Author's Note:

I just want to quickly address a guest review I received for the last chapter:

This story is about Veronica's emotional journey as she enters into a long-term, committed relationship with Logan, during which she finds herself re-evaluating some of her long-held opinions and beliefs regarding marriage and children. It is NOT a story where Veronica gives in and agrees to have children because Logan wants them even though she doesn't, it's about two mature adults actually talking about their opinions and wants and needs, making sure the other is aware of them and understands them, and perhaps realising that they need to rethink some of their own beliefs. Logan is not pressuring Veronica into having kids (in fact, he hasn't even brought up the subject in months) and it's also not selfish to want children even though he is in the military - granted, it's not for everyone, but many military officers have children and they make it work for them. Also, Veronica is not giving up or compromising her career either. If they have children, it will be because Veronica decides she wants them and is ready, not because she wants to make Logan happy or feels pressurised by him. And if they don't, then Logan will accept and respect her decision not to have them.

Epilogue

Late January 2018

Veronica tilts her head up toward the sun, closing her eyes behind her sunglasses, a soft smile on her face as she relaxes in the lounger, soaking up the heat. She's happy… really, truly happy. It's an emotion she hasn't often felt in her life, at least not in as pure a form as she's feeling right now.

Logan is swimming laps in the small, private infinity pool connected to their hotel room—not that there's much room to do so, but he doesn't seem to care. Though he tried to persuade her to join him, Veronica is content to soak up the sun and enjoy watching the way his muscles bunch and flex as he moves through the water. She thinks back over the events of the last few days, unable to believe they actually happened. Here she is—here they are—spending their honeymoon in a luxury hillside hotel in the rainforest, with gorgeous views of both mountains and ocean. It's like paradise.

The got married on Saturday afternoon, exactly two years to the day since they said goodbye at the base after those incredible two weeks of bliss. The ceremony was held at the far end of Dog Beach in a small alcove, surrounded by rocks on one side and the crashing waves on the other, with just their closest friends in attendance. Mac was her Maid of Honour, while Logan, after much debate, eventually chose Chaos as his Best Man, with Dick as the sole groomsman. Both of her parents were in attendance, Hunter too, along with Wallace and his new girlfriend, Sarah and Ava, and Cosmo and his wife.

It was perfect.

Honestly, Veronica didn't want a traditional celebration. Just something private and discreet, something that was just about them, without all the pomp and circumstance. Her only real stipulation was that Logan had to wear his dress whites for the ceremony. Her smile widens as her thoughts turn to their wedding night, which was spent in the honeymoon suite of the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey before they flew down to St. Lucia Sunday morning. She's in the middle of recalling just how amazing it was, when something cold and wet covers her from head to toe.

"Oh my God!" She gasps, starting in surprise. She opens her eyes and glares at Logan from beneath her sunglasses as he covers her warm, dry body with his soaking wet one. "Logan, get the fuck off me."

"Nope." He grins down at her, supporting his weight on his elbows, the length of his body pressed against hers. "It's fun watching you squirm."

"What are you, five?" She rolls her eyes.

"I'm lonely." He gives an exaggerated pout. "Come in the pool."

"No." She shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm perfectly happy here."

"I'll make it worth your while," he teases suggestively.

"Oh, yeah?" Veronica lifts her sunglasses and crooks an eyebrow at him.

He pushes up onto all fours, kissing her gently before pulling back and grinning down at her. "Definitely."

"Okay, fine." She sighs with faux irritation. "I'll go in the pool."

He grins widely and pulls her up off the lounger. As he tugs her into the water. Veronica tries to look annoyed, but instead, she can't help smiling at how relaxed and content he seems.

"That's better," he says, crouching in the shallow water as he pulls her onto his lap.

Veronica slides her arms around his neck, her eyes locking with his, just drinking him in for a long moment. His lips twitch and then break into a wide smile, and she can't help but smile back. A second later, he laughs softly and spurred on by his amusement, she laughs too.

