Greatly Exaggerated

A/N: Thanks once again for all of the great feedback. It really makes my day!

"The gang" isn't going to be a major part of this story, but they're here in this chapter. Let's just pretend that Wallace has moved back to Chicago, because I forgot to include him, and it would be too complicated to try to insert him last minute.

Chapter Four

The Casablancas house was a decently large Neo-Colonial, but far from the mansion Dick had grown up in.

Veronica opened the front door as only a trusted friend would, and the children ran in ahead. Logan could hear happy sounds of greeting from somewhere in the house.

He followed behind with Veronica slowly, eyeballing the tasteful décor. Dick definitely had not been in charge of the decorating he concluded, due to the lack of hanging surf boards and Corona signs.

Stopping outside of the dining room doorway, Veronica leaned her shoulder into him. "You ready for this?"

"Not at all." he let out a breath of air, and gave her a small smile and a nod.

She looked up into his eyes, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. "Everything will be fine."

The eye contact was scrambling his brain, so Logan only nodded.

Veronica stepped into the dining room, and Logan stopped, leaning against the doorframe and observing the room. A large oak table with place settings for ten dominated the room. A matching buffet arranged on the opposite wall, held flickering candles. The mouth-watering aroma of pasta and garlic permeated the air.

Logan noticed several beautiful, framed still-life photographs on the wall. He tilted his head at the photos and mouthed the word "You?" to Veronica.

She nodded, her eyes glowing at the fact that he'd recognized her work. She stepped closer to Logan reaching out a hand for him, and he took it gratefully, slowly entwining each finger into its designated spot. An undefinable look passed between them.

Dick's back was to Logan. He was crouched down, talking to Lo, one hand on his shoulder.

"So little Dolphin Dude, you ready for your next surfing lesson tomorrow?"

"Yeah, and I'll go easy on you this time, Uncle Dick." Lo responded, smirking.

Logan felt a little tug at his gut. The kid did know how to smile. Just not at him. He looked at Veronica, and her eyes told him to be patient.

One by one, each person in the room noticed Logan's presence.

A very pregnant Mac noticed him first. Her mouth dropped open and she looked back and forth between Logan, Veronica, and their clasped hands. He gave her a little finger wave with his other hand, belatedly remembering that his fingertips were still pink.

The next to notice was Weevil.

"Weevil at Dick's house? Freaking Bizarro world." Logan thought.

Weevil looked shocked only for a fraction of a second, and then his face changed to a smirk of grudging respect, as if Logan had just pulled off a miraculous poker hand out of thin air. He gave a little nod, which Logan returned.

Morgan was hugging a little blonde girl, six or seven years of age.

"My mom has the best date ever!" she was saying.

Duncan Kane, overhearing, looked up to the entryway, looking through Logan at first. His eyes flicked back immediately, and he rose to his feet gaping.

A pretty blonde next to Duncan looked from person to person in confusion, and then looked over at one of the chairs.

Logan, following her eyes, noticed a life-sized mannequin sitting at the table holding a beer. Unsurprisingly, the mannequin showed no reaction to Logan's presence. It looked suspiciously like him, down to the carefully messy hair. Even if it hadn't, the t-shirt with the name "Logan" emblazoned on it, would have been a giveaway. Logan looked back to Mac, raising an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes and then slanted them towards Dick, indicating that it was his creation.

Dick rose from his crouch, and finally realized that all conversation had stopped, and that everyone was staring towards the doorway. Dick turned around, and when his eyes fell on Logan he let out a terrified shriek, and then fainted dead away.

"Another one bites the dust." Logan heard his daughter say.

Mac, already holding a glass of water, waddled over to her husband, dipped her fingertips in the water and sprinkled some drops on his face. Dick opened his eyes and jumped up, backing up to the wall eyes wide, as if Logan were a ghost.

All eyes in the dining room were now on Logan.

"You were expecting Sidney Portier?" He deadpanned.

Veronica rolled her eyes at him. "Oh crap. I've used that one before." Logan thought to himself. He gave her a sheepish grin.

Realizing that nobody was going to move until he did, Logan stepped into the room.

"I can go, if you prefer the company of your doll." Logan addressed Dick, waving his hand at the mannequin.

Dick, finally realizing that Logan really wasn't an apparition, lunged at him, wrapping him in a bear hug.

"Dick! The ribs!" Logan gasped out.

"Dude!" Dick said , his voice raw. When he pulled back, his eyes were red and were tearing up. "I can't believe you're alive!"

