CHAPTER 7

Veronica shifted in her seat. They had been driving for a while already and her butt was starting to go numb. She looked out into the darkness as they sped through the Mexico. She couldn't see anything but the road where the car's headlights hit it.

She had wanted her dad to rest after the drive down, but he had insisted on them leaving the same night. He didn't want to stay on the yacht and hadn't been able to find a decent motel that had any vacancies. Veronica suspected that Keith just wanted to get back to Alicia.

They had just made up from their fight over Alicia's secrets and Keith's snooping. Apparently, the time apart had only made them stronger; at least that was what her dad told her. Veronica was just happy that her dad hadn't been still hung up on Leanne when she died. It was hard enough to deal now without having to worry about her dad being messed up.

Wallace had still not gone home. He had told Veronica that he needed some time to get to know his biological dad, and to find out if he would ever be able to trust his mother again. Veronica missed him, but knew that it was better for him to be gone right now. It was time for his needs to come first.

Keith passed a car on the highway and Veronica glanced over at him. The number of cars that they were passing was growing; that meant that they were getting closer to the border. No matter how late it was, there were always cars at the border.

Veronica knew that she would see Logan soon, probably tomorrow, but she still missed him. The closer they got to Neptune, the further she got from him. He had been forced to sleep on the yacht until the next day, not wanting to try to sail home in the dark. He had told her that he would phone as soon as he got in though, and that at least was hopeful.

Keith had seemed okay with her seeing Logan after, but Veronica still wasn't sure. It seemed like it was too easy after what they had done. And it definitely wasn't like her dad to give Logan the benefit of the doubt; he had never liked that she was dating him.

A jaw breaking yawn brought tears to her eyes as she shifted again in the car. If she was tired, then what was her dad going through? At least she had gotten some rest in the afternoon with Logan. Keith had probably not slept at all since veronica had left.

"Do you want me to take over?" she asked her father softly. Keith glanced over at her and seemed to think it over. Veronica almost winced at how sandy his eyes looked.

"After we cross the border" he answered finally, sighing.

She suddenly remembered the last time she had seem him like this. When Veronica had gone to the prom with Duncan, Lily and Logan they had been gone all night and her father had stayed up with the Kanes until she had gotten there. He had made the same sigh then too.

"I'm sorry dad" she whispered, guilt eating at her for doing this to him again.

Keith looked over at her and gave her a small smile. "It's okay Veronica" he whispered back. "This is what dads are here for" he put a hand on her shoulder gently as he spoke.

Veronica felt tears gather behind her eyes and blinked them back. "Only the good ones" she said quietly, moving to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Keith smiled and turned the radio on. "Oh, my favorite at 2 in the morning, salsa music" he joked as the high paced music pumped out of the speakers. "Oh, and that reminds me, what was with Logan's clothes? He couldn't find something a little less…flamboyant?"

Veronica chuckled with a mixture of amusement and relief. If he was joking then he had forgiven her for the most part. He gave the silent treatment when he was mad.

"Logan is flamboyant" Veronica answered her father, laughing again at his groan.

"Great. You just had to fall for a want-to-be salsa dancer?" Keith snarked. "What was so wrong with the cop?" he continued good-naturedly over her laugh.

After they passed the border, they switched positions, Veronica taking over the wheel. Keith was asleep almost as soon as his head touched the seat. Veronica turned the radio off so it wouldn't disturb him, even though she suspected that an atomic bomb wouldn't wake him up now.

She was smiling as she drove, thinking about Logan. She knew for sure now that her father would let her see him. He wouldn't have been joking around about it if it was otherwise.

That was the biggest obstacle that they had to climb and now it was passed. The next obstacle was Duncan. He wasn't going to take this well.

Logan lay awake in the small pull-out bed in the yacht. He looked up at the ceiling without really seeing it. The bed hadn't seemed so cramped and uncomfortable when Veronica had been in it.

Thoughts and memories about her were flashing through his mind.

The sound she made the first time that they had joined.

The look in her eyes whenever he told her that he loved her.

The soft way her voice turned when she said it back.

Logan sighed and rolled over on his stomach, punching his thin pillow to try to get more comfortable. Staying up all night wouldn't get him to her more quickly tomorrow, he told himself sternly. All it would do is get him killed; sailing home half asleep wouldn't be bright.

He knew that they had a lot against them when they got back together at Neptune, but he wasn't worried. He loved her so much that nothing would stop him from being with her. Not her father, not his father, and not Duncan.

He fell asleep a few minutes later with a smile on his face. He dreamt of Veronica.