"What?" she asks.

"Nothing."

Veronica turns her head, taking in the incredible view. Their room is open, the four-poster bed just a few yards from the pool and sun loungers, which look out over the blue ocean and green mountains.

"God, this place is amazing."

"Isn't it?"

While her head is still turned, Logan presses a kiss to her neck. It sends a tingle of sensation through her, making her shiver. His hands move along her sides and around to cup her breasts. Sliding the material of her bikini top aside, he brushes his fingers across her nipples.

"Mmm." She sighs. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he murmurs against her skin, one hand sliding down over her stomach and slipping into her bikini bottoms.

His fingers slide between her lips, seeking out the sensitive flesh of her clit, and Veronica inhales sharply, her heart racing as he begins stroking, slow and steady. She's so caught up in the sensations, she doesn't even notice he's manoeuvred them over to the side of the pool until she feels the cool stone pressing against her back.

She gives a whimper of protest when he pulls his hand away, but then he's cupping her bottom, pushing her upward as his mouth glides down over her collarbone, lips covering one nipple and sucking gently. She clutches at his hair, both for balance and to hold him close as her back arches. He moves to the other nipple, then kisses and licks a trail over her stomach. He urges her further out of the water, so she's lying back against the warm tiles. His mouth brushes over the material of her bikini bottoms, right over her clit, before he tugs them down, leaving her bare to him.

Veronica's eyes close, the sun warm on her face, as she concentrates on the feeling of Logan's tongue and fingers working their magic on her sensitive flesh. There's nothing better in the world than Logan going down on her like this… well, almost nothing.

On Wednesday night, three days into their honeymoon, Veronica is swaying against Logan on the dance floor of a local bar in Gros Islet, a contented, dreamy look on her face. He can't help but smile as he looks down at her. She seems so happy, carefree, and he just wants to capture this moment, freeze it in place forever. It's not often that she lets down her walls like this, and he wants to savour it. Admittedly, she's a little—okay, a lot—tipsy, but that's what's so great about this moment; Veronica has to feel really comfortable and safe with someone before she'll allow herself to get drunk around them. And it feels amazing to know he's the one she trusts so completely to keep her safe.

Of course, he's stone-cold sober, same as he has been for more than nine years, but that doesn't matter. He's learned to live without alcohol and to deal with being around people who are drinking, and while he certainly misses it—desperately so, sometimes—he's determined not to fall off the wagon, especially after he came so close to doing so just over a year ago, after Bilbo.

"You know what?" she says suddenly, lifting her head to look up at him.

"What?" he asks with a smile.

"We should stay here. Live in paradise."

"Yeah?" Logan presses his lips together to stop himself from smirking at the slight slur of her words.

"Uh, huh." She nods. "Can you imagine it? Long walks on the beach, surfing, hiking in the hills…"

"Since when do you hike in the hills?"

She frowns, looking puzzled. It's adorable. "We're going up Gros Piton on Friday."

"Yeah, but other than that?"

"Uh, well…"

"Exactly."

"I could learn to love it," she insists.

"Maybe you could, but what about your job?" he reasons. "I can't see there being much of a seedy underbelly to investigate here in paradise."

"Well, no, probably not…"

"And I'm in the Navy, I can't leave on a whim," he reminds her. "Plus, you can't just up and move to another country; you need visas and shit."

"Yeah…" She seems to ponder this for a moment, before frowning again, swatting at his arm. "Hey, stop trying to ruin my buzz."

"Sorry." He grins, tightening his arms around her.

"I need another drink," she states then, tone decisive.

"Do you?" he wonders. "You've already had three of those cocktails, not to mention wine with dinner."

"And?" is her immediate response.

"And nothing," he adds quickly. "If you want another drink, go for it."

"You know, I wasn't asking your permission." She raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of assuming that," he teases.

