uncle Lev kissed his nephews on the cheeks. Valentin and Roman hugged each other, and Gorya offered his hand to his older brother.

"Congrats, Roman."

Roman took his hand and shook it. "Thanks, bro." His eyes were sparkling, and he was smirking. Uncle Lev hadn't picked Gorya as the next commandant; it must have pissed him off – which made Roman and Valentin happy.

Gorya walked out into the restaurant, after he'd bid goodbye to his uncle. His older and younger brother stayed in the office, celebrating. Uncle Lev narrowed his eyes at Gorya's behavior. He needed to be careful handling Gorya. Gorya was much like him – cold and calculating.

Who knew what Gorya would do?

Sorokin Mansion

Gorya walked into the mansion and fist-bumped his bodyguard, Lancelot, a huge African American man. Gorya handed him his briefcase. As he walked into the hallway, he smelled something delicious. "I thought Oleg had the day off?"

"Mrs. Vee is baking." Lancelot grinned and bit off a piece of chocolate chip cookie.

Gorya widened his eyes but didn't comment. He walked towards the kitchen, the delicious smell teasing his nose. He thought that it was good that Veronica was keeping herself busy; she'd been angry and hysterical yesterday, after someone had pulled a prank on Sheriff Mars and the Mayor on LIVE television.

Someone had shot Mayor Alphonse Gonzales, Sheriff Mars, and the other officials at the press conference with paintballs. Even the reporters had gotten shot. It had been a drive-by shooting, gangster style, and the shooter had used a machine gun filled with paintballs. Everyone had been in a panic. They'd thought someone was trying to kill them. And it had all happened LIVE, right before the Mayor was about to give a statement about the recent string of pranks. Apparently, in the course of one night, someone had vandalized both Neptune High and the City Hall. The person had used Cassidy Casablancas' poster, spraying everything with paint and adding some kind of threatening messages. The news hadn't reported what kind of messages were written, but after Veronica had watched the news, she'd gone ballistic.

Flashback

Gorya would have gotten hit in the head with a flying ashtray, if he hadn't ducked quickly enough.

Veronica saw him and gritted her teeth. "Would you mind getting out of the room so you won't get hit?" she asked her husband.

"What the hell, Veronica?" He looked around their bedroom; there was broken glass and debris scattered everywhere.

"Didn't you watch the news?" she asked. "Someone is trying to kill my dad!"

Gorya looked at her like she was crazy. "Babe, I saw the news. Nobody is trying to kill your dad…" Before he could finish, he saw Veronica's eyes bulge at his statement. He reacted very fast, ducking as she flung her shoe over his head. "Veronica!"

"How can you say that!" she screamed. "I'm gonna find out who is responsible for this no matter what!" She threw another shoe at the wall, instead of at her husband. She was about to leave the room when Gorya grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. "Gory, let go of me!"

"Not until you calm the fuck down!" He hugged her while she struggled. After a few minutes, she calmed down and buried her face into his chest. "He's okay, Veronica…" he finally said. "It was a stupid prank done by a crazy person. Let the police handle this."

"I gotta talk to him."

Gorya flinched.

It would be a bad idea if Veronica found out that he'd banned Keith and Wallace from seeing her. "Veronica… I don't think that's a good idea." Gorya was used to Veronica's sudden changes of mood, so he didn't say anything when she pushed him away and stormed out of the bedroom. "Great." Thenhe cursed to himself in Russian.

Gorya was sleeping in the pool house that night.

Present

Gorya walked into the kitchen to find Veronica, baking dozens of cookies. "I'm home," he greeted. Veronica turned around and smiled. Oh, good. She's not throwing knives at me. Gorya thought she looked sexy wearing an apron. Her hair was tied in a ponytail. He kissed her head, and wiped flour from her nose with his hand. "You look delicious."

"I baked some chocolate chip cookies and snicker-doodles," she told him, putting a cookie into his mouth. Gorya bit the cookie, and his eyes rolled back. Veronica was a good baker, and her desserts always tasted heavenly. His family might not like her, but they all admitted that her baking talent was out of this world.

"You baked a lot," he observed, looking at the messy kitchen. Veronica pulled a batch of hot cookies from the oven. Gory noticed a box of snicker-doodles on the table. "Is that for the boys?" he asked. His wife always looked after his bodyguards.