"In the flesh." Logan smirked.

"Hey, relax!" Logan said, noticing that Dick was getting very emotional. "I'm not going to die again at midnight. Trust me."

Dick rubbed at his eyes and looked down.

"Mac!" Logan said, pulling her into a hug, and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations!" he said indicating her pregnancy.

"So you're Veronica's mystery date." Mac said, squeezing him back. "I'm glad you're alive, Logan. And I bet Veronica is really really happy." She said in a singsong voice.

Logan looked at Veronica. She looked away, suddenly interested in fixing Lo's shirt collar.

"DK!" Logan said, reaching out a hand to shake Duncan's. Instead, Duncan pulled him into a hug. "I've missed you, you ass." he said.

"Bet you felt pretty bad for not saying goodbye to me then, huh?" Logan teased, and Duncan hung his head.

"Weevs." Logan said, holding out his hand. "And if you try to hug me, I'm out of here!"

"Never fear, Opie, you're not my type." Weevil answered holding out his hand.

"Logan." Duncan said standing. "I'd like you to meet my wife, Jana. Jana, this is my dead best friend Logan Echolls."

"Pleased to meet you." Logan shook her hand. "Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

Everybody looked at him.

"-Mark Twain." He said, cocking an eyebrow.

"We get it." Veronica smirked.

"This…" Duncan pulled the blond little girl over. "Is my daughter Lilly."

Logan crouched down. "Hi Lilly." he said. "I'm so happy to meet you!"

It was almost creepy how much she resembled the original Lilly Kane.

Lilly giggled. She'd caught glimpses of the Tinseltown Diaries when her parents weren't paying attention, and she thought Logan was totally a movie star. He was so handsome!

Veronica, Mac, and Jana left the room and returned a minute later with pasta, sauce, and trays of garlic bread. Logan leaned against the wall, watching everybody take their seats.

"Dick, would you mind putting your creepy Logan doll back in the closet so that the living breathing version has a place to sit?" Mac asked her husband.

Dick jumped up to comply, and Logan dropped down into the vacated seat next to Veronica.

"The closet?" He asked quirking an eyebrow at Mac. "I suppose I've missed years of 'Logan coming out of the closet' jokes?" He asked, smirking.

"Weekly occurrence." Mac admitted.

"Never gets old." Weevil added.

"Definite fantasy material." Veronica said.

Everybody at the table turned to look at her. "Ohhhh. And I guess that was my out-loud voice." She said, cheeks burning.

Logan tilted his head and looked at Veronica, a small smile curving the corners of his lips. Her eyes flicked to his, and then away quickly, and she turned even redder.

Dick returned to the table and began grilling Logan on his life over the past few years. Logan explained how he'd been living at the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

"That figures." Dick said.

"Why does that figure, Dick?" Veronica asked.

"Probably the best surfing location on Earth." Dick told her.

Logan looked at Veronica embarrassedly. Way to look like he hadn't grown up a bit since he'd been gone.

"I actually did more than surf all day." He told her.

"I can't believe you were in Australia all this time." Duncan said. "I was living there for a long time. In Mollymook. It's about 700 miles away from the Gold Coast."

Logan thought that over. "Did Clarence Weidman check in on you every three months or so?" He asked.

Duncan nodded slowly in confusion.

"Well I guess that explains the visits. He was already in the country checking up on you." Logan said. "Never could figure out why he'd have any interest in me."

Duncan looked away shrugging, something dark on his face.

"This one has a secret." Logan thought. "And it's a big one."

Logan's knee accidentally brushed against Veronica's to his left, and he didn't pull it away. He was surprised when her foot circled around his, locking them together. He looked at her, but she was speaking to Mac, avoiding his eyes. He smiled to himself. Maybe she still liked him. A little bit.

"So you're like totally broke now, Logan?" Dick asked him. "Since you left all of your money to Ronnie?"

"Hardly." Logan smirked. "I'm worth more now than my father ever was."

"How'd you pull that off?" Duncan asked curiously.

"I met a guy who taught me some stuff. Ever hear of a guy named Oliver Brown?" He asked.

"The Oliver Brown?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, I guess he was in love with my mother before my dad came along. He taught me everything he knows"

"You were mentored by Oliver Brown?" Duncan asked in surprise.

"Who's Oliver Brown?" Dick asked.

"He's the Australian Warren Buffet." Mac answered.

"Who's Warren Buffet?" Dick asked.

Mac patted his hand. "Taste the garlic bread Dick, it's delicious." She said.