"It's my honeymoon," she says with a firm nod. "If I want another drink, I'm damn well gonna have one."

He gives a short laugh. "Go on, then."

She just looks up at him, cocking an eyebrow expectantly.

"Okay, fine." Logan sighs, disentangling himself from her. "One drink coming up. Same again?"

She nods happily. "Please?"

"I'll be right back."

Even as he makes his way to the bar, he can't help chuckling. Veronica's delightful when she's tipsy like this. He orders another colourful cocktail for her and a mango juice for himself and, as he waits for the bartender to make the drinks, he turns, leaning against the counter, his eyes going to Veronica again.

She's returned to the small booth they've claimed as their own for the night and is playing with the beer mats on the table. She looks amazing; tropical island life certainly agrees with her. Her skin is flushed—a combination of sun exposure and the alcohol—and her hair loose and untamed, flowing around her shoulders, just a single flower tucked behind her ear. The floaty sundress she's wearing completes the sun-kissed, beachy look. He feels a sudden urge to take her up on the suggestion to just stay here forever, hidden away from the pressures and stresses of everyday life.

Unfortunately, that's not gonna happen. He deploys again in just over 3 weeks, and it's for 8 long months this time. They have an unspoken agreement to avoid the subject this week and focus on enjoying their tropical paradise honeymoon instead, but he knows it must be lurking at the back of Veronica's mind, just like it's at the back of his.

The bartender hands him the drinks and he makes his way back to the booth, handing the cocktail to Veronica and taking a sip of his juice as he slides in beside her.

"Thanks." Veronica flashes him a winning smile, then leans over to kiss him, before bringing the glass to her lips.

They stay at the bar until they've finished their drinks, then stumble back to their room—well, Veronica stumbles. Logan makes it there perfectly fine, thank you very much.

As soon as they're inside, the door locked, Veronica presses him up against the wall, rising up on tiptoes and kissing him urgently. Her hands slide up under the thin material of his shirt, fingernails scraping over his skin. His stomach muscles contract, a thrill of arousal shooting to his groin. She breaks the kiss, kissing her way along his jaw as her hands slide out from under his shirt, then drift to the lapels. Logan lets out a soft groan when she sucks on his earlobe, gently nibbling the skin before tugging on the shirt, popping the buttons.

He grins. "Eager, tonight, are we?"

She lifts her head, desire and urgency evident in her expression. "I need you. I wanna have dirty, naughty sex with you. Right now."

"You do, huh?" he manages, though his voice catches in his throat as his arousal strains against the confines of his pants.

"Yep."

She grins wickedly, her hands dropping to his pants and deftly unfastening his belt, then popping the button and sliding the zipper down. Logan's head falls back against the door, watching Veronica from under hooded eyes as she eases the pants down and wraps her fingers around his length.

"God…" he grinds out, but all too soon, she releases him. He frowns. "No, keep going…"

She shakes her head, tugging her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, before saying, "No. I wanna watch you do it."

He blinks, swallowing harshly even as his cock twitches. "You what?"

"You heard me." She grins mischievously. "Touch yourself. Show me what you like."

"You already know what I like," he says, though really, why the fuck is he arguing about this?

"I'm drunk," she says simply, as if that explains it. Her fingers wrap around him again, squeezing gently. "Come on. Indulge me."

"Okay."

His hand moves to cover hers over his erection, fingers entwining. Their hands move up and down together a couple of times before she slides hers away. As he continues stroking, Veronica tugs his pants down the rest of the way and helps him step out of them. Then she undoes the remainder of his shirt buttons, pulling the material down over his shoulders. Logan releases his grip for a moment to discard the shirt, then he's standing naked before her, stroking leisurely.

"God, you're hot." Her eyes travel down the length of his body.

"Yeah?" He feels emboldened by the hunger evident on her face, the lust in her eyes, the arousal pumping through his veins. "You like it?"

His hand slows a little, movement deliberate, drawing her attention. She licks her lips, then nods. "Uh huh."