"I already gave them a whole basket of cookies." She placed some cookies into a box and tied it with a ribbon. "This is for Dad, Alicia, and Darrell. I'm going over their house to give them these."

That made him quiet. He lowered his head and looked at the flour-covered floor.

If Keith told Veronica that his bodyguards had threatened him and Wallace, ordering them to stop seeing her, it would be BAD. Boris and Lancelot had been very… persuasive. Wallace was still pissed off at Gorya, but Keith had pretended to disown Veronica so Gorya would leave them alone. It made her sad, and sometimes he caught her crying when she thought he wasn't looking. But he couldn't afford to lose her – Keith and Wallace were adamant that Veronica had to leave him. There was no way he would allow her family to separate them.

Gorya loved Veronica so much.

He remembered the first time they met... Veronica was broken, like him.

They had been through a lot over the past few years. He knew that Veronica might not love him the way he loved her. It was hard for her to say 'I love you', even though they'd been married for three years now. It made him jealous every time Veronica visited her late husband's grave. One time, he'd followed her to the cemetery and found her crying at Lamb's grave. It had made him sick to his stomach to find out that she still loved the former sheriff, even though she was married to HIM now.

He'd banned her family from even making contact with her. He'd only allowed Darrell to see her at all because he knew that Darrell wouldn't jeopardize their relationship; Darrell was only a boy, and he wasn't trying to get caught up in their drama. But Keith and Wallace…

If Veronica knew that his bodyguards had beat up Wallace, there would be hell to pay. Veronica would leave him, divorce him, or maybe worse. It was a risk he couldn't take.

"I'll come with you," he said.

Veronica looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen your family for a while… Especially after what happened to your dad yesterday…And you need my support," he lied.

Veronica hugged him tightly, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for doing this!" Gorya didn't reply, but hugged her back tightly. Keith had better cooperate with this sham, if he wanted Gorya to leave his family alone. He gave her a peck on her lips, which made her smile brightly. Gorya would do anything to prevent Veronica from leaving him. He knew that everyone loved Veronica.

But Gorya Sorokin never shared.

Mars Residence

Veronica sat in the back of the limo with Gorya, fidgeting. She was so nervous about visiting her family again. She hadn't seen her dad and Alicia for almost a year. She saw Darrell on a daily basis; but ever since she'd married Gorya, and Keith had disowned her, she'd hardly seen the rest of her family. Alicia always told her that Keith was busy, and didn't have time to see her. It devastated her that her father refused to see her.

Veronica didn't know that Gorya was behind it; that he was the reason why Keith wouldn't see her. Keith had to lie so that Gorya could have full control.

They finally arrived at Keith and Alicia's house. Before Veronica had married Lamb, she'd stayed in that house for a while. It had a nice backyard and swimming pool.

Veronica huffed and puffed to prepare herself. Gorya didn't say anything, just glanced at her. He was worried that her father would say something – but hopefully Keith would understand that telling Veronica about the threats and the beating would have great consequences. "Are you okay?"

Veronica looked at Gorya. She nodded. "Thanks for being here with me, Gory."

Gorya kissed her softly. "Anything for you."

Both of them climbed out of the limo and approached the house. They walked onto the front porch. She carried the snicker-doodles box, which had a pretty bow on it. Veronica exhaled and knocked on the door. She wasn't expecting Wallace to open the door.

"Veronica?"

"Wallace!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Wallace was at a loss for words, especially when he noticed Gorya standing next to Veronica. His eyes narrowed when he saw Veronica's husband. He immediately went into defensive mode. "I could ask you the same thing… but more importantly, what is HE doing here?" Gorya looked at Wallace like he was bored. But Wallace knew better; Gorya was giving him a warning look – say anything to Veronica, and his family would get hurt.

Veronica glanced at both men uncomfortably. "Umm… Where is everyone?"

"Pops is still with the Mayor… Darrell is out. And Mom is shopping. We're house-sitting for a while," Wallace answered reluctantly. He was still standing in front of the door, not letting them into the house.

"Is Claudette here too? And… Theodore?" she asked Wallace carefully.

Wallace raised his eyebrow. "How do you know about Theo?"