"You walked away from millions of dollars, and ended up even richer than you started?" Weevil asked, shaking his head.

"You should know me by now, I always bounce back." Logan smirked.

"So you made money in investments?" Veronica asked.

Logan nodded warily. Here comes the interrogation.

"How does a legally dead man invest?" Veronica asked.

Logan opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Never mind. Don't tell me. I'd rather have plausible deniability."

She didn't unlock his foot from hers though, so that was a good sign.

After dinner, Logan, Dick, Weevil and Duncan sat on green cushioned patio chairs around an outdoor fireplace, sipping beer and watching the children play. The red, orange, and yellow flames crackled and snapped, and the air smelled of chlorine and wood smoke. The large patio stretched along the rear of the house, lining a standard swimming pool. On the other side of the pool was a grassy area where the two girls practiced their cartwheels.

The wives and Veronica were still in the house. Logan supposed Veronica was being grilled about their relationship status. What he wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall.

Lo came outside dressed in swimming trunks and climbed onto the diving board. He walked to the very end and turned around. Logan stood up, heart in his throat as Logan executed a perfect backflip into the pool.

"Dude, relax!" Dick said. "The kid is part fish."

Logan let out his breath and sat down when he saw Lo climb out of the pool. His relief was short-lived when he climbed right back up on the diving board.

"Trust us." Weevil said. "He could outswim each and every one of us."

"Except you, Logan." Dick added.

Logan forced himself to relax, but he caught himself twice biting his fingernails.

"So...will somebody please explain this?" Logan asked pointing between Weevil and Dick.

Dick looked at Weevil in confusion. "That's Weevil, dude. You remember him."

"What he's asking, is how it came to be that I get to eat at the table with the rich white boys." Weevil explained to Dick.

"Oh." Dick said. "We forgot about all that old vendetta stuff. We had to take care of Ronnie, because she was carrying your babies."

"She had a bit of a breakdown when you 'died'." Weevil said. "She wouldn't eat or sleep or talk to anybody. When we found out she was pregnant, something needed to be done. So Mac and I combined forces to try to help her get back to her old self."

"I can see you and Mac, but Dick?" Logan asked.

"Well Dick was a complete mess about your 'death', but when he heard through the grapevine that V was carrying your baby...Let's just say he acted like she was carrying the chosen one. Then when we found out there were two babies…" Weevil trailed off with an eye roll at Dick. "If there were a Church of Echolls, Dick would be its high priest."

"Dude, they were all I had left of you." Dick said, completely unashamed.

"Dick actually helped V the most." Weevil said. "He made her laugh, and he'd get really pissy when she was risking your babies by not taking care of herself."

Logan reached out a hand and squeezed Dick's shoulder gratefully.

"Thank for taking care of her." He said. "All of you."

"Yeah, she turned out to not suck so much after all." Dick said.

"How do you fit in to all this?" Logan asked Duncan.

"I don't. I just came back to town two years ago." He explained to Logan the fight to resolve all of his legal issues, and recommended his team of lawyers for the legal issues Logan would soon be facing.

"I noticed your wife didn't have an accent," Logan said.

"No, I met her here in Neptune after I came back."

"After Ronnie made it clear that she didn't want him back." Dick teased.

Duncan glared at Dick, and Logan glared at Duncan.

"Dude! You were dead!" Duncan exclaimed.

Logan glared a little longer.

"Personally, I never bought it." Weevil said. "I know from experience that you don't go down that easily. I figured you'd pop back up eventually."

"So that's why you never went after her?" Logan asked directly.

Weevil looked Logan over for a minute, and then clinked his beer bottle. That's all the answer he was going to get.

"You did a good thing, Echolls." Weevil said after a moment. "It takes a real man to walk away in order to keep his woman safe."

Logan nodded, leaned over, and clinked Weevils bottle.

They watched the three children playing together. Lilly and Morgan were obviously the best of friends. They were virtually inseparable. Lo, out of the pool and dressed, approached Lilly and tried to present her with a sprinkled cookie.

"I don't want it." Lilly said dismissively to him and turned away. Lo got mad and pushed her, then he stomped on the cookie and stormed off.

"I have no idea how to handle that." Logan admitted to Duncan. "Not that I would be presumptuous enough to try."

Duncan smirked. "That doesn't look familiar to you?" He asked.

"Should it?" Logan asked.

"We've all discussed this before." Duncan explained. "Logan has a crush on Lilly. And he acts just like his father used to when the objects of his affection spurned him."

"I don't recall ever stomping on a cookie!" Logan objected.