"What do you want me to do?" His voice catches in his throat as he speaks.

"Just, uh… just keep doing that," she says, tone breathy.

She steps forward, placing her hands against his chest, running her fingers over his bare skin, nails scraping over the ridges of his stomach. She leans in, tongue darting out and flicking his nipple, before drawing it into her mouth. Logan sucks in a sharp breath as one of her hands slides around to cup his ass, fingers digging into the skin as the other cups his balls.

"Fuck…" he grinds out.

"That's it," she murmurs encouragingly as he strokes faster now, his hips pumping as he strains for release.

"V'ronica," he manages, barely holding on. "I need… please…"

Her hand moves to cover his, stopping his movements as she rises up, her lips almost touching his, and whispers, "Not yet."

She kisses him, soft and sweet, and Logan swallows, closing his eyes. He's so close to coming he's not sure he can hold out much longer.

"Open your eyes," she murmurs.

He obliges, doing so in time to see her step back into the middle of the room.

"Now it's your turn to watch me." She grins, holding up one finger. "But no touching anything, okay?"

Logan groans, head dropping back against the door again, heart pounding and head swimming with arousal. His cock stands hard and erect, straining for release, and there's nothing he can do about it.

"Geez, Veronica… you're killing me here."

She just cocks an eyebrow, smiling widely as she pushes the straps of her sundress down over her shoulders. "That's kind of the point."

Logan can only stare, slack-jawed, as she shimmies out of the dress, revealing perky, bare breasts and pale-pink panties. He presses his palms flat against the door in restraint.

She lets her hands drift down over her body, sliding down along her sides, over her stomach, then up, cupping her breasts and brushing her thumbs over her nipples, just how she likes him to do it. Her eyes are locked with his, lustful and hooded as she gently rubs and kneads her pliant flesh.

Logan's breaths are coming harder now, heat pooling low in his belly, gaze following her hand as it slides down and into her panties. A gasping moan escapes her lips as she strokes slowly.

"I'm so wet, Logan," she murmurs silkily. "That's what you do to me."

He groans again, then swallows harshly as she brings her fingers to her mouth, licking them clean.

"Fuck, Veronica," is all he can manage. What are you doing to me?

"Wanna taste?" she teases, a glint in her eye as she hops up onto the table a couple of feet away.

"God, yeah."

He starts to move toward her, but she holds up a finger in warning. "Nuh uh, not yet. You stay right there, Lieutenant."

Barely holding onto his self-control, he nods in resignation, giving a whispered, "Okay."

Her hand dips into her panties once more, as she leans back, supporting her weight on her other hand. She makes quite a picture, perched on the table, legs spread, naked apart from those tiny panties and a pair of heels. Her hair cascades over one shoulder and her face is flushed. She looks like a fantasy come true.

Her fingers work faster now, rubbing herself beneath the thin, pink fabric. Though he can't see exactly what she's doing, he can certainly picture it. He can tell when she slides one finger inside herself, even as she keeps up the pressure on her clit, because she lets out a low moan—just like when he does the same.

He's struggling to stay in control, every breathy gasp and moan from her going straight to his groin. His head is spinning. He needs release.

"God, yeah…" she's muttering now, hips rocking against her hand. "I'm gonna…"

"Hey, hey, hey," he interrupts quickly, boldly. "None of that. If I don't get to come, then you don't either."

"Fuck, Logan…" she practically whines. "I'm almost there."

"And?" he counters. "So am I."

She stops, contemplating that for a second, before nodding decisively, removing her hand from her panties and beckoning him over. "Then get over here. Now."

"With pleasure."

He's in front of her in a flash, standing between her legs and pulling her close as he reaches across the table for a condom—realising belatedly that they left the open box out in full view all day—and rolls it on.

Tugging her panties to one side, he runs one finger over her clit, grinning as she bucks in response, then down between her lips, finding her so wet and ready for him it makes his stomach muscles clench.