Veronica blinked. "Darrell told me… Congratulations, Wallace. I'm so happy for you."

Wallace's eyes softened. He wanted to hug Veronica so badly, and tell her everything about his son. But Gorya was standing next to her, and Wallace had to restrain himself. "Thank you, Veronica," he said softly.

Gorya didn't congratulate him, but Veronica didn't notice. Her eyes widened as she saw Claudette walk up behind Wallace, holding Theodore. "Veronica! How nice of you to come!" Wallace's wife was a very pretty African American woman. Claudette was nice, and friendly, and she and Wallace were very compatible with each other. Especially since they both worked with the Invisible Children organization in Africa. Claudette kissed Veronica's cheek, and even greeted Gorya. "Gory, how are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you Claudette?" Gorya politely answered.

Wallace definitely disliked that Gorya was speaking to his wife, but he didn't say anything. He was watching Gorya carefully, just in case he even looked at his baby the wrong way. Theodore was around 6 months old, and he was clutching his mother's shirt. Wallace was in protective mode, especially with Gorya in front of them. Claudette was about to invite Veronica and Gorya in, but Wallace's stern look shut her up.

"Is this… Is this Theo?" Veronica was mesmerized by Theodore. He was a cute baby, with big brown eyes like Wallace. He had a nose like Claudette.

"Yes, my little prince." Claudette gave her baby a kiss. She smiled at Veronica. "Would you like to hold him? He's never seen his Auntie before," she said, glancing at Wallace. Her husband didn't say anything, but Wallace had an unspoken conversation with his wife.

What the hell are you doing? Wallace looked at his wife.

Don't be like that, Boo. This is Veronica. Claudette offered her baby to Veronica.

Veronica immediately gave the box of snicker-doodles to Gorya, and held Theo in her arms. She laughed happily and gave him a kiss. "Hi, Theo… I'm your Auntie Veronica. How are you, handsome?" Theodore chortled and put his hand on her mouth, which she gingerly kissed. Gorya watched the interaction and his heart began to beat very fast. The image of her holding their baby suddenly crossed his mind, and his breath hitched. Theodore pulled her hair, and Claudette had to save her before he pulled harder. Veronica watched as the baby laughed and felt heartache when she let him go. "He's beautiful," she whispered, almost crying.

Theodore started to whine and struggle in his mother's arms. "Oops, I better take care of him. It's nice to see you again, Veronica."

"You too, Claudette." Veronica waved to Theodore. "Bye, bye, baby…" But Claudette had already run inside with her wailing son. "He looks just like you, Wallace," she told him.

Wallace just nodded. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Listen, I'd love to invite you in. But the house is really messy right now…"

"I don't mind messy, Wallace."

"The baby is fussing, and I'm kinda in the middle of something."

Veronica realized that Wallace didn't want her to come into the house, and she felt like someone was piercing her heart with arrows. "Oh… Okay."

"Sorry, Vee. I mean, you caught us at a bad time."

"That's okay. I mean, we can talk here on the front porch," Veronica said quietly. Wallace set his jaw. He would LOVE to invite Veronica in, or even just talk; but Gorya's presence was making him uncomfortable.

Gorya sighed and gave Veronica the box. "I'll wait in the limo, okay babe?"

"No, wait – Gory, please." But Gorya was already walking back to the limo, parked across the street. Veronica turned to Wallace with a pleading look. "Wallace, come on… don't be like that."

"Me? I didn't do anything."

"You don't want us in the house."

"No, I don't want HIM in the house. I'm fine with you coming in."

"Wallace…"

"This is our house, Veronica. I can forbid him to come over." Just like your husband forbid us to see you, Wallace thought angrily. "If you don't like that, then you have a problem."

"Are we still doing this? It's been 3 years… Why do you hate him?"

Wallace looked at Veronica in disbelief. "WHY? You wanna know why? For starters, he's in the fucking MAFIA!" Veronica looked down and winced. She couldn't argue with that – Gorya was part of a mafia family.

"I know what he is… but if you look past that…" she said quietly.

"No, Veronica. I can't get passed the fact that he kills people for a living," Wallace told her off. Veronica flinched. What would Wallace do if he found out that she herself killed people too? What would her dad think?

"Then don't look at him… Look at me… How about me? I'm still your best friend – at least, I'd like to think that… and you're my brother. You're my family, Wallace."