"No, headlight bashing was more your style." Weevil said.

"Or insulting the sexual prowess of your rival." Duncan said.

Logan noticed that all three guys at the table were smirking at him.

"Screw you." He said, a snicker escaping from his lips.

"So the Kane heiress and the Mars kids are best friends? That's a creepy sort of full-circle." Logan said.

"Mars kids? Those kids are Echolls." Dick told him.

"She gave them my name?" Logan asked, a lump forming in his throat. "But what about my dad?"

"She loved you, dude." Dick told him. "And trust me; the Echolls name has not hurt those kids. They're like little celebrities in this town."

So, there was a new Lilly Kane and a new Logan Echolls in town. That could not possibly be a good sign.

"Morgan is oblivious to the attention, but Logan soaks it all up." Duncan added.

"Why didn't you guys convince her to live in a nicer neighborhood?" Logan asked. "Is that area safe?"

"She won't spend your money." Dick said.

"She feels like spending your money means she's profiting off of your death." Weevil explained. "She only spends it on the children."

"I should have known." Logan groaned. "Stubborn woman!"

"Hey. There's a house for sale two doors down. You and Ronnie should totally move there." Dick said.

"Uh...I'll think it over." Logan lied.

He noticed that the three women had come out, and were sitting with their feet in the pool. Veronica looked beautiful in the fading sunlight. His heart ached at the sight of her.

"So you're surfing with Logan tomorrow?" He asked turning back to Dick.

"Dolphin Dude? Every Saturday morning. You should totally come. I bet you learned some rad skills at the Gold Coast."

"Yes, I did. But I don't know." Logan answered. "He seems to hate me."

"Lo hates you? Weird." Dick said. "I've always told him how awesome you are. He should be totally stoked to meet you. Come surfing with us. Your son is a natural. You'll be so proud of him."

"If you think he won't be mad, I'll come. No, wait. All my stuff is still being shipped from Australia."

"So pick up a new wetsuit in the surf shop" Dick said. "Quit trying to get out of it. He's your son."

Logan nodded in nervous agreement, and they firmed up their meeting time and location.

"Maybe we could get dinner afterwards." Logan said.

"Can't." Dick said. "Mac and I have dinner plans with my asshole father tomorrow."

"You two still haven't worked things out?" Logan asked.

"I still kind of hate him for Cassidy, but he tries. Especially now that Mac is having a baby any week now."

Logan nodded. "The Dick and Mac thing was a big surprise to me."

"Yeah, me too!" Dick said. "It kind of snuck up on me, but she's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"I know the feeling." Logan said looking back at Veronica. She caught him looking, and gave him a little smile that almost made his heart stop.

Before they left, Logan took Duncan aside.

"So you and Veronica?" Duncan asked.

"I have no idea." Logan said wearily. "I love her as much today as the day that I left. And I know I have no right to expect her to come running back to me after I left her that way, but I want her to."

Duncan nodded. "You did the right thing, you know. You managed to keep Veronica and those twins safe. That's all that really matters."

"I wrote her a goodbye letter, but her dad never gave it to her. She had no idea all of these years just how much I loved her."

"Trust me. She knew. Saint Logan this. Saint Logan that. It was nauseating." Duncan smirked.

"Saint?" Logan choked. "Hardly! You're the saint, I'm the sinner. She must not remember me that well."

"You sacrificed yourself for her honor. Sounds pretty saintly."

"I wasn't really dead." Logan reminded him.

"You beat up a guy, knowing that he had mob ties, because he hurt Veronica. Her own boyfriend wouldn't do that."

Logan shrugged. "Duncan." He said changing the subject. "You're keeping something from me, and it's big."

Duncan stiffened and avoided his eyes.

"DK, I've known you since we were five." He looked out at the children, and then pointed. "Their age. I know when you're hiding something. You got weird when I mentioned Clarence Weidman checking up on me. Did you know I was alive?"

"No, I didn't have a clue you were alive."

"So then?" Logan pressed.

"You were wondering why Clarence would have any interest in you."

"OK."

"God Logan, I don't want to tell you this. I did a bad thing. I felt like I had no choice."

Logan waited silently.

"Logan, I have a wife and a daughter. This secret could cost me everything."

Logan crossed his arms over his chest.

"I kind of...sort of...put a hit out on your father." Duncan froze up, waiting to be hit or screamed at.

Logan only stared at Duncan. Half a minute went by in silence.

Finally, Logan simply nodded.

"It had to be done." Duncan said.

"I know."