"Yeah…" she murmurs, eyes closing in pleasure.

He grins, teasing her with the tip of his cock for a moment, before sliding up into her.

"Oh my fucking God…" The words leave her in a rush and Logan can't help but chuckle softly in response.

"Good, huh?"

"Yeah," she nods, expression a mixture of dreamy and turned on. "Fuck me, Logan. Hard and fast."

His hands curve around her butt, pulling her even closer as he thrusts deeper this time.

"I love it when you're tipsy and uninhibited like this," he manages between thrusts.

"We're on vacation," she says, stretching up to brush her mouth over his. "I'm letting my hair down. It's fun, and freeing."

"Well, I like it."

"Oh, I bet you do," she teases, squeezing her inner muscles around him, making him suck in a breath. "It doesn't happen often, so make the most of it."

As if to punctuate her words, she leans back on her elbows, then eases herself lower, so she's lying flat on the table, arms spread.

"Take me. I'm at your mercy, Echolls."

He grins. Sliding his hands from her butt, up over her hips and stomach and to her breasts, gently kneading them in his palms as he strokes inside her.

"Oh, this is gonna be a fun night."

Friday morning dawns warm and humid. Not the best conditions for hiking 3,000 feet up a mountain—which is really not Veronica's thing anyway, despite what she told Logan in the bar Wednesday night—but she's going to do it; because she knows Logan wants to, and, come on, when is she ever going to get another chance to hike through the Caribbean rainforest?

So, she dons a tank-top and shorts, laces up her newly-acquired hiking boots, and packs her bag with bottles of water, sunscreen and her camera.

"Ready to go?" Logan asks, emerging from the bathroom in a US Navy t-shirt, cargo shorts and boots, sunglasses perched atop his head.

"Sure."

Veronica smiles as he leans down to kiss her, before walking past and reaching for his bag.

They head down to the hotel lobby, where they're picked up and driven to the start of the hiking trail. They've booked a private hike and their guide, Luciano, is a jovial local man in his late thirties, who assures them they will have a great time. While the lush, green mountain before them is impressive, looking up at it, Veronica's convinced this experience will be more gruelling than fun.

The hike starts off fairly gentle, ambling through tiny villages, but when they reach the rainforest, the trail, marked by 'stairs' of volcanic rocks, really begins. Veronica can't help but feel awed by the scenery as they pass cacti and mango trees and exotic birds flitting through the forest canopy. Despite her general lack of enthusiasm over hiking, she has to confess, this is pretty fucking cool. Not that she's gonna admit that to Logan though; he's under the impression he's had to practically drag her on this hike kicking and screaming, and that she only agreed because after this they're going to bathe under the waterfall at Soufriere Falls.

About an hour or so into the hike—around halfway up the mountain, so Luciano tells them—they stop at a small, rare gap in the trees, and Veronica gets a glimpse of the view out over the sea.

"Wow."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Logan says from behind her.

"I'll say."

She lifts her camera, taking a few shots of the scenery, before turning to Logan and snapping a couple of him. Luciano sees, offers to take a picture of the two of them, and Veronica feels strangely normal as they pose for the photo, Logan's arm around her waist, her leaning into his side with a wide smile. Their lives have never been particularly ordinary, not for Veronica, growing up in Neptune with a PI father and alcoholic mother, nor for Logan, with fucked-up Hollywood stars for parents, so this, right here, just being two regular tourists celebrating their marriage, is something of a luxury.

"Okay, easy part's over," Luciano announces as he hands Veronica her camera back. "This is where the trail gets more difficult. There are a lot of boulders and tree roots to trip you up, so take it easy and be careful."

As they set off, continuing further up the mountain, Veronica mutters to Logan, "Tell me again who thought this was a good idea?"

"Aw, come on, you can't tell me you're not enjoying this," he responds. "And just think of that sense of achievement you'll feel when we get to the top."