"Veronica, you chose him over us. Can you imagine how we feel?" Wallace argued.

Veronica started to sniffle. "All my life I've always had to choose sides. When Lilly died, I chose a side and everyone shunned me." She looked at him with misty eyes. "And you were my only friend back then… I miss that friend…" Her voice cracked. "I miss you, Wallace."

I miss you too, Veronica… But I can't jeopardize my family, he thought sadly. "I'm sorry Veronica. I think it's a bad idea that you're here. I'll never understand what you see in him." He looked at her hard. "You have changed. Old Veronica would have done anything to put him behind bars, not MARRY him!"

"Are we going to have this same argument, Wallace? It's been THREE years, get over it!" she said, frustrated.

"What is it, anyway? Do you even love him? I can't believe you're so blind!" Wallace challenged her. He knew that the concept of love was very hard for Veronica.

Veronica didn't answer, but she was on the verge of crying. "Look, I'm not here to argue. I'm here to see whether Dad is okay after he was pranked, and I wanna know whether Darrell has had any progress on the case." Veronica lifted up the box. "And I baked these… for all of you…" Her lips began to quiver.

Wallace wanted to give her a hug, but he had to be strong and protect his family. Even when it hurt Veronica in the process. But she should have known that her husband was a snake in the grass. "Pops is fine. He's investigating this, along with the Mayor. Darrell has been fired from the investigation – both from Clemmons and from Dad. They think it's too dangerous for him." Wallace kept his voice flat, ignoring the box of snicker-doodles that Veronica was holding out to him.

"Okay…" Veronica nodded. "Just tell them, I will help if they want me."

She continued to hold the box out to Wallace, but he shook his head. "I can't accept that, Veronica."

"Why not?"

"Veronica, you may already know this – but Feds are watching your husband's family all the time. Do you know what would happen if I accepted a gift from a mobsters wife?"

"For God's sake, Wallace! It's only a box of snicker-doodles!" she cried in frustration. "Don't do this. Don't make this harder."

"Divorce him, Veronica," Wallace said, his voice serious. "He's a snake. Old Veronica would leave his ass in a heartbeat. You're supposed to be the Superfly!"

Veronica wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheek. "What, leave him or be disowned – is that it?" Wallace didn't answer. But his stance and his look explained it all. "I can't… He needs me. And I need him," she said quietly.

Wallace swallowed. "There you have it. You've made your choice."

Veronica was sobbing now. "Please, Wallace… Don't do this. I'm alone… I need my family too." She hiccupped and cried at the same time. "I miss all of you… I love you… Please… don't kick me out of our family. I don't have anyone else."

"You have Gory. I hope you're happy now." Wallace stepped back and closed the door. Veronica sobbed hard, kneeling down on the front porch while she clutched the box.

"Wallace… PLEASE!" she cried. "I can't do this, please Wallace – I need you!" She banged on the door. "Wallace! Please, let me talk to you…" Her chest was in pain. "Wallace… please… please… don't shut me out…"

Claudette watched her husband sit on the floor with his back against the door. He was crying without making a sound. She crouched beside him and hugged him tightly. "Claudette… Don't let me open that door and pull her in. Please," he whispered. His wife nodded sadly, and wiped the tears from his cheek with her thumb. "God, forgive me."

Veronica's cries subsided. She sniffled and stood up. She was still holding the box of snicker-doodles. She looked at the box with the pretty bow sadly. She then put the box on the floor, and left the house. She crossed the street hurriedly and climbed into the limo, into Gorya's arms. She buried her face in his chest and cried hard.

Gorya hugged her and kissed her on the head. "It's okay… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere…" he mumbled into her hair.

He nodded to Boris, who was driving the limo, and they pulled away. Gory thanked the sky that Wallace was holding up his end of the bargain.

This was much better. It was according to plan – With her family out of the picture, Gorya became her sole attention.

Gorya felt relief in his heart, that his wife was never going to leave him…

One Block from Mars Residence

Gabriel took off his headphones. He'd been listening to the conversation between Wallace and Veronica using a portable satellite hearing device. His partner watched as the limo drove away from the neighborhood. "Well, that was…" Gabriel shook his head.

"Yeah."

"Poor Veronica…" Gabriel commented.

"Poor Veronica? How about poor Wallace? He's between a rock and a hard place," Dante argued.

"Yeah, of course. But Veronica doesn't know anything; the reason why her family shunned her."

"I dunno, man. If you lie down with dogs, you'll get fleas. I'm just sayin'."

"So you're sayin' that she deserves it?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you're implying that. She's a killer, she's married to a mobster, and now her family doesn't want anything to do with her- so she deserves it?"

"You said it, not me."

Gabriel exhaled loudly. "Just drive. All of this drama makes me sick."

"Hey, you're the one who has a crush on her."

"Fuck. Off."

Flashback, 2007

Shooting Range

Veronica looked at the target in front of her.

Her hands shook as she was held the heavy gun. She was wearing goggles and a headset. Her target seemed to be moving, even though it was really just her hands that were moving. She frowned and narrowed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She gritted her teeth and started to shoot.

The powerful gun almost knocked her out.

The bullet missed and didn't even hit the target. She almost fell down, but someone came up behind her and steadied her. Veronica jumped and side stepped away from the guy. "Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean to freak you out." He raised his hands. "You almost flew away there."

Veronica looked at him warily. She'd seen him several times on campus. He was the mafia kid who always hung out in the quad with his asshole friends. "Thanks," she muttered. She turned around to get ready again.

"Ah, I don't think…" he started, reaching out to help her. But she flinched from his touch, and he immediately backed away. He raised his hands again and looked at her. "I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. Not with that gun in your hands – I just wanna help." Veronica didn't answer. She looked at him questioningly and carefully. "Look, can I?" He touched her elbow and guided her carefully. "You need to be like this…" He adjusted her stance. "You need to have a firm grip and also stand your ground. Focus on the target… don't close your eyes – open them both so you will get a better shot…" He slowly guided her. Veronica didn't say anything, just allowing him to guide her, although she was watching him cautiously. One wrong move and she would kick his nuts. He steadied her elbows so they wouldn't shake. His face was so close to her, he could smell her hair. "Just… concentrate on which part of him you wanna hurt…" Veronica froze at his words. She glanced at him, but he was still looking at the target. He slowly let her go. "Imagine that this next shot will kill him." Veronica closed her eyes for a bit and then she opened her eyes.

She pulled the trigger and shot the target.

Bullseye.

Veronica exhaled in relief. She looked at him; he seemed proud. "Thank you…"

He shrugged. "No problem." He pointed at her gun. "That gun is too powerful for you."

"It's my dad's."

"You need a more suitable gun for you," he told her.

Veronica shook her head. "I don't think so… I just need to practice, that's all."

A gun, Veronica? A gun? You're crazy…

He reached into his pocket and produced a card. He handed it to Veronica. "If you need anything… Gimme a call."

Veronica shook her head. "I don't think so."

He looked at her intently. "The trial is coming to an end soon, right?" She looked at him in anger, but he ignored her look. "You do know that they will set him free? After all, he's a judge's son." Veronica didn't answer, but she looked away. She took off her goggles and her headset. "I know how these things work. You won't get your justice."

"And of course being connected – connected, like you – you know all about it, right?" Veronica spat. "I know who you are."

"We have our own justice," he shrugged.

"No, thanks."

He nodded and smiled. "Suit yourself."

Veronica watched him as he walked away from her. The she looked at the target. There was a big hole in the head.

Present, 2016

Orion Suite

Logan woke up with a headache and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't figure out where he was. I really gotta stop drinking, he thought, groaning. He realized that he wasn't in his own hotel room. He'd just decided to head to the bathroom, when he heard someone snoring lightly next to him.

Logan blinked his eyes, and saw that a woman was sleeping next to him.

He immediately looked down, and sighed in relief when he discovered that he was still wearing his own clothes. He looked at her, too, thankful that she wasn't naked or anything. It seemed there hadn't been any hanky panky. As tempting as it was, he didn't need a one night stand. He looked at her curiously – who was the woman? Yesterday, he remembered getting back from Dick's penthouse and promising to have dinner with Mac…

Holy crap, it's Mac!

Logan watched as the brunette girl flung her arm onto his stomach, resting comfortably while still snoring. Dick is gonna kill me…