"I guess," she concedes, though it makes her pause. "Is that what it was like for you, joining the Navy? Feeling like you'd achieved something?"

"Yeah, it was." He nods. "You start off feeling like you're never gonna get through it—the training, the discipline, even just the fitness tests—but then, after all this hard work, you finally reach your goal—you pass the test, take your first solo flight, get your wings—and you realise it was all worth it. And it just pushes you to work harder, to take on the next challenge, to keep achieving."

"Yeah…" She smiles, once again reminded how much Logan has changed since he was a teenager. "I can picture that."

"Come on, Mars," says Logan, slinging a sweaty arm around her neck. "Let's tick this achievement off the list."

It takes another hour and a half to reach the summit, and Veronica is tempted to give up more than once on the way up. The sun is hot now, making her uncomfortable and tired, beads of sweat running down her face. The worst thing though, is the fact that Logan barely seems fazed by the exertion. Sure, he's always been fairly fit, but when they were teenagers, his only real workouts came from surfing and sex. Since he joined the Navy though, his physical fitness has improved infinitely.

Of course, being out of action for those three months last year hadn't helped, and he lost a fair amount of muscle tone, while also gaining a bit of weight due to essentially being a couch potato for several weeks. However, as soon as he was cleared to fly again at the end of July, he threw himself back into his prior fitness regime and by the Fall, he was back to his former self.

All of her complaints and frustrations about the hike completely disappear when she steps onto the final rock on the summit. Her breath leaves her in a rush as she takes in the incredible scenery. It's gorgeous. The sky is a beautiful deep blue, barely a cloud to be seen, and it accentuates the dark green of the forest-covered landscape. Further out, the sun reflects off the brilliant sea, creating a glistening hue.

Logan steps up behind her, his arms sliding around her waist as he rests his chin on her shoulder. "Wow, huh?"

"Yeah. God, Logan, this place..."

"I know." He nods against her shoulder. "Being up here… it's like the rest of the world doesn't exist. It's just you and me, surrounded by nature."

"I know what you mean," she says. "No real life problems up here."

He kisses her cheek, arms tightening around her.

"I didn't realise we had any real life problems," he says, tone glib. "I've been under the impression things were great."

"They are," she assures him. "I didn't mean to imply they weren't. It's just… tomorrow we'll be on a plane back home, and then it's back to reality." She sighs, hands covering his around her waist. "Logan, you're leaving in three weeks."

"I know." He sighs. "I wish I wasn't."

"Me too," she adds. "Look, I know we've been avoiding talking about it this week, because, you know, honeymoon… but I can't ignore it completely."

"I know," he says again. "Me either. But we're in paradise and it's our last day here. Let's just enjoy it. We can worry about the rest when we get home."

"Yeah. Okay."

"It's beautiful view, no?" Luciano interrupts then.

He comes up beside them, gesturing to the scenery. He points out the landmarks and geographical points, then insists on taking more pictures of them together.

When he returns her camera, Veronica takes a few more photos of the landscape, then goes for some artistic close-ups of the flora and fauna, before focusing the lens on Logan once more. She grins, snapping away as he tugs off his t-shirt, then splashes cool water over his face and chest. He's so photogenic. After a couple of minutes, he notices what she's doing, and starts posing for her. Veronica laughs at his antics, though she doesn't stop photographing him.

It's not long before Luciano tells them they need to start their descent, but he's kind enough to give them a few moments of privacy before they begin hiking again. Veronica takes the opportunity to slide her arms around Logan's neck and tug him down for a hot, sweaty kiss.

"Don't worry about the future, Veronica. We're going to be just fine," Logan murmurs softly. He tucks her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers drift along her neck and down over her shoulder, thumb brushing her collarbone. "We love each other. We're married. We can get through anything; and we will. Together."

End

Author's Note:

While this is the end of this fic, it's not the end of Veronica and Logan's story and I do plan to continue in another installment :).